Travelers' Tales and Adventures in Wine

The other day, I was not feeling well, so I stayed all day in bed, reading Adventures in Wine: True Stories of Vineyards and Vintages Around the World. I really recommend this book, a great collection of wine stories, sometimes witty, sometimes funny, sometimes inspiring, but always warm-hearted.

In Etymology of a wine lover, we learn how the author, Jan Morris, became a wine lover during one special Australian Summer day, with a glass of white wine, a simple paté, some cheese and an apple.

We learn how to order the proper wine in Italian restaurants in Italy in Fiasco, thanks to David Darlington, and How to Conquer a Wine List, thanks to Kit Snedaker.

“What was the best wine you ever tasted, the one you will always remember?&rdquo asks Gerald Asher in Remembrance of Wines Past. For him, it was an unknown vino rosso, in a simple Lake Maggiore inn, ruby bright, sweetly exotic, lively, with a long glossy finish.

A Tale of Two Meals by Kermit Lynch, in which an American merchant turns the tables on a French chef, is just hilarious.

And what about sharing the stress of Drinking an 1806 Château Lafite with Robert Daley?

But you can always concur with Richard Sterling that Sometimes a Man Just Needs a Drink.


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Merlot tasting: L'Ecole No 41 is a winner!

“If anyone orders Merlot, I am leaving.” is a famous quote from a famous Pinot Noir lover, but does Merlot deserve this critical assessment? As a reality check, I had a recent tasting of ten different Merlots at a friend's place, five from California, three from Washington State, one from Chile, and one from Italy.

That evening, I found most of the California Merlots to be fruit bombs with a high degree of alcohol, and powerful flavors of stewed fruit and sweet oak. They were also the wines that most people preferred, completely overshadowing the other Merlots, especially the ones from Chile and Italy. This reminded me of the Low-Cut Dress Syndrome that Matt Kramer describes in his book Making Sense of Wine, referring to the fact that in parties, men would always be drawn to women with low-cut dress.

“You're tasting, say, two dozens or more red wines at one sitting. No matter how conscious you are of trying to give each wine its due, you will be always drawn to the wine with the deepest color and the most open, accessible, attractive "nose" , or scent.[...] This is the low-cut dress syndrome. The darkest, biggest, richest, good wines with the greatest accessibility always score highest. Always. They are the low-cut dress wines.”

The wines that I preferred that evening came from L'Ecole Nº 41. This Washington State winery is located in an old schoolhouse, in historic Frenchtown. This is a small community just west of Walla Walla, and founded by French-Canadian immigrants in the early 1800s. The winery's winemaking philosophy is to produce well-balanced wines, good acidity, firm but not over-powering tannins, complementary oak extraction, and vibrant, expressive aromas and fruit flavors. The 1999 L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot Columbia Valley had an attractive nose full of berry flavors. On the palate, it was dense but smooth, complex and well-balanced. It was an extremely enjoyable wine, and also very food-friendly. Its little brother, the 2000 L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot Columbia Valley, was richer and sweeter than the 1999 but maybe not as smooth. Overall, I think that I had a slight preference for the 1999.

Here are the wines that we tasted:
1999 Mietz Merlot Sonoma County
2001 Richardson Merlot Sangiacomo Vineyard Los Carneros
2001 Ledson Merlot Sonoma Valley
1999 Merryvale Reserve Merlot
1995 Hanna Merlot Alexander Valley
2002 Sineann Merlot Hillside Vineyard Columbia Valley
2000 L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot Columbia Valley
1999 L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot Columbia Valley
2002 Casa Lapostolle Merlot Cuvée Alexandre
2003 Ermacora Merlot


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Course on Italian wines at Incanto: Italian sparkling wines

I heard about the wine course on Italian wines organized by Incanto from a friend, and thought that this would be a good opportunity for me to learn more about - and taste - Italian wines. For a long time, my experience with Italian wines was limited to that bottle of light Chianti ordered in pizzerias. But the times have changed and Italy is now experiencing a wine renaissance. From Alto Adige to Sicilia, the country produces more and more high quality wines of unique character, many from indigenous grapes that do not grow elsewhere.

Incanto is a friendly Italian restaurant in San Francisco's Noe Valley district with a wine list comprised entirely of Italian wines. The 6 weeks course is designed and run by Incanto's Wine Director, Edward Ruiz. Our first class occurred last Saturday and was dedicated to sparkling wines.



After an informative general introduction on Italian wines, we discussed and tasted four sparkling wines, two from the Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC and two from the Franciacorta DOCG.

Wines from the Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC are made with at least 85% of Prosecco, a variety that has been cultivated in the Valdobbiadene cool pre-alpine hills for two centuries. Valdobbiadene produces the best quality Prosecco, and, because of its reasonable price and freshness, is one of Italy's most popular sparkling wine.

The first wine that we tasted was the Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry Drusian. Showing a light color and citrus aromas on the nose, the wine was dry and crisp, with tingling bubbles on the palate. The finish was fresh with slightly bitter aromas. It was a very pleasant wine and should be an excellent aperitif.

The second Prosecco was very different. The Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore Cartizze Bisol comes from the Cru Cartizze, a small, hilly, and stony place, with a constant humidity, and where the Prosecco grapes ripen slowly. The wine had a deeper color than the first one. It exhibited an aromatic floral nose and sweet ripe fruit on the palate. I found it rather dense and rich for a Prosecco, although I think that I preferred the fresher and crisper style of the first one. Because of its sweetness, it should be a good wine to have with pastries or cookies, maybe some almond biscotti...

I never had any wines from Franciacorta before, and I was eager to taste the two following wines. In the past, this region was mostly making still wines but it recently gained some international reputation with the production of sparkling wines made with the Méthode Champenoise. The appellation's authorized varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero.

The first Franciacorta was the Franciacorta Cuvee Brut Bellavista. The wine had a golden color and a fresh nose of green apple. On the palate, it was nutty, yeasty, full of fine bubbles with a finish that I found elegant, lightly bitter and toasty. I really liked this wine that could easily pass for a Champagne.

We ended the tasting with the Franciacorta Prima Cuvee Brut Monte Rossa. The wine had a deep golden color, pear aromas on the nose, with a note of petroleum. On the palate, it was smoky and dense with a persistent finish, although at the end, I still preferred the elegance and refinement of the Bellavista.

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Dine out and support Katrina relief efforts

On October 5, 2005 the National Restaurant Association and restaurants across the country will band together in a "Dine for America" day, a national fundraising effort to support the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. For participating restaurants in your area visit dineforamerica.org.

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2002 Savennières Cuvée des Genêts Domaine Laureau

This is a Savennières that I drank recently. I really liked it and also found it reasonably priced.

Savennières is a small but distinctive appellation of the Loire Valley. The wines, made from Chenin Blanc, are highly concentrated and age-worthy. Although sweet in the past, they are mostly made dry now.

Chenin Blanc is a widely under-estimated variety with, according to Jancis Robinson, only 9,000 ha planted in its birthplace the Loire, 22,000 in South Africa, 500 in Australia, 200 in New Zealand, 3,600 in Argentina and 8,000 ha in the United States.

Damien Laureau is a promising young winemaker who has taken over 6 hectares of vines from his uncle who was heading into retirement. He recently enjoyed some well deserved recognition with his exceptional Savennières cuvées from the 2002 vintage. The Cuvée des Genêts is made from its youngest vines (20-40 year old), growing on schist and quartz. It is a 100% Chenin Blanc wine, 90% aged in tank and 10% in wood for 18 months.

A Savennières can be austere in its youth but the 2002 Savennières Cuvée des Genêts Domaine Laureau is ready to drink now. The color is bright golden. The nose is mineral and lively. On the palate, it offers a crisp and dense mouthfeel with green apple aromas, followed by a fresh honeyed finish. This delicious wine works wonderfully with Greek taramosalata.



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Oregon Chardonnay: saved by a new clone?

No, this is not another attack of the clones from a Star Wars sequel! The story - an article from Decanter's Norm Roby in the September edition of the magazine - is about establishing Oregon's reputation as a producer of premium Chardonnay thanks to new plantings of Dijon clones. Difficult to ripen, Chardonnay was not doing well in Oregon, and consequently, Pinot Gris quickly became the state's preferred white varietal. But the problem was not the grape or the terroir, just the clones, as it is explained on the Chehalem Winery's website:

“Chardonnay is in the midst of a makeover in Oregon. The key to putting Oregon chardonnay in the same league as great French chardonnays is clones. For years Oregon has grown clones of chardonnay selected for warmer climates, that need longer ripening and acid retention-the opposite of what cool climates need-to only moderate success.[...] Over the last two decades strong cooperation between Burgundians and Oregonians, led by Raymond Bernard and David Adelsheim, respectively, resulted in a number of clones being brought into Oregon State University's clonal importation program. From the clones evaluated and sent through disease testing, the favorites are known by their ID numbers 75, 76, 95 and 96 and have now been propagated into hundreds of acres which have been planted throughout the valley. Enough tonnage has been harvested since the mid 90s to validate our initial impressions of broad flavors, richness and earlier ripening.”

After reading the article, I felt the need to make my own opinion, so yesterday, I bought and tasted a couple of 100% dijon clone Oregon Chardonnays. I chose one from Chehalem Winery and the other one from Ponzi Vineyards.

Chehalem belongs to a group of Northern Willamette Valley wineries committed to redefining cool-climate Chardonnay using the Dijon clones in order to produce wines of natural balance, complexity and elegance, combined with vivid acidity. According to the winemaker, the Dijon clones mature earlier, with fully ripe, soft, exotic fruit flavors and a structure that should make jaded ABC palates go back..

We tried their 2004 Chardonnay called INOX™, which is 100% Dijon clones, entirely tank fermented, without malolactic fermentation or lees contact. INOX™ takes its name from the abbreviation of the French word for stainless steel, inoxidable. The wine was conveniently sealed with a screw cap. It had a pale straw color and an aromatic nose with floral notes, citrus, and tropical fruits. On the palate, it was crisp and surprisingly slightly fizzy, with some grapefruit flavors on the finish. I found the wine original and definitively defining a unique style of Oregon Chardonnay.

The other wine was the 2002 Ponzi Reserve Chardonnay Willamette Valley. The winemaker's notes specify that the fruit was whole cluster pressed and the juice moved to French oak barrels (20% new) and fermented in barrel. Malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and 100%. Lees were stirred once a week for six months. After 18 months of barrel age the wine was moved with air to tank for blending then bottled by gravity. The wine had a deeper golden color with a mild nose of sweet white peach. On the palate, it was medium-bodied with butterscotch flavors and a fat mouthfeel. I found the wine pleasant but much more classic in terms of Chardonnay style.

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A Taste of the Santa Cruz Mountains (update)

The wine tasting event that we were preparing last June just happened last Saturday. From the original selection of Santa Cruz Mountains wines, we removed the 2000 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains and added one more Chardonnay and three red wines.



The Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area (AVA) encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west. Vineyards are generally small and low-yielding. Thanks to the marine influence, the mountain terrain, and distinctive soils, they can produce wines with full and intense flavors.

Wine has been produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains since the 1800s. The region was once known as the Chaîne d'Or (golden chain) for its high-quality fruit, but few of the original wineries survived Prohibition. Now, the region is home to nearly 50 wineries, mostly small and low-key.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the usual cool-climate varietals, shine in this often foggy, mountainous terrain but other grapes also excel, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah.



We started our tasting with a Chardonnay from Beauregard Vineyards. This is a small winery located in Bonny Doon with a brand new tasting room on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The winery is focusing on producing small batches of extremely high-quality wines, most of which are grown, made, and bottled entirely in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Trout Gulch Vineyard is one of the vineyards it sources its wine from. It is located within 4 miles of the Monterey Bay coastline at an altitude of 720 feet above sea level, and enjoys warm temperate days, cooling coastal nights, and a long growing season. The 2003 Beauregard Chardonnay Trout Gulch Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains was truly delicious and was one of the group's favorite. It had a bright straw-yellow color and a pleasant fragrant nose. On the palate, it had a lively acidity with some notes of caramel, minerals and no obvious oak aromas. The finish was well balanced with a lot of freshness and vivacity.

Our second white wine was a Chardonnay from Mount Eden Vineyards. This small winery focuses on small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate Chardonnay comes from a low-yielding vineyard located above the fog level at 2,000 feet and about 15 miles from the ocean. The proximity of the ocean keeps the daytime temperature low and allows dry-farming. This wine is considered by many connoisseurs to be one of the longest-lived white wines produced in California. The 2002 Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains had a deep golden color, with an aromatic nose of tropical fruits and notes of honey. The palate was smooth, medium to full-bodied, with additional butterscotch flavors. The finish was pleasant, fresh and not too oaky.

After the whites, we moved to a Pinot Noir from Varner Wine. It is a garage-sized winery owned by two brothers, Bob and Jim Varner. They believe that the best wine comes from winemakers who grow their own grapes and they are entirely devoted to handmade, Santa Cruz appellation Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 2002 Varner Pinot Noir Hidden Block Santa Cruz Mountains had a medium garnet color. The nose had mild cassis and raspberry aromas, followed by more complex earthy flavors on the palate.

The next wine was a Syrah produced by David Bruce Winery, a Pinot Noir specialist and one of the first winery established in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the early 60's. The 2001 David Bruce Syrah Santa Cruz Mountains was the winner of an earlier Syrah tasting, and that evening, it was also one of the group's favorite red wine. The nose was very fruity and attractive. The palate was well-balanced with a rich, smooth mouthfeel and an elegant finish.

The following wine was a Cabernet Franc from Cooper Garrod Vineyards. The winery is a 28-acre estate specializing in the Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Viognier varietals. The Cabernet Franc vines date back to the original stock brought to the Chaîne d'Or region by French settler and grape expert Pierre C. Pourroy around the turn of the century. Cuttings from the old Pourroy property were planted in 1995 in west-facing slopes at the western edge of the Cooper Garrod property. The 2001 Cooper Garrod Cabernet Franc Francville Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains exhibited blackberry aromas on the nose. On the palate, it was full-bodied, with sweet ripe fruit flavors, oaky aromas and firm tannins.

The next wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon from the winery's Lone Oak Vineyard. It is a south and west-facing vineyard in the northeast corner of the property, planted in 1991. The vineyard is named after a 100-year old California Live Oak, which dominates the vineyard and provides commanding views of Santa Clara valley. The 1999 Cooper Garrod Cabernet Sauvignon Lone Oak Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains was unfortunately not very inspiring. The wine had a mild nose, and on the palate, it did not have enough fruit to counterbalance its acidity. Consequently, the finish was also weak and mostly acidic.

Our next wine was a 1999 Cinnabar Mercury Rising. Cinnabar is a purple-red derivative of mercury that was believed to miraculously transform ordinary metals into silver and gold. Tom Mudd of Cinnabar Vineyards & Winery believes that he can capture the magic of alchemy in his handcrafted wines. The estate is located on the eastern rim of the Santa Cruz Mountains above the town of Saratoga. Mercury Rising is the name of Cinnabar's proprietary Bordeaux-style red wine. In 1999, sources in Napa Valley, Monterey County, Paso Robles, and Santa Clara Valley contributed Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot to the blend. To create a wine of great depth and complexity, lots were fermented separately and then blended. The wine had a dark color, forward fruit on the nose, a dense and full-bodied palate, followed by a well-balanced finish.

We finished the tasting with the 2001 Storrs Zinfandel Rusty Ridge Santa Clara Valley. Storrs Winery is a small winery dedicated to Santa Cruz Mountains wines, mostly Chardonnay and Zinfandel. The grapes for this cool climate Zinfandel were grown in two very old, gnarly vined vineyards on the foothills of the Santa Clara Valley. The wine had a deep garnet color. The nose exhibited strawberry and vanillin aromas. On the palate, it was medium-bodied with spices and sweet fruit flavors. Tannins were still present on the finish. This excellent wine was, at the end, the one that the group preferred.




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Buy wine and support Katrina relief efforts

The wine community is also responding to Hurricane Katrina. Paso Robles wineries and wine growers announced that they are raising money for hurricane relief. For example Tablas Creek Vineyard will donate 5% of its proceeds from any wine ordered between now and September 19th to the American Red Cross.

In San Jose, on September 10th, The Grapevine will host a special wine tasting and silent auction to raise money for the hurricane victims.

Otherwise, for direct donations, I like the Save the Children organization. They have an emergency program to assist children and their families who have lost their homes and their communities.


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WBW13: Like Banyuls For Chocolate

This is my first participation to Wine Blogging Wednesday. I thought the theme proposed by Clotilde was a terrific idea. I already made Trish Deseine's delicious Nathalie's Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake, and so I was familiar with the Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake that Clotilde proposed in her blog.

It is not easy to choose a wine that works well with dark chocolate because chocolate has strong bittersweet aromas that can easily overwhelm most of the wines. But I knew right away that I wanted to try a Banyuls, a wine that I had never tasted before, and which is supposed to be a classic match with chocolate. I was lucky to find a 1988 Banyuls Grand Cru at K&L Wine Merchants that looked very promising.



Banyuls represents the southernmost wine appellation in France, just at the border of Spain. It is made of vertiginous, terraced, low-yield vineyards overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The soil is mainly schist through which the roots of the vines filter to find water. Irrigation channels are designed to handle the flow of water mostly during the winter months.

The climate is hot and dry during summer with heavy rains during winter. The Tramontane, a northwesterly wind blowing at speeds reaching 40 mph or more, keeps the air very dry and prevents fungal diseases in the vineyard. Grenache Noir is the king varietal under these difficult growing conditions.

In the Middle Ages, the small town of Banyuls was a center for the Knights Templar. They organized the vineyard, built terraces, drystone walls, and irrigation channels. They also started making wine according to the vinification method of Arnau de Villanova, a Catalan doctor, who invented the principle of fortification with a neutral wine alcohol in order to stop the fermentation and stabilise the wines. With this method, part of the natural sugar of the grape was preserved without modifying the aromas. In order to produce a longer-lived and more subtantial wine, the alcohol can be added on the grape skins, so that a percentage of alcohol is absorbed by the skins.

Another characteristic of Banyuls wines is their aging process: barrels are often left under the winery roof, or even outside, in glass demijohn, to subject the wine to both the summer and winter extremes of temperature. Consequently, the wine acquires a distinctive rancio taste of oxidized fruits.

My Banyuls was produced by the Cave de l"Etoile. Founded in 1921, it is the oldest Cooperative of the area and is specialized in making old Banyuls. It was a Grand Cru, which means that the wine had a minimum of 75% of Grenache Noir, and had been aged for 30 months.



My daughter and I made the cake in the morning for the evening dinner to give it some time to rest. I found the recipe very easy and fun to do with children.



I served the cake with a coffee custard sauce and the 1988 Banyuls Grand Cru Cave de L'Etoile Cuvée Reservée. The dessert was delicious and the wine was fantastic. The wine had a deep amber color and an attractive raisiny nose. On the palate, it was smooth and rich. The mouthfeel was sensuous with aromas of macerated red fruits, bitter chocolate, moka and sherry, leading to a long lingering finish. The wine was strong enough to withstand the intensity of the cake and its flavors were in perfect harmony with the chocolate. What a wonderful time we had! Looking forward to hearing about WBW14!

Great books to learn more about Banyuls:
Rosemary George, the wines of the South of France : From Banyuls to Bellet
Jancis Robinson, the Oxford Companion to Wine

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Wine Tasting: the red wines of Burgundy

When our friends came back from their summer vacation, during which they visited Beaune and nearby wineries, we decided to choose the theme Burgundy for our August wine tasting. That evening, we had six different red wines from Burgundy's Côte d'Or that we tasted blind. The tasting ended with one clear winner, two wines in the second place and the remaining three sharing the third place.

The Burgundy wine region


Les Hospices de Beaune.

The Côte d'Or is home to some of the most sought-after wines in the world, and the most expensive too. It is a 50 km long escarpment that lies along an important geological fault. The best vineyards are located in a narrow strip between a wooden plateau to the west, where bushes of blackcurrant grow and where the climate is harsher, and the fertile valley floor to the east, humid and prone to late frosts. The soil is rich in calcium from defunct shellfish. The weather is continental, with a wide annual temperature difference. Spring and fall rains, as well as late frost, can become big problems for the vignerons of this region.

The Côte d'Or is divided into two main subregions: The Côte de Nuits, which starts south of Dijon with the village of Marsannay, and is renowned for its rich and powerful red wines, and the Côte de Beaune, which starts at the village of Ladoix-Serigny, just north of Beaune, and extends south to the Côte Chalonnaise, and is famous for its great white wines as well as its elegant red wines.

Wines from the Côte d'Or are rarely blended. They are made mostly from Pinot Noir for the reds and Chardonnay for the whites. The Pinot Noir grape is quite tolerant to cold but it needs the morning sun in order to ripen before the autumn rains and cold weather. Therefore, east-facing vineyards are generally producing the best wines.

The wines we tasted

Our first wine was a generic Bourgogne, the 2002 Bourgogne Rouge Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret. According to Vincent Mongeard, owner and winemaker, the 2002 vintage produced "very distinguished wines with beautifully nuanced and complex flavors, even at the generic level". The wine had a bright red color. The nose was not big but fruity with notes of strawberry and raspberry. On the palate, it was young and juicy, with a good balance between fruit and acidity. Overall, the wine was not very complex but very food-friendly. It was ranked third place.

The second wine was from Vosne-Romanée, a modest little village of the Côte de Nuits, but home to six Grand Crus. "There are no common wines in Vosne" says an 18th Century adage. The Clos des Réas is the only Premier Cru monopoly in Vosne-Romanée. The vineyard measures 2.13 hectares and has belonged to the Gros family since 1860. The 2002 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Clos des Réas Domaine Michel Gros showed an attractive bright red color but reactions to its smell were mixed. Most of the people found it unpleasantly musty and some could not go beyond it. Other appreciated the rich flavors of the wine on the palate and its persistent finish. The wine was ranked third place.

With the next wine we moved to Santenay in the Côte de Beaune, an appellation that produces some of the greatest values in Burgundy. The Clos de Tavannes is an east-facing vineyard of 2.09 hectares, surrounded by a stone wall on three side. The 1996 Santenay Premier Cru Clos de Tavannes Domaine de la Pousse d'Or displayed a dark, slightly cloudy color. The nose was classic Pinot Noir with cherry and vanilla aromas. On the palate, it was earthy and smoky with a pleasant well-balanced after-taste. It was my favorite wine of the evening and finished first place.

With the next wine, we were back in the Côte de Nuits, with the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation, which is the largest and the northernmost of the best communes of Côte de Nuits.
The 1998 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Champeaux Vincent Girardin displayed a dark, slightly cloudy color. The nose had sweet raspberry aromas with some notes of chocolate. On the palate, it was earthy with some young tannins and some acidity, followed by a medium finish. For some guests, the wine had some great potential. It was ranked second.

Our next wine was a Côte-de-Nuits-Villages, an appellation that generally produces good value wines. The 2002 Côte-de-Nuits-Villages Maison Bertrand Ambroise had a red color, a fruity nose with some notes of caramel and a fleshy palate with more burnt sugar aromas. I found this wine easy to drink and well balanced. It was ranked third.

The last wine was a Corton, a Grand Cru appellation of the Côte de Beaune. The Domaine Louis Latour acquired the winery of Corton-Grancey in 1891 and produces this wine only in years when the Pinot Noir grapes reach perfect maturity. The 1990 Château Corton Grancey Grand Cru Domaine Louis Latour displayed a light brick/orange color revealing a wine of a certain age. The wine got mixed reviews. One guest thought that it was past its time while others enjoyed its rich and silky texture, aromas of berries and sugar cane and its lingering finish. The wine finished in second position.


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Tasting the inventive cuisine of Daniel Humm

We live 45 minutes away from San Francisco and do not go to the city very often. So we were very excited by our Saturday night reservation at Campton Place where young Swiss chef Daniel Humm is now well-known for his innovative style of refined, contemporary French cuisine.

It was early in the evening and the dining room was quiet. A beige and brown color scheme gave the room a refined and subdued look with the main point of interest being a hand-blown glass sculpture at the ceiling, resembling a giant orchid.

We took the tasting menu, a bite-sized 13 course menu highly recommended by our friend Nelson, along with the wine pairing. Humm's philosophy is "not trying to invent new flavor combinations, but instead take traditional combinations and present them in different ways" and, overall, the tasting menu had a lot of wonderful dishes. I personally enjoyed the airy texture of the sauces, the light but flavorful broths and fumets and some of the chef's surprising culinary associations. But we found the wine pairing to be much more inconsistent and regretted at the end not having selected our own wines instead.


Sorbet of Cherry Tomatoes with Pickled Cucumbers and Marinated Anchovy

After some amuse-bouche, we started the tasting menu with a Sorbet of Cherry Tomatoes with Pickled Cucumbers and Marinated Anchovy. it was beautifully presented and had fresh and delicious gazpacho-like flavors. No wine was served with it and we were glad to have taken a glass of Champagne at the beginning of the dinner.

Following up, the Fantasy of Eggs, an half-cooked egg layered with sea urchin and caviar and topped with sea urchin foam, offered a striking combination of flavors and textures. It was accompanied by a Champagne Brut Veuve Clicquot, an traditional Champagne-caviar match.

The Consommé of Hawaiian Prawns infused with Saffron, Green Apple, and Ginger was very light and again rich in flavors, but the wine served, a 2003 Jean-Luc Colombo Viognier La Violette, was too warm and seemed flat.

I found one of the best wine pairings to be the Aiguillette of John Dory "Sous-Vide" with Saffron Fumet and Tomatoes, and the 2001 Savennières Domaine des Baumard Clos du Papillon. The light fumet was full of complex flavors that worked very well with the Savennières, a dry and mineral wine, full of character.

Another successful pairing was the Wild Alaskan Halibut "Mi-Cuit" with Chorizo and Bouillabaisse Sauce and the 2003 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Maltroie Michel Colin-Deleger et Fils. Here, the dish was bursting with Mediterranean flavors and the full-bodied Chassagne-Montrachet was delicious.


Trio of Tartare, Kona Kompachi, Bluefin Tuna, Hirame

Some interesting and surprising pairings were the Trio of Tartare, Kona Kompachi, Bluefin Tuna, Hirame and the Sake Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo Shizuoka-Prefecture, as well as the Melody of Summer (Goat cheese with olive oil sauce) and the Manzanilla Papirusa Emilio Lustau.

I regretted having taken the wine pairing when our only meat-based dish was served. A Braised Snake River Farms Short Rib with seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Garden Peas and Chanterelles was paired with a 2001 Rioja Finca Allende. The dish was fantastic with rich and intense flavors coming from a cooked-to-perfection rib, the foie gras and the chanterelles. But unfortunately, the wine did not stand up to the dish. It did not have enough body and had too much acidity. At this point, I was really longing for a good Médoc.


Artisan Foie Gras en Torchon with Aged Maple Syrup

The best wine of the evening was, I believe, the 1986 Château Raymond-Lafon. It was served with an Artisan Foie Gras en Torchon with Aged Maple Syrup. The wine was luscious and refined with a lingering finish, and it was a treat with the buttery and nutty flavors of the foie gras.

The dinner ended with a series of desserts that were mixed successes, and also too many sweet wines. I found the best dessert to be the Valrhona Chocolate Pastilla with Orange Guajillo Confit and Chicory Mix, accompanied by an excellent 1999 Királyudvar Cuvée Ilona Tokaj.

The one I did not like at all was the candy flavored Jasmine Orange Cappuccino with Pixie Sticks, served with a not too inspiring 2004 Paolo Saracco Moscato d'Asti.

At the end of the dinner, we asked for the sommelier and tried to offer our feedback but I am not sure he cared too much about our comments.

One of the rules of thumb for food and wine pairing is matching the quality of food with the quality of wine. The food was, most of the time, very inspiring but the wines being served were of unequal quality. We also had too many sparkling wines (4) and sweet wines (4) for our taste.

Should we come back? Maybe. But no wine pairing this time!

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Categories: wine food

A new style of rosé

in the August 2005 edition of Decanter Magazine, Sarah Marsh explains how Provençal rosés are moving to a pale, dry, elegant, and delicate new style.

Many of these wines used to be made using the saignée method, a winemaking technique which eliminates some free-run juice from the red wine crush to concentrate the remaining must and increase its flavors. This free-run juice is then used for the rosé wine. This method produces dark colored and slightly bitter wines that are just by-products of the main red wine production.

Now, producers of new-wave rosé are looking for wines with a delicate pale hue, elegant, aromatic, and full of freshness. They are using state of the art equipment for a gentle handling of the grapes.

The rosé wines of Château Minuty are good examples of these new-wave wines. The winery is located near the village of Gassin in the Saint-Tropez Peninsula.

The winery owns 65 hectares of hillside vineyards at the foot of the village that are cultivated without pesticides or fertilizer and harvested manually. The rosé wines are blends of Grenache, Tibouren, Syrah, and Cinsault. Tibouren is an old Provençal variety that brings spices and aromas of garrigue to the the wine.

Winemaking is traditional but uses modern equipment like pneumatic presses. The grapes macerate with their skins under carbon dioxide for only few hours to extract color and aromas.

Tasting Notes

2004 Côtes de Provence Rosé Cru Classé Château Minuty Cuvée de l'Oratoire: a blend of Grenache, Tibouren, and Cinsault, the wine has a deep salmon-pink color and fresh berry aromas on the nose. It is dry on the palate with some lively acidity on the finish.

2004 Côtes de Provence Rosé Cru Classé Château Minuty Prestige: a blend of Grenache and Tibouren, the wine is very pale in hue, with delicate flavors on the nose. On the palate, it is full-bodied with a fat mouthfeel and little acidity, followed by a long finish. It tastes almost like a white wine.

Categories: wine

Vacationing in Provence: a wonderful dinner at the Moulin à Huile in Vaison La Romaine

The gastronomic highlight of the vacation was a dinner at the Moulin à Huile, a Guide Michelin one star restaurant in Vaison La Romaine.



The restaurant is located in a former olive oil mill at the foot of the city's famous roman bridge. At the door, our group was warmly welcomed by Mme Bardot, who led us to our seats in a handsome dining room with an arched ceiling, white painted walls, and embroidered tablecloths. Our party included four kids, aged between 11 and 15 years old, who proudly took possession of their own table.

Chef Robert Bardot offers a six course tasting menu called Promenade au soleil de Provence, which showcases a creative cuisine combining Provençal and exotic flavors.

We started with a very tasty Friandise de foie gras et langoustines sur copeaux de mangue, sauce siam, radis et cornichons


For the fish entree, we had the difficult task of choosing between two excellent dishes:
the Pavé de lotte, cocos de Mollans, sauce ravigote de la Réunion

and the Filet de rouget rôti, lime, compote de fenouil, tapenade, huile de safran et coriandre


The wine list features a rich selection of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône wines from local wineries.
We selected a 2003 Vacqueyras Blanc Domaine La Monardière to go with our appetizers and fish. Showing a lovely aromatic nose of floral, pineapple, and roasted chesnut flavors, the wine had a richly textured palate with a fat mouthfeel and a long lingering finish. It was a fabulous wine to accompany such a flavorful cuisine.

The main course was as delicious. The menu proposed a Carré d'agneau rôti aux trois parfums, risotto au parmesan, curry, combava, carotte au miel et cumin, huile de rouge


or a Râble de lapin au romarin, beurre de moutarde, petit palet des hauts de côtes et pistache, mousse de petits pois, pommes de terre negresse


With these dishes, we drank a 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de la Janasse. Showing a ripe, fruity nose, the wine was dense and spicy but smooth on the palate, followed by a lengthy finish with additional notes of chocolate with almond. It was the perfect match for the oriental spices of the lamb as well as the mustard sauce and gamey flavors of the rabbit.

Followed a plate of local artisanal cheeses called Symphonie du berger.

At this point, we were not hungry any more but the dessert course seemed too yummy to be missed. We had the choice between:

the Sablé aux fraises, gelée de Bissap, caramel de beurre salé,


the Millefeuille à la crème vanillée,


the Palet de chocolat aux amandes, crème à la violette,


and the Tian aux oeufs et vanille, chocolat au lait glacé.

As if that weren't enough, an offering of Mignardises arrived after dessert. Everything looked delicious but unfortunately, there was no way we could eat any more food.

We found the rich flavors and textures of all these dishes perfectly balanced. The dinner was also a memorable experience for the kids. They had a wonderful time and loved every part of the menu.

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Vacationing in Provence: wine tasting

We spent one day touring the wineries of the nearby Rhône valley.


The wine region of Côtes du Rhône is a land rich in diversity.

The climate is Mediterranean with heavy rains, high temperatures, and exceptional amounts of sunshine. The fierce Mistral wind, which blows down the RhÙne valley and out into the Mediterranean sea, is actually beneficial to the vine's development as it helps keep the region dry and the grapes disease-resistant. The soil is mostly limestone covered with alluvial deposits.

There are many grape varieties growing in the Southern Rhône valley and they originate from different areas. The Cinsault, Clairette, and Bourboulenc come from France's Mediterranean region. The Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre come from Spain, brought by travellers centuries ago. And Syrah, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier are thought to have come from the Alpine regions of Dauphiné and Savoie.

Traditional winemaking in the region is to blend these varietals in order to obtain wines of increased richness and multi-dimensional complexity. Grenache, a very heat- and drought-resistant grape, is the dominant red varietal. It produces very fruity wines that are high in alcohol, low in acidity, and prone to oxidation. Mourvèdre and Syrah are usually added to the blend to bring firmer tannins, resistance to oxidation, and longevity to the wine. Cinsault brings acidity and freshness.

The noblest white varietals growing in the region are Roussanne, which is high in acidity, very racy, and has a great potential to age, and Viognier, a grape with an exquisite and exotic bouquet. Grenache Blanc is, like the red Grenache, very drought-resistant. It produces aromatic wines with crisp acidity and high alcohol. Clairette brings floral aromas, low acidity, and high alcohol to the blend. Bourboulenc adds freshness and acidity, and Marsanne, color, body, and relatively simple fruity flavors.

There are many wineries to visit in the area, most of them open for tasting during the week. That day, we visited five of them, recommended by the Bettane&Desseauve guide, and were very impressed by the overall quality of the wines we tasted.

Domaine de l'Oratoire St. Martin


We started our trip with the village of Cairanne and our first visit was for the Domaine de l'Oratoire St. Martin. The domain is named after an oratory built in the middle of the vines. The vineyard is planted with a high percentage of old vines, the oldest being 96 years old. For the red wines, they have some Grenache (approx. 60%), Mourvèdre, the domain's favorite variety (approx. 30%), and Syrah, and for the white wines, some Marsanne (approx. 50%), Roussanne (approx. 30%), Clairette (approx. 15%), and Viognier. The soil is stony with a high percentage of limestone, yellow clay on the surface, and blue clay deeper. The white varietals and the Syrah grapes are grown on the cooler, north-east facing slopes and the sun-loving Grenache and MourvËdre grapes are grown on the warmer south-west facing slopes. The vines are cultivated without pesticides or fertilizer and the grapes are harvested manually.

At the winery, we were friendlily welcomed by the daughter of the house. That day, she was just replacing her sick mother but she did a great job in the tasting room. Here are the wines that we chose to taste:

2004 Côtes du Rhône Blanc Domaine de l'Oratoire St. Martin: a blend of Roussanne, Clairette, and Viognier. Very aromatic nose with pineapple and mango aromas. On the palate, dry with a fat mouthfeel and a fresh, lively finish.

2004 Cairanne Domaine de l'Oratoire St. Martin Réserve des Seigneurs: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Very dark and purple color. Sweet blackberry aromas on the nose followed by spices and pepper on the palate. Very pleasant finish.

2003 Cairanne Domaine de l'Oratoire St. Martin Cuvée Prestige: a blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, this Cuvée Prestige comes from 98 years old vines. Powerful nose with fruity and peppery aromas. On the palate, dense, juicy, and chewy with a long finish. A big wine but well balanced.

Domaine Dominique Rocher


Our next stop was the Domaine Dominique Rocher. Dominique Rocher used to own a restaurant in London until an inheritance from his father allowed him to purchase a hillside vineyard planted with 40 years old vines in Cairanne. He is passionate about his vineyard, which he farms organically and harvests manually, and his wines that he makes traditionally but with state of the art technology.
With Monsieur Rocher, comfortably seated under the nice shade of a pergola covered with vines, we tasted the following wines:

2002 Blanc de Gris Domaine Dominique Rocher: 100% Grenache Gris. Subdued nose. Fresh and light-bodied on the palate, dry finish. Should go well with a young goat cheese.

2003 Cairanne Domaine Dominique Rocher: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan. Fruity nose, spicy heat on the palate, medium finish.

2001 Cairanne Monsieur Paul Domaine Dominique Rocher: a blend of Grenache and Syrah from the oldest lots of the domaine and aged in 100% oak. Rich, ripe berry nose. Powerful, full-bodied wine with a lengthy tannic finish. Should continue to age well in the bottle for many years.

Domaine Brusset


The domain's terraced vineyards at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail in Gigondas [from Brusset].

Our last visit in Cairanne was the Domaine Brusset. Founded in 1947 by André Brusset, the domain is now run by his son Daniel and his grand-son Laurent. The family owns several vineyards in Cairanne, Gigondas, Carpentras, and in the generic Côte du Rhône appellation. For the red and rosé wines, they are planted with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignan, and for the white wines, with Clairette, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, and Viognier.

We had an interesting tour of the winery's facilities where one can see three generations of winemaking equipments. The domain produces a large range of wines from different appellations, but in the tasting room, we decided to limit ourselves to those from Cairanne and also from the striking, terraced vineyard at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail in Gigondas:

2003 Cairanne Domaine Brusset Coteaux des Travers: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. Cherry liqueur on the nose, medium-bodied on the palate with a balanced and round finish.

2003 Cairanne Domaine Brusset Laurent Brusset Vendange Chabrille: a blend of
Grenache and Syrah, this cuvée is a selection of 80 years old vines growing on a south-facing slope named Chabrille.
Sweet fruity nose, full-bodied on the palate and smooth finish.

2003 Gigondas Domaine Brusset Tradition Le Grand Montmirail: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. Attractive nose showing ripe berry fruits, full-bodied with sweet aromas on the palate, long finish. This wine is delicious to drink now.

2001 Gigondas Domaine Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, this cuvÈe is aged in 100% oak, 30% new. Dark color, woody aromas on the nose with cherry liqueur notes, rich, dense mouthfeel on the palate, followed by a long spicy finish. The wine is still very young and should continue to develop further depth and complexity in the bottle.

Domaine La Soumade

After a relaxing lunch in the nearby village of Sainte-Cécile les Vignes, we drove to Rasteau to visit the Domaine La Soumade. André Romero, owner of the domain, is one of the best vignerons in Rasteau and believes in low yields, traditional vinification and unfiltered, unfined wines. He makes rich and powerful wines that can age at least a decade. We felt warmly welcomed in the tasting room and were offered to taste the following wines:

2001 Rasteau Domaine La Soumade Cuvée Prestige: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Powerful nose. On the palate, dense with peppery aromas. Lively acidity on the finish.

2002 Rasteau Domaine La Soumade Cuvée Prestige: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. More subdued nose, earthy aromas on the palate and nice finish.

2001 Rasteau Domaine La Soumade Cuvée Confiance: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre from old vines grown on blue clay. Intense peppery nose. Tight tannins on the palate with oaky aromas. Very long finish. This wine has a lot of potential.

2003 Côtes du Rhône Domaine de la Soumade Les Violettes: a blend of Syrah, Viognier, and Roussanne, this is a Côte Rôtie like wine made from vines growing on cooler clay soil. Purple color, sweet and flowery nose, full-bodied with licorice aromas on the palate, followed by a long, velvety finish. A pleasure to drink.

Domaine Les Goubert


We ended our trip with a visit of Domaine Les Goubert in Gigondas. The Domaine Les Goubert is one of the oldest wineries in town and produces complex and rich wines from the villages of Gigondas, Sablet, Beaumes de Venise as well as a generic Côte du Rhône. The vineyards have different exposures and a rich diversity of soils. They are planted with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Clairette, Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir, Vaccarèse, and Carignan for the red wines, and with Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, and Viognier for the white wines.

Once again, the tasting was a treat:

2002 Côtes du Rhône Domaine Les Goubert Cuvée de V: 100% Viognier. Bright golden color, attractive aromatic nose with notes of apricot and peach. On the palate, fresh and dry. A truly pleasurable wine.

2003 Gigondas Domaine Les Goubert: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Clairette.
Very fragrant nose offering kirsch liqueur aromas. Rich and dense on the palate, followed by a long peppery finish. This wine is a pleasure to drink now.

2001 Gigondas Domaine Les Goubert: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Clairette.
Attractive fruity nose but on the palate, seems less dense than the 2003.

1998 Gigondas Domaine Les Goubert: a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Clairette.
The nose shows more pepper than fruit. On the palate, earthy and spicy aromas. A great match with games and venison.

2001 Gigondas Domaine Les Goubert Cuvée Florence: a blend of Grenache and Syrah, it is vinified in 100% oak 50% new. The nose is still very woody with some caramel aromas. On the palate, it shows big spicy flavors with some gamey notes. A wine to lay down for some years.

Domaine La Monardière

Unfortunately, we did not have the time to reach Vacqueyras that day but later on, we were lucky to taste two delicious wines from Domaine La Monardière, in nearby restaurants:

2003 Vacqueyras Blanc Domaine La Monardière: we selected this wine at the Moulin à Huile in Vaison La Romaine. Very appealing nose with floral notes as well as pineapple and roasted chesnut aromas. Richly textured palate with a fat mouthfeel, followed by a lingering finish. Terrific wine to have with some rouget à la tapenade or a lotte à la Provençale.

2004 Vacqueyras Rosé Domaine La Monardière: we had this wine at the charming Resto des Arts in Nyons. Fresh and fruity nose, delicate aromas on the palate, lively finish. A great accompaniment to a relaxed Provençal lunch.

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Vacationing in Provence

This year, instead of traveling all over France to visit our family, we rented a gite in the Drôme Provençale and asked everybody to visit us there. The place was called La Colline Bleue. The owners, M. et Mme Armand, are a very friendly couple and they love children. The kids are still talking about the beautiful collection of fossils from all around the world that they saw at their house. The gite was rustic but charming and spacious enough for our numerous family members. The main attraction was the pool, surrounded by pine trees and overlooking the Baronnies hills. Feeding everybody was made easy thanks to the village's well-supplied supermarket.


La Colline Bleue.

La Colline Bleue has an ideal location. There are many activitities to do in this land of olive, lavender, vines and apricot trees including visiting picturesque perched villages, buying local produces and souvenirs at provençal markets and hiking the local peaks for panoramic views of the Mont Ventoux and the Alps.


The village of Rosans

Nyons, the olive capital, is 30 minutes away. It is an attractive city with a medieval old town and a Romanesque bridge. Every Thursday morning, its picturesque Provençal market attracts large numbers of tourists as well as local families.


The Romanesque bridge at Nyons

Vaison la Romaine, the Roman city, is another half an hour drive away. It is the the largest archaeological site in France. The Roman bridge, crossing the river Ouvèze, is one of the very few antique bridges still in use today. Just above the bridge, the Medieval city is perched high on the rocks.


Ruins of a Roman villa at Vaison

We had a memorable dinner at the Moulin à Huile in Vaison, a Guide Michelin one star restaurant that offers a creative cuisine combining Provençal and exotic flavors.


Rable de lapin au romarin, beurre de moutarde, petit palet des hauts de côtes et pistache, mousse de petit pois, pomme de terre negresse.

Going beyond Vaison and towards Carpentras, you reach the Dentelles de Montmirail country, an excellent terroir for the Côtes du Rhône where the Grenache grape thrives. The picturesque route des vins takes you through the pretty villages and the caves of Cairanne, Rasteau, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise.


A vineyard in Cairanne

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