The Season of Tastings

 

The Orsay room is set up
'Tis the season for tastings, and so these past few weeks I've been busy standing behind tables pouring my wines that are distributed in NYC. At T Edward's tasting Jean-Pascal Aubron's Muscadet got very good reactions, a testament to his wine-making skills. But the biggest taste test was at Orsay, where Gabriella Wines held their Fall Portfolio Tasting. I poured four wines (Chateau La Bouscade, Clos Bagatelle, Felines Jourdan and Chateau Haut-Musiel) for eight hours, standing in a low-ceilinged room while hundreds of store and restaurant wine buyers filed past, sniffing, swirling, tasting and spitting (for the most part). To say I am exhausted is putting it mildly.

 

The room fills up
But I did find some things very interesting. For one thing, many folks are upbeat about the economy, which is a plus for everyone. Rising tides and all that. For another, it was really fascinating to see how the people who choose the wines the end consumer finds on lists or shelves make their decisions.

 

K&D Wines' Buyer
Most stopped and listened, either out of politeness or interest or both, as I rattled off the information about my wines. Many seemed to enjoy learning about what they were tasting, and took the time to ask questions and probe deeper. Others shot past, gulping the wines quickly and nodding a quick thanks.

 

One of Premier Cru's wine buyers
But I found it fascinating to think that all these people would be making business decisions that would affect what ends up in the glasses of the end consumer. Just like I'd gone through thousands of wines before choosing the ones I represent, they had to taste through hundreds of bottles lined up on tables like soldiers on the march. Like me, they seek the wines that are both well-made and sellable (the two are sometimes mutually exclusive, sadly).

With so much to taste, it is easy to become overwhelmed and fall back on the standard labels. So it was nice to see how dedicated these buyers were to finding interesting wines (sometimes mine! yay!). For me, it was physically and mentally exhausting (you'd be amazed at how tiring it can get, standing and talking ad nauseum about my wines for hours on end, and I love my wineries. But it's a part of the job I love precisely because I get to talk so much about my portfolio. And folks seemed to appreciate the effort, I am happy to say.
Cheers!

A Week in the South of France

 

Yeah, there are worse places to be in early summer. Sometimes, despite all the difficulties, there are some nice aspects to this job. I spent a week travelling back and forth between the Languedoc and the Rhone, visiting my current and potential wineries.

 

I started off at La Bouscade, my Minervois producer that is making some great, juicy, but not over-the-top wines right outside of Carcassonne. Between visiting the vineyards and tasting the wines, I helped replace the tire on a tractor in the middle of a field.

 

I had time to take some pictures of the vines under the bright, warm sun, tiny berries just starting to appear as the summer started.

 

It was such a pleasure to see David, his lovely wife Jo, their kids, and taste their wines. We had a fantastic time catching up and visiting, their wines are really something special and are doing really well in NYC, I am happy to say.

 

Next I headed East to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the ancient capital of the Avignon Papacy and heart of the Rhone's wine-producing region. This hilly land is overseen by the ruins of the castle, towering over the town itself and the rocky vineyards around it.

 

In Chateauneuf, I joined some travelling friends from the US for a lovely lunch at Domaine Pegau, the reputed Chateauneuf producer. There, Laurence Feraud, the winemaker, took us for a tour and tasting before opening her heart, cellar and kitchen to us.

 

When we came to the house, we were greeted by a lovely table. Here, we shared in Laurence's generosity with a delicious meal and good friends.

 

Oh, and of course, some quite nice wines.

 

We also had a chance to visit other domaines, including Bosquet des Papes, the classic Chateauneuf winery. To say the 2007s are good, well, that's an understatement of massive proportions.

 

We also stopped in at a favorite of mine, Pierre Usseglio. Again, we tried the 2007s, and were rewarded with beautiful, fresh fruit and vivid acidity. 2007 is indeed a wonderful vintage, from what I've tasted in the Rhone so far.

 

Vieille Julienne was another stop, and here the 2007s were also fantastic, with some differences in style and price of course. But still, WOW.

 

I ended my visit to the Rhone with one of the best, if not THE best, meals of my entire trip to Europe. Dinner at Gerard Alonso was really good, with pristine ingredients, a beautiful setting, great wines (2005 Allemand Cornas les Chaillots - yum!), and good friends. The chesse tray alone is worth the visit!

 

The next day, I hopped on a train and headed South, to the border with Spain. The train was clean, air-conditionned (wow!) and on-time, a real pleasure to take between cities. How come we don't have anything like this here in the US???? For about 28 Euros, I could travel for hundreds of kilometers in a comfortable environment. It is ridiculous and shameful to think that the leader of the Free World can't make a train system that works well.

It was such a pleasure to find myself back in the wine-producing areas of France. The weather was great, the food was delicious, and of course the wines profound. Best of all, it's always a thrill to find oneself among people who are passionate about what they do. And, I am thrilled to say that the 2007s are just gorgeous, real beauties to taste and drink.
Cheers!

Shameless Self-Promotion: Mini-Portfolio Tasting on 2/21 at Wine Library

Dear Readers,

Come to the Wine Library in Springfield, NJ, on Saturday, February 21st, from noon to 4pm.

I will be pouring three of my wines, L'Agary (a red from the Languedoc), the delicious La Bouscade (a 100% Syrah from the Minervois) and the fantastic Domaine Didier et Catherine Tripoz Macon Charnay le Clos des Tournons (oak-less Chardonnay from 45-year old vines in a walled-in plot).

Best of all, none of these retails for more than $15!

Have fun, taste some great wines, and meet some fellow wine-lovers!
Cheers!

Monday in the Minervois

Talk about "garagiste": David and Jo in front of their winery's door
I found myself in the ancient walled city of Carcassonne after a lovely weekend in the Cahors visiting my family and one of my wineries, Château Gaudou. I was met at the train station by Château La Bouscade’s winemaker, David Cowderoy. With a bright warm sun and blue sky, this was a nice change from the cold dampness of the Muscadet region or the foggy mornings in the hills of the Cahors. Now, I was in the South of France.

Yay!

After a quick drive to the tiny village of Puicheric, we got down to business: breaking into David’s house as he’d forgotten his keys… He grabbed a ladder from the open winery and made his way to the roof, finally finding an open window. Aaaah, the vagaries of the wine business…

The racking system in the tiny winery
We quickly began tasting the 2007 Syrahs from a plot of land called the Stone Shed for the dilapidated building in the vineyard. David had put the wines in different oak barrels to see how they’d react. It was fascinating, even though every Syrah had a certain common streak (gorgeous dark fruit and minerality) they were all marked more or less by the wood, as would be expected. The French oaks imparted more smooth tannins and lighter tastes, the American oak was what you’d expect, big and brawny with rough tannins, and the Russian oak added a perfumy aspect to the wine that I hadn’t been expecting. In any case, 2007 looks to be a good vintage for David.

David pointing out how he makes his wines

The TINY pneumatic press
Stealing some wine with the wine thief (pipette)
Pouring barrel samples
We also tasted some whites like a late-harvest Vermentino/Macabeo which was lovely but still undergoing fermentation and almost painfully sweet. Tasting still-fermenting wines, either red or white, was an interesting experience but it was tough to judge the quality of something that hasn’t really grown into itself. By the end, my hands and teeth were stained black and my mouth was super dry from all the tannins.

Caught red-handed!
Bacchus the guard dog
After a quick scrub-down, I sat down for a lovely and long and copious dinner of BBQ’d duck breast (amazingly tasty and succulent), scalloped potatoes, and assorted fresh veggies, with a lovely Syrah and herb reduction. We began with David’s 2007 Chardonnay, a lovely rendition with just a hint of oak and refreshing acidity. We then moved onto his 2005 QED, a 100% Mourvèdre. The QED program is made up of whichever grape does best in each vintage, and in 2005 the Mourvèdre was stunning, offering a wine of incredible intensity but beautiful balance. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

Then, with some stinky cheeses, he poured the 2006 Septs Vents, the next vintage of the wine I’ve placed in New Jersey and New York. Not as big as the QED, this was still a beautiful 100% Syrah. Best yet, it’s under screw-cap, so no worries about TCA!

Finally, David offered a small half-bottle of the late-harvest Macabéo/Vermentino, a nice sweet ending to a lovely dinner where we ate, drank and laughed in equal amounts (ie a LOT). It was a perfect example of why I’m just so happy in this business: you are surrounded by folks who are passionate about what they are doing, and who love sharing that passion with others.

Gobelet-trained vine
Walking through the vineyards
The next morning we set out for David and Jo’s plots, walking through the beautiful vineyards until lunchtime. David showed me the work they were doing in their parcels, working the land as naturally as possible so as to make the best wines possible. In a few years, a new winery will be built, all of it planned to be as environmentally-friendly as possible. David is extremely ambitious and proud of his parcels and I don’t blame him, the potential for greatness is definitely there.

The rocky soil
Vines in the stony soil
Gnarly old vines
More old vines

Next: Two Days in the Languedoc.
Cheers!

And away we go...

It's that time of the year again, harvest, when the grapes are ripe (hopefully), the sugars high and the pips not too green. It's also a race against the clock, as you rush into the fields to pick those cute little berries before rot/birds/weather/deer get to them. And to those of you who think it's easy, I offer my report of the 2006 Burgundy harvest, where I learned how difficult a job it could be.

That said, there is a lovely sense of camaraderie in the trenches, as you waddle from cluster to cluster with sharp secateurs and clip the bunches. Covered in mud, dust and leaves, with some spider webs thrown in for good measure, no one can get too full of themselves. Let's face it, misery really does love company.

So I offer for your perusal some pictures from this year's harvest at La Bouscade, in the Minervois region of SW France, which is going on even as I write these words from the comfort of my New York apartment. My knees, feet, fingertips and back are all thanking me for not having volunteered this year. I am getting too old for that...

Picking Grenache

Grenache awaiting pickup

Yet more Grenache

Loading the trailer
Enjoy!
Cheers!

They Like Me (Part Deux)!

Well, yet again, not really me (understandable, after all I am an opinionated, stubborn SOB as most of my friends will tell you), but rather one of my wines. I was thrilled to see a review of my Chateau La Bouscade on the influential Mark Squires Bulletin Board.

I guess I should preface this with a disclaimer that the poster is a friend, it's true, but sometimes friends are the best/worst critics. I had been nervous when he told me he had bought a bottle and was looking forward to trying it, as I knew he wouldn't be shy with his opinion. Would he be scathing? Would he love it? Would he just shrug his shoulders and say "bleh"?

To be honest, I was worried that I would disappoint him and my other friends, who've been such good sports and really supportive of my endeavors. Vinotas Selections is after all a brand new company, and there's nothing more nerve-wracking than starting a new venture, especially in the middle of a recession. And when one of the wines you've worked hard to import ends up in someone you know's hands, you are really putting yourself in their hands (not a bad thing if you have models for friends, but, alas, such is not the case for me).

So this morning he emailed me and said he had posted a note about the 2004 Chateau La Bouscade Les Septs Vents, a wine from the Minervois region of the Languedoc in the south of France, near the border with Spain. It's a 100% Syrah which does see a little time in oak, and frankly is the most New World-like (shocking! shocking! Now I'll never hear the end of it from my friend Ben Sherwin who has made it his goal in life to force-feed me CA wines...) wine in my portfolio.

OK, I've babbled enough, here is his review, and many thanks to Paul Jaouen for letting me post it here:

2004 Chateau Bouscade Sept Vents – This is 100% syrah made with a modern touch from I believe Languedoc. Aromas are white pepper, blackberries and currants. The wine is medium bodied with still primary black fruit flavors, and some oak notes. It puts on weight in the glass over time and the wine feels denser in the mouth. Finish is medium length and quite enjoyable. A mix of the old and new world. 88 points and a solid value at $13. Disclaimer: I am good friends with the importer.

So there you have it. He liked it! Seriously, though, I am breathing a bit better now. It's currently available at the Wine Library for $12.98, in case you were interested... I'm just saying...
Cheers!

Breaking News: Brunello Imports Blocked, My Wines Available!

This has been a busy week already, and it's only Tuesday! But I wanted to share some incredible news, maybe not relevant to me per se as I rep only French wines, but very important to those who love Italian wines: in the wake of a wine-faking scandal in Italy that saw Brunello di Montalcino-labelled bottles being filled with everything from cheap Italian to cheaper Algerian to cheapest who-knows-what wines, the US Government announced today that it won't be releasing any shipments as of June 23rd unless the importer can certify that what's labelled on the bottle is actually in the bottle. In case you weren't aware, Brunello di Montalcino must be produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes. If you mix anything else into it, it ain't Brunello, which means the price (and ergo the profits) drop substantially. Isn't labelling a fun game?

Here's the blurb, straight from the mouths of the TTB:

"To: Importers, Wholesalers and Others Concerned

Purpose

This circular serves as notice that beginning on June 23, 2008, the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will not release shipments of Brunello di Montalcino wine unless the importer submits to CBP a statement attesting that the wine meets the requirements of the Brunello di Montalcino Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and is acceptable for sale as such in Italy."

That's huge, and is going to cost a lot of people a lot of money. Gotta love the Italians for not moving faster to clean up their act...

Oh, and on a personal note, for those who were asking about the wine that had arrived in the US, you can find it here (with my notes too!): Wine Library Bouscade Septs Vents Syrah.

Right now I am looking like this:


Phew. That was a lot. I am pooped. OK, back to your regular scheduled blog.
Cheers!

The Thrill of Discovery

Obviously not me, but I like the picture

The other day I wrote about how I get tons of samples, and how I really need to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince amongst them. And it's quite true, though many people still think I'm spoiled with all the free booze. Yeah, well, you try tasting through 20 young, thick black Corbières or Cahors wines, then come see me. If your teeth are still white and your tongue still functions, you ain't doing it right.

In that post, I mentioned how I seek something that is well-made and a good-value, a wine with good balance between all the components. Something that makes me sit up and take notice, something that tells me the winemaker wasn't just following a recipe but was actually watching over his baby like an obsessed parent. Something that gets me all excited and all revved up and reminds me why I love my job despite the constant hammering of badly-made bottles, occasionally over-priced producers and customers seeking better prices amidst a flailing Dollar.

It's something I like to call the "thrill of discovery".

It happens far too rarely, as the world is awash in an ocean of bad wine. But when it does happen, it makes everything else seem worthwhile. And I can happily say that it happened to me the other day, when I tasted a bunch of samples from a winery, Chateau La Bouscade, in the Minervois, an area located halfway between the Mediterranean coast and the ancient fortified city of Carcassonne.

There, winemaker David Cowderoy is crafting some beautiful, well-balanced, medium-to-big bodied reds from Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and old-vine Carignan. The wines, it's true, have seen some oak, but not in an obnoxious way. If anything, the wood ageing adds complexity and body to the wine without masking the fruit, something that can happen when the winemaker isn't careful. And from what I've seen so far, Mr. Cowderoy is very careful.

I tasted with a few friends in the wine business, and as we tasted the wines over the course of a few hours, I couldn't help but sit up straight, slowly and surely, a small smile creasing my lips. The wines kept on developping, becoming deeper and more complex as they breathed. While they're not huge wines, especially by New World standards, they are elegant and balanced, wines someone could enjoy alone or with food and not get burned by the alcohol.

I had similar reactions to all their bottlings, and thus to me it was a no-brainer to represent them. Better yet, they represent both a great value and an understanding of international commerce, a rare combination. This is a perfect example of the thrill of discovery. Of course, the best thing is when potential clients taste the wines and say things like "This over-delivers!"

And when it happens, it makes everything good.

Cheers!