3 Great Wines of Provence from Vintage 2007

With all the glamour and excitement of the 2007 vintage in the Rhone Valley of France, Provence can be somewhat overlooked.  That is unfortunate because the favorable conditions that made all the great 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes are also making wonderful wines in Provence.

 Prestige des Lauzeraies 2007 Tavel.  $16.99 OH Retail.

As a region that makes only Rose, you can count on Tavel to be some of the finest pink wines in the world.  The Prestige des Lauzerais is no exception.  The wine is dry medium bodied and has more intensity and complexity than a barrel full of cheap California Pinot Noir.  Great Value.

Domaine de Fontenille 2007 Cotes du Luberon.  $15.99 OH Retail.

If you’ve read Peter Mayle’s novels of Provence, you know the Luberon.  Rolling hills, beautifully quaint villages and great cheap red wine.  That wine is Cotes du Luberon and the Domaine de Fontenille is better than most.  Plummy and rich but never heavy.  Think a more voluptuous style of Cotes-du-Rhone.

Chateau Virgile 2007 Costieres de Nimes 'Cuvee L'Eneide.'  $16.99 OH Retail.

From the city that gave the world Denim, comes a blend of Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre that can’t be missed.  Intense aromas of smoky meaty Syrah dominate the nose, leading one to imagine bacon.  Then blackberry and black cherry fruit mingle with vanilla.  Great stuff in a little package.

So for the value that we know everyone craves, consider the 2007 wines of Provence.

The wines for this article were tasted at Walt Churchill's Market

UW010 - The Meaning of Wine with Elizabeth Pressler of Elizabeth Spencer

Understanding Wine HD #10
Elizabeth Pressler of Elizabeth Spencer wines in Napa Valley talks about what wine means to her.

UW009 - Santa Barbara, Greek Wines, and USA Wine Culture (with Rebecca Work of Ampelos Cellars)

Understanding Wine HD #9Santa Barbara Wine Country. Greek wines as desert island wine picks. And American Wine Culture in the 21st century. Rebecca Work of Ampelos Cellars talks about all three topics.
This is the third part of the interview with Rebecca Work of Ampelos Cellars for Understanding Wine with Austin Beeman.

UW008 - Biodynamic Wines - The Difference (with Rebecca Work of Ampelos Cellars)

Understanding Wine HD #8

Biodynamic winemaking. Does it make any difference in the quality of the wines. Rebecca Work of Ampelos Cellars talks about what they have seen in their biodynamic wines and biodynamics vineyards.

UW007 - Biodynamic Wines vs Organic Wines vs Sustainable Wines (feat. Rebecca Work of Ampelos Cellars)

Understanding Wine HD #7Organic Wines, Organic Winemaking, Biodynamic Wines, Biodynamic winemaking. There lots of talk about what level of organic wine is enough. Rebecca Work of Ampelos Cellars produces Biodynamic wines that are also certified sustainable and she explains the difference between organic wines, biodynamic wines, and sustainable wines.

UW006 - Miner Family Winery with Dave Miner

Understanding Wine with Austin Beeman #6

Video from my visit to Miner Family Winery in Napa Valley Wine Country with Dave Miner.  Dave Miner hosts Austin Beeman in a tour of the tasting room and cave of Miner Family Winery. Miner Family Vineyards produces Oracle and other beautiful winers from Stagecoach vineyard in Napa Valley

5 Bordeaux Wines that Won't Break the Bank

The market for fine Bordeaux is as efficient as it is global. Real values are few are far between, especially from the most important appellations. However yesterday I tasted five Bordeaux wines under $60 that really rocked my world. I’ll share those finds with you.

Chateau Fombrauge 2005 St. Emilion Grand Cru. $59.99 OH Retail.A sexy modern-style Merlot-based Bordeaux that doesn’t cross to the ‘dark side.’ Fresh red fruits and a nose that demands attention make this wine hard to stay away from, but I’m sure 10 years of cellaring would be well rewarded.
Interestingly, Fombrauge is the large estate in St. Emilion. Large is a decidedly relative term, however, in this small commune.

Chateau Nenin 2002 Pomerol. $59.99 OH Retail.Pure Merlot goodness with enough bottle age to round out anything rough. Plummy, smoky, and full of fruit. The wine is so delicious that you stop thinking about how well it is made and start thinking about how to get some more bottles.

Chateau Duhart-Milon 2004 Pauillac. $49.99 OH Retail.Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon here from an estate owned by the Lafite Rothschild family. Cassis, earth, spice, wood, and cedar. A long, long finish on a medium bodied frame. Nice entry for the cheapest wine on this list.

Chateau Lynch Bages 2004 Pauillac. $63.99 OH Retail.Took the longest to open of any of these wines, over two hours. A balanced wine that doesn’t require any more aging. That is surprising from Lynch Bages, but I’m calling it like I see it. Noticeable raspberry flavors fill the nose and palate in addition to classic Cabernet characteristics.

Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2004 Saint Julien. $59.99 OH Retail.The best wine in this article, by a good margin. Stunning nose and supreme elegance of aroma. Elegance and beauty are what dominate my notes on this wine. No tannic, brooding monster here. The Leoville Poyferre dances from the glass in a manner I’ve rarely found in under $100 Bordeaux wines. An excellent wine and one I’ll be putting in my cellar to see how it changes.

UW005 - The Positive Effects of Global Warming (featuring Dirk Richter of Max Ferd Richter)

Understanding Wine with Austin Beeman #5

There is a positive effect of global warming, at least with it comes to recent German vintages of wine. Dirk Richter of Max Ferd Richter Estates talks about the recent German wine vintages and what the warming of the climate means for German wine.

UW004 : Aging German Wines. (feat Dirk Richter of Max Ferd Richter) Video

Understanding Wine with Austin Beeman #4

How do German wines age? This issue is dealt with by Dirk Richter of Max Ferd Richter.

A Chardonnay for the ABC Crowd. Eric Chevalier 2008 Chardonnnay.

ANYTHING BUT CHARDONNAY or ABC is becoming a way of life for more and more wine drinkers. While I applaud the search for new, interesting, and unique wines, I am concerned with the increasing rejection of one of the wine world’s most noble varietals.

The ABC movement is really the fault of the Chardonnay Manufacturing Industry. (Notice how I didn’t say winemakers.) Most mass-market Chardonnays have almost no connection to traditional winemaking. They are over cropped in the vineyards, over oak-chipped in the cellars, and under-priced in the stores. Like a plague of yellow-tailed locusts they devour shelf space and force artisan Chardonnays into the closeout bin.

So I can understand why drinkers adopted an ABC attitude. The problem comes however for producers who truly make good Chardonnay. For when handled properly, Chardonnay is the most complex, engaging, and food friendly of all white wines. What happens to these wines in an ABC world?

I’m inviting you to enjoy some good Chardonnay tonight. Here a Chardonnay you should search out.

Eric Chevalier 2008 Chardonnay ‘Vin de Pay du Val de Loire.’ $14.99 OH RetailFrom France’s Loire Valley, in an area devoted to Muscadet, Eric Chevalier has crafted Chardonnay in a unique style. The ultimate cold climate Chardonnay. Racy minerality that speaks volumes about France’s northwest is balanced by apple fruits with beautiful acidity. At only 11.5% alcohol you can split a bottle on a picnic table at lunch and still function the rest of the day. This is going to be my house wine this summer.

Available from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants.

Check out Eric Chevalier’s Website here.

Domenico Clerico 2003 Barolos: 2003 Pajana vs 2003 Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

The following was a handout at the Domenico Clerico 2003 Barolo 'Pajana vs Domenico Clerico 2003 Barolo ' Ciabot Mentin Ginestra' tasting at Walt Churchill's Market on March 9, 2011.

The Place

Barolo is a winemaking zone of approx 4200 acres in the Northwest Italian region of Piedmont.

The Grape.

Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape.  It certainly dates to 1268, but could have been written about in the 1^st Century by Pliny the Elder.  Nebbiolo is one of the earliest grapes to bud and one of the latest harvest, often in mid-October.

The History of Barolo

Prior to the mid-19^th century, Barolo was a sweet wine.  Then Camillo Benso, a local mayor, hired famous French enologist Louis Oudart.  Using increased hygiene in the cellars, he was the first to ferment Nebbiolo dry.  This new dry wine became the favorite of the Turin nobility and House of Savoy.  Barolo was called, “The King of wines and the wine of Kings.”

            Until the 1960s, Barolo was the territory of numerous negociants who bought and blended juice.  In the 1960s, individual producers started bottling their own wines and experimenting with single-vineyard bottlings.

The 1970s and 1980s saw Barolo split into two camps: the Traditionalists and the Modernists.  Modernists experiment with new winemaking techniques and produce wines tailored to current market trends.  Traditionalists attempt to regain the traditional techniques with very minor upgrades.  Excellent wines are made on both sides, but within the Barolo community, the argument rages.  However in 1980, Barolo was DOCG status – Italy’s highest quality designation for wine.

From 1990-2004, there was a 47% increase in Nebbiolo planting in Barolo.  Total production went from 7 million bottles to 10.25 million bottles.  Many feel that these are inferior sites and will dilute the overall quality of Barolo.  It remains to be seen if they are accurate or simply old-guard producers who don’t welcome competition.

Domenico Clerico

“One of the most gifted winemakers in Piedmont…these are wines of extraordinary richness, amazing aromatics, and sensual personalities that satiate both the hedonisitic and the intellectual senses.”  - Robert Parker

All Clerico Barolos are aged for 22-24 months in 80% new oak and 20% second passage oak barrels (barrique,) then rest in stainless steel tanks for 1 year, and in bottle for an additional year before release.  Domenico Clerico is considered Ultra-Modernist although he subscribes to the idea that wine is made in the vineyard, allowing the unique single-vineyard character to express itself.

2003 Vintage Report

The 2003 vintage was a year of relentless, blistering heat, not at all the hot days and cool nights that Nebbiolo prefers.  Many producers did not produce their single vineyard bottlings.  Initially, the wines were very disjointed and hard to taste, however age has made many wineries revise their views of the vintage upward.

Pajana – The Vineyard

The Pajana vineyard is Clerico’s lowest elevated vineyard at 300 meters ASL.  It is composed of tuffaceous marl, clay, and sand.  It faces south.

Ginestra – The Vineyard

The Ginestra vineyard is up the hill (basically adjacent) at 400 meters ASL.  It is composed of tuffaceous marl and clay soils.  It faces south / southwest.

Domenico Clerico 2003 Barolo ‘Pajana’

The 2003 Barolo Pajana opens with extraordinary aromatics. Sweet and long, it reveals intense layers of ripe dark cherries, chocolate, spices and menthol in a powerful, authoritative style. It is a terrific effort in this vintage, and should mature faster than the Ciabot Mentin Ginestra. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2018.  – 92 pts Wine Advocate – Galloni

Focused and very clean, with crushed blackberry and spices that follow through to a full-bodied palate, with hints of jammy and cedary character. Balanced and pretty, with a long, long finish. Best after 2011. 830 cases made – 92 pts Wine Spectator

Domenico Clerico 2003 Barolo ‘Ciabot Mentin Ginestra’

The 2003 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra is even better than the Pajana, with a superbly well-delineated bouquet and deeply nuanced layers of violets, spices, menthol and sweet dark fruit. It fully captures the essence of Ginestra, one of Barolo's greatest sites, in the rich, ripe style of the vintage. This gorgeous Barolo is only in need of further bottle age after which it should drink beautifully to age 20, perhaps beyond. It is one of the highlights of the vintage. Ciabot Mentin Ginestra is made from higher-altitude plots than Pajana and typically offers more aromatic complexity and detail to the rounder expression that is characteristic of Pajana. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2023. – 93 pts Wine Advocate- Galloni

Aromas of plum, tar and truffle follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins and a solid center palate. This shows lots of potential, especially for the vintage. Best after 2010. 1,500 cases made. – 91 pts Wine Specator

From Antonio Galloni, “Few producers' wines have given me as much pleasure over the years as those of Domenico Clerico. Based in Monforte, Clerico has been turning out spectacular Barolos since the mid-1980s… For his 2003 Barolos Clerico shortened the fermentation time by a few days. "Given that the grapes already had a lot of tannins, it was important not to over-extract," says Clerico. "I used a high percentage of new oak for the Barolos. When we racked them, the wines aged in new oak turned out as I had hoped in that they were a little rounder than the wines aged in one-year old barrels. I am optimistic about 2003, the wines just need time for the tannins to soften. Look at what people said about the 1997s. The wines were supposed to fall apart, yet I think the best wines have held up beautifully."

Much of this content comes from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, Wikipedia, Marc de Grazia's notes.  Much also comes from my brain.

Gorgeous Grenache: Tasting 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape

I kept coming back to the word ‘pretty.’


It is no secret that the 2007 vintage is an extraordinary one for the Southern Rhone Valley of France. The establishment wine press has been bestowing glowing reviews and copious point totals to 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes and Cotes-du-Rhones for some time now. The only question was ‘how great are they?’

I had tasted a large number of 2007 Cotes-du-Rhones and consistently been impressed. More than that. These were the best CDRs, I’d ever tasted. It was with more than a little excitement that I opened the bottles for today’s wine tasting at Walt Churchill’s Market.
What I found were the finest young Chateauneufs I’d ever had and the purest Grenache flavors I’d ever experienced. You could taste the red fruits and pretty (there I said it again) freshness. Grenache wasn’t the only thing to like about these wines. They were obviously going to dramatically improve with ageing and yet they showed superbly.
But let’s get into the wines.

Bosquet des Pape 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. $42.99 OH Retail.
75% Grenache, 12% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah & others.
Super sexy Grenache with red fruit. Beautiful and elegant for the size. Very accessible. If I was drinking one of these wines tonight, this would be the wine. It is also a good wine for the brand new Chateauneuf-du-Pape drinker.


 Domaine Grand Veneur 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. $49.99 OH Retail.
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre
The Syrah really makes a strong appearance here. Roast meats, nuts, and fruits fill the nose. The palate is full of blackberries, black raspberries, and more smoky meat. But let us not forget a serious level of acidity that frames this wine nicely and show age-worthiness.

 Domaine de la Mordoree 2007 Lirac ‘La Reine des Bois’ $41.99 OH Retail.
Equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.
Ok, I know this isn’t a Chateauneuf. In fact, this is the best Lirac I’ve ever tasted. Really, it is that good. The wine is noticeably darker than the others with hearty meat flavors, garrigue, bramble, slate, red and black plums, and great integrated tannins. If I was buying for my cellar, I would seriously stock this up.

 Chateau de Beaucastel 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. $110.99 OH Retail.
All 13 Southern Rhone Varietals in a super secret blend.
OMG! I’ve never had a young Beaucastel that was even close to this good. The wine tasted so superb that many people at the tasting wouldn’t believe that it could improve. But it can. I’ve tasted some old Beaucastel and I am so looking forward to this wines evolution.

Today, it tastes like a meat, mushroom, black truffle oil, blackberry, and plum wave. It rolls on the palate and you swirl it around your mouth. And a very very long finish. Stunning wine.

Doon It Right. Part 2 of 2. The Cigare Volant

This is the 2nd of two blogs about the new incarnation of Bonny Doon Vineyard. See the other one first at this link.

I don’t think it would be out of place to call the Le Cigare Volant the heart of the Bonny Doon portfolio. These Southern Rhone-style wines bear a label that at first glance is traditionally European. Until you realize that the vineyard is being invaded by a flying ‘cigare’ (Le Cigare Volant in French.) It is an elegant fusion of wackiness and Randall Grahm’s old world reverence.

The story, which can be found on the back of each bottle, related a ‘strange but true’ French law forbidding the landing of UFOs in the vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. You really have to read the back of this bottle yourself. I won’t spoil the eloquence of Grahm’s descriptions here.


But how are these wines in the new Bonny Doon incarnation.


Le Cigare Blanc 2007 ‘Beeswax Vineyard.’ $19.99 OH Retail.
The label shows an ultra-specific blend of 64.3% Roussane and 35.7% Grenache. The wine is rich with white-Rhone mouth feel. It is so rich and voluptuous that you wonder why you ever need Chardonnay. This, I’m sure, is Randall Grahm’s intension.


Vin Gris de Cigare 2008 Rose. $15.99 OH Retail.
Americans don’t drink nearly enough dry rose. Too many people think that all rose is the sickly sweet Pink Infidel. This rose, made from the mixture of white and red wines, is refreshing and food friendly and not at all sweet. Delicious and priced right for a summer lunch.


Le Cigare Volant 2005 Red Blend. $29.99 OH Retail.
Le Cigare Volant 2001 Red Blend $29.99 OH Retail.
It was quite the honor to try this mini-vertical of Volant. The 2001 was the oldest wine under screw cap that I’d ever tasted and it was in its prime. It was starting to show the tawny around the rim of older Rhone wines and was filled with an earthy interpretation of Mourvedre on the nose. I’m still not sold on the age ability of screw caps, but this wine makes a good argument.


The 2005 was brighter with Grenache dominating. It also had some extra intensity to the fruit that I interpreted as Syrah influence. Both wines were sophisticated food wines that would have held their own in a blind tasting of CDPs.


In conclusion, the entire Bonny Doon portfolio is holding its place in my book as one of the most exciting vineyards in America, if not the world. I will be very excited to see how what Randall Grahm and Bonny Doon will doon next.

Doon It Right: The New Taste of Bonny Doon Winery. Part 1 of 2.

Randall Graham, owner of Bonny Doon Winery, is crazy. He is also probably a genius.

The original “Rhone Ranger,” Graham pioneered Syrah, Grenache, and other Rhone grapes in California. He embraced extreme wine names and enlisted avant-garde artists to create the most interesting brands the wine industry had ever seen. Randall Graham even wrote his own version of “Dante’s Inferno” and filled it with personalities from the wine business including the famous wine critic Robert Parker. (That would explain why the superb Bonny Doon wines never scored anywhere near what they were worth.)

But when the challenge of running a 450,000 case wine empire started to mean a decrease in quality, Graham sold off the two biggest brands. Bonny Doon was reborn as a 35,000 case boutique winery with a supreme emphasis on quality and biodynamic sustainability.


On February 13, 2010, I had an opportunity to taste the ‘new’ Bonny Doon winery. The wines were a revelation. A winery I’ve always loved became one I could love and respect. These are the wines with my impressions.


Ca’ del Solo 2008 Albarino. $17.99 OH Retail
This is a California Albarino that actually tasted like Albarino. It is stunning that a state with the amount of coastline (and by extension fish) wouldn’t be growing the ultimate fish-wine. I was craving a fresh grilled slab of fish with a spritz of lemon. And I don’t even really like fish.

Ca’ del Solo 2008 Muscat. $15.99 OH Retail.
The grape is Moscato, famous for the sparkling sweet wines of Italy. But this was done Alsatian-style. Just off-dry. A perfume nose that was totally sweet, but a taste that is dry. If you dry Vouvray or dry Riesling, you’ll love this.


Ca’ del Solo 2006 Sangiovese. $12.99 OH Retail.
Can the best American Sangiovese really be only twelve dollars? It appears so. This wine is a dead-ringer for $30 Rosso-di-Montalcino. Rich tobacco, leather, flowers, and meat in a wine with a lot of taste, but not heavy. We shouldn’t forget, however, a truly Italian level of acidity. No one would imagine this was a Calfornian wine from the taste. It was a watershed wine for USA Sangiovese.


Le Pousseur 2005 Syrah. $19.99 OH Retail.
Real Syrah is feminine, elegant, and beautiful according to the text on the back label of this wine. The winemakers of France’s Northern Rhone would agree and I’d be hesistant to argue. This is elegance under control. No wilting flower here. Like an elegant figure skater, this wine is power under control.


D.E.W.N. 2005 Syrah ‘Bien Nacido Vineyard’ $39.99 OH Retail.
While the other wines look to Europe for their style, this looks to Europe for ideology. And find it in Terroir – that expression of place that informs the best wines of the Continent. Randall Graham takes that perspective to what is arguably the most famous Syrah vineyard in America. The result is a wine of incredible complexity, power, and structure. It is a wine whose character is uniquely Bien Nacido, showing aromas and flavors only possible from this vineyard. Graham has been searching for an America ‘Grand Cru.’ With this wine, he has possibly found it.


We’ve only begun to scratch the surface. Next blog post will highlight Bonny Doon’s Cigare Volant. We’ll discuss the history of a wine based on UFOs and taste a vertical in red, white, and pink.

Greg Jones of Evergreen Vineyards Talks About His Wines

Greg Jones of Evergreen Vineyards.  On his wines and aviation.

Priorat: The Best Wine You're Not Drinking

Sometimes fine wine prices just make you want to cry. The heights to which Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Burgundy, and more have ascended often terrify the wallet. You want to scream, “Am I doomed to mass produced swill? Where are the great wines at reasonable prices?”

The answer is Priorat. These powerful, long lasting, and eminently complex red wines deliver A+ quality and longevity. They are traditionally made, accessible now, and deserving of your cellar.

Only Priorat and Rioja can lay hold of Spain highest designation of quality – DOQ. Unlike Rioja, Priorat doesn’t feature Tempranillo but instead delivers blends with a focus on very old-vine Carinena (Carignan.) Imagine Chateauneuf-du-Pape with a strong rustic exterior and you get an idea as to the style here.

The vines are very old, as was mentioned before, and are on rocky hillsides so steep as to prevent anything other than human farming. No machines are used. That means that there is no profit to be made in mass production or bulk wine. Priorat is put in the unique position of being darn near a guarantee of quality.

Not everyone would consider wines in the $30-75 range as value. However, when you consider what you would pay for traditionally made, long lasting, superb wines from other regions….You are probably paying $30 today for a wine that will be $150 or more when the wine press discovers it.

Now on to the wines. Let us examine the 2006 Vintage which is what you will likely find on retailer shelves.

Mas d’En Compte 2006 Priorat. $49.99 OH Retail

A great introduction to Priorat. Rich and dark purple colored with toasty oak. It is trying to do it’s Barossa Shiraz thing, but pulls it off with more class that most Aussie wines. Very ageable but don’t age for more than 10 years.

Alvaro Palacios 2006 Priorat ‘Les Terrasses.’ $44.99 OH Retail

Textbook Priorat with 60% Carignan. Super sexy now, but serious and powerful tannins that will mellow beautifully with time. Beware of waiting too long to buy this because Wine Spectator listed it as a Top 100 wine and the price is certain to skyrocket. P.S. This is just the 2^nd label of Palacios. The 1^st label is priced in the $150 range, but is as good as Grand Cru French wines or Cult California wines. Buy it if you can find it.

Mas Doix 2006 Priorat ‘Salanques.’ $49.99 OH Retail

This is another 2^nd label from one of original founders of Priorat. Sexy and supple with a high percentage of Grenache, but also includes Carignan, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Very accessible blue-black color and 16 months of French Oak.

Bodegas mas Alta 2006 Priorat ‘La Basseta.’ $99.99 OH Retail.

A superstar with intense flavors and serious aging potential. A finish that lasts into the minutes. 45% Carignan, 40% Grenache, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Packed with the flavors of minerals, smokey wood, lavender and other flowers, incense, dark black fruits including blueberry. Stunningly complex, but very pleasurable. A wine that makes you smile.

These are only a few of the stunning wines to be had from this area. Please consider experimenting with Priorat. You’ll find incredible bang for you fine wine buck.

Joseph Voillot Red Burgundies: Part 2 of 2: The Pommards

I discussed a little bit about Joseph Voillot and his Volnay wines in the last blog post.
Click here for that article.
Now we are talking about the Pommards.

Pommards are powerful in a uniquely Pinot Noir way not big or powerful in a Cabernet or Shiraz way. The common description given for this is ‘an iron fist in a velvet glove.’ That is good as far as it goes, but I think a better analogy is ‘power with elegance’ or ‘power under control.’ Put in your mind a luxury sports coupe like a Bentley or Aston Martin. True refined elegance – and 400 horsepower.

Okay on to the wines.

Joseph Voillot 2007 Pommard Vielles Vignes. $49.99 OH retail.
“With this wine you start to see a ‘house-style’ for Voillot because this wine shares many similarities to the Volnay Vielles Vignes. We have black fruits, gorgeous acidity, and aggressive raspberries on the nose. But this time the wine is a touch tight. This is totally our fault for opening it so young and 2 or 3 years will release a lot from this wine. Also, it is a very very long finish. More than minutes.”

Joseph Voillot 2007 Pommard 1er Cru ‘Clos Micault’ $84.99 OH Retail.
“This is where it all started for Voillot. The Clos Micault vineyard was purchased in 1870 and yields only 20 cases of wine. That is startling and humbling. 20 cases for the entire world! It is rich and warm and full of the most wonderful complex flavors. I’m not skilled enough in my palate to tell you everything I tasted. I just said, ‘yum’ and ‘wow’ and ‘whoa.” This was my favorite of the Pommards and I was horribly greedy. I wanted to buy all 20 cases of this wine just for me.”

Joseph Voillot 2007 Pommard 1er Cru ‘Pezerolles’ $84.99 OH Retail.
“Only 40 cases of wine were produced from this one acre vineyard. Positively abundant after the last wine. This wine was full of intense blue and black fruits, searing acid, and flower flavors. But all these flavors are compressed with the age one this wine. Lose it in the cellar for awhile. It was powerful with being forceful, like the best Pommards should be. A great wine for a collector and that doesn’t happen below $100 in Burgundy very often.”

I write this with the hope that Voillot’s wines will be something that people can find and discover for themselves. This is truly a value play in the heart of Burgundy’s expensive Cote D’Or. For those who lust for great Pinot Noir and who know that value isn’t about price, but instead what you get for each dollar, this is a producer you should experiment with.

Joseph Voillot Red Burgundies: Part 1 of 2: The Volnays

It has become a cliché that “French Burgundy is a minefield.” It is all too possible to spend upwards of one hundred dollars for shockingly ordinary stuff. But these are some of the most amazing Pinot Noirs – heck wines – on this planet.

It has become even more important to search out the producers that matter. And pray that they offer some sort of value. In Joseph Voillot, we have both insane quality and incredible value.

Voillot is in Volnay, the heart of the Cote d’Or, and wines are made both from Volnay and from Pommard. You couldn’t ask for more disparate interpretations of Pinot Noir. Volnay wines are from chalk and limestone soils, known for ethereal, feminine, elegance wines. Pommard wines are from iron and clay. The wines are masculine and powerful, but in a truly Pinot Noir way. More on those later.

I won’t talk much about the winemaker other than to say the Joseph Voillot’s son is doing it right. Sustainable agriculture. Microscopic yields. Minimal SO2. Minor amounts of oak. Five generations of winemaking have made sure that this property is exceptionally run.

Now to the wines. Keep in mind that these are very young and 2007 wasn’t a great year.

Joseph Voillot 2007 Bourgogne Rouge. $24.99 OH retail.“Sourced from 50 year-old vines in Volnay, this is one of the sexiest cheap Burgundies I’ve ever had. The color is a wonderful shimmering red and bright aromas leap from the glass. You don’t have to go looking for them. This wine, at this price, deserves to frequent your dinner table. Especially with poultry.”

Joseph Voillot 2007 Volnay Vielles Vignes. $51.99 OH Retail.
“This includes some 1er Cru and non-1er Cru juice from nine parcels. It is textbook Volnay without any specific expression of micro-terroir. Better than most $50 Pinot Noirs, but next come the premier crus.”

Joseph Voillot 2007 Volnay 1er Cru ‘Le Champans’ $51.99 OH Retail.“My favorite of the Volnays comes from the 4 acre ‘les Champans’ vineyards. The vines here date back to 1934. The wine is spicy and complex and elegant and sexy all in one. Think about any of the Italian beauties that graced Frederico Fellini films and you get a personification of this wine.”

Joseph Voillot 2007 Volnay 1er Cru ‘Les Fremiets’ $51.99 OH Retail.“To anyone who says terroir doesn’t exist, I give them the ‘les Fremiets’ vineyard. On the border of Volnay and Pommard, a little of the Pommard clay seeps into the ground of this vineyard. This gives the style and noticeable ‘drop’ of Pommard fullness. Fifty year-old vines and tight yields make this a wine for the cellar. I’d love to taste this again in a decade.”

The Pommards will be in the next blog post.

Mattias Sanchez-Nieto Winemaker at Eral Bravo - UW003

Understanding Wine HD #3
Winemaker from Eral Bravo Matias Sanchez-Nieto shows up to talk about Erales, Urano, YBS, Malbec, and other wines he produces.

10 Wine Resolutions for 2010

Wine Resolutions for Novices.

1. UNDERSTAND that is it too early in your wine journey to start making decisions about grapes, brands, or regions. This is life quest; you don’t want to start making preferences until you have a couple hundred bottles consumed.

2. DO attend a wine tasting on a regular basis. This is by far the most cost-effective way to get experience lots of wines.

3. BUY an expensive leather journal and write down every wine you taste and what you think about it. This forces you to be focused and it will be fun to read in future years.

Wine Resolutions for Intermediates.

4. UNDERSTAND wine and food pairings. Most wine (and all great wine) is meant for the dinner table. A little experimentation and one good wine book can help you in this mission.

5. DO try as many different grapes as possible. Consider something like the ‘Wine Century Club.’ Don’t restrict yourself to the most common 10 or 20 grapes. Thousands of grape types are made into wine worldwide.

6. BUY cases of interesting wine. It is time to learn how wine ages and what that really means. You are only going to do that if the wine is aging at your house.

Wine Resolutions for Advanced Wine Drinkers.

7. UNDERSTAND that analysis is lowest form of wine appreciation. Embrace the metaphysical connections of terroir (the fusion of place and taste) and learn about the people making your wine.

8. DO visit wine country and go where the tourists don’t go. Santa Barbara, Greece, Southwest France, etc…

9. BUY strangely interesting wines that nobodies else knows about to defend their existence from homogenization.

Wine Resolution for Everyone.

10. BE GRATEFUL. We have access to more wine, better wine, and in more diversity that most people on earth.

Chilling Wine: When and How Much? - UW002

Understanding Wine HD #2



In this wine video podcast, Austin Beeman discusses chilling wine, why white wines and red wines should be served at different temperatures, and what 'room temperature' really means.

1981 Rioja Bianco Wine Tasting by Austin Beeman Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva

Tasting a very old 1981 white Rioja from Lopez Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva.

What is Wine - UW001

Understanding Wine Ep. #1 "What is Wine?"

What is Wine? Austin Beeman defines wine and specifically the difference between fruit wine and grape wine. Also he talks about the Vinifera and Labrusca.

Hilarious Video - True Tales from the Wine Store 2

This wine video is hilarious for anyone who has work in the the retail wine business. I didn't produce this, but wish I had.

Antinori - 26 Generations in the Wine Business

The Antinori family has been making wine in Italy for over six hundred years. They are perhaps the oldest family business in the world. Certainly in Europe.

I recently had an opportunity to taste the current lineup from Antinori and have some impressions and recommendations.

Overall Impressions

There are no bad wines here. You wouldn't last this long in the wine business, if you couldn't produce good wine. However on the low end, they kept sneaking some Merlot into the Tuscan blends and that makes them seem quite "New Worldy."

Recommended

Antinori 2003 Solaia ($282.99 OH Retail)

Wow! This Cabernet Sauvignon-based Super-Tuscan is stunning. From the sunniest 10 hectares of the Tignanello hill in Tuscany, this wine was rich and long-lasting, but very complex. It showed none of the 'over-ripeness' common in the scorching 2003 vintage. We did, however, commit 'infanticide' with this bottle. I'd recommend hiding it in the deepest, darkest reached of your cellar. You wouldn't want to be tempted to drink this too soon. And you would sooo be tempted.

Antinori 2005 Tignanello ($98.99 OH Retail)

"Tig" is a historic wine. 1st Sangiovese aged in barriques. 1st blended with non-traditional grape varieties. 1st Chianti region red not to use any white wine grapes. And yet, for all its 'first' this is a wine that tastes refreshingly traditional. Imagine blending the best characteristics of Brunellos and Chiantis. Delicate Sangiovese 'rose petals' and Tuscany tobacco, leather, and earth. Well worth the money for any Italian wine fan.

Santa Cristina 2006 Pinot Grigio ($16.99)

So much Pinot Grigio is 'yawn-worthy' that it is truly exciting when you find a good one. Santa Cristina, Antinori's value brand, has definitely found the secret. Sicily. Sourcing from a warmer climate gives this wine the tastes and aromas of, well, wine. I actually said, "Hey this smells like wine." Delicious Pinot Grigio if you are ready to taste it.

Have you had these wines?

What you think of Antinori?