Loire, Alsace, Jura, Savoie & Beaujolais.

Question 1

Domaine des Huards “Envol” Chevernay 2017

Answer 1

AOC:

• Chevernay AOC: Situated between the Loire and Sologne regions, we benefit from a semi-oceanic climate, which is slightly more continental than the climate found in the Loire Valley or Touraine. SOIL: Chalky limestone Miocene base; consisting of Beauce limestone or sandy loam from Blaisois

Story:

• Domaine des Huards was founded by Pierre Gendrier in 1846. Since then 7 generations of the family have been stewards of Huards. Today, Domaine des Huards is managed organically and biodynamically and works solely with fruit coming from the estate vineyards. Their mission is to produce “wines that are natural and that generate a maximum amount of enjoyment.”

Vinification:

• Blend: 50% PN, 50% Gamay
• Fruit loaded directly into tank, then pressed gently mid-process
• Natural yeasts
• Low dose of sulfites; no other oenological product is used
• Full Malolactic
• Rests in bottle for a few months before release

Taste:

• “Luminous. Fresh and fruity bouquet. Joyful on the palate. Aromas of cherry, citrus fruits and redcurrant. Accompanies well grilled meats, beef, white meats and even fish.”

Front Vs. Cost:

• Front: $22-24 (winesearcher.com)
• Cost: $ 70

If/Then:

• If you’re attracted to the PN element of Domaine des Huards, I would reccommend Francois Baur’s “Sang du Dragon”. The legend has it, the vineyards are covered in ancient dragon’s blood, and it brings a beautiful “fire” to the wine. It might also fulfill that curiosity to try something from a region less tasted.
• If youre attracted to the Gamay element of Domain des Huards, I would recommend Thibault Liger-Belair’s “Les Rouchaux”. It is a Burgundian style Beaujolais cru that would give you the best of both worlds: a gamay that drinks like some of the best PN (and would cost 3x more if it was produced in Burgundy!!)

Question 2

Charles Joguet “Cuvee Terroir” Chinon 2017

Answer 2

AOC:

• Chinon AOC (Tourraine).

Story:

• The distinction with which Chinon is regarded today is due in part to the legacy left by Charles Joguet; a young painter and sculptor abandoned a budding art career to assume direction of the family domaine in 1957.
• He radicalized the vineyard, choosing to question the common familial practice of selling grapes to negociants, and instead focus on the individual plots he acquired - realizing that the soil within his land would equate to 1er cru and grand cru in other regions.
• He decided to vinify the individual terroirs separately and took risks to master single vineyard bottling that Chinon had never before seen - realizing the potential of the land.
• Winemaker: Kevin Fontaine

Viticulture:

• Practicing Organic
• Hand harvested
• 30 year old vines
• Siliceous alluvial sand
• 10.52 ha

Vinification:

• 100% Cab Franc
• Destemmed
• A blend between a parcel from Beaumont-en-Véron and press wine from all the other cuvées of the domaine. Blend aims to highlight the harmony of Chinon’s terroirs
• A cold maceration begins a fast fermentation at warmer temperatures, lasting for ten days
• Malolactic fermentation
• Alcohol: 13%

Taste:

• Meant for young consumption. A “precocious cuvee”. Perfumed with spice, a smoky character and layers of bright red-currant and berry acidity. - WineMag

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $17-23 (winesearcher.com)
• Cost: $70

If/Then:

• If you like Cabernet Franc, might I recommend the Xavier & Agnes Amirault? It’s made in a similar style (Bio, Natural, Cab franc), but it’s not meant to be a “precocious cuvee”, or one that is meant to be drank young. It has a bit more age to it, and is made by husband and wife. It has a touch more oak and spice to it.
• However, if you would like to go off the beaten path a little, might I recommend the Adrien Berlioz “Cuvee Marie Clothilde” monduese? It’s a grape varietal to Savoie (you don’t see that everyday), and it is basically the love child of Gamay and Syrah.

Question 3

Charles Joguet “Clos du Chene Vert” 2014

Answer 3

AOC:

• Chinon AOC (Tourraine).

Story:

• The distinction with which Chinon is regarded today is due in part to the legacy left by Charles Joguet; a young painter and sculptor abandoned a budding art career to assume direction of the family domaine in 1957.
• He radicalized the vineyard, choosing to question the common familial practice of selling grapes to negociants, and instead focus on the individual plots he acquired - realizing that the soil within his land would equate to 1er cru and grand cru in other regions.
• He decided to vinify the individual terroirs separately and took risks to master single vineyard bottling that Chinon had never before seen - realizing the potential of the land.
• Winemaker: Kevin Fontaine

Viticulture:

• Practicing Organic
• Hand harvested
• Vineyard is a mythical location in Chinon, named for a monumental Green Oak tree that hangs over the parcel—a replanting of another old oak that lived for 800 years and was planted by the Abbey of Bourgueil in the 12th century
• A very steep bank with south-western sun exposure
• Excellent sun exposure normally equates to one of the earliest parcels to be harvested
• Vine age: 35 years
• 2.02 ha
• Siliceous chalk & clay

Viniculture:

• 100% Cab Franc
• Destemmed
• Yields average 30 hl/ha
• Cold skin maceration for five days
• Fermentation = max. of 4 weeks, at higher temperatures than most cuvées
• Regular pump-overs and punch-downs
• Malolactic
• Aging: 18 months in 1-3 year-old barrels
• Alcohol: 13.5%

Taste:

• One of Joguet’s most age worthy cuvees
• An intensely perfumed wine, showing the potential of the vineyard and of ripe Cabernet Franc. It is smoky, layered with tannins as well as blackberry fruits finished with acidity. - WineMag

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $47 (winesearcher.com)
• Cost: $125

If/Then:

• Might I recommend the Claud de Nell instead? It still has the Cabernet franc element that the joguet has, but it’s blended with a rare parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon to pack a little extra punch. It’s been an organic and biodynamic vineyard for about 20 years, and the average vine age is about 100 years, where the average age of the Joguet is only about 35yrs.

Question 4

Xavier and Agnes Amirault “Les Fondis” St. Nicolas de Bourgueil 2015

Answer 4

AOC:

• Bourgeuil AOC (between Anjour and Tourraine)

Story:

• The domaine has been in the Amirault family for six generations and is currently managed by Xavier Amirault and his wife, Agnès. They farm 92 acres of land together, aiming to create a natural balance between all 53 plots of the estate. Biodynamic agriculture respects life.

Our estate is Demeter certified, so we can offer our clients the “taste of the place” in total transparency.

Viticulture:

• Certified Biodynamic by Demeter
• Certified Organic
• Soil: Deep gravel on a base of clay
• Hand harvested

Viniculture:

• 100% Cab Franc (locally known as “Breton”)
• Our aim is to harvest a perfectly healthy grape at optimum maturity. The grapes harvested are stripped and sorted a second time before being fermented using the “vinification intégrale” method. This involves putting the berries directly into demi-muids (500L oak barrels) and using only the natural yeasts found on the plot. Nothing is added! The grapes are macerated for five weeks and the barrels are turned several times a week for the first two weeks.
• Aged in demi-muids for 18 to 24 months
• Alcohol: 12.5%

Taste:

• Purple color. Aromas of ripe red fruits accompanied by a beautiful complexity. Ample, silky and elegant mouth.
• Produced biodynamically from clay and gravel soils, this single-vineyard wine is richly endowed with firm fruits, ripe tannins and fine berry flavors. Wood aging has added a touch of spicy complexity - winemag.com

Front vs Cost:

• Front: $20 - vineyard brands import list
• Cost: $95

If/Then:

• Might I recommend the Claud de Nell instead? It still has the Cabernet franc element that the Amirault has, but it’s blended with a rare parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon to pack a little extra punch. It’s been an organic and biodynamic vineyard for about 20 years, and the average vine age is about 100 years.
• If you want to stick with 100% Cab franc, I would recommend the Joguet “Clos du Chene Vert”. Joguet is the winemaker who made Chinon Famous by creating the single vineyard bottling in Chinon, and this is one of his most age worthy cuvees. He is also Organic.

Question 5

Clau de Nell “Cuvee Violette” Anjou 2014

Answer 5

AOC:

• Anjou AOC

Story:

• These vineyards have been biodynamically cultivated since 2000. Significant financial difficulties and a call for aid from the previous proprietors brought the property to Anne-Claude Leflaive’s (A well-known and respected Burgundian winemaker who took over Domaine Leflaive from her father in 1993, she was at the forefront of bringing biodynamic practices to Burgundy) attention. In 2006, Anne-Claude and her husband, Christian Jacques, had created a company to help new biodynamic wine growers take advantage of their established commercial network. In order to assist the struggling venture, in 2008 they purchased the domaine, which had not produced any wine for three years due to lack of means. It was a moment of serendipity for the abandoned vineyards and the Leflaive-Jacques family, culminating with the arrival of Sylvain Potin, well-versed in biodynamic viticulture, to be their estate manager. Christian Jacques concludes that, “We have not chosen Clau de Nell, so much as Clau de Nell has chosen us!”
• Clau de Nell was named in 2000 by the previous owners, Claude and Nelly, but the domaine has been in existence for 100 years or more, as the age of the vines attests.

Viticultue:

• Soil: sandstone grit and red flint over tuffeau
• Vine age: 30 years for Cabernet Franc; 60 years for Cabernet Sauvignon
• Certified Biodynamic; Demeter
• Yields < 30 hectoliters per hectare (2.2 tons per acre)
• Hand harvest

Vinification:

• Blend: 67% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Destemmed grapes were fermented using native yeasts
• 30-day maceration without extraction
• Gentle cap punching; limited pump-overs; and infusion techniques at temperatures of 64 F to 77 F.
• Slow and gentle pressing in a pneumatic press.
• 18 months on fine lees in French oak casks used five times previously
• Aged in Troglodyte caves (make of Tuffeau; limestone)
• Bottled April 18, 2016, a “fruit day”

Taste:

• Dark and grippy in feel, with smoldering tobacco and bay leaf notes along with worn leather and humus accents, all mixed with a core of dark cherry and black currant fruit. Fresh acidity drives the finish, providing lift and cut.
• Has a beautiful flavor profile ranging from blackberry and cassis flavors to olive, bay leaf and tobacco notes.

Font vs. Cost:

• Front: $30 (winesearcher.com)
• Cost: $135

If/Then:

• If you’re attracted to the Cab Franc element of this wine, might I recommend Guiberteau’s “Les Arbois”? He makes some of the most stunning Cab Franc seen in all of the Loire, and it’s 100% varietal. It gives you more red current and blackberry, as opposed to tobacco and worn leather. Plus, this wine is almost a redemption story for the winemaker. He was actually studying law unsuccessfully before he decided to heed the calling of the vines.

Question 6

***** Guiberteau Saumur “Les Arboises” Saumur 2015

Answer 6

AOC:

• Saumur AOC

Story:

• Founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Clément Manguin, Romain Guiberteau’s great grandfather, the domaine was then passed on to Robert Guiberteau, a talented winemaker and one of the founding members of the cave cooperative of Saumur. In 1954, recognizing the great potential of this terroir, Robert purchased several hectares on the hill of Brézé. When Robert retired in 1976 none of his children wanted to take over and the domaine was farmed out. In 1996, at the end of a lease cycle, Romain Guiberteau, who was flailing as a law student, decided to take over the management of his family’s vineyards rather than see the leases renewed. The following year, under the mentoring of Clos Rougeard’s Nady Foucault, Romain made 5000 bottles of red wine that he managed to sell easily. The success convinced him to pursue a qualitative approach to winemaking and to gradually take back his grapes from the cooperative. He now makes some of the most stunning wines of the area.

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Cab Franc
• 1ha
• Age: planted in 1957 (63 y/o)
• Terroir: Hill of Brézé, facing south, sand and silt topsoils over limestone bedrock
• Organic
• Harvested by hand
• 100% de-stemmed
• 10 days to 4 weeks maceration in concrete tanks
• indigenous yeast fermentation
• Aged for 18 months in barrel (80% new, 20% 1-year-old).

Taste:

• Amazing redcurrant and black cherry fruit on the nose. Long, open, eloquent. Awe-inspiring in terms of sheer clarity. Iodine character on the finish

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $57 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $140

If/Then:

• Unsure. Maybe a more structured Burgundy? Rene Bouvier or Bertagna Les Beaux Monts?****

**** Come Back to me

Question 7

Domaine Rolet “Vieilles Vignes” Arbois Poulsard 2016

Answer 7

AOC:

• Arbois AOC in Jura; On the foothills of the Jura Mountains, just east of the Cote de Beaune on the Switzerland border

Story:

• The estate was created by Mr. Désiré Rolet in 1942, with just 4 ha, and was taken over by his children, Eliane, Bernard, Guy and Pierre in 1958. In the Spring of 2018, the family Rolet took their well deserved retirement. For several years, Eliane, Pierre, Bernard and Guy Rolet were looking to sell the estate they have developed since taking over from their father in 1958. Their requirements for new buyers were high; they wanted to pass the torch to lovers of Jura wines who share the same philosophy for great wines, but also who would be keen to continue the well-established work of the Domaine for the promotion of the different Jurassian soils. Enter The Devillard family. The Devillard family already owned a beautiful portfolio of Burgundy estates; Chateau de Chamirey in Mercurey, Domaine des Perdrix in Nuits St Georges and Domaine de la Ferte in Givry, and had a long history of working with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Having themselves the idea about acquiring a domaine outside of Burgundy, they were the perfect candidates.

Viticulture:

• Age: 40+ years
• 280-380 m altitude
• Red and blue Marls
• Hand Harvested
• The culture is sustainable, with no use of chemical herbicides (ploughed soil only) nor insecticides.

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Poulsard (light bodied red)
• Indigenous yeast
• De-stemmed
• Aged in foudre
• Probably one of the oldest grape varieties specificly from the Jura
• Matures for 18 months in stock vats before its bottling in order to acquire suppleness, roundness

Taste:

• Redcurrant, strawberry and cherry, with a hint of hibiscus on the nose. Light and precise, with cherry complemented by floral and spice flavors.
• An animal flavor, “meaty” typical from the vintage. Red fruits characterize this light red coloured wine. A good balance to the taste between fine and closed-in tannins and a slight vivacity at the finish make this wine extremely pleasant and easy to drink

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $23 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $68

If/Then:

• If you’re attracted to this, I would actually recommend the Adrien Berlioz Monduese, especially since it is another “off the beaten path” varietal. It still drinks like a light bodied red, but is like a love child of Syrah and gamay. So you’ll still get that gamy quality, but you’ll have a bit more fruit on the palate.

Question 8

Adrien Berlioz “Cuvee Marie Clothilde” Vin de Savoie Mondeuse 2018

Answer 8

AOC:

• Savoie AOC

Story:

• Adrien Berlioz took over the little family estate called “Cellier des Cray” at the beginning of 2006 and made it one of the most prestigious domaines of Chignin. The Domaine encompasses about 4.5 hectares of vineyards organically farmed, located in a “lieu dit” called “Les Viviers” near Chignin, a small village between Albertville and Chambéry, at about 390 meters above sea level.
• He is young (just 30 years old)!!! He cultivates local varietals of Jacqure and Mondeuse, as well as the local version of roussanne.

Viticulture:

• Steeeeeep slopes
• Vineyard work done by hand
• Praciticing organic: only using chemicals when necessary

Vinification:

• 100% mondeuse from 50-55yr old vines
• The mondeuse is named “Marie Clothilde”
• Hand selected and gentle carried to take for 12hrs cold maceration
• Natural yeast with 2-3 weeks on skins
• Aged in demi-muid (600L) barrels used 2-3x prior. Bottled unfiltered.

Taste:

• On Mondeuse: “It’s one of the most delicious and crowd-pleasing red wines, in my view. They’re at really great and approachable price points, and you get everything a sommelier loves: lots of fruit, lots of acid, and it’s still juicy and really fresh.”
• “I felt that it had the juiciness and brightness of Beaujolais but also the spiciness of Syrah. Those are two varieties—Gamay and Syrah—that I really love. This was like a rustic love child of the two.”
• “Feminine version of syrah”

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: ???
• Cost: $88

If/Then:

• Since this wine is almost the rustic love child of Syrah and Gamay, are you more attracted the the Syrah element, or the gamay?
• If gamay, Let’s take a look at the Mee Goddard “Cote du Py from Morgon”. Boss lady female wine maker making a more structured style of gamay that gives you a rustic and lutte raisonee quality. Lovely fruit, but evolves througought the meal.
• If Syrah Blend, La Vieux Telegrame or Les Pailleres Gigondas.

Question 9

****Francois Baur “Sang du Dragon” Alsace Pinot Noir 2017

Answer 9

AOC:

• Vins d’Alsace AOC. Nearest to GC vineyard Brand, also managed by Baur. City of Turckheim.

Story:

• The Baur Family winery was established in Turckheim in 1741. The Domaine consists of exceptionally situated Vineyards, offering a Southern and granite soil. With an average annual production of 9000 cases, Pierre and Thomas Baur carry on the traditions of the past generations while keeping an eye forward to the future. “I never worked in chemicals … I don’t even know how.”
• The name for this Pinot, ‘Sang du Dragon’ comes from an old legend…when the valley of the Rhine was still underwater, a dragon emerged from the waves to rest on the protruding Brand hilltop. The sun was too fierce, however, and its rays eventually pierced the dragon’s scales, drawing blood. Gravely wounded, the dragon dragged itself to a cave where it then died. Many centuries later, wine growers came to plant vines in this area. Still fertile with the dragon’s blood, legend has it that the vines even today produce a wine of fire. Today, Baur’s wines carry the dragon’s image.
• In an email we received from Virginie Baur, she told us : “Sang du Dragon means dragon’s blood. There is a legend that a dragon was slain in this vineyard (the Brand vineyard), and the blood of the dragon made the vines strong. ‘Brand’ means “land of fire” in German and is a Grand Cru Vineyard but only Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling can have the Grand Cru Appellation according to the AC laws, so we named the wine ‘Sang du Dragon’.” The story is fun for sure, but the wine itself is amazing. We drink it at home often, it is a wonderfully terroir-driven treat!

Viticulture:

• Certified Organic since 1998 by Ecocert
• Certified Biydynamic in 2001 by Biodyvin

Vinifcation:

• Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
• Aged 20 Months in oak barriques

Taste:

• With its perfumed aromas of red and black fruits, mocha, vanilla, forest and stones., Sang du Dragon Pinot is smooth, silky and pure, with a perfect balance of fruit, acidity and gentle tannin.

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $35 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $95

If/Then:

• Maybe move laterally to Willamette! Shoot for Shea Wine cellars of Antica Terra Coriolis. That is tasty juice! Do more research.

***** Come back to me

Question 10

Chignard “Les Moriers” Fleurie 2018

Answer 10

AOC:

• Fleurie AOC - Beaujolais

Story:

• Even after many successful years practicing his craft, fourth-generation vigneron Michel Chignard claims to be a novice. He is a modest man, kind and courteous, but in every aspect of his winemaking one clearly sees a passionate perfectionist. In 2007 Michel turned the management of the family domaine over to his son Cédric, who is carrying on this philosophy with great pride and has already managed to prove himself in his first few vintages. The Chignard family is also blessed with vineyards in one of the best sites of the Fleurie appellation, Les Moriers, an arrowhead-shaped parcel that juts right down into Moulin-à-Vent vines. Their 8ha of vineyards are over 60 years old, keeping yields naturally low. These old-vine root systems also run very deep, accessing minerals from the granite subsoil and giving Chignard’s Fleurie a trademark goût de terroir and great freshness.
• The name Les Moriers comes from the word “mûrier” or mulberry tree. This area used to be planted with mulberry trees, the preferred food of silkworms. The land was once used to produce silk fabric.
• **This is not simply a Fleurie, it is Fleurie “Les Moriers,” and les Moriers is a steep vineyard that penetrates down into the Moulin-à-Vent zone. The result is like a marriage of the two.**

Viticulture:

• Soil: Granite
• Lutte Raisonee; “reasonable stuggle” (sustainable)
• Vine age: 70+
• Low yeilds
• Hand harvested

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Gamay
• Vinification is natural, in keeping with the local tradition, including whole cluster fermentation, and vatting for 6 to 8 days before pressing
• Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and cement cuves
• Aged in old foudres (large oak barrels) for 13 months
• Wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered

Taste:

• From its lovely aroma, reminiscent of flower petals and ripe sour cherries, to the surprisingly rich, palate-coating flavor, this Fleurie beautifully combines high-toned finesse with a potent depth.

Front vs Cost:

• Front: $25 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $70

If/Then:

• This vineyard is actually on the border of Moulin-a-vent, and actually delivers a denser version than what Fleurie is known for. If you like that dark profile, might I recommend Thibault Liger Belair? He takes Burgundian class and brings it to Moulin-a-vent, giving you both that brooding style that Moulin is known for, but the quality of what makes burgundy timeless.
• I would also recommend Clos de la Roilette “Cuvee Tardive” if you want to stay in Fleurie. This wine also shares a border with Moulin-a-vent, so it will bring you that same Marriage of Fleurie and Moulin, but it pairs more elegantly with literally everything.

Question 11

Clos de La Roilette Fleurie 2018

Answer 11

AOC:

• Fleurie AOC, Beujolais. On the Moulin-a-Vent border.

Story:

• Considered one of the finest producers in Beaujolais, Clos de la Roilette has 9 hectares in Fleurie, with one of the top slopes in all of the ten Beaujolais crus. The Clos has an eastern exposure, borders the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, and yields remarkably age-worthy Gamay. In the 1920’s, when the Fleurie appellation was first created, the former landowner was infuriated with losing the Moulin-à-Vent appellation under which the estate had previously been classified. He created a label using a photograph of his racehorse Roilette and used the name Clos de la Roilette, without mentioning Fleurie. By the mid-1960s, the owner’s heirs had lost interest in Roilette, and a large portion of the land had been allowed to go untended and wild. In 1967, Fernand Coudert bought this poorly maintained estate and replanted the vineyards. His son Alain joined him in 1984 and has been the winemaker since.

Viticulture:

• Being on the border of the Moulin-à-Vent cru, the core of Roilette’s Fleurie terroir is atypical of Fleurie, rich in clay and the mineral manganese instead of all granite; the wines are thus more structured than many Fleurie wines.
• Vine age: 30-45 years old
• Sustainable
• Hand harvest

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Gamay
• Whole Cluster
• Natural yeast
• Open-top, neutral vats with the cap kept submerged
• Maceration for the Fleurie is approximately 14 days
• Aging takes places in old foudres until bottling in the summer following harvest

Vintage:

• The 2018 vintage in Beaujolais is going to be remembered as one of those hallowed years when legendary wines were made.

Taste:

• Mid crimson. Lovely silky texture and true polish and racy ripe Gamay flavours. Already quite approachable! Just the sort of wine you’d love to come across on a wine list.

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $19-21 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $75

If/Then:

• Might I instead recommend Jean Foilard? He is one of the original “Gang of Four” who wanted to bring back natural focues to winemaking in Beaujolais, and this is probably the best bottling yet. Certified organic and sourced from a few villages around Beaujolais, it’s silky and ripe, and really gives you the essence of what Beaujolais is all about.

Question 12

aClos de la Roillette “Cuvee Tardive” 2018 Fleurie

Answer 12

AOC:

• Fleurie AOC, Beujolais. On the Moulin-a-Vent border.

Story:

• Considered one of the finest producers in Beaujolais, Clos de la Roilette has 9 hectares in Fleurie, with one of the top slopes in all of the ten Beaujolais crus. The Clos has an eastern exposure, borders the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, and yields remarkably age-worthy Gamay. In the 1920’s, when the Fleurie appellation was first created, the former landowner was infuriated with losing the Moulin-à-Vent appellation under which the estate had previously been classified. He created a label using a photograph of his racehorse Roilette and used the name Clos de la Roilette, without mentioning Fleurie. By the mid-1960s, the owner’s heirs had lost interest in Roilette, and a large portion of the land had been allowed to go untended and wild. In 1967, Fernand Coudert bought this poorly maintained estate and replanted the vineyards. His son Alain joined him in 1984 and has been the winemaker since.
• It is the concentration and structure of the wine that gave rise to its “Tardive” or “late” moniker: it is not late-harvested fruit but rather wine meant to be enjoyed later, with longer aging in bottle.

​Viticulture:

• Being on the border of the Moulin-à-Vent cru, the core of Roilette’s Fleurie terroir is atypical of Fleurie, rich in clay and the mineral manganese instead of all granite; the wines are thus more structured than many Fleurie wines.
• Vine age: 80 years old - the oldest estate vines
• Sustainable
• Hand harvest

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Gamay
• Whole Cluster
• Native yeasts
• Open-top, neutral wood vats with the cap kept submerged;
• Maceration for Tardive is approximately 18 days.
• Aging takes place in old foudres until bottling the following summer.

Vintage:

• The 2018 vintage in Beaujolais is going to be remembered as one of those hallowed years when legendary wines were made.

Taste:

• Youthful purple. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, baking spices and potpourri, with hints of blood orange and savory herbs emerging with aeration. Juicy, densely packed mulberry and boysenberry flavors show excellent clarity and powerful back-end thrust becoming sweeter with air. Shows serious power and sexy, floral lift on the impressively persistent finish, which is supported by slowly building, youthfully gripping tannins.

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $25 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $95

If/Then:

• Let’s take a look at the Mee Goddard “Cote du Py from Morgon”. Boss lady female wine maker making a more structured style of gamay that gives you a rustic and lutte raisonee quality. Lovely fruit, but evolves througought the meal. Nice and structured, and brings you wine from one of the best hills in all of Beaujolais.

Question 13

Michel Tete “Cuvee Tradition” Julienas 2017

Answer 13

AOC:

• Julienas AOC, Beaujolais.

Story:

• Domaine Clos de Fief run by our friend Michel Tête, with his son Sylvain working alongside. This is a rare 4th generation Cru estate in Juliénas and Julie, based at the far Northwest sector of Beaujolais. The history of these great villages dates back more than 2,000 years and trace their names to Julius Caesar. Vines were grown on the high altitude hillsides of Juliénas and Jullié (a granite rich Beaujolais-Villages Cru that mimics its more famous neighbor) in the Gallo-Roman period. Michel took over this history-rich land after studying in Beaune, where he learned many techniques that he now uses on his own wines to great acclaim. Michel harkens his wines back to the classics: low yields, meticulously farmed vineyards, and classic winemaking resulting in serious and mouthwatering examples of terroir driven reds. Burgundian influence.

Viticulture:

• Vine Age: 45+ years
• 350 meters in altitue with vineyards situated in an amphitheater-like setting
• High density planting: 10,000 vines/ha
• Granite-based sites with ancient alluvial deposits, some sandy soils, with fair amount of clay
• Sits on the bedrock of the region’s famously volcanic blue stone
• Sustainable
• Hand harvested

Vinification:

• Traditional semi-carbonic winemaking of whole berries with temperature control.
• Raised in cementvats after the malolactic fermentation.
• Maceration for 8 to 10 days.

Taste:

• Julienas wines are known for their earthy richness, spice and ability to age. The wines are deep purple, fleshy, velvety and freely giving with black berry fruits on the nose and palate.

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $13 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $68

If/Then:

• Similar to Michel Tete (Studied in Beaune), might I recommend Thibault Liger Belair? He takes Burgundian class and brings it to Moulin-a-vent, giving you both that brooding style that Moulin is known for, but the quality of what makes burgundy timeless.

Question 14

Thibault Liger-Belair “Les Rouchaux” Moulin-a-Vent 2014

Answer 14

AOC:

• Moulin-a-vent AOC, Beaujolais

Story:

• This domaine, located in Nuits-Saint-Georges, has been in the Liger-Belair family for 250 years. In 2001, Thibault Liger-Belair took over the vines as the winemaker and created Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair. Having studied viticulture and oenology for six years, Thibault then worked for a communications firm in Paris where he was able to present and taste wines internationally. Two years later, he started an internet company with the idea of discovering and selling high quality wines. But the calling of the vines was still strong, so in 2001, at the age of 26, Thibault decided to jump to the other side of the fence, this time to make wine, his true calling and passion. The year 2002 was the first harvest of the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Charmottes, as well as Vosne-Romanée Aux Reas. In 2003, the domaine enriched its range with Richebourg Grand Cru, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Petits Monts, and Bourgogne Rouge. In 2009, the domaine expanded into Beaujolais, and now a Beaujolais-Villages and several Moulin-à-Vent Cru wines are also produced.

Viticulture:

• Vine age: 65+ years
• This terroir situate in the bottom of the hill is the deeper soil from the domaine with about 2 meters soils, with some sand, clay and silt. The Granite is blue and rich in manganese.
• Manual harvest
• Certified organic
• Biodynamic

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Gamay
• 30% whole cluster fermentation
• Aged in oak casks

Taste:

• A Beaujolais aimed fair and square at burgundy lovers. Nuits rather than Beaune, even. Made just the same as a serious burgundy. Very deep, glowing crimson – deeper than most Côte d’Or reds. Very young and ambitious with masses of smooth, concentrated fruit. Sort of Gamay squared. The intense fruit seems polished at first but then the tannic charge kicks in. If this carried a Côte d’Or appellation it would cost three times as much.

Front vs. Cost:

• Front: $23 - winesearcher.com
  
  • $15ish - vineyard brands
• Cost: $82

If/Then:

• If you like the typical dense styles coming out of Moulin-a-vent, may I recommend Mee Goddard? She is a boss lady female wine maker in Morgon that makes super structured and dense wine. It’s rich, and ripe, and grippy, and Cote du Py is some of the best land in all of Beajolais.

Question 15

Jean Foillard Beaujolais-Villages 2018

Answer 15

AOC:

• Beaujolais-Villages; Parcels located in Villié-Morgon, Lancié, Saint-Amour, and St-Etienne-La-Varenne.

Story:

• Jean and Agnès Foillard took over his father’s domaine in 1980, and soon thereafter began to make Kermit Lynch customers very happy. Most of their vineyards are planted on the Côte du Py, the famed slope outside the town of Villié-Morgon and the pride of Morgon. These granite and schist soils sit on an alluvial fan at the highest point above the town and impart great complexity. However, great real estate is not the only key to Foillard’s success. Early on, Jean began to follow the teachings of Jules Chauvet, a traditionalist who defied everything that the more commercial brands were touting in the region. Jean and three other local vignerons, Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton, soon joined in on the movement. This Gang of Four, as Kermit christened them, called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification: starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration. The end result allows Morgon to express itself naturally, as it should be without the bubblegum and banana aromas of so many other Beaujolais available today. Its rustic structure, spicy notes, and mineral-laden backbone are what real Morgon is all about.

Viticulture:

• Vine age: 20-50 years old
• Certified Organic
• Manual Harvest
• Granite and schist soils sit on an alluvial fan at the highest point above the town

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Gamay
• Traditional, whole cluster fermentation lasts from 15 days in concrete tank
• Aged 7 months in concrete tank
• Unfiltered and with no added SO2 during vinification

Taste:

• This organic varietal Gamay is silky and smooth, marked by flavors of poppy red fruit, rose petals, and wet rocks. A stellar example of ‘reflective of the place from which it comes!’

Cost vs Front:

• Front: $22 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $85

If/Then:

• Since this is a Beaujolais villages, it doesn’t really give you the same sense of Terroir that another cru Beaujolais might. May I recommend Marcel Lapierre’s Morgon? It tastes like joy in a glass and his history is rooted in the “Gang of Four” that elevated the winemaking in Beaujolais to the best that it can be. Not only certified organic, also biodynamic!

Question 16

Guy Breton “Vielles Vignes” Morgon 2018

Answer 16

AOC:

• Morgon AOP, Beaujolais; Breton’s domaine is comprised of three hectares (only 7.2 acres), eighty percent of which lies in the appellation of Morgon, around the village of Villié-Morgon

Story:

• Guy Breton is known by his friends as Petit Max – though he is anything but petit, by the way. He took over the family domaine from his grandfather in 1986. Until that point, the family was selling their fruit to the large cooperative wineries which dominated the region and were gravitating towards a uniform style. The rise of imported yeast cultures to impart flavor and aroma, the use of high-tech carbonic maceration, and the widespread commercialization of Beaujolais Nouveau debased the region’s reputation, and Beaujolais came to be seen as one-dimensional, lacking any expression of the native terroir. Following the example of traditionalist Jules Chauvet, Guy and three other local vignerons, Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Jean Foillard, soon hoisted the flag of this back-to-nature movement. Kermit dubbed this clan the Gang of Four, and the name has stuck ever since. The Gang called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification: starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration. The end result allows Morgon to express itself naturally, without make-up or plastic surgery: rustic, spicy, loaded with schist minerals and at the same time, refreshing and deep-down delicious.

Viticulture:

• Vine age: 80+ years
• Granite/ Sand
• 2.5 ha
• Organic

Vinification:

• Indigenous yeast
• Carbonic maceration at low temperatures
• Fermentation in cement tank lasts 15 to 21 days
• Grapes are crushed in an old wooden press.
• Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel and rests for 6-8 months
• Wines are aged on fine lees in Burgundian barrels (of at least the third passage)
• Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered

Taste:

• The wine is impeccably balanced with ripe, not boisterous red fruit, crackling with minerality and savory notes of black tea and earth. There is a bit of tannic grip for a Gamay but the wine is totally in harmony, with refreshing acidity and incredible persistence on the palate.
• “There’s great fruit here, raspberries and pomegranates, a traditional, rustic, spicy nose, stony freshness from the schist soil, and a refreshing acidity. Eighty-year-old vines give this Guy some muscle, too.” - Kermit Shelf Talker

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $31-37 - winesearcher.com
• Cost: $86

If/Then:

• If you want to stick to another member of the Gang of Four, try Marcel Lapierre. His vines are also at least 60+ years old, but he brings this lively fruit quality to the wines and you cant help but feel joyful while drinking it. Classic winemaking techniques.
• Otherwise, if you want to try some newer Beaujolais winemaking techniques, try Mee Goddard! Female wine maker, she makes this beautiul, structured Morgon that comes from some of the best land in all of Beaujolais.

Question 17

Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2018

Answer 17

AOC:

• Morgon AOP, Beaujolais.

Story:

• Little would we know that when Marcel Lapierre took over the family domaine from his father in 1973, he was on the road to becoming a legend. In 1981, his path would be forever changed by Jules Chauvet, a man whom many now call his spiritual godfather. Chauvet was a winemaker, a researcher, a chemist, and a viticultural prophet. It was he who, upon the advent of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the 1950s, first spoke out for “natural wine,” harkening back to the traditional methods of the Beaujolais. Joined by local vignerons Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Jean Foillard, Marcel spearheaded a group that soon took up the torch of this movement. Kermit dubbed this clan the Gang of Four, and the name has stuck ever since. These rebels called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification: starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and disdaining chaptalization. Sadly, the end of the 2010 vintage was Marcel’s last. He passed away at the end of the harvest—a poetic farewell for a man that forever changed our perception of Beaujolais. His son Mathieu and daughter Camille confidently continue the great work that their father pioneered, now introducing biodynamic vineyard practices and ensuring that Marcel’s legacy lives on.

Viticulture:

• Certified Organic - Ecocert
• Biodynamic
• Manual harvest
• Vine age: 60+ years
• 10ha
• Granitic Gravel

Vinification:

• Indigenous yeasts only
• Whole cluster fermentation à l’ancienne, maintained at low temperatures ; lasts for ten to twenty days
• Wines aged on fine lees in old Burgundy barrels (from third to thirteenth passage)
• Wines are bottled unfiltered

Taste:

• “Mathieu Lapierre follows in his famous father’s footsteps to create one of the greatest cru Beaujolais in all of France. It’s more than delicious; it’s liquid joy” - kermit shelf talker
• “Emblematic wine that offers pure pleasure. Really fresh and pure. No shortage of either fruit or acidity.” - Jancis

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $28 - 37: winesaercher.com
• Cost: $95

If/Then:

• Are you opposed to moving over to Burgundy? Might I recommend the Simon Bize “Les Perrieres” instead? He’s the king of Savigny-Les-beaune in Cote de Beaune, and this is his more approachable and fruit forward style Pinot.

Question 18

Mee Godard “Cote du Py” Morgon 2017

Answer 18

AOC:

• Morgon AOP, Beajolais.

Story:

• Mee Godard was born in South Korea to farmers, adopted at nine months old by a French couple, educated in France and then headed to the US, where she did an undergraduate biochemistry degree specialising in wine science at Oregon State University. The university then accepted her to do her Masters, where she took on a graduate research assistant role in the Department of Food Science and Technology, studying polyphenolics, plant physiology and ‘a bit of viticulture’. After this she came back home to France and headed to Montpellier to do the Diplôme National d’Oenologue.
• Mee Godard didn’t grow up in a winemaking family, so she had to carve her own path. She headed to Burgundy, interned at Maison Chanson, Domaines des Comtes Lafon and Corton André. She got a job selling oenological products, worked in Champagne, and then, at the beginning of 2013, she finally found five Beaujolais hectares (12 acres) she could call her own.

Viticulture:

• Lutte Raisonee
• Praciticing Organic
• Practicing Biodynamic

Vinification:

• Blend: 100% Gamay
• Ferments about 2/3 with stems
• 3 week maceration in concrete tanks
• Age in a mix of old and new barrels and foudres for 12-18 months
• Ambient-yeast fermentation with a pied de cuve (the wine equivalent of a sourdough starter, using natural vineyard yeast)
• Unfined/ unfiltered

Taste:

• “Intense, black fruit, embers and violets in firelight shadows. There is tightly contained glory in this glass. A wine so darkly iridescent that it feels ready to explode. But it’s not; it’s taut as a violin string, it’s disciplined and contained within an inch of its life. Masses of undertow and power coiled into such refined elegance that I find myself holding my breath. Silk-painted tannins just whispering reminders from the wings.” - Jancis
• “She has a way of bringing out the dark, gravel-scented structure of Morgon without losing a modicum of glowing fruit. They are wines that evolve beautifully with age, and yet they are compelling when young. They have power, and yet a tangible quietness. The tannins are super-fine, the acidities strung like a violin.” - Jancis

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $28-37 - winesaercher.com
• Cost: $105

If/Then:

• This is a pretty structured wine. If you’re looking for something a little lighter and more fruit driven, may I recommend the Simon Bize Savigny-les-Beaune? He gives you some of the best wine from burgundy, while still maintiaing a delicious fruit quality.
• Perhaps the Antica Terra Coriolis? Will still give you that bright Beaujolais fruit pallate, but gives you that New World Terroir.