The Feiring Line
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THE FEIRING LINE . The Real Wine Newsletter . ISSUE NO.1 OCTOBER 2012 WHERE TO EAT AND WHERE A WORD ON TERROIR TO DRINK? AND GRANITE The Green Man & French Horn, London. Considering London wine bars have been some of my claret-soaked for years, but ever wine hotspots since the importer Les Caves de are Alsace, Pyrene expanded their purview northern to include bar à vins, new life Rhône, Sierra has burst into the scene. Foothills, Beaujolais and The Caves is headed up by a western Loire, gentle giant of a leader, Eric I see that I’m Narioo. In 2008 the team birthed more than just a little fond of granite’s effect on a vine. Terroirs in Covent Garden. Brawn broke water in East But why? What is it about a soil with a granitic profile End’s vibrant Hackney area. Soif, in the far reaches of exactly. The myth goes on that you can taste the soil in Battersea, followed in 2011. (I braved the hike there for my the grape, but is that actually the case? In search of the launch of Naked Wine. Food and wine, worth the trip.) answers I went to talk to another granite lover, David With this new baby every year, they must not practice Lillie, co-owner of the iconic Tribeca store, Chambers birth control, because as of October, there’s another: Street Wines. The Green Man & French Horn is now alive in Leicester Square. Let’s kidnap this idea, shall we? Listen up. David and I sat in the back of the shop one July afternoon while he recalled a visit to muscadet master Envision the Atlantic side of France; a strong seafood Marc Ollivier of Domaine de la Pépière. “I make my element combined with all-the-chenin-you-could-ever- wines from my plots the same way,” Marc said to him. drink as well as whatever-vintage-muscadet-they-could- “The plots have different soils but they are very close to nab and from all your favorite producers. In muscadet? each other. It’s evident that the wines made from them Take Landron and Luneau. The former from 1993(79£). are quite different. As they age their differences are The latter from 1989(87£). They’ve a plurality of more apparent.” To him that was the proof of terroir. cabernet franc back vintages; 1974 from Caslot, 1985 from Breton in Bourgeuil. (Under 85£ for both.) Lenoir Terroir, (a special place as interpreted by the grape), verticals stretch back to 1976. Prices are more than fair, is apparent even in a young wine. To illustrate, David and I’m salivating. Book a flight now. uncorked and unscrewed two 2010 wines: one was the Clos des Briords from Ollivier’s small parcel on Château 54 St Martin’s Lane Thébaud crumbly, silvery granite. The other was Jo Leicester Square Landron’s Domaine de la Louvetrie Fief du Breuil grown London, WC2N 4EA on a hillside of orthogneiss with clay and small quartz. “The aromatic difference between the gneiss and granite terroir is in the quality of the acidity and aroma,” said David. He stuck his nose into the Briords. He pondered, continued on page 9 . IN THIS ISSUE . 1 1 2 6 7 WHERE TO EAT AND A WORD ON MY WINE A TRIP TO JEAN YVES BIZOT WHERE TO DRINK? TERROIR AND GRANITE RECOMMENDATIONS THE BEAUJOLAIS IN VOSNE-ROMANÉE THE FEIRING LINE . OCTOBER 2012 This issue is weighted towards gamay. Hope you don’t mind but the truth is, I’ve been a sucker for the grape for years. It changes dramatically depending on the soil it is grown in. Top spots for me are the northern Rhône(rare but it exists), the Loire, Auvergne and Burgundy. I even like the gamay grown in the Sierra Foothills. (Thank you always, Steve Edmunds for working with it at Edmunds St. John.) Depending on my mood, I’ll opt for it on granite(more focused), limestone(more zing), or clay(more heft). Give it a little age, and it develops into a baby burgundy, fully developed and wise. Domaine Julien Sunier Domaine del la Grand’Cour 2011 Morgon 2011 “Clos de la Grand Cour” WHERE Morgon, Beaujolais, France Vielles Vignes GRAPE Gamay WHERE Fleurie, Beaujolais, France AG Conversion to organic GRAPE Gamay SO2 Low AG Organic certified PRICE $25 SO2 Pas de trop IMPORTER JoliVin in California, Polaner PRICE $25 Selections, NYC IMPORTER Polaner Selections Quaffable, elegant, feminine, whispery, with just a little bit of grit and When I first tasted this I wrote—retaste. Verdict. It’s as yum as I thought. tannin to give it the right attitude. Drink now or whenever, but before your firstborn goes to high school. Bernard Vallette Paul-Henri Thillardon 2010 Beaujolais 2010 Chénas “Les Boccards” WHERE Beaujolais, France WHERE Beaujolais, France GRAPE Gamay GRAPE Gamay AG Organic and biodynamic certified AG Organic SO2 Above 20ppm but headed down SO2 Low-ish PRICE $19 PRICE $30 IMPORTER M.F.W. Wine Co. IMPORTER M.F.W. Wine Co. Kind of delish. Great price. Glou. Glou. Carbonic. Easy, a spice kick. Been hearing a lot about this dude, haven’t met him. Renting vines, works with a horse and works with Burgundian vinification, extended maceration. This was my favorite and serious. In fact. It made me stop. Consider. Reconsider. Edgy and granitic. Drink now or in a few. 2 THE FEIRING LINE . OCTOBER 2012 Domaine Maupertuis Domaine Dupasquier 2011 Les Pierres Noires 2009 Gamay WHERE Auvergne, France (drop directly south WHERE Savoie, France from Paris for 4.5 hours or 2.5 hours west of Lyon) GRAPE Gamay GRAPE Gamay AG Organic, non-certified SO2 None SO2 At bottling PRICE $20 IMPORTER Selection Massale IMPORTER LDM Wines A sincere wisp of a wine that didn’t see any wood. It gets everyone at the This wine is a wench with a brain. Utter deliciousness. Throws a little table emotional. It must be the basalt in the clay terroir. I promise it is volatility (that je ne sais quoi of nail polish.) Settles down the second going to evolve over a few short years in a most interesting manner. Yes, day. You’ve got to get this one. Drink now and in a few. By the way, you will it’s a carbonic, so what? Love it. Drink now or in eight. want to sign up for the Selection Massale mailing list. Some great wine opportunities. Click on the link above. Mikaël Bouges Domaine de Montrieux 2011 Les Cots Hauts 2011 Le Verre des Poètes WHERE Touraine, Loire, France WHERE Coteaux de Vendômois, Loire, France GRAPE Cot GRAPE Pineau d’aunis SO2 Pas de trop AG Organic PRICE $15 SO2 None IMPORTER M.F.W. Wine Co. PRICE $30 IMPORTER M.F.W. Wine Co. I never met this guy. Want to. His sensibility is spot on. Yum, velvet, a For years wine maker Emilie Heredia promised to send his wines to prickle of CO2. Easy yet important. Talk dirt to me. Drink now and in a the states. Now, we have all of his wines, from north to south. This moderate few. is his super-star pineau d’aunis. As always, taste is full of red zinger and heavenly. Score it for home, not in points. Drink up. Nicolas Gonin Domaine des Dimanches 2010 Persan 2007 G WHERE Balmes Dauphinoises, France (west WHERE Aspiran, Languedoc, France of Savoie) GRAPE Grenache GRAPE Persan AG Organic AG Non-certified organic SO2 No add SO2 Low PRICE $22 PRICE $22 IMPORTER M.F.W. Wine Co. IMPORTER M.F.W. Wine Co. New heart throb. I had the 2011 in France, very pelaverga-like. The 2010 Heredia’s southern domaine. Summerweight fruit meets hard earth. The is more intense, and dense and more dolcetto. Terroir is complex, clay, anthitesis to clunky grenache marked by a light touch, lively and warming. I limestone, sandstone, gravel. Traditional fermentation, short maceration. starred the hell out of it. Simple, ecstatic pleasure. Would love to see this with some age. 3 THE FEIRING LINE . OCTOBER 2012 Domaine des Dimanches Domaine Rimbert 2009 CMC 2009/2011 Les Travers de Marceau WHERE Aspiran, Languedoc, France WHERE Saint-Chinian, Languedoc, France GRAPE Cinsault, Mourvedre, Carignan GRAPE Mourvedre, Syrah Carignan, Cinsault AG Organic AG Sustainable SO2 None SO2 Low PRICE $20 PRICE $16 IMPORTER M.F.W. Wine Co. IMPORTER Jenny & Francois Selection Another winner from Heredia, this is one for those who like a bitter I stood in Jean Marie’s globular vines and felt the angry wind he must chocolate finish. Perfect table wine. Great party stuff. farm. I got it. There’s wildness in this wine even though it’s only 12.5%! From schist soil, the taste is fresh, dark fruit and olé molé. The 2011 is excellent too; expect a spritz of CO2. Safe for bordeaux lovers. De Martino Pheasants Tears 2011 Viejas Tinajas 2011 Tavkveri HERE W Itata, Chile WHERE Georgia RAPE G Cinsault GRAPE Tavkveri G A Organic AG Organic SO2 At bottling SO2 Low RICE P $15 PRICE $22 MPORTER I Good luck! (Try looking for this next time IMPORTER Williams Corner WIne you’re in London or bug Puro Chile in Soho to find a way to get in.) This is the only wine from Chile I would go out of my way to buy. Old Was first taken with this wine when tasted at The Real Wine Fair in unirrigated vines, grown in the cool southerly region of Itata, it was London. Going a little quiet now, but still waxy and earthy with a begonia- fermented in clay jugs and turned wine into raspberry juice.