Sunday, December 30, 2012

Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut - Aÿ, Champagne, France

Bollinger_special_cuvee

Bollinger  Spcial Cuvée Brut -  Aÿ, Champagne, France

by Paige Donner

Tasting Notes :  Hints of roasted apples, spiced apple compote, peaches greet your nose after your eyes have been seduced by the fluttering of fine bubbles in that golden champagne color indicative of a Pinot Noir predominant blend. Full-bodied and toasty pretty much sums it up but also perhaps oversimplifies the aromatic complexity of this champagne. Creamy on the palate with notes of brioche, pear, green apple – with some spicy and a bit of walnut that all goes down on the velvet of the very fine Bollinger bubbles.  12% alc. Between 8 -9 gr. Dosage.


Price: $57.99 (approx.)


Production Notes :  The secret to this iconic NV champagne is that it is mostly reserve wine, some aged in magnums for over 15 years in the Bollinger cellars in Aÿ, blended with harvest grapes. And, as any champagne aficionado knows, champagne ages superbly in magnums, a process that helps it acquire that biscuity, toasty quality so emblematic of the best champagnes. Over 85% of this blend is Grands and Premiers Crus; 60% Pinot Noir,  25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier.


Pair With :  Sushi and sashimi – the fresher the better; pata negra and prosciutto; Also grilled lobster, prawns; poultry and white meat; cashews, parmesan. Serve between 10 – 12˚C. You can keep it up to 8 years – that is, if you don’t drink it all now.


Notes from the Housefor those who know that true elegance is born of simplicity will appreciate to the full this commitment to aesthetics and succinctness. It is also a reflection of the House’s commitment to concentrating on the essential: creating fine and good wines. Because in the end, everything else is simply superfluous.


The House of Bollinger Champagne began many decades before, but “Aunt Lily,” as she was known to her family members, still figures prominently in the House’s style and legacy ever since she was at the helm of the house in the 1950s until her passing in 1977. She is probably one of the most quoted dames of Champagne (see below).

Originally a Scotswoman, she married her husband Jacques, at one point the Mayor of Aÿ, in 1923 who himself had become the managing director of Bollinger Champagne at the tender age of 24. By the age of 42 she was a war widow and it was then that she stepped in, like other famous champagne widows before her, and took the reins of her house and steered it with an eye to perfection and unwavering dedication to excellence and innovation. This is the modern legacy “Madame Jacques,” became known for.

But going back to the previous century, 1829 to be exact, when the house was first formed is really to delve into the annals of international history. Original founder of Bollinger Champagne, Count Athanase de Villermont, was a nobleman and a war hero from the American Revolution. He became fascinated with the wines of Aÿ, Champagne when he inherited an extensive estate in this choice viticultural area of the Marne upon his return to France. The reason why the house did not take the name of “de Villermont” is because, at that time, the French aristocracy were forbidden to engage in trade. So Count Athanase partnered with Joseph Bollinger, a German, and Paul Renaudin, a Champenois.  And thus, on Feb. 6, 1829 a champagne house was born – one that has ever since become synonymous with excellence, quality… and international intrigue (as in, Diamonds Are Forever).

Since 2008 Ghislain de Montgolfier, a great-great grandson of Joseph Bollinger, passed the reins, for the first time in the house’s history, to a non-family member, Jérôme Philipon. In 2007 Ghislain’s great sense of humor coupled with his technical expertise got him elected as Head of the Board of the Union des Maisons de Champagne and co-Chairman of the Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC).


"I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad.
Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone.
When I have company I consider it obligatory.
I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and I drink it when I am.
Otherwise I never touch it, unless I'm thirsty.
"
Lily Bollinger,
17th October 1961, Daily Mail

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Sunday, December 9, 2012

Yannick Alléno's * 1947 * At Cheval Blanc, Courchevel France

by Paige Donner

  • WHEN: December 12, 2012  until April 7 2013
  • Where:  1947, Yannick Alléno's new Pop-Up Gastronomic artistic culinary odyssey of a restaurant at Cheval Blanc in magical winter playground Courchevel, France

Please find here excerpts from the Press Release with my running commentary in red italics. 

Five Michelin-starred French Chef Yannick Alléno begins his winter season at Cheval Blanc Courchevel's 1947 restaurant when it opens on December 12th. 

[OK, this is the Super-Uber-Chef-Extraordinaire Alléno, the same mastermind behind Terroir Parisien which I wrote about here. Note to self* Find someone to explain to me how a mere mortal (human being presumably) gets 5 (five!!) Michelin Stars. I mean, even one signifies you've walked through a dozen or more culinary rings of fire. Right?]

1947_yannick_alleno_by_jean-ch
The wine: creating a closer alliance
Moving away from traditional food and wine pairings, 1947 offers guests an entirely new way of experiencing wine, by blending the DNA and raw materials of the wines with the ingredients of Alléno’s dishes to create extraordinary results. 

A loin of veal  is  marinated in the barrels from Château Yquem and cooked using chalk from the Ruinart quarries, whilst the vegetables are fermented in vine leaves from Krug’s Clos du Mesnil. The serving temperature of Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1996 is regulated; perfectly suiting the artichoke and black truffle…it is with these intricacies that Alléno is laying the foundations of a new modern cuisine

[Wow. Quelle Magnifique. Ruinart Crayères and grape leaves from Clos du Mesnil - love this Cradle to Cradle conceptual approach and implementation. Not to mention Yquem's botrytis sweet-soaked barrels and Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1996. OMG. Amazing! ; ) ]

The product: distilling ingredients to their essence

“The culinary experience involves tasting exactly the right part of each product in 
successive sequences. At the end of the day, cuisine is only a question of concentration, 
and I have tried to extract the quintessence of the product through a selection process 
resulting from a long investigation,” explains Yannick Alléno.
1947_yannick_alleno_menu3-13_l
The service: true mise en scene
Bucking the trend of pared-down service, at 1947 Alléno revives this pillar of French culinary history to offer guests a team of experts that echo the quality of the dining. The scene is set with assistants, sous-chefs and wine waiters that ensure that every aspect of the culinary journey is accompanied by knowledge and passion.

[Ahhh. Niiicce. Back to a bygone era... I'm feeling waves of nostalgia for an era I never even experienced.]
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Every evening until 7 April 2013, up to twenty five guests will have the opportunity to  experience Alléno’s new culinary  concept – Cuisine Moderne. The master Chef will create French cuisine that fuses proud Gallic tradition with innovative creativity to define this new foundation. Main course is shared by all 20 guests.

[*Note to LFAW readers - please (please, please, please)  send in your impressions if you have the good fortune to enjoy Alléno's 1947 culinary odyssey this winter season in Courchevel.]

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Posted via email from Local Food And Wine

Monday, December 3, 2012

As a Thank You we’re giving you a Holiday Bonus Perk

We’re optimistic that we’ll reach our film production fundraising goal for Wine & Climate Change, but we can’t do it without people like you.  Word-of-mouth and shared links have really helped and we truly appreciate your support.

Wine_and_climate_change_indiegogo_feature_photo

IndieGoGo.com/WineAndClimateChange

AS A SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT, WE’VE ADDED THE BONUS PERK OF A 3-DAY 2-NIGHT VACATION IN CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE.
Yes, that’s right. A Champagne Vacation for two.

To Qualify:
1. Click Like on our Wine & Climate Change Facebook Page. You’ll find it here:  http://www.facebook.com/wineandclimatechange
2. Go to IndieGogo.com/WineAndClimateChange and click on Contribute, for a minimum of $20 or higher.  Add in the comments section that you wish to qualify for the chance to win the Champagne Vacation.

It’s that easy. You may contribute more than once to increase your chances.  We will choose One Winner the week of January 16th, 2013. Winner will be chosen randomly.

What YOU Get
A 3-day, 2-night vacation for two to Champagne, France. This includes two nights’ lodging in a luxury residence, a Tour and Tasting at Veuve-Clicquot Champagne Cellars in Reims, France, a visit and lunch to Hautvillers, where the monk, Dom Perignon, first invented champagne.
@LocalFoodWine
*Transportation/airfare is not included. Some meals not included. Must be of legal drinking age to participate in the Tasting at Veuve-Clicquot Cellars. Must be 18 yrs. or older to participate.



Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Corton Grand Cru - Charlotte Dumay

 

Recently I was privileged to taste some of the great Hospices de Beaune (Burgundy) wines. These were the 2012 vintages, so not only are they “babies,” they are still infants.

Which made them all the more remarkable for how present they already are and how their destinies of future greatness are unmistakable.

For sentimental reasons, it was a very special experience for me to taste this wine. My grandmother, all her adult life, sat by the fire in the evenings and knitted bandages that she would donate for the patients at the Hospice. Her name was Charlotte. 

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Corton Grand Cru - Cuvée Charlotte Dumay

Tasting Notes: Deep brilliant ruby red. Light funghi on the bouquet, mineral, ripe red berry fruit finish. Altogether too drinkable. Open late 2013 and keep for up to 10 years and longer. 

 

*Read More ♥Chérie Du Vin Tasting Notes HERE*

 

Roland Masse (pictured above), the Manager of the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune said this:

When the grapes arrived at the wineries, they were in perfect health. We knew it was going to be a good year as soon as we tasted the musts.

 

[Excerpted from Christie's Auction Catalogue]: This gift to the Hospices was made in gothic lettering on parchment, in 1534. "For the cure and salvation of her soul," the childless Charlotte Dumay, wife of the King's Keeper of the Mint in Dijon, gave 100 ouvrées of vineyard and fallow land in the territory of Aloxe, with a house in stone. Today, this is one of the Hospice's longest-lived, most sumptuously structured wines. 

This was this year's "La Piece des Presidents" which is the auction item donated entirely to an elected charity. This year it was First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's foundation.

Hospice de Beaune Auction Price 2012: €27000 [$343,818] (tonneau - 350 liters) 

 

@♥Chérie Du Vin - YOU WILL LOVE MY WINE PICKS! ♥CHÉRIE DU VIN

 

 

Meursault-Genevrieres Premier Cru - Cuvee Philippe le Bon

Recently I was privileged to taste some of the great Hospices de Beaune (Burgundy) wines. These were the 2012 vintages, so not only are they “babies,” they are still infants.

Which made them all the more remarkable for how present they already are and how their destinies of future greatness are unmistakable.

Philippe_le_bon_les-grands-ducs-de-bourgogne

Meursault-Genevrières Premier Cru - Cuvée Philippe le Bon

 

Tasting Notes:  Philippe Le Bon was the Duke of Burgundy (1419-1467). This is one of the most, if not the most, popular Burgundy White in Japan. 2012 vintage has top-notes of white flowers, tint of butter. Delicate citrus and white flowers on the mouth. Drink from late 2013 on or keep 3 - 5 years or more.

 

Roland Masse, the Manager of the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune said this:

When the grapes arrived at the wineries, they were in perfect health. We knew it was going to be a good year as soon as we tasted the musts.

[Excerpted from Christie's Auction Catalogue]: This Cuvée pays homage to Philippe le Bon, Duke of Burgundy, who gave his backing and authority to Chancellor Nicolas Rolin, during the latter's establishment of the Hôtel-Dieu [that's "hospital" in French], from 1443. It is regularly one of the finest whites, and fiercely contested at auction. 

Est. Hospice de Beaune Auction Price 2012: €8000 - 12000 (barrel)

 

@♥Chérie Du Vin - YOU WILL LOVE MY WINE PICKS! ♥CHÉRIE DU VIN

 

Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru - Cuvée Dames de Flandres

Recently I was privileged to taste some of the great Hospices de Beaune (Burgundy) wines. These were the 2012 vintages, so not only are they "babies," they are still infants.

Which made them all the more remarkable for how present they already are and how their destinies of future greatness are unmistakable.

Batard_montrachet

Cuvée Dames de Flandres, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Tasting Notes: Golden robe with brilliant reflections. Elegant mineral nose. Citrus, green apple. Creamy mouth, terroir, mineral, taking on butter hint. Drink from mid 2013 on; Best to keep 3 - 8 years (or longer even). 

Roland Masse, the Manager of the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune said this:

When the grapes arrived at the wineries, they were in perfect health. We knew it was going to be a good year as soon as we tasted the musts.

Cuvée Dames de Flandres

[Excerpted from Christie's Auction Catalogue]: This vineyard was planted in 1974. It was acquired by the Hospices in 1989, and named after the Ladies of Flanders, in commemoration of the origins of the community of Sisters who have cared for the sick of the Hôtel-Dieu, down the centuries. The vines lie in the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet. They regularly produce a great white wine which is striking for its minerality, its length of flavour, its capacity to age and its exceptional complexity.

Est. Barrel Price (at 2012 Auction):  €40,000 - 60,000

2012 Sold For: €57,780  ($76,302) - Barrel

 

@♥Chérie Du Vin - YOU WILL LOVE MY WINE PICKS! ♥CHÉRIE DU VIN

 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Burgundy's Abuzz About Their 2012 Reds

by Paige Donner

The excitement is all around and the consensus is in - Burgundy 2012 Reds are going to be great.

Speaking from Sunday's Press Conference Podium at Beaune's Hotel Dieu, just before the beginning of the 152nd Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction that is at the heart of the Great Bourgogne wine tradition, acknowledgment of the difficult weather conditions of 2012, including three hailstorms, tinged with wonderment the BIVB's revelation that 2012 is going to be a great year for their reds and a really good year for their whites.

The Hospices Auction confirmed their conclusions.

This year's Hospices de Beaune Charity Auction sale set a record:

5,909,276 Euro

[The previous highest was in 2000]

That breaks down to: 407 barrels of red wine
111 barrels of white wine
Total: 5,631,410 Euros

+ President's Barrel or La Pièce des Présidents = 270,000 Euros

The Domaine des Hospices de Beaune offered 31 cuveés of red wine - whose overall sale value saw an increase of 68.85%.

They offered 13 cuveés of white wines whose overall value is up 18.11%.

The Auction was presided over by First Lady (former) Carla Bruni-Sarkozy whose foundation is the recipient of the charitable sale proceeds from La Pièce des Présidents along with the Fondation Idée, French footballer Guy Roux's foundation that benefits people suffering from epilepsy.

New this year to the auction is the Grand Cru from the Côte de Nuits, Echézeaux Cuvée Jean-Luc Bissey. All six barrels sold for a total of 300K Euros. For La Pièce des Présidents this year it was a “tonneau”of 350 liters of the lovely minerally Grand Cru Corton, Cuvée Charlotte Dumay.

Most Expensive White (2012) : Dames de Flandres, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 55,333Euro (barrel)

Most Expensive Red (2012) : Clos de la Roche Georges Kritter 55,667Euro (barrel)

"2012 Whites are Rich and Exceptionally Well-Balanced" - 2012 Domaine des Hospices de Beaune Manager - Roland Masse

*Note about the Whites [Domaine Hospices de Beaune] - While the reds are being heaped with all the praise, the Whites, to this taster's palate, are rich and exceptionally well-balanced. For such young whites, my inkling is that in a year and onwards these will be superb drinking Burgundy whites. With a good number to cellar as well.

“Many records were broken at the 152nd Hospices de Beaune auction. Star Cuvées amongst the red wines included (with average price per barrel and percentage increase compared to 2011): Clos de la Roche Cuvée Georges Kritter €55,667 (without premium +94.2%) and Mazis-Chambertin Cuvée Madeleine Collignon at €38,318 (without premium +57.7%). Thanks to a recent generous donation, a new Grand Cru from the Côte de Nuits was offered for the first time. This was Echézeaux Cuvée Jean-Luc Bissey, and all six barrels sold for a magnificent €50,000 (hammer price) per barrel, raising €300,000 for the Hospices.

The superb quality of the 2012 vintage wines, combined with the reduced quantity and the progression of demand for great Burgundy in many countries, not just Asia, contributed to this astonishing, record result," declared Anthony Hanson, Master of Wine, Senior Consultant of Christie’s

 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Madame Champagne Duval-Leroy

Duval-leroy_clos_des_bouveries

by Paige Donner

Upon closer examination, you will find many extra-ordinary elements to the Champagne House Duval-Leroy. For starters, there are the champagnes. In Wine Spectator's Top 100 list of 2008, their Brut NV was the only champagne to make the cut.

Then there is the amazing team that Mrs. Carol Duval-Leroy has assembled around her to create their award-winning champagnes in an atmosphere of joy - truly;  And also an atmosphere of groundbreaking innovation while still maintaining firm roots in tradition. And then, last but by all means not least, there is the local legend of Asti, Carol Duval-Leroy's little dog who is never far from her feet. Little Asti is this family-owned Champagne House's Ambassador, albeit he wears the title unofficially. At any rate, I can't help thinking of my favorite Colette quote, "Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet." My own dog evokes similar feelings in me... And reigning over Côte des Blancs vineyards in Vertus, Champagne - well, it's difficult to imagine a happier life for a dog. 

The Team

All three of Carol Duval-Leroy's sons are part of the Champagne Team. The eldest, Julien, works on-site at Headquarters in Vertus. These are no ordinary champagne headquarters, mind you. The newest building is the only one in Champagne that has a Living Wall, photovoltaic panels incorporated all along the sides and even a rainwater retrieval system. Her two younger sons, Charles and Louis, are partners in a communications agency specialized in, you guessed it, champagne. 

Two more key players in the house are Michel Oliveira, Deputy Managing Director, who has been with the house for 35 years, and Sandrine Logette-Jardin, the only female winemaker/ Chef de Cave at one of the big champagne houses (I have come across one other in the Côte des Bars, but their production is nowhere near the 5 million bottle annual production of Duval-Leroy's). 

The Champagne Trinity

This Champagne Trinity, Carol, Michel, Sandrine, each have made their significant marks on the house. A few top-notes are Carol's championing of champagne and gastronomy pairings with her Official Sponsorship of the Sommellerie section of France's Meilleurs Ouvriers de France contest, an annual contest that distinguishes France's best chefs, sommeliers and other professionals. This was one of the aspects of her work that won her, in 2008, the medal of Knight of the French Legion of Honor (Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur).  You can find Duval-Leroy Champagnes served at 150 Michelin-rated restaurants in over 50 different countries worldwide. She is also the President of the Champagne Viticultural Association. 

Environmentally-friendly Policies

In 1994 Duval-Leroy Champagne was the first champagne house to receive ISO 9002 certification standard. One of the ways to focus in on one of the more innovative and groundbreaking contributions that Michel Oliveira has made to the house, and indeed, champagne as a region, is to examine their Clos des Bouveries, the House's oldest vineyard plot. The environmental policies Oliveira has implemented over the decades have started here, where they use the Clos as a "test-bed" for environmentally-friendly policies and techniques that they then can apply to their other vineyards and also recommend to their grower-partners.

For example, since first implementing these policies, they have reduced by 70% the use of herbicides and vine treatments by 30%. And don't even get him started on the topic of greywater run-off and winery effluent... Not to mention that Duval-Leroy champagne bottles are made of a minimum of 70% recycled glass and come from a locally-sourced factory...And the list of the House's green initiatives goes on...

Vinification And Blending

Sandrine is fond of likening her winemaking methods to that of a fine watchmaker. Each year, of the approximately 250 cuvees she tastes, she blends the House's 15 champagnes from only the best ones. Refinement and elegance are the hallmarks of Duval-Leroy Champagnes and malolactic fermentation helps to develop their brioche aromas and characteristic smoothness. She also helped plan their new vinification facilities in Vertus to optimize single vineyard batches for smaller volumes of must. This gives her the freedom to play and experiment with rarely seen AOC Champagne varietals such as Petit Meslier. The House of Duval-Leroy is invested in preserving snapshots of the Champagne Terroir by vinifying these singular harvests which is something they've done now for decades with the Clos des Bouveries. 

As a last note, for such a big house with production of 5 million bottles annually and a global export reach, the family part of the family-run champagne house is very present in the house's ambiance. And you truly get the sense that these people have found their joy in what they're doing. 


Monday, November 12, 2012

Champagne Ernest Remy

If you ever find yourself for a day, or, better yet, a weekend, in Champagne during the Autumn season, use this as a sample daytripping itinerary and you won't go wrong.

Make your main destination Champagne Ernest Remy which is a long-held family champagne house located in Mailly, in the heart of the gracefully sloping hills of the Montagne de Reims. During the Fall, the play of colors - auburns, oranges, eggplants, deep reds, rusts, yellows, golds - is breathtaking so be sure to stop along the way and take pictures of the fleeting richness of nature while you're witness to it.
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The Montagne de Reims is one of the most classical viticutural areas in France, famous for its Pinot Noir. The house of Ernest Remy Champagne makes its champagnes using only Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Mailly, harvested from their 15 hectares. Interestingly, for this harvest year 2012, Mailly enjoyed an abundant harvest, according to Ernest Remy's Tarek Berrada, who explained that it was perhaps due to the village vineyards' north- northwest sun exposure. In any event, they did not experience the limited harvest that most of the rest of Champagne did this year.
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As with many wineries, this is a husband-wife team who have taken up the family business. But here is where any "typical" winemaker background ends, as both husband and wife come from the world of Art and Art history. It just so happens that she was born into a land-owning Champenoise family.

Evidence of these artistic leanings can be discovered in the labeling, packaging and design of their champagnes. For example, when you buy a bottle of their Rosé de Saignée Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru there is a small pink metallic medallion embedded into the top of the cork, hidden just under the champagne cap. A keepsake and a souvenir - for a memorable champagne whose hints of violet reveals itself on the long finish, after it has flirted its delicate wild strawberry and raspberry aromas before you. This Mailly rosé has a mere 6g. of sugar for its dosage and is aged a minimum of 20 mos. It is a rosé that could accompany meals, such as roast chicken, duck, lightly spicy asian dishes as well as red fruit desserts. It's available in Magnums and bottles, and in cases of 3 Magnums and cases of 6 bottles. *Tip: "Saignée" in French means that this rose has acquired its color through maceration and not blending.

With the rest of the day ahead of you, you have any number of wonderful restaurants nearby, all located in storybook beautiful little Champagne villages, one as lovely as the next. Top choices for lunch (or dinner) are L'Assiette Champenoise in Tinqueux, a two-Michelin starred restaurant that has a set menu starting at about 150 per person. Champagne Ernest Remy is on their menu.

Other choices in the vicinity include Le Relais de Sillery, Le Grand Cerf (Michelin starred), Le Château de Rilly (also a hotel) and then there's the small local favorite that you can easily pass if you drive along the Route du Champagne just a bit too fast - so be sure to keep a scenic pace and watch out for Le Mont Joly in Rilly, big steaks served on wooden cutting boards and very reasonable prices.

Lastly, it wouldn't be a trip to this Montagne de Reims region if you didn't stop in at Le Phare de Verzenay, an old windmill that has since been turned into a museum. But I'll let you do your Tourist Office legwork for this one as it's one of those sites you'll see displayed and described in most guidebooks and certainly at all the tourist offices.

 

 

Posted via email from Local Food And Wine

Monday, October 29, 2012

The Douro Is Not To Be Observed, It Is To Be Felt

Okay. So I didn't come up with this great saying...

The Douro is not to be observed. It is to be felt.

Porto_tasting_ambassade_de_portugal_paris_october_22_003_b

Porto_tasting_ambassade_de_portugal_paris_october_22_006_b

In fact, I took it off of the press materials of Domingos Alves de Sousa who is a 3rd generation Port Wine producer in the UNESCO World Heritage region of the Douro, Portugal.

The Douro, by all accounts, is one of the wonders of the wine world. It not only reflects the exquisite heritage derived from man and nature working together but is also home to 350 flora species of the 450 total that are native to Portugal. In other words, it's a treasure trove of biodiversity as well as the nesting ground for over 80 varieties of grapes.

And, most famously, it's the birthplace of Port Wine. Port wine, the sweet, usually deep ruby red (sometimes tawny), fortified wine, wasn't always so. In fact, the history of port wine's evolution is one of those "Happy Accidents."

Porto_tasting_ambassade_de_portugal_paris_october_22_010_b

The short version is that the Douro, though hauntingly beautiful, is one of the world's most inhospitable terrains for cultivating vines over its vast 927 sq. kilometers of land surface that sits between Portugal and Spain. So several hundred years ago, when the English importers, along with their Portuguese growers, were trying to figure out how to get the originally dry red wines to market in England without first oxidizing, they hit upon the genius idea of adding brandy and making the wines sweet. Success!

It took another hundred years or so to decide that Sweet Fortified Wine would be "Porto's" official identity as a wine. In fact, heated discussions raged throughout the region for about 50 years before it was decided that Porto would be codified, if you will, as the sweet fortified wine that we know it as today.

Port wine and the Douro is a region I've studied extensively - in books. And not had much occasion to taste. So it was with great enthusiasm I attended a recent Porto Wine Tasting. All these different styles of Port Wine - Lagrima, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage, Colheitas - would be available for tasting. 

My greatest takeaway from this tasting experience is that studying these historic and epic wines without spending time in the region and without meeting the people whose generations of families have made the wines, is little substitute for doing the legwork and actually visiting the region. It's sort of akin to trying to describe to a blind person what colors look like.

So, having little depth in my repertoire of what Portos taste like, but a lot of wine facts about the region in my head, I can simply say that all of the Port Wines I tasted at the event were extra-ordinary. Even the dry red wines the producers opened and had us taste were noteworthy.

This experience is a real case in point that true wine appreciation is a tandem endeavor - visceral and intellectual. The experience is just not complete, the one without the other.

@♥Chérie Du Vin

Producers:  Quinta Do Vale D. Maria

Quinta do Sagrado /  Quinta da GaivosaQuinta do Vale Meao  

Wine & Soul

Friday, October 26, 2012

Bollinger's 002 for 007 and It's Global Champagne Day!

Fill the buckets with ice, get out those flutes and get ready to POP! that champagne cork. Today is Global Champagne Day!!

Timed perfectly with Global Champagne Day is the worldwide release of the newest James Bond installment, "Skyfall."

Bollingerskyfall_cherieduvin

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, Bollinger has released a special edition of their vintage '02 (an Excellent Year) named a fittingly Bollinger JamesBond 007. According to Mathieu Kauffmann, cellar master at Bollinger, La Grande Année 2002 is "the most exceptional vintage of the past decade."

Bollinger-cherieduvin

Believe it or not, the English actually drink more champagne than even the Americans do. Here are some interesting numbers, as recorded by the CIVC, the official Champagne Bureau who has offices in Champagne, the U.S. and other strategic geo-political points throughout the world. 

France:  181.6 Million Bottles Per Year (of Champagne Consumed)

UK: 34.5 

U.S. 19.4

Germany: 14.2

Belgium: 9.6

Japan: 7.9

Bond_and_bollinger_cherieduvin

One thing's for sure, Bond has good taste in champagne.

 

@♥Chérie Du Vin - You Will LOVE My Wine Picks!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Oct. 26th is Global Champagne Day!!!♥♥♥♥♥♥Chérie Du Vin. You will LOVE my wine picks!

The French Wine Society earns mention within the pages of a murder-mystery written by award-winning author J. Michael Orenduff.

[Re-posted from The French Wine Society- visit their site for Wine Education Info]

Yes, truth is stranger than fiction!

While our Education Director was vacationing in New Mexico last summer, she picked up “The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier” at a bookstore in Albuqueque. It was a fabulous read especially since its main character was a Gruet-guzzling treasure seeker with a keen eye for ancient Indian pots…that weren’t his own.

The only thing “wrong” with the book was the constant reference to Gruet sparkling wine from New Mexico as “champagne”.

Champagne_tours_local_food_and_wine

A friendly email exchange followed…along with a newly released sequel, “The Pot Thief Who Studied D.H.Lawrence”. In Chapter 10, as the main character shares a post-prandial drink with a friend …

Suzannah said,”The restaurant got an email blast today from the Education Director of the French Wine Society explaining that you shouldn’t refer to Gruet as ‘champagne’.”

“She mentioned me by name?”

“No silly. And she didn’t mention Gruet by name either. She said we shouldn’t call American sparkling wines champagne.”

“Why not?”

“Because true champagne comes from Champagne, France. Everything else is sparkling wine. It has to do with authenticity. You know, truth in advertising.”

“But the Gruet family is from Champagne.”

“But the sparkling wine they make here in New Mexico is not.”

 

Thank you J. Michael Orenduff for setting the record straight! And for the record, if you haven’t read one of  Mike’s murder-mysteries…you are missing out on some authentic good fun.

J. Michael Orenduff is a “Lefty” national award winner for best humorous mystery. He has won two “Eppies” for best eBook mysteries and is winner of the New Mexico Book of the Year Award.

 

@♥Chérie Du Vin -You will LOVE my wine picks!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

AB 1616 The California Homemade Food Act

by Paige Donner

For the longest time, in fact, up until just a week or two ago, folks in California were committing a crime when they made bread or apple sauce, say, at home and took it to the market to sell. It was illegal. But now, with the recently passed “California Homemade Food Act,” people can cook, bake, stew and roast to their heart’s delight at home, and sell their goods wherever they can get them in the door, under the tent or on the shelf.

Backyard_bread_guy_ab1616_loca

AB 1616, which was signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown on September 21st and will take effect as of January 2013, is a real milestone for artisanal food makers, especially those who don’t have the capital or the funding to rent commercial food processing facilities which was previously a requisite in any food preparation meant for sale. Yes, even, technically, those church bakesales. [Who knew "Aunt Betty" was a cookie criminal!?]

But no more.  This new law allows Californians to sell
 “non-potentially hazardous goods” they produce at home such as breads, jams and preserves, pickles, pickled vegetables, granola, nut mixes, coffees
 — but NOTHING that contains meat or dairy. The NO MEAT OR DAIRY clause is in there to protect consumers from the potentially hazardous bacteria like botulism.

Also, AB1616 
caps the earning revenue of these businesses at $35,000 this year. That 
increases to $50,000 in 2015, significantly higher than in other 
states. For many small food producers, this will give them a good start and some are even already eyeing the Williams-
Sonoma Artisan’s Market as a place to take their treats. If nothing else, it gives people a cottage industry outlet, keeps them legal, and might even be the germinating platform for the next Famous Amos or Newman’s Own. One never knows!

“Providing people with the opportunity to make and sell these foods directly to their neighbors at the local farmer’s market or through the specialty shop up around the corner is a matter of access to opportunity,” said Gatto. “I am happy that the Governor has joined me in my efforts to restore economic activity to our neighborhood economies and to the state of California by allowing people to produce and healthy, nutritious or culturally relevant foods in their homes.” – Assemblyman Mike Gatto

It’s thanks to Assemblyman Mike Gatto of California’s 43rd District who sponsored the bill that people now have the way cleared to pursue their artisanal food production dreams. Read More about the bill HERE.

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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Cognac Charity Auction Raises €136,800 ($177,046)

[From Press Release]

The prestigious annual Cognac Awards were presented before the auction, going to two Americans. Ann Tuennerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, was presented with “Cognac Personality of the Year Award”, and acclaimed spirits writer David Wondrich was awarded “Cognac Writer of the Year Award.” The Cognac Awards celebrate personalities in the trade and media who have championed Cognac through their work.

Chateau_chesnel_local_food_and_wine

The 7th Annual “La Part Des Anges” Cognac charity auction raised a record sum of €136,800 ($177,046), donated entirely to charity.

This new record perfectly illustrates the loyalty of collectors for Cognac, a spirit that embodies the values of passion, generosity and solidarity shared by its growers and merchants. All proceeds went to the Order of Malta—France.

 

The auction took place on Thursday, September 20th, in the magical setting of the Château Chesnel in Cherves-Richemont near the city of Cognac. 650 people from around the world gathered for the special event. Under the hammer of auctioneer Vincent Gérard-Tasset, 26 rare bottles of Cognac, along with a sculpture, were sold for a record total of €136,800 (last year’s sales totalled €100,600). A Martell lot received the highest bid of €21,000, followed by lots from Hennessy and Prince Hubert de Polignac (€14,000 and €10,500 respectively). See Appendix below for a complete list of sales.

PART DES ANGES – THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2012 

LIST OF SALES

 

COURVOISIER, Réserve Edward VII : 4 500 € 

LOUIS ROYER, Cognac Grande Champagne Reserve Royale : 900 € 

HARDY, Caryota / Privilège : 6 000 € 

CHÂTEAU DE MONTIFAUD, Millésime 1972 : 2 200 € 

FRAPIN, Frapin Baccarat Aigle Royal : 6 200 € 

MEUKOW, Nec Plus Ultra : 4 500 € 

LEYRAT, "Partage" - Exemplaire n°01/52 : 4 800 € 

DELAMAIN, Cognac Grande Champagne 1972 40 ans d'âge - Bouteille n°1/1 : 6 200 € 

PIERRE FERRAND, Memorable : 3 200 € 

HINE, Monnet Extra Capiello Collector : 3 700 € 

REMY MARTIN, Coupe Historique Extra Porcelaine : 5 000 € 

MARTELL, Coffret Martell Cordon Bleu - Edition du Centenaire : 21 000 € 

DUPUY - BACHE-GABRIELSEN, Borderies Millésime 1971 : 2 500 € 

A.E. DOR, Vieille Réserve Limitée - N°9 et N°10 : 2 500 € 

BRAASTAD, Stetangen : 4 800 € 

PRINCE HUBERT DE POLIGNAC, 888 Trunk : 10 500 € 

HENNESSY, Hennessy "Réserve Spéciale" : 14 000 € 

LEOPOLD GOURMEL, Petite Champagne 1972 : 2 200 € 

NORMANDIN-MERCIER, "La Péraudière" : 1 300 € 

OTARD, Exception - La Part des Anges : 2 000 € 

A. DE FUSSIGNY, Vintage 1970 : 1 400 € 

ABK6, Famille" - Carafe N°01/27 : 4 000 € 

CAMUS, Cuvée 2.105 - Family Legacy - N°1228/1228 : 4 200 € 

GODET, Trésor de Guerre : 4 700 € 

LA COGNATHEQUE, Collection Privée : Millésime 1840 Pinet Castillon : 8 000 € 

DE LUZE, De Luze Extra Single Barrel Finish Grande Champagne : 2 000 € 

ELEVATION : 4 500 €

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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Okanagan Architect Designs Terravista Vineyards

Okanagan Architect Designs A Winery Facility that Reflects the Region

Terravista Vineyards, a new Naramata Bench winery, worked with renowned Okanagan architect Nick Bevanda to design an efficient, elegant winemaking facility tailored to its location.

[reprinted from Press Release]

Kelowna, BC, September 18, 2012 — The original founders of Black Hills Estate Winery have opened Terravista Vineyards, a new boutique winery nestled into the natural contours of the BC’s Naramata Bench.

Bob and Senka Tennant started Terravista Vineyards with a commitment to producing small volumes of high quality estate-grown white wine. One of their first steps was investing in a winery facility customized to this task and infused with local flavour. Designed by award-winning architect Nick Bevanda, a partner with BC-based CEI Architecture, the building is uniquely sculpted to its site, using materials that make it an ideal match for the climate and landscape of the region.

“The objective was to complement the landscape, not to overwhelm it.” Bevanda says. “We kept the building design clean and efficient, providing everything the winemakers need to make a great product.”

The winery building is constructed from concrete, with an angled roof that complements the contours of the surrounding hills. The structure is nestled into the corner of the five-acre vineyard, in a natural bowl in the landscape. It was designed to suit the production and storage needs of the winemakers, who plan to produce up to 1800 cases of wine a year.

“The reaction has been that people love it,” says Tennant. “It’s modern without being austere. It’s clean and it screams function, but you really like being in it and around it.”

The building’s deep roof overhang is cantilevered to provide a natural sunshade, supported by a minimal structure that does not interfere with the circulation of people and machinery during the wine production process. The building’s face is clad in glass to provide expansive views of the vineyard, and to draw natural light deep into the building.

“We are a little off the radar, and the building is not really viewable from anywhere unless you are on our property,” says Tennant. “It's fun watching people come to the place now that we are actually open. They come down our driveway and they’re wondering, where do we go? Then they look at the building and go, ‘Oh wow.’”

Born and raised in the Okanagan, Nick Bevanda is one of the most prolific architects of wineries in the region. His designs includes the Black Hills Estate Winery, the only winery in Western Canada honoured with the Lieutenant-Governor of BC Award of Merit for Architecture, in 2008. He also led the design of Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Winery, Road 13 Winery, the Hooded Merganser Restaurant, and the recently opened Black Hills Wine Experience Centre.

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Saint-Emilion Wines 2012 Classification


by Paige Donner
Just released is the new 2012 Saint-Emilion Classification which ranks 82 of the most respected chateaux and wineries of Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux. Four made it into the Premier Grand Cru Classé A rank: Château Angélus, Château Pavie, Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone. This rank was awarded based on the wines' exceptional ageing potential and their celebrated reputations. The two newcomers to the A rank for 2012 are, of course, Château Pavie and Angelus.
align=Different, and innovative, for this 2012 classification is that the whole of the procedure was put under INAO (Institut national des appellations d'origine) supervision alongwith the Ministries of Agriculture and Consumption. Within the INAO a special commission was appointed made up of 7 carefully chosen evaluators who were not from Bordeaux. This commission in turn enlisted the support of the two certifying organizations, Qualisud and Bureau Veritas Certification.
"64 Grands Crus Classés and 18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés are awarded their precious status in recognition of the work accomplished by the estates, their consistency in quality and their quest for excellence," stated the Saint-Emilion Wine Council.
This following classification list was was submitted for approval to the National Wines and Brandies Committee of INAO on September 6th, 2012 and was accepted. The Ministries of Agriculture and Consumption must now officialize it.
PREMIERS GRANDS CRUS CLASSES :
(in alphabetical order):
Château Angélus (A), Clos Fourtet,
Château Ausone (A), Château la Gaffelière,
Château Beauséjour (héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse), Château Larcis Ducasse,
Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot, La Mondotte,
Château Bélair-Monange, Château Pavie (A),
Château Canon, Château Pavie Macquin,
Château Canon la Gaffelière, Château Troplong Mondot,
Château Cheval Blanc (A), Château Trottevieille,
Château Figeac,  Château Valandraud

GRANDS CRUS CLASSES :
Château l’Arrosée, Château Fleur Cardinale, Château Monbousquet
Château Balestard la Tonnelle, Château La Fleur Morange, Château Moulin du Cadet,
Château Barde-Haut, Château Fombrauge, Clos de l’Oratoire,
Château Bellefont-Belcier, Château Fonplégade, Château Pavie Decesse,
Château Bellevue, Château Fonroque, Château Peby Faugères,
Château Berliquet, Château Franc Mayne, Château Petit Faurie de Soutard,
Château Cadet-Bon, Château Grand Corbin, Château de Pressac,
Château Capdemourlin, Château Grand Corbin-Despagne, Château le Prieuré,
Château le Chatelet, Château Grand Mayne, Château Quinault l’Enclos,
Château Chauvin, Château les Grandes Murailles, Château Ripeau,
Château Clos de Sarpe, Château Grand-Pontet, Château Rochebelle,
Château la Clotte, Château Guadet, Château Saint-Georges-Cote-Pavie,
Château la Commanderie, Château Haut-Sarpe, Clos Saint-Martin,
Château Corbin, Clos des Jacobins, Château Sansonnet,
Château Côte de Baleau, Couvent des Jacobins, Château la Serre,
Château la Couspaude, Château Jean Faure, Château Soutard,
Château Dassault, Château Laniote, Château Tertre Daugay,
Château Destieux, Château Larmande, Château la Tour Figeac,
Château la Dominique, Château Laroque, Château Villemaurine,
Château Faugères, Château Laroze, Château Yon-Figeac,
Château Faurie de Souchard, Clos la Madeleine,
Château de Ferrand, Château la Marzelle

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Gosset Champagne

by Paige Donner

There are two new exciting developments at Gosset Champagne. The first is its "new" cellars and the second is its brand new eco-friendly bottle labels.

Gosset_champagne_cellars_epernay_c

Gosset Champagne Epernay Cellars

For the "oldest wine house" (est. 1584)  in Champagne to expand much of their operations to Epernay from Aÿ, is no small feat.  It's also not as if there are exquisite champagne cellars up for sale every day in Epernay. Most of the cellars in this quaint little Capitale du Champagne have been inhabited for centuries and mostly by the really big boys, you know the ones, the household name champagnes.

So  in 2009,  when the Group Laurent Perrier put these cellars up for sale, the team from Gosset Champagne, including their cellar master Jean-Pierre Mareigner and the President of the house, Jean-Pierre Cointreau, took one look at these exquisite 60-foot deep cellars carved out of pure chalk and said, Oui. Oui! Oui! Oui!

Purchased in the 425th year of the house's existence in Champagne, they are located just off of the Avenue de Champagne and just behind Pol Roger. The grounds also include a National Heritage Classified 2 hectare park with ornate wrought-iron gate and 19th century buildings, dating back to the 1850s.

MORE PICS ON CHÉRIE DU VIN ♥

Gosset_champagne_cellars_epernay_004_c

International Director Gosset Champagne, Philippe Manfredini

Gosset_champagne_cellars_epernay_033_c

On a guided walk through the 1.5 kilometers of cellars 60 feet underground, surrounded by cool, damp chalky soils, you can just feel how happy the more than1.2 million bottles of aging champagne grapes are nestled back in the womb of their natural habitat. On one of the walls, there is even an engraving from a former G.I., one of the WWII liberators, who carved his name along with his home state - Connecticut. The date? 1944.

The buildings can also house 26,000 hectoliters of vinifying vin clair or still champagne wine. With this allowance of space, many of the growers from whom Gosset purchases their Grands Crus and premiers Crus (only) grapes have dedicated vinification tanks. Some even as small as 20 hectoliters. For their growers, many of whom they've worked with for decades and some for centuries, whose grapes are harvested from the 60 best-rated villages in Champagne, this is a source of pride. It also gives Mareigner luxurious precision for his assemblages.  In a second tank room are multiple 1,000 hectoliter tanks filled just with reserve wine.

The distinction of being the oldest wine house in Champagne is that Gosset was producing the favored red wines back when Fracois I and Henry IV spent much of their time in Aÿ (1584 and thereabouts). The Salamander emblem on their Aÿ cellar walls is testament to the Francois I connection. 

These exquisite Pinot Noir red wines are still used today for Gosset's signature Grand Reserve Rosé, whose hints of wild strawberries and red fruits balance out its non-malo freshness. Wonderful accompaniment with poached lobster, red mullet, Asian sweet pork. And, of course, as an aperitif. 

 

Eco-Friendly Labeling

Gosset Champagne bottles are instantly recognizable. They haven't changed since the house first started bottling their champagnes in the 1800s. The heavy, hand-blown bottles were able to withstand the pressure of the bubbles which can be as much as 6 atmospheres. The house has kept the bottle design and their trademarked jewel neck label, but innovated significantly in terms of sustainability.

The materials used for the modified powdery gold cap now comply with European environmental directives and American standards. This Antique range  by Gosset Champagne labeling has received acknowledgment for their innovative as well as eco-friendly design, including "Imprim'Vert" label.

In addition, their gift boxes are now FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.  And the Gosset Champagne new Ecological "Green Line" caps are made with a glue-free complex - aluminum-polyethylene-aluminum - and biodegradable acrylic inks. The acrylic inks are water-based so completely naturally solvent and rather than using glue to afix the label onto the bottle, polyethylene is melted between the layers of aluminum.

Tradition, innovation and, of course, fabulous champagnes: Gosset. 

 

@LOCALFOODANDWINE

 

@♥CHÉRIE DU VIN

 

 

Posted via email from Local Food And Wine

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Maison J. De Telmont Champagne

by Paige Donner

The J. De Telmont House of Champagne located in Damery, France counts itself among the major twenty champagne houses of the region. Considering the players who are on that team, this is no small accomplishment for a family-owned and still family-run Champagne House.

 

More PHOTOS ON Chérie Du Vin ♥ 

Oenopass_champagne_press_conference_j_de_telmont_9_local_food_and_wine_c

J. De Telmont is currently overseen by Bertrand Lhopital, the fourth generation since his great-grandfather, Henri Lhopital, began to elaborate his own champagnes as one of the first growers of the region to gain Recoltant-Manipulant (grower-producer) status when this title was first created in the region. Bertrand is joined by his sister Pascale and his brother-in-law, Philippe, in the running of the vineyards, the vinification, the export and the myriad other tasks that are involved in the successful operations of a champagne house.

The actual brand name J. De Telmont, was established by the second generation of the family Lhopital to run the business. It was during the time when the house was expanding and purchasing strategic vineyard plots, many of which were, and are still, on Grand Cru designated terroir. The name "Lhopital," traditionally evoked the original meaning of "hospitality" or "welcoming" but when it became synonymous with the modern day meaning of "hospital," they decided to create a brand name more evocative of what the champagne house stood for and what their champagnes represent.

Le Grand Rosé

This NV Brut is a blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir of which 15% of that is reserve wine. The light raspberry pink color with salmon reflections is derived from partial maceration, not a blend, which lends subtlety and a long finish to this fresh and fruity exceptional rosé.

Cuvée Grand Couronnement

Only first pressing juice is used from the choicest grape selection from the Grand Cru de la Côte des Blancs, which is to say the best of the best of Chardonnay Champagne grapes. And did I mention it's made only in the best harvest years and aged until it's at its height of perfection? The house itself describes it thus:  An exceptional vintage that "crowns" our production... It is reserved for only the most dedicated connoisseurs.

 

@LOCALFOODANDWINE

 

Posted via email from Local Food And Wine

Maison J. De Telmont Champagne

by Paige Donner

The J. De Telmont House of Champagne located in Damery, France counts itself among the major twenty champagne houses of the region. Considering the players who are on that team, this is no small accomplishment for a family-owned and still family-run Champagne House.

 

More PHOTOS ON Chérie Du Vin ♥ 

Oenopass_champagne_press_conference_j_de_telmont_9_local_food_and_wine_c

J. De Telmont is currently overseen by Bertrand Lhopital, the fourth generation since his great-grandfather, Henri Lhopital, began to elaborate his own champagnes as one of the first growers of the region to gain Recoltant-Manipulant (grower-producer) status when this title was first created in the region. Bertrand is joined by his sister Pascale and his brother-in-law, Philippe, in the running of the vineyards, the vinification, the export and the myriad other tasks that are involved in the successful operations of a champagne house.

The actual brand name J. De Telmont, was established by the second generation of the family Lhopital to run the business. It was during the time when the house was expanding and purchasing strategic vineyard plots, many of which were, and are still, on Grand Cru designated terroir. The name "Lhopital," traditionally evoked the original meaning of "hospitality" or "welcoming" but when it became synonymous with the modern day meaning of "hospital," they decided to create a brand name more evocative of what the champagne house stood for and what their champagnes represent.

Le Grand Rosé

This NV Brut is a blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir of which 15% of that is reserve wine. The light raspberry pink color with salmon reflections is derived from partial maceration, not a blend, which lends subtlety and a long finish to this fresh and fruity exceptional rosé.

Cuvée Grand Couronnement

Only first pressing juice is used from the choicest grape selection from the Grand Cru de la Côte des Blancs, which is to say the best of the best of Chardonnay Champagne grapes. And did I mention it's made only in the best harvest years and aged until it's at its height of perfection? The house itself describes it thus:  An exceptional vintage that "crowns" our production... It is reserved for only the most dedicated connoisseurs.

 

@LOCALFOODANDWINE

 

Posted via email from Local Food And Wine