Gilbert & Gaillard Wine Magazine May 2011 by Vinipresse

CONTENTS

Contents COLUMNS

WINE INTERNATIONAL NEXT ISSUE OUT SUMMER 2011

COVER: STUDIO DELACLOCHE

64-66

GILBERT & GAILLARD

ORGANIC NEWS • Organic winemaking: what are the rules?

THE WORLDWIDE WINE SIGNATURE

SUBSCRIPTIONS 2 YEARS 43.90 € - 1 YEAR 23.60 € SEE PAGE 22

67-71 TRAVEL • South Africa's winemaking has come a long way, and its winelands are a must-see destination

78-81 FAMILY BUSINESS • Vignobles Mayard:

A tale of three siblings • Duval-Leroy: Champagne

85-87 NEW YORK LIFE • Nights of Terroir: Paul Grieco's Conspiracy

88-89 WINE QUOTATIONS • Still good deals to be had in the Médoc

11-13

20-21

PARIS LIFE

NEWS

90-91

58-63

EXPORT • Canada's unique distribution system

14-15 LONDON LIFE

16 TOKYO LIFE

17-18 SHANGHAI LIFE

WINE GROWER PORTRAITS • Cathy Sisqueille: Château de Rey • Domaine Dalmeran: when wine rhymes with culture • Françoise Sirot-Soizeau: Château Closiot

106-108 STARS AND WINE • The Desperate Housewives spill the beans

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

CONTENTS

Contents REPORTS

PLEASE GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK info@gilbertgaillard.fr

40-45 HISTORY OF THE VINEYARDS • Lazio and its wines

46-57

QUALITY FACTORS • Wood and wine: working together • The long journey from oak to cask • Beaujolais: the most incredible expression of Gamay

72-77 REGION • Loire: the diversity of Sauvignon Blanc

82-84 WINE AND FOOD • Eric Frechon, from the shore of the English Channel to Le Bristol!

73 23-35 COVER STORY • New discoveries of the year • The concept of vintage • Wines from the classic French regions: keep or consume?

92-105 REGION • Champagne de vignerons: quality at a good price • The incredible success of Cava

109-110 RECOMMENDED WINES

36-39 RATED WINES • GOLD 90+/100

51 4

GILBERT & GAILLARD

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FRANÇOIS GILBERT

www.gilbertgaillard.com

e are delighted to announce the arrival of

the Gilbert & Gaillard mobile application. Aimed at wine enthusiasts, professionals, importers

and distributors, this application is one of a kind. Allowing you to access all of our 50,000 (and growing) wine reviews, tasting notes and comments,

The world of wine on your mobile

the application is continually enhanced with new reviews from tastings carried out around the world by Gilbert & Gaillard’s representatives in Europe, the Americas and Asia, with newly updated information every day (see on page 39). Thanks to its geolocation feature, the Gilbert & Gaillard application is also a very useful tool for those looking for the best nearby wineries on their travels. Among other things, it provides the contact details of winemakers if you’d like to arrange a visit or buy wine. This application is the latest addition to Gilbert & Gaillard’s publications, which include our wine guides, published in French, English, Chinese and Japanese, this magazine, and our website gilbertgaillard.com (now available in French and English and soon to be available in Chinese and Japanese). See you soon on your mobile!

François Gilbert Editorial director

Launch of iPhone application: 30 April 2011 - Android version: available soon

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

PHILIPPE GAILLARD

www.gilbertgaillard.com

or centuries, wood and wine have happily

coexisted. This natural material, most often oak, is the ideal container for maturing wine. Historically, barrels were not only used to mature wine, but also to transport it, usually by boat, to its final destination. In the 20th century, the spread of bottling wine where

Wood is losing ground to terroir

it is produced ended this practice. But the 1980s gave rise to a sudden surge of popularity for using new wood to mature wine, causing this method to increase tenfold. Barrel-toasting methods changed and maturing time was extended, with the goal of giving wines a woody taste that had become very fashionable. This preference, at least at its most extreme, no longer gets such good press, and the current trend is rather the opposite (whether certain reviewers on the other side of the Atlantic like it or not). We are delighted by this turnaround, as we have always advocated for the purest expression of fruit and have opposed trends that add grist to the mill of standardisation. Wood is admittedly an indispensable element in many fine wines, but it should never supplant or smooth out terroir or prevent it from being expressed. Would anyone dream of smothering a salmon fillet with dill?

Philippe Gaillard Editorial director

GILBERT & GAILLARD

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SYLVAIN PATARD

www.gilbertgaillard.com

he vintage of a wine is as unique as a

signature or a genetic fingerprint. A wine may be very

similar to its predecessors, but it is never completely identical. The factors that affect a wine’s quality climate, precipitation, the healthy development of the vines and so on – are well known, but cannot be totally

The incontestable influence of vintage

controlled. Each year brings its share of good or bad surprises. After the harvest, vintage takes on an economic dimension. This is evident by the sometimes astounding differences in price winemakers and sellers charge for the same wine from different years. This is why it is crucial to be aware of the characteristics of each vintage - and the best way to achieve this is to taste and compare the wines, which we do daily. Unfortunately, the general tendency in wine reviewing is uncritical praise, year after year: the acidity and the condition of the grapes are always good and the wine’s potential assured. Our feature on the 2007, 2008 and 2009 vintages (pages 31–35) takes the opposite approach to reveal the secrets of these three years, the wines of which are currently available for sale. The only thing you have to do is choose from our selection of 100 reviewed wines that received a score of at least 90/100.

Sylvain Patard Editor in chief

GILBERT & GAILLARD

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PARIS LIFE

Two more charming places where you can enjoy a glass of wine with a meal next time you’re in Paris. Christine Fabre has once again tracked down the best of the current places to go in the capital.

Christine Fabre

You have to search to find this wellhidden restaurant down a narrow street, but what a discovery. The spot, soon to celebrate its second anniversary, is a real success - so much so that it is difficult to get a table. But the food and the wine list make it worth being patient. The restaurant is open only for dinner, and the fixed-price menu (between 34 and 45 euros) depends on the inspiration of the chef, Grégory. After a warm welcome, you will soon find yourself in an enriching discussion about the wine selection and the quality of the products. To start off our evening in this attractive restaurant with its stone walls, we felt the need for a glass of Jacques Lassaigne Blanc de Blanc La Colline Inspirée Champagne (16 euros) - served from a magnum, no less.

Grégoire Marchand

We then whetted our appetites with a foie gras au torchon with truffle and poached pear, the latter paired with a glass of German Riesling (St. Urbans-Hof Mehringer Spatlese Feinherb 2008) and a 2009 Australian Muscat from the Grant Burge winery in Barossa Valley (7 euros), as advised by Laura. The Riesling was a hit, with its very appealing floral, smoky bouquet of violet and white peach and its refreshing edge. The Muscat was more classic, but pleasant, illustrating the characteristic qualities of this grape. As a starter, the choice was between smoked mackerel, cauliflower and spelt wheat or black pudding, burrata cheese and green apple… so I ordered both. The black pudding and the burrata (made from mozzarella and cream) went perfectly together. The recommended pairing wine was an organic 2009

Chablis from Thomas Pico’s Domaine Pattes Loup (8 euros/glass) with an attack containing hints of grapefruit - a rich, smooth wine that never gives way to flabbiness. It was a classic but suitable pairing for the homemade smoked mackerel. I also gave in to the temptation of a glass of Côte de Nuits Village, Le Vaucrain from Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils (8 euros), a lovely, classic Pinot Noir

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5, rue du Nil 75002 Paris Tel. +33 (0)1 40 39 96 19 www.frenchie-restaurant.com Owner & Chef: Grégory Marchand Sommelier: Laura Vidal Open: evenings only, Monday to Friday

WARM & ATTRACTIVE Restaurant Frenchie

SPRING 2011

PARIS LIFE

The choice between the two main courses - grouper, eryngii mushrooms and Cévennes onions or Basque pork belly and Pigna beans - was too difficult, leading me to try both. I wasn’t disappointed with either of these perfectly cooked dishes. The pairing involved another trip abroad: this time a Sauvignon Blanc from the Shaw & Smith winery in Adelaide Hills in Australia. As soon as you put your nose to the glass, there is no mistaking that it’s a Sauvignon. The bouquet is beautifully fresh, with flavours of white fruit and citrus, the palate is subtle and elegant, and the finish is pleasantly angular.

A VAST CHOICE & COSY ATMOSPHERE DeVèz 5, place de l’Alma 75008 Paris Tel. +33 (0)1 53 67 97 53 www.restaurant-le-devez.com Managers: Jean-Luc Mothe and Jean-Guillaume Open: everyday from noon to midnight This sister restaurant of the famous Maison de l’Aubrac is a must for lovers of excellent Aubrac beef and also boasts a vast choice of wines, a warm welcome and a cosy atmosphere. It’s a brasserie that offers a variety of settings for every occasion: you can linger over a meal in

balanced and structured, with mineral notes and complexity: an ideal way to begin.

the restaurant, eat at a communal table with friends, enjoy the sun at an outdoor table, or snack on a plate of Aveyron tapas accompanied by a glass of wine at the bar.

can also be ordered in larger portions as a starter if you have a preference for one in particular. But make sure you allow the time to select a wine, as the wine list has over 300 options: around 15 are offered by glass, and these change each week.

from this appellation, with a delicate and fruity palate and pleasant hints of red fruits.

Next, you could sample a ‘French’ tapas plate of Laguiole cheese, foie gras, beef carpaccio and crispy tripe fritters. These

We also tried a glass of Italian red from Piedmont, a 2003 Langhe Nebbiolo from the Roagna winery (16 euros), and things started to get serious. Powerful and tannic while elegant and smooth, the palate has a wonderful burst of red and black fruits without the slightest hint of overripeness: an excellent discovery.

All the wines are selected by sommelier Laura Vidal, who is from Québec. She offers a selection of about 15 wines by the glass, which changes as she gets inspired by new discoveries or dishes created by the chef. Laura talks with passion about the small, independent winemakers she knows, and whom she succeeds in showing off to their best advantage. This restaurant is well worth a little advance planning and a little patience to make sure you don’t miss out.

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I admit that I couldn’t manage the cheese course of Saint-Nectaire with apple and kimchi chutney, but I did give in to a dessert of lemon tart with chestnut mousse, just for the pleasure and paired it with a glass of Canadian cidre de glace (apple ice wine), Neige from La Face Cachée de la Pomme (15 euros), also served from a magnum.

We started with an apéritif of white 2008 Condrieu from Domaine Pierre Gaillard (13 euros/glass), a wine that is rich without being flabby and has good aromatic expression. The nose reveals exotic and white fruit, and the palate is

SPRING 2011

The wine list has a fantastic selection of Languedoc wines, which go perfectly with Aubrac beef. Try a glass of Coteaux du Languedoc, for example, from the

PARIS LIFE

Jonquières terroir, a 2009 Mas Jullien (10 euros), or a Vin de Pays du Gard such as the 2007 Domaine Roc d’Anglade (13 euros) with its luminous purplish colour, tremendously pure bouquet with mineral notes, slightly spicy red and black fruit palate, and a never-ending finish.

Another wine I particularly liked was a white Faugères from Château La Liquière, the 2008 Cistus (31 euros), which has a complex bouquet of wild peach and pineapple and is fresh and round. You also can’t go wrong with a small magnum of Coteaux du Languedoc, the 2000 Les Boissières from Domaine Alain Chabanon (Montpeyroux), which delights with its aroma of cherry schnapps and its full-bodied palate with hints of liquorice.

If you prefer a bottle, you could choose a Pic Saint Loup, for example, 2008 T’Em T’Em from Domaine de Valflaunès (32 euros), or discover a Vin de Table de France from Domaine Sarda-Malet, 2004 L’insouciant (39 euros). This 100% Grenache wine may not be AOC, but is very powerful and rich, with good length and enough acidity to keep it fresh.

If your appetite doesn’t stretch to a steak, excellent roasted scallops or sea bream are also on offer. For a white that goes with seafood, I recommend a 2009 Vacqueyras from the Domaine de la Monardière (42 euros), which is fantastically rich, with flavours of crystallised fruit, sage and sweet spices.. Or if you want to try a lesserknown appellation, my favourite is the white 2006 Saumur from Domaine du Collier (42 euros), a real winner.

for example, a 1999 Clos du Marquis (18 euros), or a Pauillac, such as the 2003 Château Pontet-Canet (31 euros).

Of course, you may also want to eat, in which case there is a wide choice of excellent Aubrac beef, including flank steak, rib steak, sirloin, fillet and beef ribs. The meat is served alongside well-prepared side dishes, notably the famous aligot (potatoes whipped with fresh Laguiole cheese and crème fraîche). I can also recommend the steak tartare or the wonderful ‘Mac Aubrac’. You can pair your meal with a classic but foolproof glass of Saint-Julien,

The selection of wines from southwest France is also worth a look: a 2006

Madiran from Château Aydie (36 euros) or a 2006 Fronton from Domaine Le Roc, Don Quichotte (29 euros), which is 60 per cent Négrette and 40 per cent Syrah, unfiltered and free of fining agents. It has an explosive taste of crunchy fruit with delicate and velvety tannins.

After all that, if you still have room, give in to the temptation of a plate of Auvergne cheeses (Laguiole, Saint-Nectaire, Roquefort, Rouelle), accompanied by a selection from the wide choice of Bordeaux wines, ranging from small estates to major names (for example, Trotanoy, Palmer, Cos d’Estournel and Lynch Bages). And for diehards, the dessert menu is hard to resist, with a ‘revisited’ lemon tart or bitesize salted-butter caramel crunches. It is impossible to summarise the amazing wine list, in which Burgundy is equally well represented. There is only one solution: you’ll have to go there yourself to discover the mouthwatering Aubrac beef and sample from the wealth of wines available...

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LONDON LIFE

Mark’s favourite venues

Just before Christmas I spent a lovely evening in the company of organic Languedoc winemaker Virgile Joly at organic restaurant Bumpkin in South Kensington, discussing all things organic. What this evening persuaded me to do (other than drink more of Virgile’s fabulous wines) was to pay closer attention to the burgeoning organic/biodynamic/‘natural’ wine scene in London, where a number of new bars have recently sprung up, inspired by the likes of Racines in Paris.

Mark Andrew

A DELICIOUS MONGETES Brawn

49, Columbia Road, City of London E2 7RG Tel. +44 (0)207 729 5692 Having visited (and written about) Terroirs a few months ago, I was excited to check out their new bar Brawn, located on Columbia Road, right at the heart of London’s favourite Sunday flower market.

it authentic but attractive - much like the

I can't resist it, so I started with that

Like Terroirs, it is an inviting place that

wine list and food menu. Whenever I

before progressing to a delicious serving

has a polished rusticity about it, making

visit somewhere with good charcuterie

of Mongetes (a Catalan cassoulet). The food was excellent and would have matched a number of bins on the expertly selected wine list. I was tempted by Domaine Maurpetuis’ bright and fruity Pierres Noires Gamay and Thierry Puzelat’s Clos de Tue-Boeuf Rouillon from Cheverny. In the end I fancied

something with a bit more oomph, so I

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

plumped for the mineral laden intensity of Matassa’s Cuvée Alexandria from Roussillon. Catalan in spirit and perfect with the bold flavours of Mongetes.

LONDON LIFE

SPECIALIST IN ORGANIC-BIO-NATURAL WINES Green & Blue 36-38, Lordship Lane, London SE22 8HJ Tel. +44 (0)208 693 9250 www.greenandbluewines.com While Green & Blue doesn’t sell only organic/bio/natural wines, they are something of a specialist in that department and their comprehensive list is evidence of

Bar Battu

the passion they have for this part of the wine world. Nestled in charming and leafy East Dulwich, this is a great example of the Enoteca concept that is often seen in Italy browse the shop for a bottle and drink it with a plate of cheese in the bar. I love the

A NEW & NATURAL WINE BAR Bar Battu

spot a Crozes-Hermitage Rouge from Dard

idea and Green & Blue does it really well.

& Ribo that I had being dying to try (it

After spending forever perusing their fine

48, Gresham Street, City of London EC2V 7AY Tel. +44 (0)207 036 6100 www.barbattu.com

didn’t disappoint), but I noticed a number

selection, I went for Philippe Pacalet’s 2008

of other winter warmers that would have

Gevrey-Chambertin but could easily have

worked equally well including Faugères

opted for the fabulous Prioundo from Clos

from Clos Fantine and the delicious

Perdu in Roussillon, or the lush fruit of

Rendez-vous de Soleil by Clos du Gravillas.

Bob Lindqvist’s Qupé Syrah.

Not too far away from Brawn in the heart of London’s Square Mile is another new and ‘natural’ wine bar: Bar Battu. There are a lot of similarities between the two, from the exposed brickwork and lively atmosphere to the wine list itself, which shares many references with Brawn and Terroirs. Still, the list is packed with the usual suspects and more besides, presented in a very engaging format that highlights wild/semi wild. This allows customers to interact with the list and make more informed decisions about wines they may

Green & Blue

well know little about. I knew enough to GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

whether a wine is cloudy/lightly cloudy or

TOKYO LIFE

Walid's trendy places

Hajime-mashite (“pleased to meet you” in Japanese) and greetings from your French-Lebanese correspondent in Tokyo. I have been living in this exciting megalopolis since 1991, and every day there is something new and fascinating to discover. For this spring issue, here is another great selection of establishments that give pride of place to French wines.

A TASTE Walid Haddad

PIANO MUSIC & GOOD WINE Dining & Bar Cinq

A DISCOUNT WINE STORE

FRANCE

Le Café Copain

Akiba Select Wine Cellar

9-5 Sakaemachi, Fukushima Tel. +81 (0)2 4563 7444

1-5 Sakuma Cho, Kanda-Ku Tel. +81 (0)3 3253 3578

The scent of spring is in the air and the best way to celebrate is to enjoy a glass of wine

Ginza, Subway, B6 Exit 5-4-3 Chuo-ku, Ginza Tel. +81 (0)3 3575 2767

on the terrace of a typical Parisian café, located just an hour's ride north of Tokyo. The terrace, chairs and decoration - and the Café Copain's fine selection of wines - are all quite unique. I ordered a bottle of organic Sauvignon from Château Bonnelière for the reasonable price of 4200 yen, served with

stewed pork à la moutarde ancienne.

An underground Piano Wine Bar: now In the east of Tokyo lies the world's largest

of Tokyo, in the gallery of Ginza Subway,

electronics district: all the very latest in IT

lies the Dining & Bar Cinq. The piano

wizardry and gadgets is here for the delight

music pulled me in like a magnet

and

of locals, geeks and visitors. Rather surprisingly,

when I looked at the wine list I found my

there is a also discount wine store to be

favorite: a Crémant de Bourgogne cuvée

found just in front of JR East Station, so I

millésimée - Cave de Lugny. I paired it with a plate of AOC Brie, and the singer's voice was all I needed to complete my night!

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SPRING 2011

that's what I call rather special. In the heart

bagged a bargain and bought a bottle of Corton Charlemagne Vincent Girardin 2005, reduced by 45%.

SHANGHAI LIFE

Wine joins the party scene in China Thomas Magnani

First, Alain Juppé: did he know that he would soon be heading the ministery of foreign affairs? However, the mayor of Bordeaux enjoys being ambassador of his city and its famous wines at the French Pavilion of the World Expo in Shanghai. Toasting between French wine producers, chinese importers and officials.

A Grand Crus tasting in Shanghai: Château Angelus, a Saint-Emilion Premier Cru. Jean-Bernard Grenié has carefully matched the famous Château Angelus with local Chinese dishes.

Now head of France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the mayor of Bordeaux was an excellent ambassador of his city and its famous wines at the French Pavilion of the World Expo in Shanghai. Here, he raises a toast to French wine producers, Chinese importers and officials.

Humen, southern China: a wine party organised by Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé Château Corbin and wine merchant Barrières Frères.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

SHANGHAI LIFE

Château Leoville Poyferre

owner Didier Cuvelier made a good impression on Chinese wine lovers at the Shanghai Grand Cru Wine Dinner.

Margaux Third Growth Château Palmer and Mr. Bao have a very strong partnership, as evidenced here.

Jean-Luc Thunevin at the launch of his Bad Boys cuvée in Ningbo.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

NEWS

Étienne BOIVIN Franchise Development Manager

SAINT-ÉMILION OPEN DAYS, SATURDAY 30 APRIL AND SUNDAY 1 MAY

BY THE G

LAR

GOLD

SELECT

Selection Spring 2011

The winegrowers of the Saint-Émilion appellations invite the public to discover and taste their wines during a spring weekend. There will be four themes: • Gastronomy • Architectural heritage • Culture and amusement • Estates and family traditions

Chignin Bergeron Perrier Fleur de Roussanne 2009

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INFORMATION: Saint-Émilion Maison du Vin, Place Pierre Meyrat 33330 Saint-Émilion Tel. +33 (0)5 57 55 50 55 www.vins-saint-emilion.com

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TWO NEW APPELLATIONS IN THE LOIRE VALLEY

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Gros-Plant-du-Pays-Nantais wines are dry, light, acidic and angular and have attained AOC status (AOP at a European level), which will take effect from the 2011 harvest. The wines will be sold under this appellation from March 2012, a move that concerns over 500 winemakers.

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The same is true for the vineyards of Vix, Pissotte, Mareuil, Brem and Chantonnay, which will be able to benefit from AOC status for the appellation Fiefs-Vendéens from the 2011 harvest. Its white, rosé and red wines are made from noble grapes such as Pinot Noir, Gamay and Cabernet Franc (for reds and rosés) and Chenin, Chardonnay and Sauvignon (for whites).

!(3%+, 01+&( +.&,4'+.) 2%,(2 3%6

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

BESTHEIM & CHÂTEAUX PRESENTS ITS NEWEST VINTAGE Bestheim & Châteaux has taken over Château Fillon in the heart of AOC Bordeaux Supérieur. This estate is cultivated using sustainable agriculture and is planted mainly with red grape varieties. It is behind Bestheim & Châteaux’s new vintage ‘L’Apogée’, from the fruit of a selection of over 35-year-old vines grown in directly south-facing vineyards. This vintage is half Merlot and half Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in a wine with a solid structure and an expressive bouquet. A traditional style at the excellent price of 7.25 euros a bottle. www.bestheim.com

REGION

NEW YORK LIFE

www.wineisterroir.com

Nights of Terroir: Paul Grieco's conspiracy

T H E

W O R L D W I D E

W I N E

If you hear the word terroir uttered in a winebar, it’s likely to be accompanied by a romantic description of the place from which the wine came: the steep vineyards, the volcanic soil, the gnarled, ancient vines baking under a blinding sun.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

The incredible success of Cava

Jamal Rayyis

S I G N A T U R E

When you hear Paul Grieco, founding partner of Terroir Wine Bar in New York City, you’re just as apt to get a description

gilbertgaillard.com

of the neighbourhood around him, either the East Village for his location on East 12th Street, or Tribeca, for his Harrison Street bar. “Everything,” says Paul, “is a reflection of somewhereness.”

REVELATIONS OF THE YEAR

This philosophy doesn’t make the concept

sensibilities and Terroir Tribeca recalls its quarter’s history as an industrial and market district populated by some of the New York’s oldest cast-iron buildings.

WINE GROWER PORTRAITS

Domaine Galévan Mas des Dames

Terroir Tribeca

Just as

shells and spice, Terroir East Village blares the neighbourhood’s punk rock and roll

critically-acclaimed restaurants Hearth and

essential, especially those who fall into the

Insieme, the food and wine parts were easy.

only

The greater challenge is unambiguously

consumption is clearly increasing in the

where

wine

asserting that wine is more than a beverage.

United States, namely young adults

Rather it reflects the world around it. In

between the ages of 22 and 29. Both

essence, it is all about terroir. It is no

Lluís Just i Villanueva (1834–80), an oenologist from Madrid, developed the main principles for making different types of fine sparkling wines in the laboratory of the REGION San Isidro Agricultural Institute in Barcelona.To do this, he carried out experiments with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, originally from the region of Champagne in the north of France, as well as with native Spanish varieties.

Grieco and Canora realise that this

STARS generation & WINE of wine drinkers is different

coincidence that the website for Terroir is Grieco is quick to emphasize that his goal www.chateauderey.com

than those of the past. For most of this

www.wineisterroir.com.

generation, classic wines such as Burgundy,

isn’t just to have wine bars serving good food. With the success he and his partner, chef Marco Canora, have enjoyed at their

Cathy Sisqueille, Château de Rey

But how to do this? Communication,

Sancerre, Chianti or Napa Cabernet do not

conversation, and engaging with patrons is

inspire the same reverence as they do in

GILBERT & GAILLARD WINE INTERNATIONAL

SPRING 2011

102

GILBERT & GAILLARD WINE INTERNATIONAL

Champagne de vignerons: quality at a good price

SPRING 2011

Lidewij van Wilgen

OUTSTANDING FRENCH VINTAGES 2007, 2008, 2009

athy Sisqueille's story is somewhat unlikely: who

Germany 6,00 € - Austria 6,00 € - UK 3,95 £ Belgium 5,90 € - Netherlands 5,90 € Canada 6,50 C$ - USA 5,99 U$

could predict that a gymnastics teacher from Toulouse

STARS AND WINE The Desperate Housewives are wine lovers too

and a Catalan pharmacist would end up running a

wine domaine in deepest, darkest Roussillon? But this is precisely what happened when Cathy and her husband Philippe turned away from their respective careers and took over the Château de

have looked like a cake. I don’t know what happened. Was it

Rey, an estate which had been in Philippe's family for four

something to do with the baking; the wrong amount of yeast?

generations.

Whatever the problem was, when I took it out of the oven, I discovered a sort of Empire State Building standing up

Complicated French inheritance laws meant that after the death of

vertically in the pan. The shape was quite surprising. Then,

Philippe's father, the Château was eventually put into the hands of a tenant farmer, until finally Cathy and her husband came to the rescue in 1997, purchasing the 40-hectare estate and breathing

marketing studies, and a great deal of learning on the job. March 1999 saw the new owners bottling their very first wines, and throwing a special party to mark the occasion; Cathy admits to a creative streak and she revels in the role of chatelaine-hostess, catering holiday homes which form part of this extensive southern French domaine.

according to lutte raisonnée (minimal intervention) principles, with ploughing used to keep down weeds, and the couple are considering conversion to organic viticulture in the near future. They grow grape varieties which are indigenous to the

CATHY PLANS TO INTRODUCE YET ANOTHER WINE TO HER RANGE: A SPECIAL, LIMITED EDITION CUVÉE, MADE FROM 100% CARIGNAN

at home, but I stupidly forgot that we don’t have the same

dessert we had a Sauternes that was so subtle and sweet that

sockets or the same voltage in the United States. So we had to

we felt like we’d travelled to France without leaving our

get an adaptor. The next step is to find raclette cheese. The one

chairs...

that is imported to the United States is pasteurised. I’ve sworn

FELICITY HUFFMAN, alias LYNETTE SCAVO

How well do you know your wine?

cheeses, paired with the best vintage wines.

108

SPRING 2011

What do you like to cook when you have some free time?

lovely stone vaulted cellars that you have in France. It’s a

At home, we like to eat different kinds of cuisine. We have a

temperature-controlled wine cabinet where my husband and I

particular weakness for Asian cooking, especially Japanese

keep wines we want to drink. After a day on the set, we love to

food. I like the minimalism of their dishes and their presentation.

sink into our leather armchairs and enjoy a Bordeaux - in the

They get right to the heart of what’s essential.

appropriate wine glasses, of course! Serving a vintage wine in

So you’re not a big fan of French cuisine?

tumblers - my God, what sacrilege!

Despite a slight dip in sales in 2010 (-3.2 %), Champagne’s récoltants-manipulants, growers who make their own Champagnes, enjoyed excellent results the previous two years, particularly in the French market. The wines’ increasing quality and reasonable price, as well as the launch of the collective brand Champagne de vignerons, explain the success of grower Champagne.

I didn’t say that! Although it’s true that I’m not a devotee of

Muscat d'Alexandrie for their whites and dessert wines. Above all,

GILBERT & GAILLARD WINE INTERNATIONAL

charcuterie viande des Grisons. But the dish I liked best was the raclette - I bought a raclette grill in France so I could make it

‘Georges de Latour’, a first-rate Californian wine. Then, with

We have a wine cellar at home, although it’s nothing like the

The Sisqueille's 35 hectares of vines are currently farmed

Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Maccabeu, Muscat Petits Grains and

of little appetisers: mini-cheese pastries and the Swiss

Fortunately, I had served my guests with a Beaulieu Vineyard

to myself that next time I go to France, I’ll try all the best

as evidenced by the three smartly decorated, pastel-coloured self-

recently-planted Mourvèdre due to come on line in three years;

like we were in a chalet. The chef prepared us an assortment

months ago. A disaster! I forgot to add the milk! (laughs)

Agricultural Management, followed by oenology and wine

husband once took me to a restaurant in Paris that served specialities from Savoy. The interior was all wooden; it was

I love gratin dauphinois. I tried to make it at home a few

Throwing herself in at the deep end, Cathy took a diploma in

Mediterranean: Syrah, Grenache and Carignan for their reds, with

the ‘thing’ just collapsed! As for the taste, the word to describe it doesn’t exist! What is your favourite French dish?

new life into this run-down, formerly regal domaine.

Coralie Goumarre

demographic

©TERROIR

of terroir a banal one. Rather, it marks a dedication to make his wine bars evoke the particular terroir each occupies.

Raveneau’s Chablis echoes limestone, oyster

nouvelle cuisine, which I find too overworked and pretentious,

Interview by Frank Rousseau

I wouldn’t say no to what I think you call cuisine du terroir. My

in Los Angeles

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COVER STORY

NEW DISCOVERIES OF THE YEAR Outstanding French vintages 2007-2008-2009

REVELATIONS OF THE YEAR..... Pages 24 to 27

Coralie Goumarre

Lidewij van Wilgen

THE CONCEPT OF VINTAGE..... Pages 28 to 30 2007-2008-2009 WINES FROM THE CLASSIC FRENCH REGIONS: KEEP OR CONSUME? ..................Pages 31 to 35

GOLD 90+/100 100 WINES RATED 90/100 OR MORE ..................Pages 36 to 38 GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

COVER STORY

New discoveries of the year This sneak preview introduces two female winemakers who stood out in our tastings of the last 12 months. We’re convinced that very shortly you’ll be hearing more about them, as their talent, terroir and wines will be increasingly putting them in the spotlight. These young, motivated and ambitious women embody a new kind of ‘feminine’ winemaking on the rise in recent years in France. One has taken on her family’s estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of the most prestigious French appellations.The other left behind her advertising career in the Netherlands in 2002 to start a new life in the open air, prompted by her passion for Languedoc wine. Two women, two wines, two different backgrounds: both in search of excellence, bringing a welcome wind of change.

Coralie Goumarre of Domaine Galévan in the Rhône Valley, France

oralie is the first woman to manage the family estate in nine generations. This confident Rhône winemaker has given new momentum to the estate with her independence and zest for life, and above all with her talent. This estate has tremendous potential, consisting of a single vineyard of 60 hectares, of which 49 hectares are planted with vines of all the main Rhône varieties: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan (for the reds) and Clairette,

Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine Galévan is a truly exceptional example of a typical blend of this appellation: Grenache (80 %) and Mourvèdre (20 %). Each year, the wine is made using grapes from the same parcel, giving it an incredible purity that this vintage even manages to transcend. The quality of the 2009 harvest gives this vintage amazing elegance, allowing the terroir to come through in subtle perfection.

the whites). The average age of the vines is high, around 55

GREAT WINES COME FROM GREAT GRAPES…

years old, and they produce low quantities of excellent quality

Domaine Galévan is an example of the balance between expertise

grapes. The land is worked with respect for the environment;

and creative freedom that women winemakers are bringing to this

fertilisers are used parcel by parcel on a sustainable basis.

still largely masculine profession. The resilient Coralie Goumarre

Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne and Bourboulenc (for

And great grapes come from exceptional terroirs. The 2009

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SPRING 2011

NEW DISCOVERIES OT THE YEAR

REVELATIONS FROM OUR NEW DISCOVERY What is your definition of terroir? For me, terroir can be defined in three words: identity, expression and complexity. What do you think the main aim of a winemaker should be: to make a good wine, to make a great wine, to make the best wine in the appellation? A winemaker’s aim should be to make a great wine otherwise what is the point? Tell us about your terroir and the type of wines it produces? The soil is clay (red clay) and limestone, with this appellation’s particularity that it also contains pebbles from the former bed of the Rhône River. This results in concentrated, elegant and subtle wines, with a bouquet of fruit and spice. Now that you have a certain understanding of this terroir, how do you judge its potential? The vines grown in this terroir produce well-balanced grapes of excellent quality. The resulting wines have potential for aging, but offer plenty of flavour that can also be enjoyed now.

What are the essential factors in allowing a wine to express its terroir? The most important thing is to respect the vines and their fruit, by limiting interventions to a minimum during the growing cycle, striving to use virtually no sulfites, and of course using native yeasts.

seeks this balance above all else. The philosophy that underpins her work from day to day is not to disown or renounce tradition, but to look to the future and allow inspiration to guide her

Coralie Goumarre Domaine Galévan 127 route de Vaison 84350 Courthézon Phone: (+33)4 90 70 84 26 contact@domaine-galevan.com

choices, avoiding limiting restrictions. Coralie’s personal style has given rise to superior wines. This ambitious winemaker can be counted on to deliver quality. She fully deserves to be discovered, and no doubt we’ll be hearing a lot

Châteauneuf du Pape A.C. 94/100 Domaine Galévan VINTAGE 2009 Cellar price (including sales tax): 25.00 €

about her in the future - so much the better.

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SPRING 2011

COVER STORY

Lidewij van Wilgen of Mas des Dames in Languedoc, France

as des Dames is an 18th-century farmhouse surrounded by 14 hectares of vineyards in the back country near Béziers. Lidewij van Wilgen arrived here in 2002, after leaving the Netherlands, where she worked in advertising in Amsterdam. Her two main motivations were simply a love of wine and her desire to live closer to nature. After taking a winemaking course in the region to learn the trade, Lidewij took over the winery.

Her philosophy is to make original and natural wines that succeed in expressing their terroir. To this end, for the last five years she has not used any pesticides or synthetic fertilisers; all the grapes are also harvested and sorted by hand. The winery is currently in the process of converting to organic status. Old vines with deep roots, low yields and a meticulous selection of grapes results in wines that are exceptionally pure and natural, embodying the winery’s philosophy of prioritising terroir. In each wine, Lidewij strives to blend concentration and originality with subtlety and elegance. Mas des Dames produces reds, whites and rosés, including a rare white made of 100 % Grenache Blanc from vines grown in soil containing fossilised oysters. This unique characteristic lends this wine an unusual minerality and a lingering freshness. Acidity is also the main concern for the rosé, which is briefly matured in barrels to highlight its spicy bouquet. The result is an excellent rosé that can be paired with a meal.

REDS BURSTING WITH TERROIR Yet it is reds that are the jewel in the crown of this winery: for example, ‘La Dame’, a characteristic Languedoc wine that is © PIETER PAUL KOSTER

perfectly balanced between spice, ripe fruit and smooth tannins, and the 2007 ‘La Diva’, which brought this delightful winemaker to our attention and warranted her a place as one of our new discoveries. It is an aging wine that is expressive, full-bodied and smooth, though at three years is still quite young. It is an original blend that includes 15 % Alicante from very old vines that yield only 15 hectolitres per hectare on average. These old vines grow in clay and limestone soil that contains fragments of flint and granite. Between every other row of vines, cover planting of native thyme and

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SPRING 2011

rosemary impart the wine with rich hints of wild garrigue herbs. Aside from the Alicante, the blend is based on Syrah from 25year-old mature vines and Grenache from 50-year-old vines, both of which have yields of less than 35 hectolitres per

NEW DISCOVERIES OT THE YEAR

REVELATIONS FROM OUR NEW DISCOVERY What is your definition of terroir? Terroir of course is more than just the soil, it’s the total natural environment of the vineyards with it’s own specific (micro) climate - the insolation, the hydrology. In fact terroir is the one and only thing you can’t influence when you make a wine and at the same time the most determinating factor of all. What do you think the main aim of a winemaker should be: to make a good wine, to make a great wine, to make the best wine in the appellation? In my case, I left my country (Holland) and a good job in advertising to become a winemaker. If you give up everything for wine, you’d better have some ambition: so yes, right from the beginning I always dreamt of making a great wine - great in general, not just for the Languedoc. Tell us about your terroir and the type of wines it produces? The terroir of Mas des Dames is quite unique for its southern position: it’s one of the rare area’s where underground water assures a good hydration in summer, giving the wines an acidity and a freshness that are quite unique for the area. All vineyards are planted around the main buildings in an amphitheatre open to the South, but also to the fresh, northern wind. The soil is argilo calcaire - in the variety of small vineyards (12 hectares in total) we’ve chosen to work just with typical Languedoc-varieties; Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Mouvèdre, Alliante, Grenache Blanc. Now that you have a certain understanding of this terroir, how do you judge its potential? I think we are very lucky to be at this exact place. It’s a wellbalanced, deep soil, rich in minerals, it’s great to benefit from the

warm climate without having deshydration problems. If the wines have a good acidity and minerality, that’s not my doing, it’s all thanks to this particulair terroir. What are the essential factors in allowing a wine to express its terroir? I think the most important thing is to keep the yields relatively low. Simply said: you have a limited amount of minerals in the soil - do you divide them over eight or over twenty grapes a stam? Besides, I think terroir expresses itself better when vineyards are worked in an organic matter. The first years, we worked in a traditional way. Now that we are organic we intervene much less in the natural system, herbs like thyme and rosemary came back into the vineyards, there are insects, there is much more activity in the soil. When you taste the wines now they seem ‘deeper’, more expressive than in the beginning - a far better expression of this particulair terroir. Lidewij van Wilgen Mas des Dames Route de Causses et Veyran 34490 Murviel les Béziers Phone: (+33)4 67 37 26 63 mas.desdames@wanadoo.fr Vin de Pays des Coteaux de Murviel

92/100 Mas des Dames LA DIVA 2007 Cellar price (including sales tax): 13.95 €

hectare. The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand and then

ten months before it is blended with the other varieties. The final

undergo a long maceration for five weeks, with manual

blend is matured again for one year in a concrete tank before

pigeage (punching down the cap) and some délestage (a ‘rack-

being bottled. The wines of Mas des Dames can now be found

and-return’ process in which the fermenting red wine is

internationally, particularly in the Netherlands (Okhuysen), in

separated from the grape solids by racking and then returned

Britain (Berry Bros & Rudd and Roberson), in Germany (Walter

to the fermenting vat to resoak the solids).

und Sohn) and in the United States (Vintage 59). You can also purchase it directly from the winery, allowing you to discover its

Following carefully monitored pressing to avoid bitter ‘green’

exceptional site at the foot of the Montagne Noire.

tannins, all the Syrah is matured in 500-litre French oak barrels for

Gilbert & Gaillard

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COVER STORY

The concept of vintage A wine’s vintage refers to the year in which the grapes used to make the wine were harvested. This appears on the label of the majority of bottles of wine sold. Some vintage years have a good reputation, others less so. The quality of a vintage is directly linked to the climate of the year in which the grapes grew, ripened and were harvested. Understanding the different factors that come into play requires understanding the vegetative cycle of grapevines.

he first sign that a grapevine’s growing cycle is resuming after its winter dormancy

period is known as ‘weeping’ or ‘bleeding’, when sap begins to concentrate where the canes were pruned, usually in early spring

(March

the

Northern

Hemisphere) as the temperatures begin to rise. The following month, ‘budbreak’ occurs, when the buds begin to swell, the prelude to the appearance of the first fragile green shoots that will grow to become leaves. During this period, the vines are very vulnerable to spring frosts. If the temperature drops below 0°C

a spring frost devastated two-thirds of French vineyards, leading to a national harvest that was cut by half.

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SPRING 2011

it can be catastrophic. On 20 April 1991,

COVER STORY

The stage at which flowering occurs and the clusters of grape berries form is crucial in determining potential grape yield. It is also essential for the smooth development of all the later stages of the cycle, particularly the consistent ripening of the grapes. Dry, hot weather, which is conducive to pollination, is optimal at this time. A cold or rainy spell, however, can lead to coulure or ‘shatter’, which is when flowers stay closed and as a result are not pollinated, causing them to drop off the vine. In the months following fruit set (July and the beginning of August in the Northern Hemisphere), the berries, which are tiny when they first form, grow by cell multiplication. They contain little sugar at this point and are high in acids. During the first growth phase (March to July), when shoots and leaves form, the vine requires a lot of water. France ordinarily gets plenty of rainfall in spring, including in the Mediterranean region, so this does not usually pose a problem.

A GOOD GRAPE IS A RIPE GRAPE Above all, the quality of the vintage depends on what happens in the critical period of véraison, when the grapes begin to ripen and change colour (August in the Northern Hemisphere). At this stage, white grapes, which have up to this point been green, become translucent, and red grapes begin to darken. These transformations are the sign of a profound change in the plant’s metabolism. The sugar content of the berries increases dramatically, while certain acids (such as malic acid) begin to decrease as they are burned up by cellular respiration. Following véraison, in conditions of abundant rainfall and little sun, the grapes will not completely ripen. If the grapevine is constantly supplied with water, it will keep growing at the expense of the development of the grape berries. On the other hand, a prolonged drought, particularly if the soil is meagre, is not desirable either. In this case, the grapevine can suffer from ‘water stress’ that can totally stop its metabolism. Between these two extremes, the ideal conditions at this stage are a gradual decrease in the amount of water the vine receives; just enough to prevent vegetation growth without interrupting the movement of sugars to the grape berries, allowing them to develop their optimal colour, tannic and aromatic characteristics. In terms of wine, the best grape is a fully mature grape.

HARVEST TIME The quality of the grapes is of course also linked to their condition when they are picked. In France, after mid-August, there is more cloud cover and the air is more humid. Some years, violent storms or other climatic disturbances occur. This leads to two risks: incomplete ripening or the development of grey rot (and

EARLY GRAPE DEVELOPMENT

THE STAGE AT WHICH FLOWERING OCCURS AND BERRY CLUSTERS FORM IS CRUCIAL IN DETERMINING POTENTIAL YIELD sometimes both). The winegrower can try to combat the latter, but is helpless against the former. Abundant rainfall the day before or during the harvest is not welcome either. The grapes become swollen with water that dilutes their juice, resulting in a lighter, more acidic wine that will transform more rapidly. For example, in 1994 in the Loire Valley, a beautiful month of August was ruined by a terrible September.

THE KEY STAGES To sum up, the most significant stages in the annual life cycle of the grapevine are as follows (keeping in mind that the most important - those that allow the development of healthy, ripe grapes - are the last). March: BUDBREAK, when the vegetation starts to develop after dormancy. If this starts early, it is likely that the harvest will also be early, before the arrival of autumn. The cycle takes an average of 100 days from flowering to fully ripened fruit. However, early budbreak increases the risk of damage if a spring frost occurs. June: FLOWERING, which should ideally be rapid and, above all, consistent (otherwise, the grape berries that develop after fertilisation will not all reach optimal ripeness at the same time). The best conditions for flowering are one or two weeks of fine weather. AugustSeptember: RIPENING, which requires hot weather and little rain - this is the most critical stage. A lengthy ripening period can lead to problems with parasites or grey rot. SeptemberOctober: HARVEST, which should preferably take place during dry weather to avoid spoiling and dilution of the juice.

HOW IMPORTANT IS VINTAGE? Although the climatic conditions in which the grapes of a given year develop are important, this is far from the whole story. The

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

COVER STORY

In fact, overripening runs the risk of decreasing the level of acidity to a point that makes the wine flabby and heavy. That means that the best years for red wines are not necessarily the best years for whites.

REGIONAL VARIATION

HOT SUMMERS LEAD TO THE BEST VINTAGE YEARS FOR RED WINES terroir also plays a considerable role: the orientation of a vineyard in terms of sun exposure, the depth of the soil, and its water and heat retention - all can compensate for or, alternatively, accentuate the effects of the climate. It is no accident that grand cru wines always manage to come out on top. The winegrowers themselves, depending on their means and their assessment of how the grapes are developing, can also make different and decisive choices. They are therefore able to cope more or less well from a spell of bad weather. Holding off the harvest in the gamble that a weather disturbance will be temporary, or picking grapes that are not yet totally ripe but are healthy: the skill of the winegrower lies in knowing how to choose wisely between these risks. Equally, there are decisions to be made during the winemaking process: the length of maceration, the temperature, the type of tank or barrel to use... each has its importance. This explains the very different results between wines of the same vintage from different producers.

A DIFFERENCE OF COLOUR Climatic influence also plays a varying role depending on the type of wine. Red wines, in which balance and concentration in addition to the sugar content of the juice depend on the amount of colour, tannins and aromatic elements contained in the grape’s skin, require a lot of sun. So, hot summers lead to the best vintage years for red wines. For white dessert wines, summer is also a decisive factor; but a fine late summer is even more important, as this favours the development of noble rot. Dry white wines, however, are less demanding of hot weather.

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SPRING 2011

The importance of the vintage also varies from region to region. The closer a vineyard to the latitudinal limit suitable to viticulture, the more any variations in temperature, rainfall and the amount of sun received are felt. In Alsace or Burgundy, the weather is more fickle than in Provence. Of course, the latter is not immune either to excessive sun exposure or to violent storms. Nonetheless, regions that enjoy mild climates, such as southern Europe and California, can relegate the significance of the year to a more minor role. Here, the priority is terroir, grape variety and the work of the grower and winemaker. All these considerations bring us to the conclusion that it is misleading to seek to rate the quality of a year at all costs. Generalising leads to a narrower understanding of reality, or worse, a deceptive one. Even this would not be too bothersome if the information was not so widely spread. But take 1982, for example, which was much vaunted at the time as one of the century’s best vintages. This was indeed true for Bordeaux reds, but much less so for Burgundies. Conversely, 1992 was not an outstanding vintage in the Gironde, but was a good year in Burgundy. How many wine enthusiasts were aware of these variations? The examples are legion.

SETTING UP FOR DISAPPOINTMENT Another pernicious effect of excessive media coverage is that the desire for a ‘scoop’ leads some to publish their definitive opinions on the quality of the vintage before the grapes have even made it to the winery. And never mind if the following months or years refute these premature conclusions. In 1975, another ‘year of the century’, Bordeaux was declared a superb vintage, but despite the surrounding hype it was virtually always a disappointment! In most cases, the wine lost its richness and body before it was ever even opened. Conversely, also in Bordeaux, 1983 was widely criticised (it has to be said that it came after the excellent year of 1982). However, this vintage proved in time to be amazingly balanced. It should not be forgotten that wine is appreciated for the quality and characteristics of its taste. These of course develop over time, and are not exclusively dependent on the exact moment of the grape harvest, or even on the several months that follow until the wine is finally bottled. Gilbert & Gaillard

COVER STORY

2007, 2008, 2009 Wines from the classic French regions: keep or consume? Although the vineyard area is declining, France still has over 800,000 hectares of vines, stretching from the Moselle in the north, with its light, refreshing reds and whites, to Cerbère on the Spanish border in Roussillon, with its wines, in truth, Richard Craig

being exactly the opposite. In between there is a plethora of

wines from vignerons, négociants and cooperatives, producing a myriad of styles, all vying for you to spend your dollars, pounds, euros and yuan on their wines. Here I concentrate my thoughts on the classic French regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône.

istorically, French producers have prided themselves on the expression of terroir in their wines. An important component of terroir is the climate. It is the component that is the most variable year- on-year and the one that is the cause of much of the difference in quality from particular lieu dit in the finished wine from one year to the next. The climate and hence the vintage is crucial for small independent winemakers and growers whose wines are a product of their terroir and nowhere else. Attempts have been made to manipulate these macro- and micro-climatic conditions but, as yet, the weather is what it is, and short of growing vines in huge polythene tunnels, we all have to grin and bear it when nature is not benevolent.

BORDEAUX'S 2007, 2008 AND 2009 VINTAGES HAVE MANY DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

COVER STORY

The Bordeaux vintages are announced with the same pomp, media hype and ceremony as film stars at the Oscars ceremony. Have you ever heard a Bordelais vigneron say that it was an disastrous vintage and that no one in their right mind should buy? The declaration of quality is truly important for the whole of the French wine industry. If Bordeaux has what is deemed to be a great vintage, many consumers believe, however mistakenly, that it is the same throughout France.

dehydration. The quality of the wines however was in general higher than 2007 and a pleasant surprise to many a producer and critic. Though the picture is mixed, many producers learned from their experiences in 2007. They green harvested, sorted and discarded to make wines of a higher concentration, with fine purity of fruit, greater structure and depth, wines that are indeed in need of prolonged ageing. The better estates are unlikely to be approachable and drinking before 2017.

Like every other region in Europe, Bordeaux's 2007, 2008 and 2009 vintages have many different characteristics that are often generalised by producers, journalists and sellers. The most important question is when will the consumer receive the most - or indeed any - enjoyment from the wine on offer? There are many factors to be taken into consideration when attempting to determine this; it may not necessarily be just whether the vintage is perceived as a good, bad or indifferent by the powers that be!

Bordeaux wine experts pronounced 2009 “the vintage of the decade!” Almost perfect growing conditions across the map have produced wines, many still in barrel, with great ripe fruit content, power, concentration, depth, and huge, ripe tannins. Yields were good and there were far fewer hands required on the sorting table than in the two previous years, as the grapes were in perfect condition. Although the wines are not finished, barrel samples show wines with immediate fruit-laden attractiveness and warm alcohol. These wines are certainly enjoyable right now due to their fruitiness, though to drink them currently is infanticide; they will of course improve for many decades to come. Many commentators have a fixation with only the top échelons of the Bordeaux wine scene.

OVERVIEW OF THE VINTAGES As an example, 2007 in Bordeaux was written off as a poor relation to the impressive 2005 but also to the more variable 2006. The growing season was long, but too cool for perfect ripeness, and rot was a problem during the wet spring, reducing yields. The vintage was only really saved by the warm, dry September. Most of the Grand Cru Classés however are still vins de garde. Although they are of academic interest now, these will not really be enjoyable drinking until 2013 and have the ability to improve for 15 years plus for the very best. Climatically, 2008 was in many ways similar to the 2007. There was coulure, millerandage, mildew, rot, uneven ripening and even

GILBER

2007, 2008, 2009: KEEP OR CONSUME?

Immediate satisfaction however is to be had from the smaller châteaux of Bordeaux, assuming good fruit husbandry, sensitive wine making and a spot of luck. Cru Bourgeois, 1er Cotes de Blaye, Lalande de Pomerol, Côtes de Francs, Graves, Fronsac and the satellite villages surrounding Saint Emilion all have examples of wines that are medium-bodied, with attractive fruit, soft tannins and which in many cases are complex, delicious and nutritious. Good examples include Château de Pez, Château La Tour de By, Château Fontbaude, Château Dalem, Château de Chantergrive, Clos Floridene, Château la Fleur Jonquet and Château Haura. These and others should not be overlooked by claret lovers. The Rhône Valley has had a string of fine vintages in the first decade of the millennium with only the 2002 (in some opinions), the 2003 and the 2008 being problematical. Vintages are generally less variable than in Bordeaux due to their continental rather than maritime climate, which is based around extremes (it is colder in winter, hotter in summer, and drier all year round). Rhône wines from 2007 were similar to those of 2009 in Bordeaux. The grapes were harvested in perfect condition, juice was highly coloured and perfumed, and despite the hot dry conditions, yields were slightly above average. These are rich, ripe wines with good extraction, freshness, and again, warm alcohol; they are immediately appealing if in some cases slightly jammy. Wines from the top producers such as Chave, Guigal, Chapoutier, Domaine Vincent Paris, Catherine Le Goeuil, Philippe Gimel's Saint Jean du Barroux and Domaine Soumade are stupendous now, but will certainly become more complex over the medium term.

from dilution. It was a year when only the best producers who could afford to sort and discard grapes created fairly acceptable wines. Many of the lesser single domaine wines are ready for drinking now, though it is debatable how much (if any) pleasure they will give. This is a year for the cooperatives and négoçiants who are able to blend and create standard, attractive wines from many different vineyards with little or no terroir characteristics.

WHAT ABOUT 2009? The 2009 Rhône vintage, particularly in the north, has been earmarked by some as the best since 2001. A cold and wet winter built up water levels to help the vines survive and prosper in the long hot summer. The southern Rhône was particularly hot and very dry, yields were low and the annual problem of producing wines without too much alcohol was a particular worry. Growers appear to be happy with the balance and freshness in their wines; there are many top producers, including Charbonnière, Yves Cuilleron, Alain Graillot and Roger Sabon. Unlike the Rhône and particularly Bordeaux, there are very few large château/estates in Burgundy, particularly the Côte d'Or, due to the French system of continually dividing up domaines amongst all the siblings..The result now is many tiny domaines and an established system of négoçiants who buy grapes, produce wine under their own label but who happily are obliged

The 2008 vintage was difficult in both northern and southern Rhône. Many Syrah-based wines were under-ripe and many suffered

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

COVER STORY

to keep the wines as separate cuvées and lieu dits, retaining the terroir characteristics of these tiny plots.

In 2008, meticulous work in the vineyard and painstaking attention to detail were the keys to success. Coulure, millerandage, mildew, oidium and bad botrytis kept producers on their toes throughout the growing season. Hail is often a problem in Burgundy and in 2008 some vineyards in Volnay and Marsannay and suffered 70% loss or damage due to hail. A sunny, dry September quickly ripened the remaining grapes with sugar levels increasing day by day; concentration increased yet they still retained their acidity. Like most of France, Burgundy had excellent growing conditions in 2009. Some call it the vintage of the decade, others beg to disagree but we can be sure that the climatic conditions were excellent for wine production, creating wines that are described as pure, perfumed, ripe and elegant. Top growers include Domaine Vougeraie, Domaines Fourrier, Maison Dujac, Sylvain Cathiard, Michel Gros and Domaine Comtes des Lafon, to name but a few. Their fruit-laden ripeness will mean that early drinking will again be pleasurable, but definitely also for the long term.

DENIS DUBOURDIEU, PROFESSOR OF OENOLOGY AT BORDEAUX UNIVERSITY AND OWNER OF (AMONGST OTHERS) CLOS FLORIDENE IN GRAVES more accessible earlier but also add complexity, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cot and Carmenère can be added in varying proportions; blending is the norm.

Vintage conditions and regionality are important, but I would suggest that the style of the wine is more important in determining when, whether and why one should drink a particular bottle of wine. The style is clearly affected by the vintage, but also by the grape variety or varieties, viticultural practices, the particular preferences of the wine maker and the commercial necessities.

Having attended a Bordeaux Master Class given by Denis Dubourdieu, Professor of Oenology at Bordeaux University and owner of (amongst others) Clos Floridene in Graves, it is clear that the sum of the blended Bordeaux varieties is greater than that of its component parts. Very simply, Cabernet Sauvignon (concentrated and austere) combined with Merlot (soft and supple) and Cabernet Franc (velvety and perfumed) equates to complete enjoyment. Wines made with a higher percentage of Merlot and Cabernet Franc are also wines that can be enjoyed earlier. Those of Pomerol, where 80 % of the appellation is planted to Merlot, are always approachable younger. Top examples from Pomerol include the expensive Château Petrus and Le Pin, but many others are delicious in their youth.

In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. Although not the most widely planted grape variety ( that honour belongs to Merlot), all of the 1855 Grand Cru Classés have a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. In all but the wettest of years it produces small, concentrated, thick-skinned, blue/black and tannic berries. It is therefore no surprise that many youthful Bordeaux wines demonstrate such qualities and that they take considerable time to reach maturity. Historically Château Mouton and Lafite Rothschild have some of the highest percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon in their cuvées (85 % and more) and are therefore some of the longest-lived and most difficult wines to appreciate when young. To soften this heavyweight variety, to make them

Syrah and Grenache are the two most dominant varieties in the Rhône Valley, Syrah in the north for Côte Rôtie, and Hermitage; Grenache, Syrah,Carignan and Cinsault in the south for Châteauneuf du Pape, Vacqueyras and Gigondas. These varieties have thinner skins, so softer tannins, very deep rouge colours, larger berries and hence produce softer, more appealing wines at a younger age. Most of the wines from Rasteau, Beaumes de Venise, Cairanne, Vinsobres and so on are perfect at four or five years after a good vintage, and still a pleasure at an earlier age. However, Syrah can produce wines of huge intensity and longevity in the hands of the most dedicated producers, on the finest of terroirs and with the lowest of yields. Chaves, Hermitage, Jaboulet's

THE STYLE IS CLEARLY AFFECTED BY THE VINTAGE

The red and white wines that were produced in Burgundy in 2007 could not have been made anywhere else but in Burgundy. The reds are perfumed, medium-bodied and have an unexpected attractiveness given the difficulties of the growing season. Some wines are ready for drinking now, which is not a bad thing at all, as we need a vintage to drink!

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

2007, 2008, 2009: KEEP OR CONSUME?

Hermitage La Chapelle and Château Beaucastel are examples of long-lived, very fine Rhône wines which are almost undrinkable in their youth. Pinot Noir is the mono red variety in the Côte de Nuits and the Côtes de Beaune; there is no opportunity within AC rules for blending varieties here. In colour and structure, the grape is less dense but can still produce wines of immense power, acidity and longevity. For me, it is the style of the producer that is of paramount importance in Burgundy. For sure, the vintage is an important factor and wines from the Côtes de Nuits are in general more robust and masculine than the wines of the Côtes de Beaune. It is the producers however who make decisions on clonal selection, crop thinning, when to pick, to destem or not, barrel fermentation, for how long and what type of oak... the list of options is endless. This is important in most viticultural regions, but crucial in Burgundy. The wines of Domaine Fanny Sabre in Beaune/Pommard are beautiful, pure, elegant and complex expressions of Pinot Noir and her terroir. Her wines are not dominated by oak, do not come from vines with yields of less than 20hl/ha and are not designed for prolonged ageing, just for pleasurable drinking now and for a decade. Comte-Armand is another fine estate in Pommard which produces more structured, more concentrated wines for significant ageing. Both estates practice organic viticulture, their terroirs are not dissimilar, and both are certainly excellent domaines: the major difference is the style of wine that Fanny Sabre (on the one hand) and Benjamin Leroux (on the other) wish to make; fortunately for the world of wine, they are contrasting.

Drinkability is a subject always on my mind when I taste wines. A wine could be technically brilliant, with concentrated fruit, lavish use of new oak from Tronçais and so forth, but do I really want another glass of this wine? Does it go with any food I am likely to cook? Or is it just for tasting and to show off the undoubted talents of the winemaker? The trend for producing low yield, over-extracted, over-alcoholic prestige and super-prestige cuvées is passing, I hope. A lighter hand is being used in the vineyard and in the winery, throughout France, which is good for all.

THE ONLY SURE WAY TO KNOW WHEN TO DRINK A WINE IS TO BUY AND TRY When to drink is a huge and subjective topic. There is no right or wrong answer: some wine lovers might prefer their wines fresh, lively and robust, while others will opt for old, dull and supple. Back labels are more common nowadays, which is helpful for wines that do not change significantly in the bottle and are designed for drinking within two to three years. One can't imagine a bottle of 2009 Château Margaux having a back label giving food matching suggestions or - perish the thought - a “drink by” date! My advice would be to ask your friendly wine merchant, who should have an informed opinion that they will be happy to share with you, thus building your trust. Ultimately, the only sure way to know when to drink a wine is to buy and try; but even then, the next bottle may not be precisely the same. This, then, is the wonderfully mysterious world of wine. Richard Craig

I follow the direction the wine is going,

constantly seeking balance, not disowning the contribution of modernity but always retaining a sense of the past, a sense of history… A vertical tasting of the estate’s last thirty vintages would show that there is total continuity. Man’s role is only to reveal inherent characteristics… Terroir prevails over all else…"

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

RATED WINES

GOLD 90+/100 VINTAGE 2007 BORDEAUX Côtes de Castillon A.C. 90/100 Domaine de l'A 2007 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru A.C. 90/100 Château Fleur Cardinale 2007 90/100 Château Grand Corbin Manuel 2007 Saint-Julien A.C. 94/100 Château Branaire-Ducru 2007

28.00 € unknown 18.00 €

91 41.50 €

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON Languedoc Saint-Georges d'Orques A.C. 92/100 Château de l'Engarran Cuvée Quetton Saint Georges 2007 Minervois La Livinière A.C. 90/100 Domaine Aimé Au gré du vent 2007 Vin de Pays des Coteaux de Murviel 92/100 Mas des Dames La Diva 2007

17.90 € 9.00 €

24.00 €

RHONE VALLEY Châteauneuf du Pape A.C. 94/100 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Cuvée Exceptionnelle 2007 24.00 € Côtes du Rhône A.C. 90/100 Brézème Bresemus Eram 2007 21.00 €

VINTAGE 2008 BORDEAUX Haut-Médoc A.C. 93/100 Château La Lagune 2008 Margaux A.C. 93/100 Château Brane-Cantenac 2008 91/100 Château Mongravey 2008 90/100 Château La Tour de Mons 2008 90/100 Château Confidence de Margaux 2008 Moulis A.C. 90/100 Château Poujeaux 2008

GILBERT & GAILLARD

40.00 € 15.00 €

/100

PESSAC-LÉOGNAN A.C. Château Le Sartre 2008 Dark colour. Refined nose with accents of ripe redcurrant backed by elegant smoky oak. On the palate, a full wine with polished tannins. Evidence of ageing is still very noticeable yet also imparts abundant richness and aromatic elegance. A wine for cellaring.

FULL CONTACT DETAILS FOR THIS ESTATE CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 110

13.95 €

SOUTH-WEST Monbazillac A.C. 90/100 Château Bélingard Blanche de Bosredon 2007

24.00 € 21.00 €

unknown

BURGUNDY Vosne Romanée A.C. 95/100 Domaine Michel Gros 1er Cru Clos des Réas Monopole 2007

Pauillac A.C. 90/100 Château Fonbadet 2008 90/100 Chateau la Fleur Peyrabon 2008 Pessac-Léognan A.C. 94/100 Château Malartic-Lagravière 2008 91/100 Château Le Sartre 2008

45.00 € 23.00 € 21.00 € 14.00 € 18.00 € 22.50 €

SPRING 2011

Pomerol A.C. 92/100 Château Mazeyres 2008 90/100 Château Franc-Maillet 2008 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru A.C. 92/100 Château La Tour Figeac 2008 92/100 Château de Pressac 2008 92/100 Château Fleur Cardinale 2008 92/100 Château Fonroque 2008 91/100 Château Franc Mayne 2008 91/100 Château Dassault 2008 91/100 Château Laroze 2008 90/100 Château Corbin Michotte 2008 90/100 Château Haut Troquart La Grâce Dieu Cuvée Passion 2008 90/100 Château Faurie de Souchard 2008 Saint-Estèphe A.C. 92/100 Château Lilian Ladouys 2008 91/100 Château L'Argilus du Roi 2008 Saint-Georges Saint-Emilion A.C. 90/100 Château Saint-Georges 2008 Saint-Julien A.C. 90/100 Château du Glana 2008 Sauternes A.C. 90/100 Château Bérénice 2008

23.50 € 19.00 € 35.00 € 22.50 € unknown 24.00 € 36.00 € 49.00 € 25.00 € 26.00 € 18.50 € 25.00 € 15.00 € 14.50 € 20.83 € 17.00 € 17.50 €

RATED WINES

BURGUNDY

RHONE VALLEY

Chablis Grand Cru A.C. 92/100 Domaine Garnier et Fils Les Clos 2008 Chablis Premier Cru A.C. 90/100 Domaine Hamelin Beauroy 2008 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru A.C. 97/100 Maison Jessiaume 2008 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru A.C. 94/100 Aegerter Jean-Luc & Paul 2008 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru A.C. 93/100 Château Philippe-le-Hardi 2008 Corton-Perrières Grand cru A.C. 95/100 Maison Jessiaume 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin A.C. 91/100 Domaine Philippe Leclerc 1er Cru la Combe aux Moines 2008 Mercurey A.C. 91/100 Domaine Michel Juillot 1er Cru Clos des Barraults 2008 Meursault A.C. 96/100 Guy Bocard 1er Cru Charmes 2008 Pouilly-Fuissé A.C. 90/100 Sophie Cinier Vers Cras 2008

30.00 €

Saint-Joseph A.C. 90/100 Cave de Saint-Désirat Septentrio 2008

12.80 €

11.95 €

VINTAGE 2009

75.00 € 140.00 € 58.00 € 45.00 €

39.00 €

22.00 €

BORDEAUX Pessac-Léognan A.C. 90/100 Château Olivier 2009 90/100 Château Le Sartre 2009 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru A.C. 92/100 Château Fonroque 2009 Saint-Estèphe A.C. 99/100 Château Montrose 2009 Saint-Julien A.C. 95/100 Château Léoville Barton 2009

35.00 € 18.50 €

unknown 16.00 € 26.00 € 174.00 € 114.00 €

BURGUNDY Beaune A.C. 91/100 Château Philippe-le-Hardi 1er Cru Clos du Roi 2009

25.30 €

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON Languedoc Grès de Montpellier A.C. 90/100 Château de l'Engarran Grenat Majeur 2008 Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup A.C. 90/100 Domaine Les Grandes Costes 2008 Rivesaltes A.C. 95/100 Domaine de Besombes Le Grenat 2008

13.80 € 17.50 €

SAINT-ESTÈPHE A.C. Château Montrose 2009 Intense. Refined, expressive nose combining black fruits and a mineral dimension. Seductive volume, concentration and mellowness on the palate. Power is a feature and is nicely offset by a touch of freshness. Total harmony. A superlative wine.

SAINT-JULIEN A.C. Château Léoville Barton 2009

/100

12.00 €

SOUTH-WEST Cahors A.C. 93/100 Château Eugénie Haute Collection 2008 93/100 Château Pineraie L'Authentique 2008

20.00 € 20.00 €

LOIRE VALLEY Anjou Villages Brissac A.C. 90/100 Domaine des Rochelles Les Millerits 2008 Pouilly-Fumé A.C. 93/100 Gitton père & fils Nebula 2008 92/100 Gitton père & fils Galinot 2008 90/100 Domaine Serge Dagueneau & filles Clos des Chaudoux 2008

92 /100

/100 17.00 €

2nd Grand Cru Classé 1855

18.95 € 20.75 €

Intense hue. Concentrated nose dominated by black berry fruits, l i q u o r i c e. Powe r f u l , ve r y concentrated palate, still a little backward. A 2009 with faultless extraction. Huge potential.

18.00 €

SANCERRE A.C. Gitton père & fils Galinot 2008 Brilliant light gold. Complex nose of almond paste, apricot, candied citrus and a touch of quince. A Sauvignon showing full-on roundness and body boasting pleasurable crisp freshness. Exotic finish (mango, apricot…). A very rich Sancerre.

92 /100

SAINT-ÉMILION GRAND CRU A.C. Château Fonroque 2009 Intense hue. Concentrated, precise nose mingling black fruits, liquorice, oak. The palate is powerful and warm, coating dense substance then finishing on a note of firmness. A welcome trace of freshness imparts balance across the palate. Boasts potential.

FULL CONTACT DETAILS FOR THESE ESTATES CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 110

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

RATED WINES

Chablis Premier Cru A.C. 90/100 Domaine Alain Geoffroy Beauroy 2009 90/100 Château de Chemilly Vosgros - Fûts de chêne 2009 Corton Charlemagne Grand cru A.C. 94/100 Domaine Denis Père et Fils 2009 Meursault A.C. 98/100 Domaine Alain Patriarche Genévrières 1er Cru 2009 94/100 Domaine Rougeot 1er Cru Charmes 2009 90/100 Domaine Berthelemot Les Tillets 2009 Montagny A.C. 90/100 Château de la Saule 1er Cru Les Burnins 2009 Pouilly-Fuissé A.C. 90/100 Domaine Pierre Desroches 2009 Santenay A.C. 90/100 David Moreau 1er Cru Clos des Mouches 2009

14.00 € 14.50 €

96 /100

Deep garnet-red. Subtle nose already showing complexity with ripe dark fruits, liquorice and a meaty note. Opulent attack, suave, fleshy, profound palate, substantial, closely-integrated framework. Massive and fresh but not overblown. Sterling work !

42.00 € 55.00 € 35.00 € 24.00 € 13.50 € 10.40 €

90 /100

30.00 €

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON Languedoc A.C. 90/100 La Grange Icône - Castalides 2009

26.90 €

CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE A.C. Domaine Galévan Saint-Georges 2009

SAINT-JOSEPH A.C. Guy Farge Terre de Granit 2009 I n t e n s e p u r p l e - b l u e. Concentrated nose of red and black berry fruits, stone fruits with a mineral and spicy background. Full, perfumed palate with superbly integrated tannins. Abundant charm. A sterling Saint-Joseph.

FULL CONTACT DETAILS FOR THESE ESTATES CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 110

PROVENCE Côtes de Provence A.C. 90/100 Clos Cibonne Cuvée Prestige Caroline 2009

ALSO ON OUR SHORTLIST 16.00 €

SOUTH-WEST Cahors A.C. 91/100 Mas del Périé La Roque 2009

12.00 €

PAYS D'OC I.G.P. Domaine d'Aigues Belles L'Autre Blanc 2009 Light gold. Intense, vanilla oak nose backed by dried fruits and citrus. Fleshy, full-bodied palate showing a refined marriage of oak and fruit. The finish is capped off with a touch of chicory and caramel. A modern-day wine revealing a great wealth of aromatics.

CÔTES DE PROVENCE Domaine de la Rouillère Grande Réserve 2009 Brilliant pale gold. Expressive nose of citrus fruits and exotic notes with oak undertones. Nervy palate, fleshy texture with a pleasant spicy edge. Successful effort pairing well from now on with shellfish.

/100

LOIRE VALLEY Coteaux de l'Aubance A.C. 96/100 Domaine de Montgilet Les Trois Schistes 2009 Sancerre A.C. 90/100 Michel Vattan Cuvée Argile 2009 Savennières A.C. 90/100 Closel - Château des Vaults La Jalousie 2009

16.50 € 8.00 € 12.00 €

/100

RHONE VALLEY Châteauneuf du Pape A.C. 94/100 Domaine Galévan 2009 Condrieu A.C. 90/100 Domaine Boissonnet 2009 Côte rôtie A.C. 95/100 Domaine Niero Les Ravines 2009 Côtes du Rhône A.C. 90/100 Domaine Nicolas Croze L'Epicurienne 2009 Gigondas A.C. 93/100 Domaine Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail 2009 Hermitage A.C. 95/100 Romain Duvernay 2009 Saint-Joseph A.C. 90/100 Guy Farge Terre de Granit 2009

GILBERT & GAILLARD

25.00 € 23.00 € 28.00 € 9.80 € 21.00 € 28.50 € 13.00 €

SPRING 2011

86 /100

CÔTES DU RHONE-VILLAGES VISAN A.C. Cave Les Coteaux de Visan Lou Calin 2009 Deep, slightly evolved hue. The nose opens up to notes of cocoa and macerated fruits. More of the same aromatics on the palate which is full and generous with polished tannins. Robust personality across the palate. Drink with meat in a sauce.

HISTORY OF THE VINEYARDS

I T A L Y

Lazio I N THE HEART OF THE ROMAN

COUNTRYSIDE: LAZIO AND ITS WINES BY DELPHINE VEISSIÈRE

ince ancient times, Latium (Lazio) has been a chosen land for winegrowing. Today it is experiencing a resurgence of interest from wine enthusiasts in search of native grape varieties. Like the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Lazio produces some high-quality niche wines that are not yet widely known abroad (although in lower quantities than its neighbours). Certain upand-coming producers offer wines that embody the diversity of these terroirs devoted mainly to the production of white wines, despite a reputation somewhat tarnished by the mass production of lowquality wines for retail distribution. The white Grechetto grape and the red Cesanese del Piglio grape are the main players, as well as international varieties such as Shiraz, which can evoke certain Syrahs of the Côtes du Rhône.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

IN THE HEART OF THE ROMAN COUNTRYSIDE

Latium’s winemaking tradition stretches back before the founding of Ancient Rome in 753 BC, by which time historians had already recorded the existence of vineyards there. It later developed over the whole region of Lazio, particularly on the volcanic hills of Castelli Romani, an area traditionally given over to the cultivation of grapevines and olive trees. From this period onwards, wine was no longer used solely as an offering to the gods, but began to be consumed by local people.

Until the end of the first century of the Roman Empire, the wines of Lazio (apart from those of Alba Longa) were not highly esteemed by the Romans, who preferred the higheraltitude wines of Campania. The poet Horace spoke grandiloquently of the Campania wines of Cecubo, Caleno, Falerno and Formiano, which he considered fine aging wines, in contrast to the wines of Lazio. Fortunately, despite the Lex Marciana, a Roman law enacted in 92 AD by Domitian to limit wine overproduction, the vineyards of Lazio survived the fall of the Roman Empire and the barbarian invasions and were revived during the Middle Ages thanks to the work of Benedictine monks. In 406 AD, Pope Gregory XII recorded a series of winegrowing standards, including those of Lazio, in his “Agricultural Statutes”, and in the 14th century, under the pontificate of Pope Paul III, the region appeared on the map of papal wines, with a long list of Lazio wines including Rosso del Terracina, Monterano, Caprarola, Cerveteri, Bagnaia, Tolfa, Bracciano, Albano and Ariccia.

THE CASALE DEL GIGLIO ESTATE

The major innovations in viticulture and oenology of the 18th

and 19th centuries were unfortunately not taken up by Lazio winegrowers, and the region again fell into obsolesence. It won back its reputation only in 1923 thanks to Britain’s Queen Victoria, who fell in love with the wine of Frascati, which she added to the royal wine cellar. The revival of the winegrowing area after the devastation caused by the phylloxera epidemic during the second half of the 19th century was accomplished by high-volume production at the expense of quality.

THE ESTATE’S MASCOT - A PORCUPINE FEATURES ON ITS LABELS

The region of Lazio (17,227 square kilometres) is today divided into three zones that spread over the two districts of Frosinone and Viterbo as well as Castelli Romani. Its northern neighbours are Tuscany and Umbria, to the east lie Marche, Abruzzo and Molise, to the south Campania, and to the west the Tyrrhenian coast. The landscape alternates between hills (53.9% of the geographic area), the Apennine Mountains (20%) and plains (around 20%). The winegrowing areas are located on hillsides consisting of permeable soil of volcanic rock and tufa. The Colli Albani terroir (within Castelli Romani) is set apart by the significant amount of potassium in its soil, a key element in the aromatic complexity of grapes, and is the producer of the most prestigious wines in the region. The Tarquinia plains and the Agro Pontina have permeable soils consisting of sand, limestone and clay, and are more adapted to rapidly expanding high-productivity winegrowing. In Italy, Lazio wines have long been considered economical and low quality, but the last several years have seen a renewal in interest.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

HISTORY OF THE VINEYARDS

DOC AND DOCG APPELLATION AREAS - DOC: DENOMINAZIONE DI ORIGINE CONTROLLATA DOCG: DENOMINAZIONE DI ORIGINE CONTROLLATA GARANTITA ("SUPER DOC") 42

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

IN THE HEART OF THE ROMAN COUNTRYSIDE

ANTONIO SANTARELLI FROM CASALE DEL GIGLIO

REVIVAL The region’s turning point is due in part to the regional government agency ARSIAL (Agenzia Regionale per lo Sviluppo e l’Innovazione dell’Agricoltura del Lazio), which has supported research and promoted experiments in recent years aimed at preserving the diversity of regional vineyards. The agency encourages the production of wines with a strong cultural identity and, technically speaking, superior quality. The establishment of clones of native vines and the conservation of local grape varieties such as Malvasia, Bombino Bianca, Bellone and Cacchione have resulted in the reappearance of the region’s wines on the wine lists of the best restaurants, as well as in Italian wine guides, alongside top vintages from Tuscany. Today the region is home to 26 appellations (or DOC, Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and one even stricter DOCG appellation (Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita), which was granted to Cesanese del Piglio, or Piglio, in August 2008. From north to south, Lazio today has surprising biodiversity, considering its grape varieties, wines and the variety of its terroirs. The production area extends from Cesanese near Frosinone, where complex and impressive red wines are made, to the area near Umbria and the town of Viterbo, which specialises in whites such as the famous Grechetto.

With the rise of a new generation of ‘virtuous’ winemakers conscious of the natural wealth of Lazio, it is now possible to find handcrafted wines marked by the unique characteristics of their terroir. The areas that feature foremost in the region’s renewal are Tuscia in the north, Pontina in the south and Ciociara in the southeast. Unfortunately, many of the vineyards of Castelli Romani are still geared towards productive realities that result in variable quality, with small local producers side by side with wine cooperatives that produce essentially low-quality wines. Yet, the region does not lack its attractions - quite the opposite. The calanques of Teverina, the Mediterranean micro-climate due to proximity to the sea, the minerality of the volcanic soils, and the hills near Frusinate are all precious assets expressed through its locally produced wines. In addition to white wines made from Grechetto (which are very popular in Italy) and red wines from the renowned appellation of Cesanese del Piglio DOCG (Frosinone), the region of Castelli Romani deserves to be rediscovered for its refreshing whites made from Malvasia and/or Trebbiano, grown in soils rich in mineral salts and potassium. The wines of Frascati and Marino, appreciated for their good value, are some of the best examples and can be found on the wine lists of most Lazio trattorias.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

HISTORY OF THE VINEYARDS

known as Shiraz). A French style is often sought and the fruit and mineral notes of certain Shiraz wines from Lazio are reminiscent of some French Côte-Rôtie wines. The predominant grape in the region’s red wines is, however, Cesanese del Piglio, also called Piglio, which is cultivated in the province of Frosinone.

SOME OF THE BEST

The grapes known as Cesanese in fact come in two types: Cesanese Comune and Cesanese di Affili. There are three particularly interesting appellations for red wines: Cesanese di Olevano Romano DOC, Cesanese di Affile DOC and Cesanese del Piglio DOCG. The wines from all three appellations are made with 90% Cesanese Comune and/or Cesanese di Affili. The remaining 10% can be Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Barbera or Trebbiano Toscano. These wines have an intense ruby colour that takes on dark red reflections as they age. They are soft and fruity and should be drunk young if the predominant grape is Cesanese Comune, and before ten years if it is a Cesanese di Affili. In terms of white wines, one of the biggest regional successes is located 100 kilometres from Rome and 160 kilometres from Florence, where the 130 hectares of vineyards of the Sergio Mottura estate are nestled between the mountains and the canyons of Civitella d'Agliano. Since 1933, the Motturas have worked this estate surrounded by breathtaking countryside. Its Grechetto grapes are cultivated using organic methods and

CASALE DEL GIGLIO ESTATE'S SHIRAZ

REDS FOR ALL SEASONS Lazio red wines include native grapes such as Ciliegiolo and Montepulciano (Abruzzo), as well as international varieties including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (locally

GILBERT & GAILLARD

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A historical curiosity is the white wine of Viterbo - or more specifically, the district of Montefiascone - which carries the Latin name EST! EST! EST!!! Legend has it that in the 12th century, the German bishop Johannes Fugger (or Jean Defuc), who was with the court of the Holy Roman Emperor when the latter was in Rome for his coronation by the Pope, was accompanied by a servant who had the job of locating the inns with the best wines, which he indicated by marking ‘EST’ on the door. When he got to Montefiascone, he was so enthusiastic about the excellent wine there that he wrote EST, EST, EST!!! Defuc shared his servant’s opinion and settled definitively in the town, where he died in 1113. The unusual epitaph on his tomb reads: Est est est pr(opter) nim(ium) est hic Jo(hannes) de Fu(kris) do(minus) meus mortuus est. ‘It is here, for too much EST, that my master Jean Defuc died’.

SERGIO MOTTURA’S ESTATE IS NESTLED BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS AND CANYONS OF CIVITELLA D'AGLIANO

IN THE HEART OF THE ROMAN COUNTRYSIDE

OUR CHOICE OF LAZIO PRODUCERS

AREA Viterbo Frosinone

Frascati

Colli Albani Latina

WINE

AVERAGE PRICE

Fratelli Cotarella - Falesco Montiano 2005 Cantine Sergio Mottura - Latour a Civitella 2007 Coletti Conti - Cesanese del Piglio Hernicus 2009 Piero Macciocca - La Visciola - Cesanese del Piglio Prior ju quarto 2009 Casale della Joria - Giovanni Terenzi - Cesanese del Piglio Colleforma 2006 Marcella Giuliani - Cesanese del Piglio Dives 2004 Fontana Candida - Frascati Luna Mater 2009 Castel de Paolis - Cannellino 2009 L’olivella Colle Picchioni - Perlaia 2009 Casale del Giglio - Mater Matuta 2007 Syrah 2009 Petit Manseng

28.00 € 17.00 € 12.00 € 15.00 € 11.00 € 16.00 € 13.00 € n/a 11.00 € 10.00 € 29.00 € 9.00 € 10.00 €

WINESELLERS IN ROME 20 Via Goito, 00185 Rome (near Termini Station) 36 Viale Parioli, 00197 Rome (Parioli)

Tel. +39 (0)6 446 9661 Tel. +39 (0)6 807 0494

www.trimani.com www.enotecabulzoni.it

WEBSITE ON LAZIO WINES: www.levignedellazio.it Although this site does not provide an exhaustive list of producers, it is currently the best Internet reference for Lazio wines. It also gives suggestions for wine and gastronomic tours.

TRIMANI ENOTECA BULZONI

Finally, don’t miss the extremely fashionable red wines of the Casale del Giglio estate: for example, its Mater Matuta Lazio Rosso 2006, which is made from Shiraz and Petit Verdot and is mature and soft. For a more refreshing, livelier wine, Casale della Ioria has an excellent Cesanese del Piglio Torre del Piano 2008, with aromas of rose and forest fruits matched with spicy and soft notes.

result in a range of whites typical of central Italy, where this varietal is widely grown (most notably in the star wines of the Orvieto appellation). In the Mottura vineyards, where quality and local characteristics are prioritised, Grechetto grows on hillsides with clay soils. The harvest is carried out by hand and the wine is matured in stainless steel tanks on the lees, giving it a full body and a fruity, floral bouquet. The label is easily recognisable by its picture of a porcupine, the estate’s mascot, which is an animal that lives uniquely in uncontaminated areas.

SERGIO MOTTURA’S CANTINA

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QUALITY FACTORS

Wood and wine: working together Ever since the invention of the barrel, wine and wood have had a long-lasting love affair. Who can taste a fine Médoc or white Burgundy without noticing its hints of smoky vanilla mixed with the fruity aromas of the grapes? It is a perfect marriage, a symbiosis that results in undeniable enjoyment. Yet making this subtle union a successful one is far from simple.

rom the vine to the glass, wine goes through three successive stages: first, vinification, then maturing, and finally, ageing in the bottle. Wood usually comes into play during the second stage, and sometimes the first. During vinification, the sugar-rich juice from the pressed grapes begins to ferment due to the action of micro-organisms, namely yeasts. During this process, which takes about one to two weeks, the sugar is converted to alcohol, leading to a massive release of

GILBERT & GAILLARD

USING WOOD IN WINEMAKING In earlier times, vinification was always carried out in wooden containers. Today, most winemakers prefer stainless steel tanks, which are easier to use and maintain. There are nonetheless many exceptions: the méthode bourguignonne, for example,

IN EARLIER TIMES, VINIFICATION WAS ALWAYS CARRIED OUT IN WOODEN CONTAINERS

carbonic gas and an increase in temperature. When almost all of the sugar has been converted, fermentation ceases.

SPRING 2011

WOOD AND WINE: WORKING TOGETHER

involves producing white wines in wooden barrels with the aim of achieving a very unique end product. After vinification comes the maturing and refining process. At this stage, the still cloudy wine starts to develop its flavour characteristics and to become clearer and more stable. During this process, which can last from several months to several years, wood can play a fundamental role. We will return to this later.

Finally, the wine is transferred to bottles, where it will age in an oxygen-free environment. According to its characteristics and its quality, over the years it will develop an increasingly complex bouquet. The fruity or floral aromas of young wines, acquired during the maturing process, blend together and give way to others more reminiscent of undergrowth, musk, toast or leather.

OAK HAS THE BEST QUALITIES FOR MATURING WINE It is as the wine matures that the magical symbiosis between wine and wood occurs, so this is the stage that we will examine more closely. Logic tells us that if a wine spends time in wood, it will extract certain woody flavours. However, it is not quite so simple. Wood has an effect that is more complex (it does not only yield its aromas) and more mysterious. For simplicity's sake, it could be said that wood influences a wine’s colour, structure and bouquet. The wood itself is responsible for this, of course, as well as oxygen, which is constantly present during maturation,

via the wood.

WOOD INFLUENCES A WINE’S COLOUR, STRUCTURE AND BOUQUET

COLOUR, STRUCTURE AND TASTE Grapes contain certain chemical constituents that occur naturally in wine. Of these, the most important are tannins, which are responsible, among other things, for the wine’s structure, and anthocyanins, which give it its colour. A young red wine contains a lot of anthocyanins in their free state. They are continued on page 49

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QUALITY FACTORS

THE

LONG JOURNEY FROM

OAK TO CASK

he barrel is the trusty companion of many wines made around the world. It is one of the oldest inventions in winemaking, and yet, remains mysterious to many of us. We asked Georges Milcan, the sales director of the Saury cooperage, to tell us about his industry, which is still a largely French speciality.and it is a government monopoly. SYLVAIN PATARD: What are the different stages in barrel-making? How much time does the process take? GEORGES MILCAN: There are ten main steps involved in making wine barrels: 1) Buying and felling the oak trees 2) Receiving the logs 3) Splitting the logs and cutting the shook (the pieces the barrel will be made from) 4) Stocking and drying the shook in the open air for between 24 and 36 months 5) Preparing the staves by cutting them to the proper length and then bevelling and planing them so they are slightly curved on the outside and hollowed on the inside 6) Raising the barrel, known as the mise en rose, involving assembling the staves inside a metal hoop 7) Heating the staves to bend them into a barrel shape 8) Charring or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;toastingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the wood to develop its aromatic properties 9) Trimming the ends of the staves, assembling the base and planing 10) The final hooping, finishing touches and marking the cask with the company seal. At least 30 months are required from the felling of the oak to the completion of a barrel ready for delivery. Some casks are dried for a longer period, up to 36 months, in which case the entire process can take almost four years. SP: What are the most suitable types of wood for wine barrels? GM: Oak has the best qualities for maturing wine. It is a wood that is resistant, bendable and watertight. In France, wine barrels are made from sessile oaks or pedunculate oaks of the Quercus genus. This type of oak must be split during stave production in order to ensure its watertightness. The best oak is the sessile oak from the centre of France, where the timber forests are grown in rather poor siliceous clay soil, giving rise to low annual growth and a tight-grained wood. SP: Does Saury have a speciality or exclusive product? GM: For a long time, the Saury cooperage has produced high-quality barrels by working with a mixture of wood from the finest forests and choosing staves for the fineness of their grain. This exacting selection of only the finest grained wood allows us not only to deliver excellent quality, but also to develop organoleptic characteristics that are reproducible and consistent over the years. We have three grades: Premium, with an ultra-fine grain; Classic, with a very fine grain; and Aromatic, with a fine grain. In the last two years, we have also produced 100 examples (50 of which were

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WOOD AND WINE: WORKING TOGETHER

responsible for the deep red colour, bordering on purple, that is so characteristic of young wines. The problem is that these anthocyanins are unstable and have a tendency to disappear over time. Their decrease is responsible for the orangey-brown tints in old wines, and their only chance of survival is to combine with tannins to form complex molecules that are much more stable. This phenomenon occurs naturally in wine, whether or not it is in contact with wood. However, wood does seem to facilitate the process of condensation (also known as polymerisation). Like grapes, wood is of vegetal origin and itself contains tannins and anthocyanins that participate in the molecular combinations and enrich the process. for the French market) of a singular barrel that we call ‘L’écrin’ (the jewel case). It is made of a mixture of wood harvested from the best forests, after which the staves are air-dried for more than 36 months and then individually selected for their ultra-fine grain. The wood then undergoes our new ‘Lumière’ toasting. Because apart from our insistence on tight-grained wood, Saury has also developed toasting processes that allow us to offer a wide range of casks suitable for different grape varieties and vineyards, as well as to meet the requirements of the oenologists we work with. For example, beyond the classic practices, we have developed ‘immersion’, which involves bending the staves in water, and ‘Lumière’ toasting, based on extremely long and penetrating toasting.

Because wood liberates tannins in the wine, it also modifies its structure. One might think that it reinforces the structure, but in fact, it is more complex. While it does release new tannins in the wine, these then combine with other molecules which, if maturation is well managed, contribute to an overall polishing effect that smoothes out the tannins. As for the heaviest of these molecules, they precipitate to the bottom of the barrel. In this way, the wine loses its impurities and particulates and becomes

SP: Outside of France, what are the biggest export markets for a cooperage such as Saury? GM: We export 85 % of our production to over 30 countries. Our main customers are in the United States (25 %), Spain (10 %), Australia and New Zealand (10 %), Italy (7.5 %), Chile (5 %) and Argentina (4 %).

But one cannot discuss barrel-making without mentioning supply sources. The future of our industry depends on supply management. Saury has a 100 % integrated supply chain, thanks to the group’s stavemakers, which today form the largest production centres of quality French oak staves. In order to guarantee our production methods, we have also put in place standards that include using wood that is 100 % PEFC-certified (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification); we meet the ISO 9001 quality management standard; use the HACCP approach (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points); hold Veritas certification on how we source and dry our staves; and use integrated analysis of contaminants in our COFRAC-certified laboratory (COFRAC is the French Accreditation Committee). In addition, more than 85 % of our wood is purchased as standing timber, allowing us upstream and downstream traceability of all of our products.

LIKE GRAPES, WOOD IS OF VEGETAL ORIGIN AND CONTAINS TANNINS GILBERT & GAILLARD

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QUALITY FACTORS

AT LEAST 30 MONTHS ARE REQUIRED FROM THE FELLING OF THE OAK TO THE COMPLETION OF A BARREL more refined. The objective is reached when the tannins of the wine and the wood have completely blended together. The result is a significant decrease in the astringency and bitterness of the wine.

THE BOUQUET A wine’s bouquet is possibly its most mysterious aspect. We know that every aroma corresponds to precise molecules. In grapes, these substances are essentially located in the skin and are incredibly diverse. Among the aromas contributed by maturing wine in wood, we can distinguish between those contained in the oak itself, and those developed when the barrel is ‘charred’ or ‘toasted’. To the former category belong lactones, which add hints of coconut, fresh oak and sap; and to the latter belong various substances such as vanillin (aroma of vanilla), eugenol (aroma of spicy carnation) or ethylphenol and guaiacol, which are responsible for a charred aroma. As can be seen, maturing wine in wood plays a not insignificant role on the final outcome. But this should not be taken to mean that wood is the only thing involved in this process. Throughout maturation, oxygen has an important influence: an influence that wooden barrels seem to channel, to a wine's

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

benefit. Oxygen can be wine’s best friend or its worst enemy. In excess, oxygen seriously damages wine, affecting its colour, structure and above all its bouquet; simply leave a bottle uncorked for a few days to notice the results. Yet a little oxygen does wine a lot of good. In fact, it is indispensable to effective winemaking, as explained above (oxygen is involved in the modification of the colour, the polymerisation of the tannins and the precipitation of complex molecules).

CONTROLLED OXYGENATION During its time in a wooden barrel, wine is in constant contact with a little oxygen. In order to limit this, the winemaker regularly carries out ‘topping up’, which involves adding wine to the barrel to replace loss via evaporation through the wood. Racking also brings the wine into contact with oxygen. This is the process of separating wine from the sediment, or lees, at the bottom of the barrel by transferring the wine to another barrel. Wine is racked four times a year. In total almost 30 cubic centimetres of oxygen per litre of wine are accumulated during the course of the winemaking process. The length of maturation and refinement of the wine depends according to the region, the type of wine and the vintage. Generally it takes between one and two years, but this decision is left to the judgement of the winemaker. Not every wine benefits from spending time in wood. Only those destined to become wines to lay down and which have sound fundamental qualities really get the most out of wood. There is no point in putting a light, fruity, drinkable wine in a wooden barrel. It will lose its charm without gaining in quality. Equally, if wood is used in badly controlled winemaking conditions, for example, using barrels that are too old or in bad condition, the wine can end up with a taste of mould, mouth-parching tannins or an unpleasant bitterness. Essentially, a vintage wine cannot be created simply by putting it in wood! Gilbert & Gaillard

QUALITY FACTORS

Beaujolais: the most incredible expression of Gamay

BY MARK ANDREW

hen Philip the Bold banished the “disloyal

Gamay”

from

the

vineyards of Burgundy in the 14th

century for "very great and horrible harshness", he was probably unaware that to the south of the Côte d’Or was an ideal home for this renegade grape variety. Gamay proved to be a perfect match with the granite soils of Beaujolais and, through the wide range of individual terroirs in each of the ten Beaujolais crus, it has found an eloquence that

woul have surprised the medieval duke. Following the success of Beaujolais’ 2009 vintage there has been renewed interest in a region that stigma of Beaujolais Nouveau. It has been a long way down from the heady days of 1986 (6.4 million bottles of Nouveau sold) and now the continued on page 52

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SPRING 2011

has suffered in the last twenty years from the

Jean-Jacques Baronnat

QUALITY FACTORS

JEAN-JACQUES BARONNAT IS ONE OF THE REGION’S FOREMOST NÉGOCIANTS winemakers of Beaujolais are looking to recast themselves as purveyors of terroir driven wines that are intended to be consumed many years, rather than days, after bottling. JeanJacques Baronnat is one of the region’s foremost négociants, selling wines from all ten of Beaujolais crus (not to mention Nouveau). He says that “Unlike most regions, Beaujolais is a single-varietal wine: the only way to make a difference is with terroir. This common characteristic is the fruit of our wines, but this is complemented by features unique to each cru”. Monsieur Baronnat is not the only one with a passion for the individuality of each cru. There is a groundswell of artisanal growers and conscientious négociants that are committed to making wines to demonstrate the unique qualities of each cru and specific vineyards within them. Producers like Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Marc Burgaud and Jean Foillard have helped to

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THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPRESSION OF GAMAY

establish the reputation of Morgon’s Côte du Py and with many other climats having their own distinct identities, moves are afoot to create a new appellation that recognises the finest sites in the region. Whether the idea of a ‘Beaujolais 1er Cru’ ever materialises will remain to be seen, but it is another sign that things are changing for the better in Beaujolais, as is the Marcel Lapierre-led ‘natural’ wine revolution which has blossomed in recent years. Winemakers like Lapierre, Foillard, Metras, Sunier and Lapalu have pushed the boundaries of what Gamay is capable of while offering a philosophical alternative to classical high quality producers like Château Thivin and Château des Jacques. With the terroir and the winemaking expertise in place, the final part of the jigsaw was a great vintage and this duly arrived for Beaujolais in 2009. To many it is the finest in living memory, although some are blessed with longer memories than others! Claude Geoffroy of Château Thivin called 2009 “a beautiful vintage for the whole region and up there with 1929, ‘49 and ’80 as one of the greatest”, while Eric Janin called it “The best

/100

MORGON A.C. Château de Pizay 2009 Intense colour tinged with crimson. Profound, focused nose with ripe, crunchy fruit. Rich, full palate with nicely integrated tannins. The fruit is augmented by both mineral and slightly peppery notes. A handsome Morgon.

FULL CONTACT DETAILS FOR THIS ESTATE CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 110

There can be no doubt that the sheer exuberance of the wines in ’09 made the wine world sit up and take notice of what is going on in Beaujolais. A spokesperson from the regional body Inter-Beaujolais said “The region is blessed with many new, young and upcoming artisan producers as well as largescale négociant operations who are both important to the balance of the region. Following the great momentum that has built from the 2009 vintage,exciting times certainly lie ahead for this dynamic and diverse region." Were Philip the Bold still around, he might be tempted to ask for his Gamay back... Turn to pages 54 to 57 for our in-depth presentation of the 10 Beaujolais village appellations

vintage since 1991 and a year with massive potential”.

THE IMPOSING MONT BROUILLY RISES TO 485M ABOVE SEA LEVEL GILBERT & GAILLARD

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QUALITY FACTORS

CÔTE DE BROUILLY 15,000 hl 322ha Granite, diorite (Plutonic rock) & schist

THE TERROIR The imposing Mont Brouilly rises to 485m above sea level and is visibly rich in greenish/blue volcanic rock, which is often referred to as cornes vertes (green horns). In addition to the unique soil, Cote de Brouilly vineyards benefit from excellent exposure high on the mountainside. THE WINES The wines of Cote de Brouilly are often structured, tannic and long-lived. There is a core of pure red berry and cherry fruit that, with time, is joined by meaty complexity in the best examples.

Brouilly

AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION VINEYARD AREA SOIL TYPE

THE WINES Jean-Jacques Baronnat describes Brouilly as “the connection between the generic wines and the crus. Brouilly has the fruit of Beaujolais Villages, but with greater concentration and intensity”. While the wines of Brouilly are certainly on the lighter side of the Cru Beaujolais spectrum, their vibrant red fruit and mineral freshness make the best examples devilishly easy to drink.

BROUILLY AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION VINEYARD AREA SOIL TYPE

60,000 hl 1327ha Pink granite, diorite, limestone-Marl and alluvial

THE TERROIR On the lower slopes and surrounding area of Mont Brouilly is the cru of Brouilly, where a variety of soil types across the appellation impart different characteristics in to the wine. These include the pink granite soils of Saint-Etienne-la-Varenne (giving fine tannins and lighter body), less acidic diorite on the slopes (giving some of the backbone found in Cote de Brouilly), limestone-marl around the commune of Charentay (imparting elegance and purity of fruit) and alluvial soils with traces of crystal and clay (giving minerality and fresh fruit).

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AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION VINEYARD AREA SOIL TYPE

33,200 hl 827ha Pink granite and clay. Quartz and manganese found in the best sites of the commune.

THE TERROIR The dominant soil in Fleurie is pink granite that imbues the wines with their hallmark delicacy, elegance and freshness. Below the village there are deeper clay rich soils, giving fuller and more structured wines. The combination of these terroirs gives wines

Fleurie

Côte de Brouilly

FLEURIE

THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPRESSION OF GAMAY

from Fleurie greater harmony and balance than some of the other crus. The appellation is dominated by a string of hillocks that are home to 13 designated single vineyards (or lieu-dit). Five of these Chapelle de Bois, La Madone, Poncié, Les Moriers and La Roilette are considered to be some of the most auspicious vineyard sites in the Beaujolais region.

THE WINES It is worth noting that when the appellation boundaries were being drawn up in the 1920s, a large portion of Chénas vines were set aside for neighbouring Moulin-à-Vent and this proximity to can be seen in the character of the wines. Full bodied, rich and tannic, Jean-Jacques Baronnat calls these two crus “first cousins”. A good Chénas will be vibrantly floral with spicy red fruit and will improve with five years of bottle age. As the smallest cru, the wines of Chénas are not seen as often as Beaujolais aficionados would like.

THE WINES The best Fleuries are floral and fruity with intense minerality and supple tannins, giving a synthesis between elegance and structure. Gilles Gelin of Domaine des Nugues, whose old vines lend themselves to producing rich concentrated wines, describes his Fleurie as “intense on the nose and palate, with ripe fruit, fine spice and full, broad texture”.

ST AMOUR AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION VINEYARD AREA SOIL TYPE

CHÉNAS 7,600 hl 253 ha Granite, with pockets of siliceous clay

THE TERROIR The smallest of the crus (in terms of area under vine) is Chénas, where the grapes are grown on slopes that used to be home to the oak forests that gave the commune its name. The combination of granite and clay is ideal for fashioning wines of body and structure, but the high altitude and sandy soils also infuse the wines with wonderful aromatics.

St Amour

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Chénas

THE TERROIR The evocatively named St Amour is the northernmost of the ten Beaujolais crus, sharing a border with Burgundy’s Côte Mâconnais. Some of the appellation’s granite soils are laced with clay, giving wines of body and concentration, however, much of the vineyard area has very thin sandy soils that tend to produce light, bright and fresh wines. THE WINES These two soil types, allied to the techniques employed by the winemaker, yield two distinct styles of wine in St Amour. On the one hand there are bright, clean, crisp wines full of peach and cherry fruit and intended for early drinking. There is also a denser, fuller bodied style of St Amour that has darker fruit character and plenty of potential to develop in the cellar. This split personality makes it difficult to nail down what constitutes a classic St Amour.

AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION VINEYARD AREA SOIL TYPE

12,000 hl 313 ha Granite, with clay & schist

QUALITY FACTORS

AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION 18,000 hl VINEYARD AREA 350 ha SOIL TYPE Pink granite THE TERROIR The highest of all the crus, Chiroubles is usually the last to begin harvesting. The shallow soils are uniform across the appellation and are made up of granite and sand, giving the wines a typicity that is thought by many to be quintessential Beaujolais. THE WINES With many vineyard sites at over 400m altitude, wines from Chiroubles will typically exhibit cool, fresh red berry fruit, silky texture and bright acidity that make them instantly quaffable and among the first of the Beaujolais crus to reach maturity.

Regnié

mineral rich granite of Regnié gives the wines a spicy complexity and the altitude ensures bright fruit, an aromatic bouquet and well defined tannic structure.

CHIROUBLES

JULIENAS

Chiroubles

REGNIÉ

GILBERT & GAILLARD

THE TERROIR The arid granite soils in the west of the appellation are infused with manganese, while the alluvial soils to the east are rich in clay. Both of these give Julienas a enviable combination of floral freshness and fullness of body, enhanced by the height of much of the vineyard area which reaches 430m in some parts of the cru.

15,500 hl 400 ha Pink granite with pockets of schist and clay

THE TERROIR The cru of Regnié runs between Morgon and Brouilly, showing evidence of its two neighbours in the combination of granite and clay soils. Much of the appellation is planted on light, sandy granite at high altitude (around 350m) giving bright typicity to the Gamay of Regnié and infusing the wines with freshness, elegance and structure. THE WINES Regnié is the newest Beaujolais cru (1988) and one that JeanJacques Baronnat feels is still struggling to find its place in the market. The style of Regnié is to some extent a middle ground between the lighter crus of Chiroubles and Brouilly, and the more robust character of Morgon, Chenas and Moulin a Vent. The

14,000 hl 586 ha Granite to the west of the cru, alluvial withclay deposits to the east

SPRING 2011

Julienas

AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION VINEYARD AREA SOIL TYPE

Morgon

THE WINES

THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPRESSION OF GAMAY

MOULIN-À-VENT

Julienas is a serious Beaujolais wine rich in structure and concentration and capable of improving with age. The best producers will bring

AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION

25,700 hl

an earthy, meaty complexity to join the ripe red fruit, vanilla and

VINEYARD AREA

665 ha

spicy notes on the palate.

SOIL TYPE

Pink granite with seams of manganese

THE TERROIR

MORGON

Many see Moulin-à-Vent as the ideal terroir for Gamay. The classic pink granite is perfect for giving the bright aromatic profile that

AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION

47,000 hl

the wines of Beaujolais are famed for, but the high manganese

VINEYARD AREA

1126 ha

content of the soil builds a robust structure into the wine that

SOIL TYPE

allows the best examples to age for many years.

Morgon’s distinctive terre pourrie (rotten earth) is a combination

THE WINES

of granite and eroded crystalline rock, infused with iron oxide,

Moulin-à-Vent is one of the great appellations of French wine and

schist and manganese, layered on top of deep clay.

was legally enshrined back in the 1920s to combat the fraudulent

THE TERROIR

use of its prestigious name. A classic Moulin-à-Vent is redolent

The second largest of all the crus, Morgan is also the most distinctive

with violets, rose petals and cherries early in its life, but as it ages

in terms of terroir and the unique character of the wines has given

(and the best examples have plenty of potential) it takes on

birth to the verb morgonner, for Beaujolais that is cellar worthy.

mature Pinot Noir characters of earth and truffle.

There are six lieu-dits in the cru: Grand Cras, Les Charmes, Corcelette, Les Micouds, Douby and Cote du Py. These all offer their own interpretation of the Morgon terroir, but it is Cote du Py that has established itself as the leading climat, giving wines rich in kirsch aromas, a full spicy palate and the ability to age superbly. The deep clay, schist and manganese in the soil give density and structure to the wines of Morgon, making them ideal to lay down and infusing characteristic flavours of vibrant dark cherry and Moulin-à-Vent

hung game.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

THE WINES

WINE GROWER PORTRAITS

www.chateauderey.com

Cathy Sisqueille, Château de Rey

athy Sisqueille's story is somewhat unlikely: who could predict that a gymnastics teacher from Toulouse and a Catalan pharmacist would end up running a

wine domaine in deepest, darkest Roussillon? But this is precisely

what happened when Cathy and her husband Philippe turned away from their respective careers and took over the Château de Rey, an estate which had been in Philippe's family for four generations. Complicated French inheritance laws meant that after the death of Philippe's father, the Château was eventually put into the hands of a tenant farmer, until finally Cathy and her husband came to the rescue in 1997, purchasing the 40-hectare estate and breathing new life into this run-down, formerly regal domaine. Throwing herself in at the deep end, Cathy took a diploma in Agricultural Management, followed by oenology and wine marketing studies, and a great deal of learning on the job. March 1999 saw the new owners bottling their very first wines, and throwing a special party to mark the occasion; Cathy admits to a creative streak and she revels in the role of chatelaine-hostess, as evidenced by the three smartly decorated, pastel-coloured selfcatering holiday homes which form part of this extensive southern French domaine. The Sisqueille's 35 hectares of vines are currently farmed according to lutte raisonnée (minimal intervention) principles, with ploughing used to keep down weeds, and the couple are considering conversion to organic viticulture in the near future. They grow grape varieties which are indigenous to the ©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Mediterranean: Syrah, Grenache and Carignan for their reds, with recently-planted Mourvèdre due to come on line in three years; Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Maccabeu, Muscat Petits Grains and Muscat d'Alexandrie for their whites and dessert wines. Above all, explains Cathy, they strive to showcase the different expressions that can be found in each. The “Oh” range features three fruity Vin de Pays, while in AOP are the Sisquo mid-range, tank-aged cuvée and the more complex, barrel-raised Les Galet Roulés line.

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SPRING 2011

CATHY PLANS TO INTRODUCE YET ANOTHER WINE TO HER RANGE: A SPECIAL, LIMITED EDITION CUVÉE, MADE FROM 100% CARIGNAN

WINE GROWER PORTRAITS

THE SISQUEILLE'S 35 HECTARES OF VINES ARE CURRENTLY PLOUGHED TO KEEP DOWN WEEDS

This extensive range is joined by no less than five vin doux

With more than a decade of winemaking under her belt, Cathy

naturels (sweet wines). Cathy confesses that these “stickies” are

looks back on the early days in amusement: “We only made three

her personal passion (“my husband prefers dry, red wines”).

wines - a red, a rosé and a muscat - but our love of experimentation

Asked to choose a wine that most resembles her personality from

soon led us to play around. Not all our experiments were successful,

the Château de Rey line up of over a dozen, this artistically-

mind you,” she laughs. Asked about future developments, Cathy

inclined, colourfully-dressed teacher-turned-winemaker nominates

reveals that she plans to introduce yet another wine to her range:

Le Chou Chou, a Rivesaltes Tuilé. Why? “It was the very first vin

a special, limited edition cuvée for connoisseurs, made from

muté that I ever made, so it was a high point in my life, and it

100% Carignan. Watch this space. Louise Hurren

appeals to my creative culinary side; it's a wine with which you can make the most amazing food matches, which is something I love to do.” An active member of Languedoc-Roussillon women winemakers group Les Vinifilles, Cathy is a keen photographer and her love of colour is clear to see, be it in the funkily-decorated Chateau de Rey tasting room, on her distinctive wine labels or the magenta-hued,

markedly modern website.

CHÂTEAU DE REY Route de Saint Nazaire - 66140 Canet en Roussillon - France Tel. +33 (0)4 68 73 86 27 - Fax : +33 (0)4 68 73 15 03 contact@chateauderey.com - www.chateauderey.com

KARTOUCHE ‘’LE JUS DE MUSCAT ’’ GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

WINE GROWER PORTRAITS

www.dalmeran.fr

Domaine Dalmeran: when wine rhymes with culture

hen Neil and Béatrice Joyce acquired Domaine Dalmeran in June 2006, it was a radical change for them. Neil, originally from

England, had a sales management background, while Béatrice worked as a legal expert. “But we’d decided to live our passion for wine,” she explains. “We wanted to reawaken this sleeping beauty, a magnificent property that had lost its lustre, so it was a challenge for us.” Located on the northern slope of Provence’s Alpilles, along the ancient Roman Via Domitia, the domaine is part of the small, quality-conscious Les Baux de Provence AOC. Since its creation in 1995 as an offshoot of the Coteaux d’Aix appellation, its producers have formed a cohesive and environmentally dedicated group; 85% of all vineyards are now organically cultivated. Gallo-Roman vestiges abound on the 38-hectare property,

which today includes a vast park, forests, and 12 hectares of vines. Most of these were planted more than 25 years ago, though the vine was cultivated here as early as 1531. “History and biodiversity permeate this property, and we wanted to nurture that on several levels of expression,” explains Béatrice. Once the Joyces got château renovations under way, they began a search for the best areas in the stony chalk-clay soils for white grape varieties. Working closely with maître de chai Arnaud Ferrier, on the spot since 1997, they had two hectares of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne planted in 2007; 2011 will be the domaine’s first white ©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

vintage. In red, Mourvèdre has been planted to join the classic Rhône varieties of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault, with a small existing planting of Cabernet Sauvignon. Permutations of these make up the domaine’s three current wines: La Cuvée Bastide Dalmeran, Château Dalmeran Rosé, and the flagship Château Dalmeran Rouge.

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SPRING 2011

BÉATRICE JOYCE: “WE WANTED TO REAWAKEN THIS SLEEPING BEAUTY, IT WAS A CHALLENGE FOR US”

WINE GROWER PORTRAITS

”WE HAVE A PARADISE HERE, AND WE WANT TO PASS SOME OF THAT ON TO THOSE WHO COME TO DALMERAN” When the Joyces arrived, the domaine was already under organic

wine shops, cafés and restaurants, and clients at the domaine.

conversion. This no-chemicals programme was stepped up

They have now acquired a second domaine, La Célestière, in

over the next three years, so that they finally received the

Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Ecocert stamp after the 2010 harvest. There’s a green harvest in August, and at final harvest an initial sorting in the vineyard

Béatrice also deals with communications and the development

before the grapes hit the sorting table at the cuverie. Yields run

of wine-related and cultural events at Dalmeran. Foremost

at an annual average of 35 hl/ha, though Château Dalmeran

among these is an annual competition for young chefs from

Rouge comes in at no more than half that.

the region, the challenge being to come up with the best food matches for the domaine’s wines. An evening in June each

Exports, which are Neil’s concern, are small but increasing -

year is devoted to a jazz concert, while there are popular wine

for now mainly to the US, as well as Belgium and Denmark.

and cuisine initiation days where consumers benefit from the

Béatrice looks after the domestic market, with sales to specialist

professionals’ expertise. And the domaine is one of the host properties for the annual Ap’Art Festival, bringing together the work of some 70 international artists.

DOMAINE DALMERAN 45, chemin ND du Château 13103 St Etienne du Grès - France Tel. +33 (0)4 90 49 04 04 chateau.dalmeran@wanadoo.fr - www.dalmeran.fr

The Joyces’ outlook dispenses with boundaries. “We have a paradise here, and we want to pass some of that on to those who come to Dalmeran, to pass on that spark, the magic, the artistry. Our vision is one that is open to the world, to culture, to exchanges - to life’s essential values.” Janet Edsforth-Stone

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WINE GROWER PORTRAITS

www.closiot.com

Françoise Sirot-SoizeauChâteau Closiot

The door is always open at Château Closiot, in the world’s most famous sweet wine region.

FRANÇOISE AND BERNARD SIROT-SOIZEAU

n “open” sign hangs on the wide blue gates of Château

Although itself unclassified, Château Closiot has the same

Closiot. “When we are at home, we are always ready to

special Barsac terroir, the red sandy clay soils that lie on top of

receive visitors, even at harvest-time” says Françoise

a limestone bedrock which gives a unique, fresh minerality and

Sirot-Soizeau, third generation owner of this four-and-a-half

finesse to these sweet wines. It is the magical pourriture noble

hectare property, which lies just outside the village of Barsac, in

(noble rot) which naturally occurs in this region that

the sweet wine producing region of Bordeaux.

concentrates the sweetness and the acidity producing the citrus, apricot, white peach and honey flavours found in these wines.

It is not difficult to find Closiot as it is neighbours with the

Château Closiot is not like its majestic neighbours. It is smaller,

most well-known Barsac properties of Château Climens,

more welcoming, cosy even. This fits with Françoise’s

Coutet and Doisy-Daëne, all esteemed first growths in the

“open-door” philosophy. “In the past, perhaps we were not

1855 classification of the Médoc and Sauternes-Barsac.

accessible enough to our customers,” she says. “And we put too

Originally its vineyards were part of Château Coutet.

much focus on the rare and mystic qualities of these wines.

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WINE GROWER PORTRAITS

Today sweet wines are considered luxuries, only to be enjoyed on special occasions.” Françoise and her husband Bernard are doing their utmost to change these preconceptions about the world’s most famous sweet wine. They offer chambre d’hôte (bed and breakfast) accommodation and organise wine and art weekends where artists display their work in the atmospheric barrel cellar. Tastings and vigneron meals take place in the château’s attractive beamed rooms overlooking the vineyards. ©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Their dynamic internet site attracts many people to visit the property. Seasonal recipes encourage customers to try their wines with a range of dishes from prawns with asiatic spices, to grilled scallops or goat cheese tart. Today sales to private individuals represent 55 % of the couple's business, with the

GRAPES AFFECTED BY NOBLE ROT

remainder exported to Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy and Sweden.

At harvest a team of 15 pickers hand-select individual grapes that are ready, passing through the vineyards several times over four weeks. These workers are valued by the owners who know the difference to the quality they make. The same team returns year after year, and their photos line the walls of the barrel cellar like portraits of film stars. It is not unusual however for the daily lunch gathering to swell with passers-by attracted by ©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

the ambiance and the “open” sign on the gate.

Françoise took over the property in 1988 from her parents: “I

BARREL CELLAR WITH PHOTOS OF THE GRAPE-PICKERS

TASTINGS ARE HELD IN CHATEAU CLOSIOT'S ATTRACTIVE ROOMS OVERLOOKING THE VINEYARDS

Nicolle Croft

did not want to sell. I was born here, it would have broken my heart, so I took on the challenge. The costs of labour are very, very high” she confides, “the quantities we produce amount to a single glass per vine (compared to a bottle for dry white or red

FRANÇOISE & BERNARD

wine), and we harvest very late into the autumn when the risk

SIROT-SOIZEAU

of a single downpour can wipe out the harvest. It is a real challenge. You have to have a real passion to produce these wines. Sometimes I feel we are the poor impassioned artists of

Château Closiot - 33720 Barsac - France Tel. + 33 (0)5 56 27 05 92 chateau@closiot.com - www.closiot.com

the wine world!”

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SPRING 2011

ORGANIC NEWS

Jean Natoli

Organic winemaking: what are the rules?

European regulations on organic production* do not lay down specific rules regarding the oenological procedures required for making organic wines. The last attempt to create European guidelines on organic winemaking fell through in 2010, mainly due to different points of view between member states regarding the maximum limits for sulfur dioxide, despite the remarkable work carried out by the ORWINE commission to develop these guidelines. *(Council Regulation (EC) No. 834/2007)

he law stipulates only the requirements necessary for a wine to carry the label ‘made with organic grapes’. In terms of the cultivation of grapes, the regulations on organic winegrowing are clear and detailed and based on welldefined concepts: avoidance of chemical products, absence of genetic modification, recycling of organic matter, and biological pest control and fertilizers.

In France, these guidelines include Demeter, Nature et Progrès, FNIVAB and Biodyvin, among others. Organic guidelines are subject to monitoring methods that guarantee the traceability of the steps carried out in the winemaking process. They also incorporate analytical testing (for example, for the amount of sulfur dioxide, the absence of pesticides and so on). Each charter highlights a particular winemaking philosophy: Demeter and Biodyvin promote biodynamics, FNIVAB emphasises traceability, and Nature et Progès prioritises respect for the environment and sustainable and ethical agriculture.

However, from the grape harvest on, organic winemaking methods are ‘voluntary’ rather than legislated. In response to this lack of regulation, various independent charters and specifications applicable to winemaking have been developed with the aim of allowing a winemaker to call their production method ‘organic’.

IN TERMS OF THE CULTIVATION OF GRAPES, THE REGULATIONS ON ORGANIC WINEGROWING ARE CLEAR 64

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In practice, the general idea is to limit inputs and additives. The starting point is the European regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No. 479/2008) concerning ‘conventional’ wine, which clearly sets out the authorised oenological procedures for all the stages of European wine production. From there, each organic charter establishes more restrictive rules, with the most notable differences between winemaking with ‘no inputs’ and winemaking with ‘limited inputs’. However, all the guidelines share certain principles: • use of organically certified grapes only • if other ingredients are used, these must also be organic • no genetically modified products • biological and physical or manual techniques prioritised over chemical additives • refusal to use inputs systematically, although this can be justified on a case by case basis. It is important to remember that wine is a unique type of food product, carrying strong symbolism in many European countries,

ORGANIC NEWS

DEPENDING ON THE CONDITION OF THE GRAPES, THE WINEMAKER CHOOSES WHETHER OR NOT TO ADD SULFUR DIOXIDE where it has both cultural and religious significance. Moreover, many wine drinkers believe that grapes are the sole ingredient in wine. Although this is partly true, a minimum amount of yeasts and bacteria (naturally present on the grapes) is required to enable fermentation - both alcoholic and malolactic - to occur. The wine must also be clarified and preserved. Over time, winemakers have developed ways to achieve these goals, which have become part of winemaking knowledge. This has allowed them to improve and better control the quality of their wines, as well as to be able to reproduce them from vintage to vintage. In this way, additives were introduced to the process: sulfur dioxide, yeasts, clarifying products, stabilisers. What began as progress sometimes led to excessive interventionism. The organic movement, in all its forms, from biodynamics to natural wines or wines without sulfites, is a reaction to this excess. However, making wines with zero inputs is tricky because wine is fragile. Here is a brief summary of the potential interventions that can be made at key stages in the winemaking process:

1- DELIVERY OF THE HARVESTED GRAPES A perfectly healthy grape harvest versus one containing spoiled or damaged grapes would not be treated in the same way. The health of the harvest is influenced not only by the way the grapes have been cultivated and their ability to resist disease, but also by their ripeness when picked and the climatic conditions. Depending on

the condition of the grapes, the winemaker chooses whether or not to add sulfur dioxide, and also decides whether to produce white, rosé or red wines, according to the grape varieties and any existing regulations.

2- ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION The condition of the grapes also has an influence on alcoholic fermentation - an extremely important stage of the winemaking process. Steady and complete alcoholic fermentation is an essential factor in ensuring quality and preservation of the wine. If the fermentation does not proceed smoothly, this can result in unwanted microbial by-products that affect taste. The use of selected yeasts is permitted by most organic guidelines, leaving the winemaker to decide whether or not to add these based on their analysis of the risk to the quality of the wine and its originality. Yeasts, of course, whether native or industrially cultured, don’t know that they are making wine. Their only goal is to try to multiply in the must that provides them with energy (from the natural fruit sugars) and nutrition.

3- MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION This stage pertains to most red wines and some white and rosé wines. It is usually carried out by the lactic bacteria naturally present on the grapes, so no additional inputs are necessary. However, it occasionally requires the adaptation of a population of selected bacteria. This method is authorised by some organic guidelines, but is rarely used.

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ORGANIC NEWS

wine by eliminating particulates that can give it a cloudy appearance, as well as removing certain micro-organisms that can harm the wine.

4- MATURING THE WINE Maturing, or aging, consists of all the processes involved in taking a wine from its ‘raw’ state after fermentation to its optimal level of quality. This process can be short or long, carried out in tanks, barrels, large wooden vats or bottles. During this time, the wine must at a minimum be protected from microbial deterioration and oxidation – this is usually achieved by sulfur dioxide. If the winemaker chooses not to add sulfites at this stage, it is essential to protect the wine by controlling the temperature, using inert gases and ensuring perfectly hygienic conditions, combined with regular analytical and microbiological testing.

7- BOTTLING

Once a wine has been bottled, it obviously becomes complicated to turn back the clock. Even if organic wine consumers are less sensitive to the aesthetic appearance of sediment in wine, winemakers should to the best of their ability aim for a wine that is clear, aromatic, balanced, stable and doesn’t contain any bad surprises. Different types of stabilisers exist: sulfites (again!), as well as gum arabic (made from the sap of acacia trees) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which are authorised by certain organic guidelines. Avoiding stabilisers completely requires a very strict regime: bottling under perfectly hygienic conditions, working in an inert atmosphere and storing the bottles at a moderate temperature.

THE USE OF SELECTED YEASTS IS PERMITTED BY MOST ORGANIC GUIDELINES 5- CLARIFICATION To produce a clear, bright wine, a winemaker can count on the natural settling of sediment that takes place over time. This natural phenomenon can also be accelerated by adding ‘fining agents’. Among these are bentonite (a clay) and organic egg white (fresh or dried albumin), which are authorised by all organic guidelines. The use of other fining agents, particularly those of animal origin, such as gelatine or fish-based products, is restricted by certain charters. Physical stabilisation methods (cold stabilisation and electrodialysis, for example) have the advantage of avoiding the use of chemical stabilisers, but these techniques are sometimes considered ‘industrial’ and thus contrary to the ‘handcrafted’ image of organic wines.

6- FILTRATION A recent movement encourages organic winemakers not to filter their wines, arguing that this process impoverishes the wine by stripping it of important characteristics if done in too drastic a manner. On the other hand, filtration results in a clear, appealing

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TO PRODUCE A CLEAR WINE, A WINEMAKER CAN COUNT ON THE NATURAL SETTLING OF SEDIMENT The crucial question for organic winemakers will always remain: ‘Can I do without this oenological procedure and still ensure the quality and life of my wine?’ This is the question the winemaker must pose at each stage of the winemaking process. Depending on where the wine is produced, the vintage, the quality and the price, the winemaker can decide whether or not to adopt a set of organic guidelines that is more or less restrictive. The key obligation is to respect, year after year, this commitment in order not to deceive or disappoint the consumer. Jean Natoli Consultant oenologist and organic winemaker - President of Vino Latin

TRAVEL

South Africa

ITS WINEMAKING HAS COME A LONG WAY, AND ITS WINELANDS ARE A MUST-SEE DESTINATION

continued on page 68

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lthough South Africa is considered part of the New World wine community, we should remember that wine has been made here for over 350 years. The very first vines are believed to have been planted in the Cape around 1654, and Cape Town founder Jan van Riebeeck produced the first wine recorded in the country in 1659. With the arrival of the Huguenots from France in 1688 came winemaking know-how and the settlement of what is now called Franschhoek, while during the same period vines were being planted in Constantia by Governor Simon van der Stel.

TRAVEL

The end of apartheid in 1994 signalled a renaissance for South African wines, with many producers adopting new vitcultural and winemaking methods; an influx of winemakers from abroad brought international influence, and the privatisation of the KWV master co-op in 1997 prompted a shift towards quality over quantity.

WAVERLEY HILLS: AN ORGANIC ESTATE IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE WITZENBERG RANGE 68

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Today, another wind of change is blowing through the Cape winelands. A “greener” style of winemaking is slowly but surely emerging, with a focus on organic, biodynamic and sustainable agriculture. In 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 also marked the launch of the South African wine industry's “sustainability seal”, identifying quality wine produced in an environmentally sensitive manner. Members of the World Wildlife Fund's Biodiversity & Wine Initiative are actively engaged in the long-term conservation of the Cape Floral Kingdom, and Platter's South African Wine Guide (the country's wine bible) chose sustainability as its theme for 2011, highlighting those producers committed to reducing their environmental impact. With increasing numbers of wineries “going green” and offering sophisticated facilities in the way of restaurants, bars, tasting rooms, education centres and accommodation, a wine-flavoured break in the Cape is a highly enjoyable way to gain an understanding of South Africa's wines and their undeniable potential. The grape harvest takes place from mid-January to April, but wineries are open year-round. However, visitors would do well to avoid

WHAT'S NEW IN THE CAPE WINELANDS?

THE CAPE WINELANDS Wine experts and enthusiasts will find plenty to enjoy in this region of breathtaking views of mighty mountains and rolling vineyards, steeped in a rich cultural heritage. The combination of charming Cape Dutch architecture and award-wining estates producing some of South Africa's finest wines is powerful indeed. Each region has its own wine route, the best-known being Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington; nearest to Cape Town is Constantia, where some of the oldest estates and homesteads are situated in the shadow of Table Mountain.

STELLENBOSCH The heartland of quality wine production, Stellenbosch is arguably South Africa's best-known wine region and is home to many wine farms, some of which produce highly-acclaimed cuvées. They can be reached in less than an hour's drive from Cape Town and all offer tastings; some propose guided tours and gift shops, while others have excellent restaurants. South Africa's first official wine route was founded in Stellenbosch in 1971; look out for the brown signs indicating cellars. Stellenbosch itself is a university town that features many museums and art galleries, cafés and restaurants; food for body and soul is in ample supply.

FRANSCHHOEK This picture-postcard town has the mighty Franschhoek and Drakensten mountains as its backdrop. Settled some 300 years ago by the French Huguenots, its many shops, bars, cafés and restaurants have a certain Gallic style (some even have French names). This is the place to find charming guest houses, award-winning restaurants (don't miss The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français), antique stores and attractive pavement cafés. Bastille Day is celebrated here in July every year, and other food and wine festivals are held at various other dates. Wine farms with fine dining facilities include Allée Bleue, Dieu Donné and Vrede en Lust.

PAARL AND WELLINGTON Further afield (Paarl is 26 kilometres from Franschhoek) are yet more excellent wineries to be visited, within easy drive of historic towns with stunning surroundings of peaks and vineyards. Take a drive, enjoy the scenery, and be sure to visit biodynamic estate Avondale, where a flock of a hundred Peking Ducks roams freely through the vines, hunting down snails on this all-natural estate.

TULBAGH Tulbagh's wine route is becoming increasingly popular, and its 15 wine estates regularly win international awards. This hot, dry area lies some 120 kilometres north west of Cape Town, in the Breede River valley. It is known as the heartland of Shiraz, although in fact many grape varieties (referred to locally as cultivars) are grown here; the region is ideal for those seeking a more laidback experience and tranquility within spectacular, natural surroundings. Wine farms not to be missed include Twee Jonge Gezellen, one of South Africa's oldest estates (taste their Krone Borealis Méthode Cap Classique) and Saronsberg (complete with a permanent modern art and sculpture exhibition).

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TRAVEL

WINING AND DINING

- SIX OF THE BEST Of Eat Out magazine's 2010 Top 10 restaurants, six are located in the Cape winelands and well worth a visit; be sure to book ahead.

CONTACT DETAILS

GRAHAM BECK Tel. +27 (0)23 626 1214 (Robertson) Tel. +27 (0) 21 874 1258 (Franschhoek) www.grahambeckwines.co.za WAVERLEY HILLS Wolseley 6830 Western Cape Tel. +27 (0)23 231 0002 www.waverleyhills.co.za TWEE JONGE GEZELLEN Tulbagh 6820 Tel. +27 (0)23 230 0680 www.tjwines.co.za

SARONSBERG CELLAR Tulbagh 6820 Tel. +27 (0)23 230 0707 www.saronsberg.com

RUST EN VREDE (STELLENBOSCH)

www.rustenvrede.com

AVONDALE Klein Drakenstein Paarl 7624 Tel. +27 (0)21 863 1976 www.avondalewine.co.za

TERROIR RESTAURANT AT KLEINE ZALZE WINERY (STELLENBOSCH)

www.kleinezalze.com OUVERTURE AT HIDDEN VALLEY WINES (STELLENBOSCH)

ALLÉE BLEUE WINES Groot Drakenstein 7680 Franschhoek Tel. +27 (0)21 874 1021 www.alleebleue.com

www.dineatouverture.co.za

DIEU DONNÉ VINEYARDS Franschhoek 7690 Tel. +27 (0)21 876 2493 www.dieudonnevineyards.com

THE TASTING ROOM AT LE QUARTIER FRANÇAIS

JORDAN RESTAURANT AND WINERY (STELLENBOSCH)

www.jordanwines.com

(FRANSCHHOEK)

www.jordanwines.com BOSMANS RESTAURANT AT GRANDE ROCHE HOTEL

VREDE EN LUST WINE FARM Groot Drakenstein 7680 Tel. +27 (0)21 874 1611 www.vnl.co.za

(PAARL)

www.granderoche.com

mid-December to mid-January as this is the height of South Africa's summer holiday season.

THREE TO SEE

The Nedbank Greeen Wine Awards were launched in 2009 to acknowlege how far South Africa's organic wines and producers have come in terms of quality, and the winners of these awards illustrate what sustainable, organic and biodynamic approaches to viticulture can achieve.

EMUL ROSS, ASSISTANT WINEMAKER AT GRAHAM BECK WINES IN FRANSCHHOEK 70

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Situated in Stellenbosch, Reyneke Wines is South Africa's only certified biodynamic estate; they produced both the winning red and white in the Nedbank Green Wine Awards 2010. This estate is a short drive from Cape Town (about 45 minutes) and boasts a smart, newly-refurbished tasting room in which to sample, amongst other things, the Woolworths Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2009 - voted Best Wine Overall - and the Reyneke Reserve Red 2007 (their Reserve White 2009 also achieved a four-star rating). Just 30 kilometres on from Stellenbosch, the attractive town of Franschhoek is home to Graham Beck Wines. This prestigious estate's famous founder (who recently passed away) was renowned for his love of nature conservation, so it comes as no

REYNEKE WINES Polkadraai Road (M12) Stellenbosch Tel. +27 (0)21 881 3451 www.reynekewines.co.za

WHAT'S NEW IN THE CAPE WINELANDS?

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2 - 5 June 2011 10 - 12 June 2011 16 - 17 July 2011 28 - 31 July 2011

Tel. Tel. Tel. Tel.

+27 +27 +27 +27

(0)23 626 3167 (0)21 876 2861 (0)21 876 2861 (0)21 886 8275

www.wackywineweekend.com www.franschhoek.org.za/festivals www.franschhoek.org.za/festivals www.wineroute.co.za

WACKY WINE WEEKEND IN ROBERTSON LEARN TO COOK FRANSCHHOEK FRANSCHHOEK BASTILLE FESTIVAL STELLENBOSCH WINE FESTIVAL

BUITENVERWACHTING VINEYARD IN CONSTANTIA suprise that his winery has achieved chamption status of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative. The ultra-smart cellar in Franschhoek is matched by its twin in Robertson; both offer impressive ranges and take wine tourism to new heights, welcoming visitors with great style. Sign up for the master tasting, presenting premium wines matched with mouth-watering smoked salmon, smoked ham and dark chocolate. The organic Waverley Hills estate is situated at the foothills of the Witzenberg mountain range, between Tulbagh and Ceres. The area is renowned for its diverse fynbos (indigenous flora), which is said to give the wines a unique, herbaceous character. This winery recently hit the headlines for winning the 2011 Best of Wine Tourism award, not forgetting the Best Organic Wine of South Africa award for their Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, whose minty/garrigue aromas have to be experienced to be believed. This is a great stopping off point in a natural, peaceful setting; the restaurant and comfortable wine tasting area/bar offer a wide range of reasonably priced organic fare (try the biltong paté). They also grow olives and produce organic extra virgin olive oil, and organic wine jam. Louise Hurren

WHERE TO STAY IN FRANSCHHOEK L'ERMITAGE **** Lambrechts Road Franschhoek Western Cape Tel. + 27 (0)21 876 9200 www.lermitage.co.za

IN TULBAGH CAPE DUTCH QUARTERS 24 Church Street Tulbagh Tel. +27 (0)23 230 1171 www.capedutchquarter.co.za

IN STELLENBOSCH GOOSE AND VICTORIAN COTTAGES AT KEN FORRESTER WINES Stellenbosch 7599 Tel. +27 (0)21 855 2374 www.kenforresterwines.com

IN PAARL/WELLINGTON

IN CAPE TOWN HOTEL TAJ CAPE TOWN**** Wale Street Cape Town Tel. +27 (0)21 819 2000 www.tajcapetown.co.za

BOVLEI VALLEY RETREAT AT

THE STABLES AT NELSON WINE ESTATE Windmeul 7630 Tel. +27 (0)21 869 8453 www.nelsonscreek.co.za

DUNSTONE WINERY Wellington 7654 Tel. +27 (0)21 864 1504 www.bvr.co.za

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

REGION

Loire: the diversity of facets of Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is indisputably the major white wine grape to the east of Tours. In the appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé it produces world-renowned expressions of dry, crisp Sauvignon Blanc. These expressions had no competition in the wine world before the arrival of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.

SANCERRE HAS THREE DISTINCT TYPES OF SOIL: LIMESTONE (CAILLOTTES), CLAY-LIMESTONE AND FLINT 72

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

THE DIVERSITY OF FACETS OF SAUVIGNON BLANC

PASCAL GITTON: ”SINCE EACH VINEYARD HAS ITS OWN SPECIFICITY, EVERY EFFORT IS MADETO VINIFY THE INDIVIDUAL GRAPE HARVESTS SEPARATELY”

n addition to Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, Sauvignon

village, was an exception. “Chavignol has always been a

Blanc is also the sole permitted white variety in the

predominantly white wine village,” says Jean-Marie Bourgeois,

appellations of Coteaux de Giennois, Menetou-Salon

the patriarch of Domaine Henri Bourgeois, “even before phylloxera.”

and Reuilly as well as the unique variety in Quincy, and is now extremely dominant in AC Touraine whites from the

Pouilly and Sancerre are on the southern section of the crescent of

Cher Valley.

marne kimmeridgian soil and rock that stretches down from Champagne through the Aube and Chablis. The crescent finally

For all its current success Sauvignon Blanc is both a relative

comes an end around Quincy, although here the marnes are

newcomer to parts of the Loire and its dominance is also relatively

under the sand and gravel beds typical of these vineyards by the

recent. It was little planted, if at all, in the Touraine section of the

River Cher.

Cher Valley before 1920. Instead there was a range of varieties here including Chenin Blanc, Fie Gris or Sauvignon Rose and

Sancerre has three distinct types of soil: limestone known locally

Menu Pineau.

as caillottes, clay and limestone (argile - calcaire - terres blanches), and flint (silex). The caillottes and the clay-limestone make up

Even in Sancerre, its current stronghold, Sauvignon only became

around 40% each of Sancerre’s 2770 hectares, while the flint

the dominant variety early in the 20th century after the ravages of

accounts for 20%.

phylloxera. Prior to the arrival of the ravening louse Sancerre was largely red wine country with Pinot Noir, and, to a lesser extent,

The limestone areas are generally found on the lower more gentle

Gamay to the fore. However, Chavignol, Sancerre’s archetypal

slopes, for instance between Verdigny and Saint-Satur and at the

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REGION

Beaujeu at Chavignol and then La Grande Côte at neighbouring Amigny. These soils can also be full of fossils - oysters and other shellfish - often most apparent where parts of hillsides have been excavated to build a new winery. Most of the flint is clustered around Sancerre itself and Méenétréol-sous-Sancerre with Les Romains being one of the most famous flint single vineyards. “Wines from the Caillottes have floral aromas, are the first Sancerres to be ready to drink and overall they are to be drunk young,” explains Benoît Roumet, director of the Bureau Interprofessionnnel des Vins du Centre. Those from clay and limestone are aromatically less expressive, especially when they are young. Instead they have more structure, more body and a greater potential to age. This is the same for Pouilly-Fumés and Menetou-Salons planted on similar soils. “Sancerres from flinty soils are much more mineral, more steely and precise,” adds Roumet. “They also keep well. In terms of the difference between Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre I think that the most important factor is the soil.” Based in Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre, with 27 hectares across Sancerre and Pouilly, Pascal Gitton has long celebrated the diversity

of his terroirs by vinifying his different parcels separately.

PASCAL GITTON’S WINES IN LES MONTACHINS

The steeply sloped vineyards typically around Chavignol, Amigny, Mainbray and the amphitheatre of the Clos de la Poussie at Bué are clay and limestone. In addition to the Clos de la Poussie, a number of Sancerre’s most famous single vineyards are on the terres blanches. Here you’ll find steep, well exposed slopes like Les Monts Damnés (the damned slopes both because of their steepness and being hot in the height of summer) and le Cul de

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

southern end of Bué, in particular Le Chêne Marchand site. In places there is virtually just pure white rock with almost no soil.

CHRISTOPHE DENOËL, DIRECTOR OF THE CAVE DE POUILLY-SUR-LOIRE

THE DIVERSITY OF FACETS OF SAUVIGNON BLANC

“Wines from the limestone (caillottes) are what we think of as typically traditional Sancerre with its aromas and vivacity,” explains Pascal Gitton. “They can be bottled young. From flint there are more smoky notes but the wine takes longer to open out and be ready to drink - certainly not before the September following the vintage. They tend to be higher in alcohol and are wines that keep well. “In contrast wines from the clay-limestone (terres blanches) are more fruity, often bonbons anglais, with more floral, powerful aromas but not as persistent in flavour as those from flint. “Pouilly is always ripe four or five days before Sancerre, although exceptionally in 2010 it was the other way round but this is very rare. Overall Pouilly-Fumé tends to be less powerful, less structured than Sancerre. I think this may well be because the vineyards in Pouilly are flatter - less well exposed. It is only around Les Loges that you find the sort of steep slopes that are much more common in Sancerre.” Christophe Denoël, the director of the Cave de Pouilly-sur-Loire, identifies four types of soil that give four different expressions of Sauvignon in Pouilly-Fumé. “Firstly you have the clay and sandy soils in the southern part of the appellation around Pouilly. These © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

give very exuberant, aromatic wines - citric and exotic fruits. They are ready to drink early around the spring following the vintage. They tend to be bottled in January or February. They need to be drunk young as they fade quickly.’ “Next the limestone (caillottes). These wines are more mineral, riper, more structured with notes of gunflint aromas and also the very typical box hedge aromas. They can also have some exotic fruit characters, mango and kiwi fruit, especially in hot years. The

BENOÎT ROUMET, DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU INTERPROFESSIONNEL DES VINS DU CENTRE

caillottes make up around 35% of the appellation, especially around Les Loges, Bois Gibault and Maltaverne.” Menetou-Salon adjoins the western end of the Sancerre appellation “The marnes are in the central part around Le Bouchot and Saint-

and makes broadly similar wines from clay and limestone soils.

Andelain giving much more mineral, precise wines, structured

The grapes mature later and this is the wettest part of the region.

that take time to open. We like to wait as long as possible before bottling them and putting them on sale. They age well.”

Reuilly and Quincy are to the west of Bourges. The vines in Quincy are planted on sand and gravel laid down by the River Cher, while

Lastly there are the flint soils - famously around the dome of

Reuilly is a mix of clay and limestone and sand and gravel from

Saint-Andelain. But there are also pockets elsewhere - Tracy,

the River Arnon. Here the grapes ripen early and the wines,

Maltaverene, St Laurent-l’Abbaye and La Roche, although the flint

especially from Reuilly, are ready to drink early with a very aromatic

at La Roche is very different as you find very big rocks here

and lemony character.

which makes cultivation very difficult. From the flint you have very mineral, powerful wines that keep well - we still have some

“You find a certain homogeneity with Touraine Sauvignon,”

examples from 1990!”

explains Thierry Delaunay who runs Domaine Joël Delaunay at

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REGION

VIEW ACROSS THE VINEYARDS OF POUILLY AND SANCERRE

Pouillé (Cher Valley). “There is less variation in the soils here as

Thierry Delaunay likes to blend together two different styles of

the majority are clay and flint. Although where the flint is

Sauvignon. “I use skin contact on 50% of the blend, from the

particularly dominant, as on the north bank of the Cher at

older vines. Inevitably this means that I lose some of the thiols

Thésée you have smoky notes in the wine. Also I have a few

and the maceration gives a heavier wine but which is more

parcels that have a high proportion of flint where I find similar smoky notes. A little further east Meunes (just to the south of Selles-sur-Cher) is well known for its flinty soils and wines with gunflint, mineral aromas.

complex with more structure. The other 50% of the blend has no maceration and the emphasis is on a very aromatic style.” The differences in Thierry’s two approaches can be seen when comparing the Delaunay Domaine Sauvignon Blanc, which is customarily exuberantly aromatic in its youth with his single

“The differences in the wines is more down to factors such as

vineyard La Voûte from vines at Château de la Voûte. All of the

the different techniques, such as skin contact, used during

fruit for La Voûte is given skin contact, which means that it is

vinification. Of course the date of picking can make a huge

decidedly closed when young and takes time to open but has a

difference as the flavours and aromas of Sauvignon Blanc

greater potential to age.

changes significantly as it ripens. Comparing 2009 Touraine Sauvignons from Clos Roussely “Touraine Sauvignon is dominated by its varietal characters with

(Angé) with the same vintage from Villebois (Seigy) points up other stylistic differences. The Roussely is rounder, softer with

its fruit to the fore. When the fruit is less ripe you have aromas of

touches of exotic fruits, while the Villebois is more vibrant with

white flower, white fruits and gooseberry. From riper fruit and also

crunchy, lemony fruit and fresh acidity in the finish. Interestingly

from older vines the aromas move to pear and blackcurrant

both winemakers - Vincent Roussely and Thierry Merlet (Villebois) -

flowers and then to exotic fruits.”

have worked outside Europe.

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SPRING 2011

THE DIVERSITY OF FACETS OF SAUVIGNON BLANC

Traditionally some Touraine Sauvignon has been aggressively vegetal with the worst examples reeking of cats’ pee. This has little to do with varietal character and more a question of picking much too early when unripe Sauvignon Blanc here gives very green and aggressive aromas and flavours. Fortunately this is becoming more unusual as producers now have a greater understanding of how the aromas of Sauvignon Blanc change as the fruit ripens and an appreciation that the market doesn’t want aggressively green, unripe Sauvignon Blanc. Although Sauvignon Blanc produces characterful wines in Touraine and has the advantage that it is a fashionable grape variety, which has built a substantial following in the UK, it threatens to become too dominant here. There are other long-established white varieties, especially the Fie Gris or Sauvignon Rose, in eastern Touraine that can provide an important point of difference. Fie Gris, called Sauvignon Gris or Sauvignon Rose elsewhere, was present in the Loire prior to phylloxera. It virtually died out until it was revived by Jacky Preys, a producer in Meunes, to the south of Selles-sur-Cher. The Fie Gris tends to have more delicate with floral and spicy notes compared to its cousin, Sauvignon Blanc, and often rounder, softer on the palate. It works both as part of a © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

blend with the Blanc or on its own. Montrichard négociant and producer Paul Buisse also has some Fie Gris. Outside Touraine there are a few vestiges in Sancerre - Domaine Henri Bourgeois’ Jadis is Sauvignon Gris from Les Monts Damnés. It was his Fie Gris that helped to establish the reputation of Eric Chevalier of the Domaine de l’Aujardière in the Pays Nantais. Eastern Touraine has always been the ‘melting pot’ of the Loire

THIERRY DELAUNAY LIKES TO BLEND TOGETHER TWO DIFFERENT STYLES OF SAUVIGNON

with most of the Ligerian varieties grown here. The proposed reforms to the Touraine appellation would make Sauvignon Blanc the sole permitted single white grape variety, although a

those from the granite and schisteous soils of Anjou. They are

proportion of Fie Gris would be allowed in a blend. This is

softer, rounder, with notes of peach and guava, especially in hot

contrary to the typicité of the area and could be difficult

years. Although 20% Sauvignon Blanc can be added to appellations

commercially should wine drinkers lose their current passion

Anjou Blanc or Saumur Blanc, serious producers almost invariably

for Sauvignon Blanc.

prefer to use pure Chenin, especially for their prestige cuvées.

Sauvignon Blanc is much less planted to the west of Tours. Here it

Sauvignon Blanc is a fascinating variety. The differences in terroir,

is always a minor grape variety giving way firstly to Chenin Blanc

especially the differences in the type of soil, are often dramatically

in western Touraine and Anjou-Saumur and then Melon de

reflected in the wine. Equally Sauvignon’s aromas and flavours

Bourgogne in the Pays Nantais, although there are some

vary markedly as it ripens. The Loire is the ideal place to explore

Sauvignon Blancs vin de pays from Anjou-Saumur. Compared to

the diversity of facets of Sauvignon Blanc. Jim Budd

the Sauvignons from the east, these tend to be less racy, especially

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

FAMILY BUSINESS

www.vignobles-mayard.com

A tale of three siblings If Gratien Mayard were alive today, he would doubtless be delighted by the latest news: his great-granddaughter Françoise Roumieux-Mayard has been named president of the Femmes Vignes Rhône group, an association of 30 women winemakers based in the Rhône valley whose aim is to highlight the role of women in the traditionally masculine world of wine and develop the profile of the Rhône appellations.

ounded in 2004, this group of dynamic French female producers cultivates a down-to-earth approach to wine via their presence at public events and trade

shows. This year's VinExpo in Bordeaux (June 19-23) sees them

presenting their wines to visitors from around the world at a special “off” event on Monday June 20 from 3pm - 6 pm at the Palais des Congrès (Bordeaux-Lac), in association with other French women winegrowers from the national Femmes de Vin group. Heading up the Femmes Vignes Rhône group is just one of the responsibilities of 45 year-old Françoise. With her older brother Didier (a wine broker by trade) and younger sister Béatrice (the domaine's marketing manager), she now runs the 43-hectare estate that is Vignobles Mayard. To date, five generations of the Mayard family have laboured at this historic Châteauneuf-duPape winery where internationally-acclaimed cuvées are created. However, at the end of the 19th century, the future was looking ©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

less bright: with his vineyards ravaged by phylloxera, Gratien Mayard was tempted to cut his losses and move to the United States. Fortunately for his descendants, his attachment to French soil triumphed. Gratien chose to stay put and painstakingly replant his vineyard, vine by vine, paving the way for future generations; today, the three Mayard siblings and their team continue to uphold their predecessor's values.

FRANÇOISE ROUMIEUX-MAYARD HAS BEEN NAMED PRESIDENT OF THE FEMMES VIGNES RHÔNE GROUP

With Business and Commerce studies under her belt, it would

have been logical for Françoise to be involved in the sales and

A decade later, she took over the domaine and continued to

management side of the business, but she was drawn to wine

modernise the winery and develop the vineyard, focusing on

making and started working alongside her father in 1989.

environmentally-friendly, sustainable farming methods. Thus,

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SPRING 2011

FAMILY BUSINESS

(L-R) FRANÇOISE ROUMIEUX-MAYARD, DIDIER MAYARD, MARIE ANGÈLE MARTINEZ, BLAISE DEL BANO, BÉATRICE MAYARD, ALAIN NARJOUX

the soil is worked mechanically and vineyard pests are fought

Crau plateau to the north-east. This variety of terroir, combined

using sexual confusion methods; herbicides and pesticides are

with moderate rainfall (600 millilitres per annum) and the

not used, and yields are carefully managed (25 hl/ha is the

bracing Mistral wind, translates into a range of wines with

average) to allow this world-renowned terroir its full expression.

firmly-enscribed typicity, whose complex aromas and structure are particularly appreciated by fans of an elegant, Old World style.

The Mayards' forty-odd parcels are spread across the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, with a concentration in the

The Mayards and their team tend a portfolio of nine varieties:

south (21 hectares) and a smaller ensemble (eight hectares) on the

Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne and Picpoul are used to create fruity, mineral white wines, while Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault are the stars of the red show, giving birth to the full-bodied La Crau de Ma Mère (named after the siblings' grand-mother Marie-Louise Mayard,

the 2005 vintage was scored 90-92 by Robert Parker).

Situated in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Mayard domaine is also Didier's home (his sisters live nearby). Visitors can sample Vignobles Mayard's production in the tasting room and visit the recently-renovated, 17th century former barrel chai, complete with vaulted ceilings. Those attending VinExpo

THE 17 CENTURY FORMER BARREL CHAI HAS VAULTED CEILINGS

in Bordeaux this summer would do well to stop by the Femmes de Vin event, where Françoise will be pouring the fruits of her family's labour, along with almost a hundred other women winemakers from seven French regional assocations. Louise Hurren

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

FAMILY BUSINESS

www.duval-leroy.com

Champagne Duval-Leroy: team spirit Nothing predestined Carol Duval-Leroy to run a Champagne house, but when her husband died in 1991, this dynamic woman successfully took on the challenge, increasing the brand's recognition internationally with a highly effective development strategy.

arol Duval-Leroy confesses straightaway: “Everyone knows what I'm like. I like to move things forward, and I speak my mind.” She certainly needed plenty

of vision and clear-sightedness to take on this Vertus Champagne house created in 1859; in 1991, after the death of

her husband, this mother of three decided to secure the future of the business. She seized the opportunity, quickly putting in place a dynamic export strategy. “I wasn’t a novice. Before my husband died, I helped organise the harvests. In particular, I managed all the cooking, which has always been my passion,” explains Duval-Leroy. She went on to make this hobby one of the trump cards of her marketing strategy. “When I took over, the vineyards were already well established and the method of production was very efficient. So I put all my efforts into improving the quality of our Champagnes, the reputation of our brand internationally, and the development of new marketing campaigns.” Among Duval-Leroy’s first initiatives were the creation of three subsidiaries in Europe (in the UK, Belgium and Germany), the development of markets in Asia and the Americas, and the launch of several campaigns ©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

aimed at the restaurant and sommelier sectors. She launched the Dessert of the Year – Carol Duval-Leroy Trophy, a contest that has just been held for its fifth year, with the aim of strengthening the connection between sweet courses and Champagne by giving free rein to the imagination of pastry chefs asked to create dessert pairings for four house vintages. “Champagne is not just an apéritif. It can accompany an entire meal,” explains Duval-Leroy. She champions this cause with

”I PUT GREAT EFFORT INTO MAINTAINING THE REPUTATION OF DUVAL-LEROY CHAMPAGNE”

chefs and sommeliers by supporting competitions such as the

Duval-Leroy Trophy for France’s Best Young Sommelier and for

Duval-Leroy is also supportive of female wine enthusiasts, for

Europe’s Best Sommelier.

whom she organises exclusive tastings on International

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

FAMILY BUSINESS

philosophy earned her a place presiding over the reputed Champagne winemaking association for four years - indeed, she was the first woman to be elected president of this organisation that brings together the winemaking families of the Champagne region. “This experience taught me a lot about the profession and reinforced my desire to keep our appellation at the pinnacle

of the sparkling wines hierarchy, “ comments Madame Duval-Leroy.

Almost half our staff are women. Our cellar master, Sandrine Logette, is the only woman with this position in Champagne.” Another priority for Carol Duval-Leroy is her commitment to the environment. The Champagne house she heads up was a forerunner in green viticulture in Champagne (for example, they decreased the use of herbicides and the pollution associated

SANDRINE LOGETTE, CHAMPAGNE'S ONLY FEMALE CELLAR MASTER

with wine production, and introduced cover planting). This Her many achievements have earned her great respect , and she

CHAMPAGNE DUVAL-LEROY

is already planning to hand over the torch to her sons Julien, Charles and Louis, the sixth generation of the family. Today, the

69, avenue de Bammental - 51130 Vertus - France Tel. +33 (0)3 26 52 10 75 champagne@duval-leroy.com www.duval-leroy.com

house owns 200 hectares of vineyards, employs 130 people and distributes 4.5 million bottles a year, of which 50 per cent is destined for export. Jean Batilliet

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

WINE AND FOOD

Eric Frechon, from the shore of the English Channel to Le Bristol! Eric Frechon has dedicated 70 % of his life to cooking, so it is easy to believe him when he claims that it’s everything to him. How did this passion get ignited? By a bicycle! When he was 13 years old, he asked his father for a bike and was told, “Go to work and you can buy yourself one.” The Frechons lived in Tréport on the northern coast of France, so Eric looked for a Saturday job at the seaside. He was taken on at a restaurant, where he worked weekends and school holidays. There, he discovered the world of French cuisine, which so enthralled him that he decided to do a vocational qualification in catering at the Hospitality School in Rouen. At the age of 17, with a diploma in his pocket, he arrived in Paris to join Chef Jean Sabine’s team at La Grande Cascade, where he stayed for two years.

ollowing this initial experience, the young chef’s assistant went on to train with other renowned chefs, including Emile Tabourdiau at Le Bristol and Claude Deligne at

Taillevent, where he became the assistant of a chef de partie (station chef), learning the fundamentals of classic French cuisine, as well as assiduous management from Jean-Claude Vrinat, Taillevent’s owner. Eric Frechon spent two years at Taillevent,

and then followed chef Patrick Bausier, who he had met at Le Bristol four years earlier, to Spain. There, he assisted the chef in establishing the restaurant of a new luxury four-star hotel in Malaga, the Byblos Andaluz. Two years later, he returned to Paris, where he spent six months working with Manuel Martinez at La Tour d’Argent, before joining Christian Constant time, Frechon had more than eight years of experience, enabling him to master both original and classic gastronomic cuisine. He spent seven years at the Crillon, three of which as the head chef, winning the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier Restaurant Le Bristol

de France in 1993.

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

in the kitchens of the Hôtel de Crillon as the sous chef. By that

WINE AND FOOD

His next step was to open his own restaurant, La Verrière d’Eric Frechon, in Paris's Buttes Chaumont district. This gastronomic bistro rapidly became a big success and won him culinary accolades around the world. In 1999, four years later, he returned to Le Bristol as the Executive Chef. At the time, the hotel’s restaurant had one Michelin star. In 2001, Eric Frechon won it a second star, and in 2008, the restaurant was listed as an ‘espoir’ for three stars. In the same year, he was decorated with the insignia of a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by President Nicolas Sarkozy. In March 2009, Eric Frechon was granted the prestigious third Michelin star and was elected Chef of the Year in September by the magazine Le Chef. The hallmark of Eric Frechon’s cuisine is above all classic recipes revisited in his own style; a cuisine based on French culinary traditions in constant evolution. His generous and inventive cooking prioritises flavour, as all great cuisine should.

THE TWO FACETS OF LE BRISTOL The restaurant has a dining room for each season: one for winter and another for summer. Both are exceptional settings enjoyed © GUILLAUME DE LAUBIER

by a Parisian and international clientele. The winter dining room conserves the original oval shape of the private theatre that Jules de Castellane had built in his elegant townhouse in the 19th century. With its French Regency panelling in Hungarian oak, 18th century tapestries and Baccarat crystal chandeliers, as well as its sumptuous ceiling in gold leaf framing the four seasons painted by the artist Gustave-Louis Jaulmes (who decorated the Palais de Chaillot), the dining room recalls an exquisite historical painting.

ERIC FRECHON WAS GRANTED THE PRESTIGIOUS THIRD MICHELIN STAR AND WAS ELECTED CHEF OF THE YEAR

The summer dining room offers a more earthbound experience, with its extraordinary view of the largest hotel garden in the

or Bresse chicken. Specialities such as these are returned to their

capital (1200 square meters). It is a true privilege to savour the

rightful place according to the seasons, with dishes that feature

cuisine of a three-star chef in the shade of magnolia trees; a dream

mushrooms in autumn and truffles in January.

that becomes reality under the white parasols of Le Bristol. Choosing which wine to pair with these dishes is the domain of A porcelain dinner service has been specially created for Le

the sommelier Marco Pelletier, who has been instrumental in

Bristol by Bernardaud, and Christofle silverware completes the

enhancing the reputation of Le Bristol’s wine cellar, increasing

elegant decor of the two dining rooms.

its diversity even further by adding some 1000 wines. The

AS FOR THE FOOD…

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and a Clos de la Coulée de

Eric Frechon has a bold take on French cooking, reviving products

Serrant from 1999 and many other amazing - and less costly -

that had gone out of fashion and that we can appreciate anew

bottles. Marco Pelletier keeps a close eye on these treasures, as

for their simplicity, such as macaroni stuffed with black truffle,

well as the other 60,000 bottles in his cellar. See the recipe on page 84

remarkable cellar boasts a 1961 Pétrus, a 1990 Montrachet,

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

WINE AND FOOD

Straw onion purée and tempura, and chicken gravy with soy sauce Serves 4 people WILD TURBOT • 4 thick-cut turbot steaks (180 gr each) • 50 gr salted butter • Coarsely ground pepper STRAW ONION PURÉE AND TEMPURA • 4 straw onions • 4 stalks of chive • 1 packet of tempura • 10 gr butter • 10 cl beer CHICKEN GRAVY WITH SOY SAUCE • 500 gr chicken wings • 10 cl soy sauce • 1 knob of butter • Peanut oil

Make the straw onion purée and tempura

Prepare the chicken gravy with soy sauce • In a deep skillet, heat the chicken wings in the peanut oil until they are nicely browned. • Skim off the fat and then add a knob of butter. • Deglaze the pan with soy sauce. • Add enough water to cover the contents of the pan and leave to cook for 30 minutes. • Pour the contents through a conical strainer. • Reduce the gravy again if necessary, otherwise put to the side in a bain marie.

93 /100

91 /100

CHAMPAGNE Champagne Drappier Brut Millésime Exception 2004 Deep golden hue. Profound, open nose with crunchy dried fruit aromas (date, fig, dried apricot). The palate shows seductive volume, vinosity and mellowness though above all, freshness and complex fruity aromas. A stellar Champagne. CHAMPAGNE Franck Bonville - Brut blanc de blancs grand cru - Cuvée Les Belles Voyes - oak aged Light yellow. Profound nose showing a pleasant melange of hazelnut, white-fleshed fruits and fresh oak. The palate reveals seductive fullness, fat and refined, closely-integrated bubbles. Harmonious and full across the palate yet manages to stay very fresh. Drink with fish.

FULL CONTACT DETAILS FOR THESE ESTATES CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 110

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

• Carefully peel the onions. • Cut them into 2-mm thick slices and put aside 16 medium-diameter slices to use for the tempura. • Sweat the rest of the onion in butter and then cover in beer. • Leave the mixture to stew until all the liquid evaporates, and then blend to make a smooth purée. • Put to the side and keep warm. • Just before serving the meal, thin the tempura flour with a bit of water and mix well. • Dip each onion slice into the tempura batter and fry. • Do the same with the stalks of chive.

Cook the turbot • Season the turbot steaks with salt and pepper. • Pan-fry them in salted butter in a non-stick pan until they are browned.

Presentation • Place the fish in the centre of a flat plate. • Top with the onion and chive tempura. • Draw two lines of onion purée across the turbot. • Finally, pour a line of chicken gravy with soy sauce around the turbot.

Drink with Champagne showing a real sense of place or with a vintage Champagne Hôtel Le Bristol Paris 112 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré - 75008 Paris - France Tel. +33 (0)1 53 43 43 00 resa@lebristolparis.com - www.lebristolparis.com

NEW YORK LIFE

www.wineisterroir.com

When you hear Paul Grieco, founding partner of Terroir Wine Bar in New York City, you’re just as apt to get a description of the neighbourhood around him, either the East Village for his location on East 12th Street, or Tribeca, for his Harrison Street bar. “Everything,” says Paul, “is a reflection of somewhereness.” This philosophy doesn’t make the concept dedication to make his wine bars evoke the particular terroir each occupies.

Terroir Tribeca

Just as

Raveneau’s Chablis echoes limestone, oyster shells and spice, Terroir East Village blares the neighbourhood’s punk rock and roll sensibilities and Terroir Tribeca recalls its quarter’s history as an industrial and market district populated by some of the New York’s oldest cast-iron buildings. Grieco is quick to emphasize that his goal

critically-acclaimed restaurants Hearth and

essential, especially those who fall into the

Insieme, the food and wine parts were easy.

only

The greater challenge is unambiguously

consumption is clearly increasing in the

asserting that wine is more than a beverage.

United States, namely young adults

Rather it reflects the world around it. In

between the ages of 22 and 29. Both

essence, it is all about terroir. It is no

Grieco and Canora realise that this

coincidence that the website for Terroir is

generation of wine drinkers is different

www.wineisterroir.com.

than those of the past. For most of this

demographic

where

©TERROIR

of terroir a banal one. Rather, it marks a

wine

generation, classic wines such as Burgundy,

isn’t just to have wine bars serving good food. With the success he and his partner,

But how to do this? Communication,

Sancerre, Chianti or Napa Cabernet do not

chef Marco Canora, have enjoyed at their

conversation, and engaging with patrons is

inspire the same reverence as they do in

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

NEW YORK LIFE

older wine lovers. Moreover these

through multiple media, video, a

consumers have almost instant access to

website, and, of course, a sticker-

basic information about grapes, regions

and graffiti- covered binder that

and

holds a 47-page wine list that reads

BlackBerries. The only way to grab their

more like a punk rock fanzine or a

attention is to offer something exciting to

revolutionary thesis. This collection

give them a whiff of the local terroir,

of essays extols the virtues of great

which, in the case of the East Village (the

“terroirists” such as Barolo’s Bartolo

location of his first winebar) is graffiti,

Mascalese, Wachau’s F.X. Pichler,

punk rock and rebellion. Paul conjured

and Lebanon’s Serge Hochar; one

up his own youth to find inspiration:

essay pays homage to the great

“When we were teenagers, we covered our

urban preservationist Jane Jacobs,

prices

via

their

i-Phones

who started the movement to save

www.flutebar.com

New York City’s most precious neighbourhoods from the scourge

Paul Grieco

Another page pays tribute to the

©TERROIR

of urban renewal.

People’s Movement in Egypt. Paul defiantly emphasises that his extensive

brushed steel, and in keeping with the

list - 40 wines by the glass, 190 whites by

area’s history, the space is built and

the bottle, including 90 Rieslings, 30

decorated with raw metal and brick.

vinyl school notebooks with stickers of our

Champagne and sparkling wines, 160 reds,

favourite punk bands, we tagged them with

80 sweet wines, 24 artisanal beers, 1 mead,

While there is an appeal to young adults,

graffiti, we drew all over them. We wore

and 7 ciders - isn’t meant to be easy.

the Terroir crowd is culinarily curious

tee-shirts of bands and Che Guevara.”

Rather, it is designed to foster conversation

and sophisticated, drawn to Grieco’s

between guests and servers that can

iconoclastic approach, and the simple but

So Grieco enlisted designer Steven

introduce people to wines in ways they

deeply-flavoured food coming from Marco

Solomon - otherwise known as the “Sticker

never imagined. Classic wine regions like

Canora’s kitchen. Small plates, cheese,

Meister” - to express Terroir’s sense of place

Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley,

charcuterie, bruschette and salads compose

Piedmont and Tuscany are

most of the menu.

well represented, but one can discover many more wines that are relatively unknown,

Terroir East Village

such as Friuli’s Vitoska,

413, East 12th Street New York, 10009 Tel. +1 646 602 1300

Thermenregion’s Rotgipfler,

Lombardy’s

Chiavennasca, Rufete from Castilla y Léon, and a Napa

Terroir Tribeca

Grignolino. Terroir Tribeca’s

24, Harrison Street New York, 10013 Tel. +1 212 625 9463 www.wineisterroir.com

Steven Solomon (Sticker Meister)

©TERROIR

format is similar, although instead of stickers and graffiti, the binders are made of

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

WINE QUOTATIONS

Still good deals to be had in the Médoc The wines of the Médoc region of Bordeaux have an international reputation as arguably producing some of the best wines in the world. Their status as the gold standard is based upon an undeniable confluence of qualities: complexity, balance and longevity. Because of their standing, prices of some of the top châteaux have reached preposterous heights. But are there still affordable options from this jewel of a wine region?

• Keep in mind that there is a difference between fame and the actual quality of a wine. For example, the international madness for Lafite Rothschild (that I have written about in an earlier article) is only for a few people who can pay several hundred or a few thousand euros for a bottle of wine. Let them have their fun. There are plenty of affordable surprises amongst the thousand of wines that are left in the Médoc region. • There is great versatility of style in the appellations of the Médoc, more so than in any other wine region in France. The wines of Pauillac, the appellation with the greatest reputation, are powerful with notes of blackcurrant, cedar and tobacco. The wines of Margaux are softer and velvety while the wines of Saint Julien have a very pure flavor. The wines of Saint-Estèphe are rich with a rustic charm. Get to know the style that you like and explore a given appellation.

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SPRING 2011

his region and its appellations were ranked for quality under French law in 1855 (with only some adjustments along the way). This classification has been respected and has guided the reputations of individual châteaux to their current positions: châteaux ranked as 1st growths are held in the highest esteem and have reached the highest prices (Lafite, Margaux, Latour, and Haut-Brion) and châteaux ranked as 5th growths or given the more general appellation of Cru Bourgeois are less regarded and priced much lower. There are great deals to be had amongst the lesser-ranked growths if you follow a few guidelines.

PHILIPPE ROUX IS A SPECIALIST IN THE NICHE MARKET OF RARE VINTAGES • Drink wines from lesser-known estates in better years. Better vintages require less human intervention therefore there is less room for error in the vinification of the grapes. There are not only good years and bad years but an entire spectrum of different qualities of vintages to consider. • Even wines from less-reputed vintages can be pleasurable to drink young. There is good reason why the wines of the Médoc region are so well loved. While getting a good deal can be more work, there are many wines well ranked by the experts that remain affordable. Philippe Roux

WINE QUOTATIONS MEDOC YEAR 1961 1961 1961 1961 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1970 1970 1970 1975 1981 1981 1981 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1983 1983 1983 1983 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1989 1989 1989 1989 1989 1989 1989 1990 1990 1990 1990 1990 1990 1994 1995 1995

CHÂTEAU

APPELLATION

RANK

CALON SEGUR Saint Estephe 3ème Cru Classé DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE POYFERRE Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PRIEURE LICHINE Margaux 4ème Cru Classé BEYCHEVELLE Saint Julien 4ème Cru Classé DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé GRUAUD LAROSE Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE BARTON Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PALMER Margaux 3ème Cru Classé BEYCHEVELLE Saint Julien 4ème Cru Classé COS D'ESTOURNEL Saint Estephe 2ème Cru Classé GISCOURS Margaux 3ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé BRANE CANTENAC Margaux 2ème Cru Classé CALON SEGUR Saint Estephe 3ème Cru Classé COS D'ESTOURNEL Saint Estephe 2ème Cru Classé GISCOURS Margaux 3ème Cru Classé HAUT MARBUZET Saint Estephe Cru Bourgeois LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé RAUZAN SEGLA Margaux 2ème Cru Classé COS D'ESTOURNEL Saint Estephe 2ème Cru Classé DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé GRUAUD LAROSE Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PALMER Margaux 3ème Cru Classé BATAILLEY Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé CALON SEGUR Saint Estephe 3ème Cru Classé COS D'ESTOURNEL Saint Estephe 2ème Cru Classé DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé GRAND PUY LACOSTE Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PALMER Margaux 3ème Cru Classé PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé COS D'ESTOURNEL Saint Estephe 2ème Cru Classé LAFON ROCHET Saint Estephe 4ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE POYFERRE Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé MONTROSE Saint Estephe 2ème Cru Classé PALMER Margaux 3ème Cru Classé PICHON LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé BRANE CANTENAC Margaux 2ème Cru Classé DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé GRAND PUY LACOSTE Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé PHELAN SEGUR Saint Estephe Cru Bourgeois PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé PICHON LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé CALON SEGUR Saint Estephe 3ème Cru Classé DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé GRUAUD LAROSE Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE BARTON Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PALMER Margaux 3ème Cru Classé PICHON LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé PONTET CANET Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé BEYCHEVELLE Saint Julien 4ème Cru Classé BRANAIRE DUCRU Saint Julien 4ème Cru Classé GISCOURS Margaux 3ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE BARTON Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PALMER Margaux 3ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé LEOVILLE POYFERRE Saint Julien 2ème Cru Classé PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé Please contact us for further information: www.gilbertgaillard.com

VOL PRICE 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 1.50 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l 0.75 l

GILBERT & GAILLARD

VAT EXCL. 204.85 606.19 349.50 199.83 107.86 149.67 175.59 141.30 196.49 280.10 165.55 141.30 288.46 79.43 99.50 82.78 87.79 82.78 158.03 229.93 82.78 108.70 359.53 76.92 82.78 71.07 87.79 316.89 66.05 74.41 141.30 96.15 74.41 158.03 124.58 79.43 129.60 57.69 263.38 71.07 91.97 121.24 149.67 66.05 82.78 66.05 45.00 91.14 99.50 82.78 80.27 82.78 79.43 224.92 141.30 62.71 82.78 74.41 82.78 107.86 221.57 179.77 91.97 71.91 74.41

SPRING 2011

EXPORT

Canada's unique distribution system

anada is a mediumsized market in terms of wine. The consumption of wine was more than 405 million litres in 2008 (up 7 % from 2005), with an average consumption of 12.24 litres per person. Canadians spend about 187 dollars (Canadian dollars; the equivalent of 140 euros) per year on wine, and the places they choose to Pierre Courdurié drink it are identical to those in Europe, with a preference for drinking at home. For producers that hope to export their wines there, however, the situation is dramatically different from Europe: there is one sole wine trader and it is a government monopoly.

THE SAQ CREATES SPECIFIC MARKETING MATERIALS AIMED AT EACH SEGMENT

• Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) • Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) • British Columbia Liquor Distribution (BCLD) • Alberta Gaming Liquor Commission (AGLC). To better understand the Canadian wine market, I interviewed Daniel Simard, Vice-President of Procurement and Merchandising at the SAQ. GILBERT & GAILLARD: What is the role of the SAQ and how does it function?

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SPRING 2011

Wine distribution in Canada is rather unique: each province and territory has a liquor board, through which the winemaker must sell their product. These commissions are for the most part (except in Alberta) import and distribution monopolies for wines and spirits. The producer’s sole client is therefore this stateowned corporation. To sell its wine, a winery must present it to the commission, which then decides whether or not to carry it. Often, the winemaker must be represented by an agent, who promotes the wine to the commission. It is rare for a wine to be selected without an agent’s representation. In fact, in Ontario, an agent is obligatory. If a wine is accepted, the commission orders the wine directly from the supplier. Each liquor board has its own retail distribution network. These liquor boards include:

DANIEL SIMARD: The Société des Alcools du Québec is 90 years old this year. It is a state-owned corporation responsible for the trade of alcoholic beverages with the mission of serving the entire population of Québec by offering a large range of quality products. To do this, we have a network of 414 outlets with more than 10,500 products from over 60 countries provided by over 3,000 suppliers. Our commercial activity is around 2.5 billion dollars (CAD, or 187 billion euros) and we have 7,000 employees.

EXPORT

G&G: How do you select your wines? DS: To satisfy our customers, the SAQ has to be as curious as they are, as serious about its purchase of products and as well informed! All suppliers are invited to submit their products to us; these are then automatically listed in our bid catalogue. The SAQ then draws from this the new products that it will sell following a rigorous and transparent selection process led by our selection committee. If necessary, we also hold an invitation to tender if we have identified specific needs for which we don’t have the desired product in our catalogue.

Nonetheless, although French wine sales remain at the top, they are relatively stable (+ 3.3 %), whereas sales of South African wines (+29.3 %), New Zealand wines (+23.1 %) and American wines (+21.9 %) show stronger growth. Having said that, it should be remembered that France and Italy alone account for almost 55 % of the still wine market in Canada. G&G: How does a customer in Québec choose a wine - what styles do they like? What is the best way to educate customers when they are buying a wine? DS: We are always concerned about improving the customer experience. To this end, we identified different segments of the market in 2005, and then created specific marketing materials aimed at each market segment (for example, the Cellier and Tchin Tchin magazines), as well as services adapted to different market needs (training in-store wine advisors, better presentation of products, enhancement of our website, SAQ.com, etc.). We also redesigned our outlets. One common interest was identified for all market segments: the desire to know more about the products. To allow our customers to identify their wine preferences, express their tastes and needs and to successfully pair wines with food, the SAQ developed an innovative classification concept: taste tags! The tags serve to create a shared language between our in-store wine advisors and our customers by categorising different wines according to their strength, aromas and texture. Used for red, white and rosé still wines, the tags are affixed directly to the shelves and make locating wines of the same profile simple. They also allow SAQ customers to discover new products. The tags are at the heart of the new concept behind our outlets and also appear in our circulars, in the Tchin Tchin magazine, on our website, as

G&G: What is the proportion of French wines the SAQ sells? DS: French wines account for over 800 million dollars (CAD, or 600 million euros) in SAQ sales. Of all the bottles of wine sold last year, almost one in three was from France. More specifically, French wines make up 31.2 % of the still wines sold in Québec, or just over 31,000 litres. The three French regions with the biggest sales (in terms of dollars), of all products taken together, were Languedoc (reds) with 18.9 %, Bordeaux (reds) with 14.4 % and Vallée du Rhône (reds) with 7.9 %.

DANIEL SIMARD: ”THE QUÉBÉCOIS ARE OPEN TO THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO WINE”

well as in several restaurant chains. The many tools that we have developed to better guide our customers around the world of wine are joined by the valuable information provided by our in-store wine advisors. These wine enthusiasts remain essential reference points for our customers. G&G: The love of eating and drinking in Québec is well known: does SAQ do presentations for customers on food and wine pairing? DS: It’s true, the art de la table and wine culture are ubiquitous in Québec, so food and wine pairing is as well! Aside from the taste tags, which are already twinned with particular foods, our wine advisors know how to direct customers in the right direction. In our outlets, there are also areas dedicated to presenting wines and foods together. Our website also has wine and food pairing suggestions that recommend good matches, as well as a search engine that directs customers to well-suited pairings. The SAQ also offers gastronomic evenings with winemakers. G&G: How do Canadian restaurants and hotels choose and buy wines? DS: They also purchase from us; we can offer them personalised service. Pierre Courdurié

GILBERT & GAILLARD

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REGION

Champagne de vignerons: quality at a good price

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

A SELECTION OF GROWER CHAMPAGNES

t’s a question that crops up again and again: ‘Do you know a small, independent winery that makes good Champagne?’ Today, the response is affirmative. The days are over when the major Champagne houses had the monopoly on superior quality, and smaller winemakers and cooperatives were classified as second-rate producers. Times are changing, and consumers are taking a growing interest in Champagnes made by growers, which for the most part are less expensive and no longer compare unfavourably with the major brands. They have diverse flavours, aromas and styles representative of the entire winegrowing area of Champagne, of which growers own 83 % of a total of 33,000 hectares of vineyards.

In the main winegrowing areas of Champagne, from Côte des Blancs to the Marne Valley, and Montagne de Reims to Côte des Bar, winemakers are striving for a more personal approach, taking the time to explain their methods, their values, and how their winemaking is different. The approach is the result not just of working collectively and sharing means, but of a carefully thought-out strategy. Welcoming visitors not only increases recognition, but also brings in revenue.

WHAT IS CHAMPAGNE DE VIGNERON ? The concept of a brand for grower Champagnes arose in the 1990s with the aim of increasing the visibility of both individual winemakers and cooperatives. At the time, most consumers were familiar only with the main Champagne houses, and the press reported little about grower Champagnes. The Champagne Winegrowers’ Union and its members saw the advantages of joining together to develop marketing efforts that would attract the attention of consumers and buyers. ‘It was not so much about putting in place a system of sharing techniques, but promoting what sets us apart and our wide diversity,’ explains Yves Couvreur, one of the union leaders. The first marketing campaigns were launched in 2001, with the creation of the collective brand Les Champagnes de Vignerons. Between 2001 and 2008, the main goal was to create an attractive

The interest in grower Champagnes is not new, and has recently been skilfully enhanced by the Champagne Winegrowers’ Union, which has encouraged winemakers to make efforts in all areas of production, from cultivation to winemaking methods through to marketing. For example, more and more winegrowers in Champagne are getting involved in wine tourism, opening tasting rooms and wine shops, creating rented lodging or bed and breakfast accommodation and organising themed wine tastings with the aim of presenting the diversity of their products.

WINEMAKERS ARE STRIVING FOR A MORE PERSONAL APPROACH and lasting image of grower Champagnes via advertising and press campaigns in France. The Champagne Winegrowers’ Union promoted its diversity, traditional expertise, authenticity and proximity. ‘Behind each grower Champagne is a man or a woman. Our target market consists of Champagne drinkers who are over 30 years old and are mainly women.’ Since 2008, the union has also developed services that help its members to better market and sell their Champagnes.

A DOUBLE ADVANTAGE The brand benefits both the collective and the individual. It allows winemakers to belong to a wider group of those involved in winemaking in the region. By sharing means, members can take part in large-scale marketing initiatives (for example, national advertising campaigns and partnerships with reputed chefs). Each member participates, at their level and ability, in making the collective more widely known, displaying the diamond-shaped logo on their bottles, boxes and capsules. The individual winery also benefits from the brand in terms of increasing its wine’s visibility. The union’s marketing services help to increase recognition of members’ wines through courses and

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SPRING 2011

REGION

tastings organised for key players in the industry (for example, journalists, sommeliers and wine buyers for shops and restaurants). The union also allows members to appear in reference lists available to distributors for bars, hotels, restaurants and wine shops. Trade shows for wine professionals are also organised in France and abroad.

food pairings, web campaigns that targeted food blogs, the creation of a Facebook page, and the launch of three trade shows in France and four abroad. In addition, press trips and wine tastings in Champagne generated almost 200 articles in the media; around half were about Champagnes made by specific wineries.

In 2010, the brand reached new markets thanks to initiatives that included advertising campaigns in 23 media outlets aimed at women and those interested in gastronomy/wine, a partnership with the chef William Ledeuil, who suggested Champagne and

AN ATTRACTIVE PRICE In terms of price, the market rules. ‘Most of our winemakers have loyal customers. We respect them and avoid the yo-yo effect in pricing. I think customers come to us in part precisely for that. They also appreciate our values. At a trade show, when we win over a customer, they tend to keep coming back for at least ten years,’ comments Yves Couvreur. Although not all of Champagne’s winemakers belong to the Champagne de vignerons brand, it boasts some 5,000 members. The price of their Champagne is linked to the cost price, which is usually lower than that of the négociants (producers who make their Champagnes from purchased grapes).

The main reason for this is simple economics. Grower-winemakers don’t have to buy their grapes, which cost them a maximum of 2.50 euros per kilogramme, while a négociant has to spend up to 6 euros per kilogramme from the grand cru vineyards to meet their needs. This adds up to a considerable sum when one takes into account that 1.2 kilogrammes of grapes are required to produce a 75-centilitre bottle!

THE CHAMPAGNE REGION COMPRISES 33,000 HECTARES OF VINES

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SPRING 2011

‘The négociants have to incorporate in their selling price the cost of the raw materials, which is high because it includes the redistribution of the value added during production by the négociant, according to the interprofessional rules in place in Champagne. So their production costs are higher. A grower-winemaker can produce their own wine and sell it directly. This makes all the difference,’ explains Nathalie Viet, an economist specialising in French winemaking who set up Equonoxe, a research and economic intelligence company in Reims. These reasons explain how grower–winemakers are able to make excellent Champagnes for prices averaging between 12 and 17 euros a bottle for non-vintage Bruts. Of course, the prices are higher for vintages requiring three years of aging. These are priced at about 25 euros, while equivalent Champagnes from the major houses are much more expensive.

OFFERING CHOICE The experience of Frédéric Dricot is enlightening. Four years ago, he created a Champagne bar in Épernay with the support of

A SELECTION OF GROWER CHAMPAGNES

regional and departmental tourist boards. The bar, called ‘C comme Champagne’, offers a range of Champagnes from 50 different terroirs and the five main winegrowing areas in Champagne, but focuses only on Champagnes from growers or certain cooperatives. ‘Visitors from abroad don’t know the winemakers. We wanted to give them the chance to discover the vast diversity of Champagne,’ explains the co-manager of this establishment

that has already welcomed 25,000 visitors.

”C”, FRÉDÉRIC DRICOT’S CHAMPAGNE BAR OFFERS A RANGE FROM 50 DIFFERENT TERROIRS A total of 400 grower Champagnes are offered to taste or to buy for between 14 and 25 euros. ‘We are aware that the major brands rule the market. But it is clear that the smaller winemakers can step into the breach and offer excellent products, proving that low prices don’t mean low-quality Champagne.’

RESPECT WHERE RESPECT IS DUE Nonetheless, it is important to recognise the role of the major Champagne houses. ‘The big brands are effectively responsible for the success of Champagne. To be sustainable, the business model needs the value added during production and should not position itself solely on low production costs. Supplying these intangible assets requires investing over the long-term to build a reputation and an image, which means considerable but necessary financing. This is the role that has devolved to the négociants, in addition to blending. The success of Champagne relies on the two models of Champagne-making complementing each other,’ according to Nathalie Viet. One thing is certain: all of Champagne, which shipped 319.5 million bottles in 2010 (the négociants represented more than two-thirds of sales) stands to benefit from the success of grower Champagnes because they are participating in creating signature wines. Perhaps they may even be the négociants of tomorrow? DISCOVER OUR SELECTION OF WINEMAKERS ON PAGES 96 - 98

Jean Batilliet

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REGION

A selection of grower Champagnes A representative choice from the wine regions of Champagne, including growerwinemakers from Aisne, Massif de Saint-Thierry, Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley, Côte des Blancs, Sézannais et Côte des Bar.

producers to practice traditional vinification without malolactic

AISNE

fermentation, resulting in champagnes that are natural and close to the fruit they are made from. He produces 350,000 bottles a year.

BARON-FUENTÉ

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Tradition, around 17 euros Champagne Michel Bourgeois 1, rue Paul Hivet - 02310 Charly-sur-Marne Tel. +33 (0)3 23 82 15 71 - www.champagne-bourgeois.com

the current manager, Gilles. The 12-hectare vineyard is a mono-cru (a single, classified vineyard) terroir typical of Trigny, a village south of the Massif de Saint-Thierry and northwest of Reims. In 1988, the winery and press were created and have since been producing complex and powerful mono-cru vintages from 50 %

Founded following the marriage of Gabriel Baron and Dolorès

Pinot Noir, 35 per cent Pinot Meunier and 25 % Chardonnay.

Fuenté, this house owns 35 hectares of vineyards in Charly-surMarne and on the banks of the Marne. The grape variety Meunier,

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Maxime Blin, around 17 euros

which is dominant in the house blends, gives originality to all the

Champagne R. Blin & Fils

vintages, which are balanced with the power of Pinot Noir and the

11, rue du Point du Jour - 51140 Trigny

elegance of Chardonnay.

Tel. +33 (0)3 26 03 10 97 - www.champagne-blin-et-fils.fr

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Grande Réserve, around 16 euros

MARNE VALLEY

Champagne Baron-Fuenté 21, avenue Fernand Drouet - 02310 Charly-sur-Marne Tel. +33 (0)3 23 82 01 97 - www.baronfuente.com

J DE TELMONT This house is located in Damery, 10 kilometres from Épernay.

MICHEL BOURGEOIS

Since it was founded in 1912 by Henri Lhopital, the estate has

This house was created by a family of winegrowers in the heart of

prioritised the art of entertaining, creating ‘Champagne workshops’

the Marne Valley vineyards. Michel Bourgeois is one of the rare

around Champagne and food pairing, giving visitors the

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SPRING 2011

A SELECTION OF GROWER CHAMPAGNES

opportunity to discover eight vintages from its range, of which

five are Blanc de Blancs. The wines are made from grand cru vintages

/100

and are aged in oak casks using lees stirring. The winery is supplied by 146 hectares of vineyards, of which 36 hectares are part of the estate. EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Grande Réserve, around 17 euros Champagne J De Telmont

CHAMPAGNE J. M. Gobillard & fils Brut Privilège des Moines Light gold. Abundant freshness on the nose with aromas of ripe white fruit with almost exotic-like touches. A full-bodied Champagne supported by the same intense freshness. Enjoyable complex, long-lasting fruit (grapefruit, pineapple, mango).

1, avenue de Champagne - 51480 Damery Tel. +33 (0)3 26 58 40 33 - www.champagne-de-telmont.com

JM GOBILLARD & FILS

/100

CHAMPAGNE Pierre Moncuit Brut Pierre Moncuit - Delos

Bright, pale yellow. Floral and white fruit nose with a touch of biscuit and mineral background. The palate shows fine-grained, mouth-coating texture, precise fruit and pleasant length. An idiosyncratic wine pairing well with sophisticated appetisers. FULL CONTACT DETAILS FOR THESE ESTATES CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 110

This house farms around 25 hectares of vineyards, essentially in the premier cru of Hautvillers, the birthplace of Champagne. Some

CÔTE DES BLANCS

100 hectares from multi-year contracts top up its supply of grapes at harvest time. EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Blanc de Blancs, around 17 euros Champagne JM Gobillard & Fils Allée du Relais - 51530 Dizy Tel. +33 (0)3 26 51 00 24 - www.champagne-gobillard.com

MONTAGNE DE REIMS ET FILS

Patrick Arnould and his son-in-law Thierry continue the family tradition, creating truly authentic vintages from the family’s 12 hectares located in the grand cru vineyards of Verzenay. The vines are on average 30 years old and consist of 80 % Pinot Noir and 20 % Chardonnay. The result is wines with distinctive vinosity and a firm and voluptuous texture.

MICHEL ARNOULD

PIERRE MONCUIT Established in Mesnil-sur-Oger at the heart of the Côte des Blancs,

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Grand Cru Tradition, around 15 euros

Champagne Pierre Moncuit is a family-run grower-winemaker

Champagne Michel Arnould et fils

that has built its reputation on an incessant search for quality.

28, rue de Mailly - 51360 Verzenay

Since 1977, Nicole Moncuit, who is passionate about both

Tel. +33 (0)3 26 49 40 06 - www.champagne-michel-arnould.com

wine cultivation and production, took over technical direction.

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QUALITY FACTORS

CÔTE DES BAR

Her brother Yves manages sales, and Nicole’s daughter Valérie also works with them. EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Pierre Moncuit-Delos, around 18 euros Champagne Pierre Moncuit 11, rue Persault Maheu - 51190 Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Tel. +33 (0)3 26 57 52 65 - www.pierre-moncuit.fr

DIDIER GOUSSARD With 7 hectares of vineyards located in the village districts of Avirey-Lingey and the neighbouring districts of Bagneux-la-Fosse and Polisy in the Côte des Bar, this family-run house in its fourth generation works their wines with meticulous detail, notably producing a fruity and vinous Brut Tradition made from 100 %

FRANCK BONVILLE

Pinot Noir. Franck and his wife, Jeannine, sold the first bottles from their vineyards in Avize and Oger after the Second World War. Today, Olivier, the third generation, continues the family adventure alongside his parents and grandparents. The vine-

yards consist of 20 hectares in the terroirs of Cramant, Avize cru. The estate’s wines are carefully produced and subtle. EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Sélection, around 17 euros Champagne Franck Bonville

and Oger, all classed as grand

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Terroir Tentation, around 13 euros

9, rue Pasteur - 51190 Avize Tel. +33 (0)3 26 57 52 30 - www.champagne-franck-bonville.com

Champagne Didier Goussard 2, chemin Saint-Vincent - 10340 Avirey-Lingey Tel. +33 (0)3 25 29 30 03 - www.champagnedidiergoussard.com

SÉZANNAIS ROYER PÈRE

PAUL LAURENT

ET FILS

This house makes its Champagnes solely from the grapes of its

The vineyard of Champagne Paul Laurent spreads over the hillsides

20 hectares of vineyards, consisting of Pinot Noir and

of Bethon in Sézannais. Under the direction of Bruno Henrich, the

Chardonnay, located on the sunny hillsides of Landreville. The

cellar master, the house has grown to a production volume of a

jewel in the crown of their range is the Brut Champagne ‘Cuvée

million bottles. Their Cuvée du Fondateur, made with 80 % Pinot

Catherine’, made from a blend of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-

Noir and 20 % Chardonnay, is an expression of the house style,

third Chardonnay, whose delicacy and slight sweetness pair well

marrying elegance, freshness and intensity.

with duck foie gras.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Cuvée du Fondateur, around 17 euros

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Brut Vintage 2005, around 17 euros

Champagne Paul Laurent

Champagne Royer Père et fils

4, rue des Pressoirs - 51260 Bethon

18, rue de Viviers - 10110 Landreville

Tel. +33 (0)3 26 81 91 11 - www.champagnepaullaurent.com

Tel. +33 (0)3 25 38 52 62 - www.champagne-royer.com

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The incredible success of Cava

LluĂs Just i Villanueva (1834â&#x20AC;&#x201C;80), an oenologist from Madrid, developed the main principles for making different types of fine sparkling wines in the laboratory of the San Isidro Agricultural Institute in Barcelona.To do this, he carried out experiments with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, originally from the region of Champagne in the north of France, as well as with native Spanish varieties. 100

GILBERT & GAILLARD

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THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF CAVA

he first Cava was made in 1868 as an imitation of French Champagne and was presented the same year at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. It would not be until the phylloxera outbreak in Spain in 1887 that the decision was made to transform the winegrowing region by prioritising traditional grape varieties that would come to endow Cava with its own personality.

INTRODUCTION TO CAVA

The word cava comes from the Spanish term to describe the caves where it was traditionally made. Cava is an exception to appellation of origin labelling rules, as the simple inclusion of the word ‘Cava’ implicitly indicates its origin, so a specific geographical reference is not necessary. In 1972, the Regulatory Council of Sparkling Wines was created, which approved the denomination of ‘Cava’ for Spanish sparkling wines. Since then, Cava has been positioned as a product in direct competition with Champagne.

Cava is a sparkling wine with a unique identity that is made in the same way as Champagne. It has been able to create its own niche on major international markets over the last 30 years. Factors such as the use of native grapes, a temperate climate and a diverse range of growing areas have contributed to its ability to distinguish itself by its original character.

THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF CAVA PRODUCTION IS THE SAME AS THAT USED TO MAKE CHAMPAGNE the must, followed by clarification to eliminate foreign particles, and then fermentation in large stainless steel tanks. The blending of different Cavas takes place once the base wines have been made.

SECOND FERMENTATION

HOW CAVA IS MADE The traditional method of Cava production is the same as that used to make Champagne - the méthode champenoise - adapted to native Spanish grape varieties. Only authorised grape varieties (see box) are used to make Cava’s base wine, which is the still wine that is transformed into sparkling wine during its second fermentation. Up to this point, the winemaking process is standard, involving slow pressing of

MAIN GRAPES USED IN THE ASSEMBLAGE OF CAVA MACABEO PARELLADA XAREL-LO CHARDONNAY PINOT NOIR

Softness and bouquet Subtlety, freshness and bouquet Volume and structure Elegance and tradition Structure and bouquet

The next stage in the making of Cava is the tirage, which is necessary to set off the second fermentation. This involves adding to the bottled base wine a small amount of liqueur de tirage, which consists of a mixture of white wine, sugar and yeast that produces carbon dioxide as it ferments. When the tirage has been completed, the bottles are stacked in underground wine cellars at a constant temperature. Before Cava can be sold with this denomination, it must spend a minimum of 9 months in the bottle, with 15 months for a Reserva Cava and 30 months for a Gran Reserva. The second stage of the process is the removido, which has the goal of eliminating the sediment resulting from the dead yeast and other impurities. This is achieved by placing the bottles in a stand that holds them with their top tilted downwards so that the sediment accumulates under the cap. Traditionally, the bottles were rotated manually each day by one-eighth of a turn and, at the same time, the tilt was slightly increased. When the bottle is vertically upside down, the sediment is ready to be disgorged. The dégorgement can be done using the traditional

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RODOLFO VALIENTE OF BODEGAS VEGALFARO (VALENCIA) method - that is, by opening the bottle and allowing a bit of the foam to escape - although today, the technique more commonly used is to freeze the neck of the bottle. When the bottle is uncapped, the frozen plug of sediment is expelled by the pressure.

TYPES OF CAVA BRUT NATURE

Up to 3 grammes of sugar per litre

The lost liquid can be replaced with what is called a liqueur d'expédition, which consists of sugar dissolved in white wine or eau-de-vie. The amount of sugar that the cava contains will determine its type (see box ”types of Cava”). Lastly, the bottle is topped with its characteristic cork, which is held in place with a wire cage called a muzzle. There are different types of Cava depending on the amount of sugar added via the liqueur d'expédition.

(no added sugar is permitted)

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EXTRA BRUT

Up to 6 grammes of sugar per litre

BRUT

Up to 12 grammes of sugar per litre

EXTRA SEC

Between 12 and 17 grammes of sugar per 7 litres

SEC

Between 17 and 32 grammes of sugar per litre

DEMI SEC

Between 32 and 50 grammes of sugar per litre

DOUX

More than 50 grammes of sugar per litre

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In the case of Brut Nature Cava, no liqueur d'expédition is added only wine. The absence of added sugar means this type of Cava is more demanding in terms of quality. Its production is increasing while that of Demi Sec is decreasing. Gran Reserva Cava is only permitted to be sold as such after testing and tasting by the Cava Regulatory Council.

THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF CAVA

THE PRODUCERS With a volume of 219,463,000 bottles in 2009, Spain is the world’s largest producer of sparkling wine. Although the majority is made in Catalonia, there are also Cava producers in Aragon, Extremadura, Rioja, Valencia and Navarra.

Other producers include wine cooperatives such as the Centre Vinìcola des Penedès (CEVIPE) and the Cooperativa Vinìcola del Penedès (COVIDES), which produce more than 1,000,000 bottles per year. There are also many small producers, who operate family-run vineyards that make smaller volumes, between 100,000 and 500,000 bottles (Cava Recaredo, Agustí Torelló, Gramona, Nadal, Bodegas Langa Hermanos). Even smaller producers have an average production of between 3,000 and 10,000 bottles.

The Cava market is controlled principally by two companies. The biggest is Freixenet, which has 60 % of the Spanish market and 80 % of export sales. The second largest is Codorníu, with around 30 % of the domestic market and 15 % of export sales.

CÉSAR LANGA: ”OUR CAVAS ARE PRODUCED FROM CHARDONNAY, MACABEO AND GRENACHE” and allow the Cava to slowly pour against the side of the glass,

CAVA: THE KEY TO SUCCESS

which should ideally be a transparent crystal Champagne flute.

The appellation of DO Cava consists of 31,031 hectares of vineyards and 266 wineries. Around 40 % of the total production is sold domestically, and 60 % is sold abroad. Some 48 % of Cava sold is Brut.

CATEGORIES OF CAVA

A major part of Cava’s success is its extraordinary value for money and its adaptability in terms of food pairing, as Cava goes well with any dish. Its main assets can be summarised as:

Young: aged in the bottle for a minimum of 9 months Soft, fruity and fresh. Very pleasant on the palate. Light, thanks to the balance between the acidity and the rich aromas. Straw colour

• Price - Cava is affordable for everyone • International reputation - Germany, Britain, the United States, Canada, South Korea and Japan are the biggest Cava consumers • Marketing - Major efforts have been made to promote the quality of Cava.

TEMPERATURE One of the secrets of enjoying Cava is drinking it at the appropriate temperature. Cava should be served at between 5 °C and 8 °C. It should be placed for 30 minutes in a container of ice water before serving.

POURING As Cava is a delicate wine, it should be opened carefully to avoid any foam escaping. When pouring, keep the bottle slightly tilted

FREIXENET CONTROLS 60 % OF THE SPANISH MARKET GILBERT & GAILLARD

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bubbles and a bouquet with toasty nuances and intense flavour. Gran Reserva is only available as Brut and displays a strong personality. It is the quintessential Cava.

Rosé Freshness and exuberance. Monastrell, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Trepat: these are the four grape varieties that give rosé Cava its unique characteristics. Made using the same method as white Cavas, it gives off an aromatic purity and its colour evokes pleasant red fruits. It is the most tangible example of the modernity of Cava.

THE BEST CAVAS: A UNIQUE TERROIR FOR EXCEPTIONAL VINTAGES AN ENCOUNTER WITH CÉSAR LANGA OF BODEGAS LANGA HERMANOS

The first known chapter in the winemaking history of the Langa family dates back to 1867, when Mariano Langa Gallego started a small winery in the village of Morata de Jiloca. His sons Juan and Sébastien later continued the work of their father. Today, the fifth generation is in charge of the 70-hectare family vineyard located at Calatayud in Aragón.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAVA DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR ADDED with green reflections. Lightly sparkling and refreshing, with a splendid fruitiness that evokes the grapes from which it is made.

Why a Cava in DO Calatayud? The Langa bodega has been producing Cava since the beginning of the 1970s, thanks to the curiosity and innovative spirit of Juan José Langa Fuentes. The idea of making a Cava in Calatayud arose during a dinner with friends. We all wondered why no one had ever tried to produce a wine similar to Champagne. After this dinner, Juan José decided to devote his time to understanding and capitalizing on the possibilities of making a sparkling wine on his estate until he finally succeeded in producing the first Cava. The Langa winery is an exception in having its Calatayud wines accepted by the Cava Regulatory Council (CRCAVA). No other wineries here have this privilege: only the Langa bodega is allowed by virtue of the fact that it is a family tradition with historical roots.

Reserva: aged in the bottle for a minimum of 15 months Lively, brilliant and balanced. Reserva Cavas mature in the bottle for at least 15 months in the half-light of underground galleries. This finishing period gives the Cava intense fruity hints. Its pale yellow colour illustrates the excellence of Reserva Cava. It is the symbol of the tradition and heritage of Cava. A delight for the most demanding of palates.

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Which grape varieties are used to make your Cavas and how would you define them? Our Cavas are produced from three varieties that are perfectly adapted to the region: Chardonnay, Macabeo and Grenache. They are complex Cavas that require a long ageing period (crianza). Our Cavas differ from the classic Cava of Catalonia, which is based on Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada.

Gran Reserva: aged in the bottle for more than 30 months

Where can one buy Bodega Langa Cava?

Patience that deserves its reward. Over 30 months of careful aging in cellars results in a unique wine. Pale gold, with small, perfect

We sell our Cava in the United States, Canada, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium.

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THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF CAVA

What are the best Cavas in Spain? Apart from ours (of course!), I would say the Cavas of Recaredo, Agustí Torelló Mata and Gramona.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH RODOLFO VALIENTE OF BODEGAS VEGALFARO (VALENCIA) The Vegalfaro bodega has proved its priority of producing a top-quality Cava with its first 2006 vintage: a very expressive Cava with an evocative nose and a long and very pleasant finish. The winery’s well-conceived project is based on the reliance on quality grapes and the respect of careful production methods.

OUR PICKS AGUSTÍ TORELLÓ MATA Krypta To make its signature Krypta Cava, the Agustí Torelló Mata family uses the most modern technology to blend its three classic types of Cava. Already well-known in Spain and gaining popularity around the world, this wine stands out for its production and its amphora-shaped bottle. Krypta has an amazing taste of fresh fruits and is very dry. Agustí Brut Reserva 2005 Is a blend of 48 % Macabeo, 27 % Parellada and 25 % Xarel-lo from vines that are over 25 years old. It has a pale golden colour and a nose of green apple and mineral notes. Dry and refreshing on the palate, it has excellent concentration and a delicate finish.

Why a Cava in DO Calatayud? The climate here is conducive to growing white grape varieties. Chardonnay adapts very well to the conditions and has good expression. The town of Requena is authorised to produce Cava.

How would you define your first vintage? A very refreshing Cava that can be aged, due to the acidity of the Macabeo and the structure of the Chardonnay.

Which grape varieties do you use? I have a vineyard with 2.3 hectares of Chardonnay and 2.5 hectares of Macabeo. Our Cava consists of 50 % Chardonnay and 50 % Macabeo.

RECAREDO (SINCE 1878) Recaredo Brut Nature 2006 This Recaredo Cava is a blend of Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada. One distinctive feature of this winery’s Cava is that it is in contact with cork produced at the estate. Natural cork is the ideal material for preserving Cava during its long ageing period. Cork is also environmentally friendly and sustainable and safeguards Mediterranean identity and local traditions.

Christophe Chapillon (Zaragoza, Spain)

JANÉ VENTURA Vintage 2006 Gran Reserva This Cava of 50 % Xarel-lo, 30 % Macabeo and 20 % Parellada aims to achieve the ultimate in refinement and elegance that these three traditional grape varieties can offer, resulting in a very complex Cava with good structure and smoothness.

AROUND 40 % OF THE TOTAL PRODUCTION IS SOLD DOMESTICALLY, AND 60 % IS SOLD ABROAD

GRAMONA Argent rosé 2006 A Cava made from 100 % Pinot Noir, aged for 30 months on the lees. It has an appealing, subtle salmon pink colour. It is excellent with white meats or truffles. Imperial 2006 Gran Reserva This Cava of 50 per cent Xarel-lo, 40 % Macabeo and 10 % Chardonnay is aged for between three and four years. It has a straw colour and a moderately intense nose with highlights of citrus and pineapple, the most floral of fruit. SUMARROCA Nuria Claverol 2006 Reserva A Cava of Chardonnay, Xarel-lo and Parellada that is aged in the bottle for 36 months. It has a pale yellow colour and small beadlike bubbles. The bouquet is complex and full-bodied, with rich hints of bread, brioche and yeast

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STARS & WINE

www.gilbertgaillard.com

The Desperate Housewives spill the beans Beautiful, talented, liberated and determinedly unsubmissive, for almost eight years now Gabrielle, Bree, Lynette and Susan of the television series ”Desperate Housewives” have shown varying skills in the kitchen. But what about the actresses themselves? What do they think about cuisine, French gastronomy and wines? Frank Rousseau

EVA LONGORIA, alias GABRIELLE SOLIS

in Latino-inspired grilled meat and other Western dishes. It’s so successful that

TERI HATCHER, alias SUSAN MAYER

we’ve opened a second Beso in Las Vegas.

106

I’ve read that when you go to a restaurant

Most of our wines are Californian.

You once said that if it weren’t for Marc

in France you try to bribe the chef …

Are you a meat-lover?

Cherry,

It’s true! I remember one night out with

My family used to live on an isolated

Housewives, today you would be

friends; we were served pasta with meat

ranch on the border between Texas and

managing a restaurant. Was this a bit of

in a divine sauce. Right away, I tried to get

Mexico. My grandmother carried a weapon

an exaggeration?

the lowdown on the ingredients so I

to defend herself against potential

Not really. If Marc Cherry hadn’t hired

could make the sauce at home, but the

intruders. She never had to use her gun

me in Hollywood after a long journey

chef didn’t want to let on. He said it was

for that, but we did use them to hunt. It

through the wilderness, I would still be

a family secret. So then I tried my luck

was a time when we didn’t have much

managing a restaurant like I did at the

with the sommelier, because I was sure it

money; we grew vegetables and raised

time. I even went so far as to call my

was a wine sauce: ‘Tell me, my friend,

chickens, but red meat was hard to come

agent to solemnly tell him that I planned

what is this red wine sauce called again?

by. So my father shot game so that we

to quit show business to dedicate myself

I can’t remember.’ It worked! Two

could have a balanced diet. The big thing

to a new project: opening a cake shop!

minutes later, the sommelier gave me all

was to organise a giant weekend barbecue.

What would your speciality have been?

the ingredients. When I got back home to

I’ve been to a few garden parties in

Pumpkin and cranberry muffins. No one

Texas, I wanted to make the same sauce

France, and it’s not the same atmosphere.

can match them! (laughs)

using the same wine, which I can’t find

The wine is great and the meat is excellent,

So you’re the exact opposite of Susan,

where I live. So I had it imported. When I

but eating a steak while listening to

your character in Desperate Housewives,

saw the import taxes, I said to myself that

classical music is just not my thing! For

who

I should have just bought a ticket to go to

me, a barbecue should be backed by

cheese!

Paris! (laughs)

country music. Having said that, I drank

I’m a good cook. In fact, that’s not

You’ve opened a Tex-Mex restaurant in

amazing wines in France - I spoke French

uncommon when you’re a single mother!

Los Angeles called Beso. What wines do

without even realising it! (laughs) I

I love cooking fish. When I was a kid, my

you serve?

particularly remember a Château Lafite

father took me fishing for wild salmon in

Yes, I opened the restaurant with the

that was so fruity that I just couldn’t get

the rivers of California. Today I have less

famous chef Wolfgang Puck. It specialises

enough! (laughs)

time to fish. But I know exactly which

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

the

can’t

creator

even

make

Desperate

macaroni

STARS & WINE

TERI HATCHER (SUSAN), FRANK ROUSSEAU, MARCIA CROSS (BREE), FELICITY HUFFMAN (LYNETTE), EVA LONGORIA (GABRIELLE), DANA DELANY (KATHERINE)

wines to pair with the fish I buy. Once, in

Is it true that one of your beauty secrets is

fill my cart with frozen pre-prepared

France, I came across an extraordinary

to take a wine bath?

meals; the only thing I know how to do is

wine from Burgundy that incredibly

It’s not exactly a bath in wine, but a bath

remove the packaging. Appalling, I know.

enhanced the flavour of the fish. It also

in water with a large glass of wine added.

On the other hand, in the wine section, I

withstood cooking well, molecularly

It’s full of tannins, and tannins are good

fare rather better. I always manage to find

speaking.

for the skin.

a bottle that will pair well with such and

think

was

white

such a dish. That comes from my father.

Meursault. The French are the world champions at sauces. Not only is the taste exquisite, but they have an amazing

MARCIA CROSS, alias BREE VAN DE KAMP

He could spend hours and hours looking at the colour of a wine in the light, fascinated by the history of the vineyard

talent for whetting the appetite through the eyes and nose. I had the chance to

Do you identify with Bree’s desire to

and so on. He once even had his mind set

visit some wineries in France, where the

control everything and be a perfect

on tasting all the wines in the world! My

smell of fruit and wood permeated

housewife?

mother eventually dissuaded him from

everything. You want only one thing: to

If there is one thing that I don’t have in

that.

sit down and order everything on the

common with Bree, it’s her talents in the

How did the last dish you made on your

wine list. In the United States, when you

kitchen and her organisational ability!

own come out?

go into a restaurant, even a gourmet one,

Just come to the supermarket with me

I totally screwed up a cake the other day.

it smells of bleached floors!

and you’ll see what I mean right away. I

According to the cookbook, it should

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STARS & WINE

Bree

Gabri

elle Ly ne tt e

have looked like a cake. I don’t know what happened. Was it

Susan

discovered a sort of Empire State Building standing up vertically in the pan. The shape was quite surprising. Then,

©ALL RIGH

Whatever the problem was, when I took it out of the oven, I

TS RESERV

something to do with the baking; the wrong amount of yeast?

the ‘thing’ just collapsed! As for the taste, the word to describe

husband once took me to a restaurant in Paris that served

it doesn’t exist!

specialities from Savoy. The interior was all wooden; it was

What is your favourite French dish?

like we were in a chalet. The chef prepared us an assortment

I love gratin dauphinois. I tried to make it at home a few

of little appetisers: mini-cheese pastries and the Swiss

months ago. A disaster! I forgot to add the milk! (laughs)

charcuterie viande des Grisons. But the dish I liked best was the

Fortunately, I had served my guests with a Beaulieu Vineyard

raclette - I bought a raclette grill in France so I could make it

‘Georges de Latour’, a first-rate Californian wine. Then, with

at home, but I stupidly forgot that we don’t have the same

dessert we had a Sauternes that was so subtle and sweet that

sockets or the same voltage in the United States. So we had to

we felt like we’d travelled to France without leaving our

get an adaptor. The next step is to find raclette cheese. The one

chairs...

that is imported to the United States is pasteurised. I’ve sworn to myself that next time I go to France, I’ll try all the best

FELICITY HUFFMAN, alias LYNETTE SCAVO

cheeses, paired with the best vintage wines. How well do you know your wine? We have a wine cellar at home, although it’s nothing like the

What do you like to cook when you have some free time?

lovely stone vaulted cellars that you have in France. It’s a

At home, we like to eat different kinds of cuisine. We have a

temperature-controlled wine cabinet where my husband and I

particular weakness for Asian cooking, especially Japanese

keep wines we want to drink. After a day on the set, we love to

food. I like the minimalism of their dishes and their presentation.

sink into our leather armchairs and enjoy a Bordeaux - in the

They get right to the heart of what’s essential.

appropriate wine glasses, of course! Serving a vintage wine in

So you’re not a big fan of French cuisine?

tumblers - my God, what sacrilege!

I didn’t say that! Although it’s true that I’m not a devotee of

108

nouvelle cuisine, which I find too overworked and pretentious,

Interview by Frank Rousseau

I wouldn’t say no to what I think you call cuisine du terroir. My

in Los Angeles

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SPRING 2011

RECOMMENDED WINES

GILBERT & GAILLARD T H E

W O R L D W I D E

W I N E

S I G N A T U R E

For a comprehensive overview of some great white wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, compare our tasting notes with those of our well-known American competitors.* *www.gilbertgaillard.com , *www.erobertparker.com and *www.winespectator.com

BORDEAUX - Pessac LĂŠognan

WINE SCORES 95-100/100

an outstanding wine, when a great terroir meets exceptional winemaking expertise

90-94/100

a superlative wine combining finesse, complexity and remarkable winemaking

85-89/100

a wine of extremely high standard, which we enjoyed for its typicity and character

80-84/100

a quality wine combining balance, structure and neatness for a pleasurable wine drinking experience

75-79/100

a wine deemed acceptable

70-74/100

a wine with defects, unacceptable

65-69/100

a wine with major defects, inadmissible

50-64/100

unacceptable wine, not worthy for sale

Note: wines scoring less than 75/100 are not included in our publications.

n/a = not available

2006 2005 2005 2009 2008 2007 2006 2009 2008 2007 2009 2008 2007 2009 2008 2007 2009 2008 2009 2008 2007 2009 2007 2006 2009 2008 2007 2006

Ch. Bouscaut Ch. Bouscaut Ch. Cantelys Ch. Carbonnieux Ch. Carbonnieux Ch. Carbonnieux Ch. Rochemorin Ch. Le Thil Ch. Le Thil Ch. Le Thil Ch. Olivier Ch. Olivier Ch. Olivier Ch. de Fieuzal Ch. de Fieuzal Ch. de Fieuzal Ch. de France Ch. de France Dom. de Chevalier Dom. de Chevalier Dom. de Chevalier Ch. Ferran Ch. Ferran Ch. Ferran Ch. Haut-Bergey Ch. Haut-Bergey Ch. Haut-Bergey Ch. Haut-Bergey

86-88 87 92 90-92 88-90 92 n/a 90-93 88-90 89 90-92 86-88 89 92-94 88-90 93 88-90 86-88 96-98 n/a 96 88-90 90 n/a 89-91 89-91 90 90-92

91 88 n/a 93 94 92 89 n/a n/a n/a 90 90 90 93 94 94 n/a n/a 97 95 96 n/a 87 88 n/a n/a n/a 86

91 91 91 n/a 90 n/a 89 n/a n/a n/a 89-92 n/a n/a 90-93 91 n/a n/a n/a 95-98 91-94 91-94 n/a n/a 87 n/a n/a 90-93 91

Continued on page 110

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

109

RECOMMENDED WINES

GILBERT & GAILLARD

T H E

W O R L D W I D E

W I N E

S I G N A T U R E

7, parc des Fontenelles - 78870 Bailly - France Tel. +33 (0)1 30 80 08 08 - Fax +33 (0)1 30 80 08 88

2009

Ch. Haut-Brion

96-100

94-97

2007

Ch. Haut-Brion

95+

EDITORIAL DIRECTORS: François Gilbert and Philippe Gaillard

2009

Ch. La Garde

90-92

n/a

88-91

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Sylvain Patard

2007

Ch. La Garde

n/a

87-90

2009

Ch. La Louviere

87-89

n/a

85-88

2007

Ch. La Louviere

90-92

n/a

88-91

TASTING COMMITTEE: François Gilbert, Philippe Gaillard, Sylvain Patard, Olivier Delorme and James Turnbull

2009

Ch. Larrivet Haut-Brion

90-92

n/a

2008

Ch. Larrivet Haut-Brion

90-92

n/a

86-89

2007

Ch. Larrivet Haut-Brion

n/a

2009

Ch. Latour-Martillac

90-92

n/a

88-91

2008

Ch. Latour-Martillac

88-91

n/a

88-91

2009

Ch. Malartic-Lagraviere

95-98

n/a

90-93

2008

Ch. Malartic-Lagraviere

n/a

T RANSLATION: Elise Bradbury, Sharon Nagel

2007

Ch. Malartic-Lagraviere

2009

Ch. Pape Clément

94-97

n/a

92-95

2008

Ch. Pape Clément

91-93

n/a

ADVERTISING: Frédéric Comet : (+33)6 27 58 47 06 Annick Delauneux - Tel. +33 (0)1 3 26 55 28 92 Nicolas Sanseigne: +33 (0)6 46 86 80 01

2007

Ch. Pape Clément

n/a

2008

Ch. Smith-Haut-Lafitte

91-93

2007

Ch. Smith-Haut-Lafitte

94-96

REDACTION: Michèle Huyard CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE: Mark Andrew, Jean Batilliet, Jim Budd, Christophe Chapillon, Pierre Courdurié, Richard Craig, Nicolle Croft, Janet Edsforth-Stone, Christine Fabre, Cécilia Gouvernet, Walid Haddad, Louise Hurren, Thomas Magnani, Jean Natoli, Jamal Rayyis, Franck Rousseau, Philippe Roux, Delphine Veissière

PRESS RELEASE: Grégoire Meridjen - Fisheye - +33 (0)6 22 94 53 10 LAY-OUT: Renata Lahalle PRINTING: ASSISTANCE PRINTING - FRANCE DISTRIBUTOR IN FRANCE: MLP

BURGUNDY - Corton Charlemagne 2006

Bouchard père et Fils

94-95

n/a

2007

Bouchard père et Fils

n/a

2006

Louis Latour

90-91

n/a

2005

Louis Latour

n/a

CONTACT DETAILS OF ESTATES FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE RATED WINES, Pages 36-38

Château Le Sartre

Domaine Galévan +33 (0)4 90 70 84 26 contact@domaine-galevan.com

+33 (0)5 56 64 08 78

Château Montrose +33 (0)5 56 59 30 12 nglumineau@chateau-montrose.com

WINE AND FOOD, Page 84 Champagne Drappier

chateaulesartre@wanadoo.fr +33 (0)3 25 27 40 15

RATED WINES, Page 39

infos@champagne-drappier.com

Cave les Coteaux de Visan +33 (0)4 90 28 50 80

Champagne Franck Bonville

cave@coteaux-de-visan.fr Château Fonroque +33 (0)5 57 24 60 02 info@chateaufonroque.com Domaine Guy Farge +33 (0)4 75 06 58 49 guyfarge@orange.fr

Domaine de la Rouillère +33 (0) 04 94 55 72 60

Château Léoville Barton +33 (0)5 56 59 06 05 chateau@leoville-barton.com Domaine Gitton +33 (0)2 48 54 38 84 gittonvin@wanadoo.fr

110

contact@domainedelarouillere.com

REGION -CHAMPAGNES DE

DISTRIBUTOR IN SOUTH-AFRICA: MCS, 2157 Woodmead

VIGNERONS, Page 97 Champagne J.M Gobillard et fils +33 (0)3 26 51 00 24 champagne-gobillard@wanadoo.fr

BEAUJOLAIS, Page 53 Vins de Pizay

Champagne Pierre Moncuit

+33 (0)4 74 66 26 10

+33 (0)3 26 57 52 65

chapizay@wanadoo.fr

contact@pierre-moncuit.fr

GILBERT & GAILLARD

SPRING 2011

DISTRIBUTORS IN ASIA: China and Hong Kong: FPPS, Hong Kong Japan: DIP, 107 0051 TOKYO Taiwan: MULTI-ARTS, 10455 Taipei Korea : UPA, 110-850 Séoul

contact@champagne-franck-bonville.com

+33 (0)6 07 48 74 65 aigues.belles@orange.fr

DISTRIBUTORS IN NORTH AMERICA: USA: Speedimpex, 11 101 New York Medis Marketing Direct, New York Source Interlink, FL 34134 Bonita Springs Canada: LMPI, H1J 2L5 Anjou

DISTRIBUTORS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW-ZEALAND: Gordon and Gotch Australia, 2086 Frenchs Forest Gordon and Gotch Australia, 1006 Auckland

+33 (0)3 26 57 52 30 Domaine D’Aigues Belles

DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISED BY EXPORT PRESS: DISTRIBUTORS IN EUROPE: Austria: Morawa GMBH, 1140 Wien Belgium: Imapress, 2300 Turnhout Denmark: Interpress, 2605 Broendby Finland: Rautakirja OY, 1641 Vantaa Germany: WE Saarbach gmbh, 50332 Hurth Holland: Betapress, 5126PT GILZE Italy: Intercontinental, 20124 Milano Portugal: Fraccao, 1990-075 Lisboa Spain: Iber Press SL, 28042 Madrid Sweden: Svenska ab, 120 22 Stockholm UK: Native Publisher services ltd, LS28 7LG Pudsey

Gilbert & Gaillard Wine International is published by Vinipresse, SARL with a capital of 35,500 euros • Head office: 7 Parc des Fontenelles, 78870 Bailly, France • Legal representative and Editorial director: Sylvain Patard • Legal deposit: first quarter 2011 • Joint consultative committee: 0612 K 90504 • ISSN 2110-6762 Reproduction of part or all of the contents of this magazine in any form is expressly prohibited. Any company names that appear in the articles are given for information only and have no publicity purpose.