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Wine Of The Week – Chateau d’Or et de Gueules “Trassegum” 2007
Each week I like to choose a new wine to introduce to our fans. These wines vary by region, by varietal and even by price. I don’t think cost and value are necessarily related. So I like to focus on wines I have experienced on my travels and I think our fans will enjoy trying. salut!
Costieres de Nimes, France
90 Points — Wine Advocate
The 2007 Trassegum is a blend of 50% Syrah, 25% Carignan, and 25% Mourvedre (all from vines around 80 years old), aged in both tank and barrel for two years. Dense ruby/purple with floral, almost Cote Rotie-like notes of exotic Asian spices intermixed with honeysuckle, black currant, raspberry, and cherry, this is an attractive, delicious, medium-bodied wine with plenty of elegance and complexity. It should drink well for 2-3 years.
Wine Of The Week – Domaine de La Mordorée ‘La Dame Rousse’ Tavel 2010
Each week I like to choose a new wine to introduce to our fans. These wines vary by region, by varietal and even by price. I don’t think cost and value are necessarily related. So I like to focus on wines I have experienced on my travels and I think our fans will enjoy trying. salut!
Rhône Valley, FRANCE
Robert Parker on Domaine de la Mordorée:
“This is an estate that was a no-brainer for inclusion in my recent book on the world’s greatest wine estates. With 135 acres spread throughout some of the most impressive appellations of the southern Rhone, Christophe Delorme and his brother took over this estate in the early to mid-1990s and have done nothing but produce one exquisite wine after another. Of course, the top cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape are rare and expensive, but this is a place to find terrific Cotes du Rhones and Liracs as well. Delorme is equally adept at dry whites as well as reds, and turns out some stunning roses both under the Cotes du Rhone and Tavel appellations.”
-Issue #169 Feb. 2007
Collovray et Terrier St Veran “Tradition” 2009
Each week I like to choose a new wine to introduce to our fans. These wines vary by region, by varietal and even by price. I don’t think cost and value are necessarily related. So I like to focus on wines I have experienced on my travels and I think our fans will enjoy trying. salut!
Burgundy, France
TASTING NOTE:
The nose offers aromas of vanilla, apples and white peach. Bone dry, medium bodied and deliciously consistent with the nose. Beautifully balanced with bright acidity and a lovely finish. Enjoy with grilled fish or chicken in a cream sauce. (Add a splash of the wine to the cream sauce to give it a little extra zing.)
(VINTAGES panel, July 2010)
Champagne Kisses
Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life.
- Charles Dickens
As we head into the holiday season a quote from Charles Dickens the author of the seasonal classic A Christmas Carol got me thinking about how celebrated Champagne is and yet how little most wine lovers know about this delightfully bubbly drink.
Champagne is to wine like Kleenex is to tissue or Jello is to gelatinous deserts. It is THE brand. There are a lot of sparkling wines on the market but only wines from the Champagne region of France can be legally labeled as “Champagne”. All others are simply sparking wine. The Champagne region in Northern France pioneered the method of making bubbly and then through international courts and trademarks essentially protected the rights to the name. However true connoisseurs will tell you that it is the unique terroir of the region that makes true Champagne special, not the branding. This area has a cool climate and chalky soil which is ideally suited for growing the three grapes that can be used for Champagne; Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
Champagne as a French wine is detailed and complex and so you really have to read the label to fully understand the product. Champagne comes in several different styles, Blanc de blancs means that the wine was produced from all white grapes (Chardonnay) while Blanc de noirs means that the Champagne was produced from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or a blend of the two. The sweetness level of the wine is also important to know. Extra Brut is usually very dry champagne, Brut is dry and Extra-Sec and Sec are usually medium dry wines.Champagne is also divided into Vintage and Non Vintage wine. Non Vintage Champagnes can be made from grapes from up to 3 harvests while Vintage Champagnes come from years in which the winemaker determines that the harvest was uniquely special. And now here is the trick to really understanding Champagne that I like best. Pay attention and you’ll look like a hero this holiday.
Champagne is made by either large Champagne houses like Taittinger or Moët & Chandon which grow some of their own grapes and purchase the rest, or by smaller producers who grow and bottle their own product. This is called grower Champagne and often grower Champagne exceeds the quality of large house Champagne but with a smaller price tag. Again look to the bottle for guidance. On the bottom of the front label there will be a tiny number preceded by two letters. NM (Négociant-Manipulant) indicates a larger house that purchases many of their grapes, whereas RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) signifies that the winemaker grew the grapes.
Armed with this info you can confidently pick a wine that comes from a smaller producer at a smaller price that matches your tastes and your sweetness preference. Champagne is not a generic or homogenous product but it also doesn’t have to be mysterious or overly complex. Like all wine, my suggestion is to simply try several styles and see what you like.
Cheers!
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