This wine caught us by surprise with its inky-black color and bold, deep aromas right out of the bottle.  Somewhat atypical from what we usually expect to find around Mâcon.  This red was nearly brooding and very impressive, but well balanced and not one-dimensional. A definite taste of hot minerality and darkened red fruit around a nicely structured frame which could withstand another 5 or more years in the bottle and become even more interesting.  “Wow” was the word around the table. Sediment was evident in the bottle (see photo), which again, can be unusual for a wine around Macon. Marc and Vinciane Dumont run the winery at the domain (http://www.demessey.com).   The folks over at  International Vineyards (http://www.intvin.com/fiches_techniques/FT_MaconCruzille.pdf) have a superb overview of the domaine worth reading.  Excellent.  About €24 at a restaurant.  Photo above is from the Le Relais d’Ozenay‎.

Picamelot "Clos Du Chaigne" Rully 1er Cru Blanc 2007

We asked David Roland of Cellier Henry IV in Givry to recommend some white Burgundies to go with fois gras we were having as the first course of a birthday dinner.  Naturally, he agreed we needed a “fat” white to stand up and complement the strong flavor and substance of fois gras, and he recommended several whites we then tasted at home.  The “Clos Du Chaigne” 2007  Rully  premier cru from Louis Picalemot was super.  “Profound and round” is what we found in this white.  This white is something we found ealier (see previous post) but completely forgot about!  Our second tasting again confirmed our original findings that this wine had a wonderful glycerine-silkiness and lingering flavors with plenty of “fat”, smooth roundness.  Very fulfilling and delicious….and priced between €14-€16!

Cellier Henry IV of Givry

David Roland’s Cellier Henry IV in Givry is one of those small, cozy wine stores you wish was right around the corner from wherever you live.   Mr. Roland specializes in wines from the smaller, perhaps lesser-known wineries of the Cote Chalonnaise, and carries a wide selection of vin blanc, vin rouge, cremant and a surprising array of whiskeys and champagnes.  His website is more up-to-date with his inventory than many other wine vendors and he is proud to personally help his customers select just the right wine for their needs.  David Roland helped us select wines to pair with a birthday dinner, and after suggesting some various reds, whites and cremants, we settled on our choices, happy as could be.  Perhaps the best part of his tiny store in Givry is the ability to find smaller domaines at very, very reasonable prices.  Purposely avoiding the hyper-priced wines so common in Beaune to the North (David lives in Beaune!), David focuses on many wines under €20 and has a deep selection of styles and perhaps more vintage selections than you typically find.  Definitely look for the wine bottles sitting on the old barrels on the Rue de Republique in front of his little shop. He is an enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgeable seller of wines of the Cote Chalonnaise, and he can probably recommend a wine you may not know about, but will bring you hours of happy tasting.  He also carries selections of wines from other regions of France…so you don’t have to concentrate solely on Burgundy. Check him out at  http://www.cellierhenri4.com.

Domaine Ragot (Givry) 1er Cru "La Grande Berge" Rouge 2007

Another good find from La Maison Des Vin in Chalon Sur Saone.  For about €15, this premier cru from Domaine Ragot of Givry shows great character, even at its young vintage of 2007.    Smoothly balanced with deep red fruit core, slight woody flavor and rounded tannins giving it a structure and depth of flavor.  This one developed more flavors after being opened to the air for about an hour or more, and became more impressive as time passed.  Medium bodied, with color tending to the lighter side, but rich flavors and depth beyond its color.  Warm aromas of deep red fruit and hints of woodiness. This wine comes from 5.89 hectares of vines in Givry. Very nice work.  Tim Akins quoted at 3D Wines seemed to agree! We will definitely buy more of this one, and we want to try the white next.

Contact:
Domaine Ragot
4, rue de l’école
71640 Givry

tel:03 85 44 35 67
fax: 03 85 44 38 84

http://www.domaine-ragot.com

Todd an Tony toast the fruits of their labor.

As a slight departure from unknown things in Bourgogne, we present unknown winemaking in Vermont, USA.  Despite Vermont’s reputation as a tough place to grow fruit such as grapes, the interest and dedication to wine and the cultivation of local varieties  is growing each year, and becoming more vigorous each season.

Below are some images of Todd Trzaskos and his trusty assistants Tony and Don crafting wines in the cellar of Todd & Andrea’s antique Vermont farmhouse near one of the most famous swimming holes in the Green Mountain State: Gaysville.

Since only a few grape varieties are hardy enough to survive the long winters in Vermont (although some new varieties are becoming very, very good and promising in this State!), many amateur or hobby winemakers rely upon imported juice and grapes to begin their production of white or red wines.

The difference between the French and American wine hobbists is only distance…..Enjoy.

Climate-controlled primary fermentation chamber

Secondary fermentation in glass "carboys"

Local Vermont-grown, northern-hardy grapes are pressed with a small handpress.

Grapes go in one device....wine comes out the other....

Bentonite is added as a clarifying agent to attract particulates which fall to the bottom after fermentation

Varietal juices shipped from around the world enable many types of wines to be made at home. (Spanish Mencia juice going into the primary fermenter here)

Some kits include a crushed grape pack to add to the juice. (Todd rinses the last bits from the grape pack in this photo)

The primary fermenter rests in its temperature chamber, ready for the yeast to be added...

The yeast is added to the juice / grape mixture....then it ferments!

Sterilize and clean the bottles.....

Bottling 3 at a time with the gravity filler.

Cork 'em.

Tasting station with record-keeping logbook and obligatory bottle of ancient Petrus.

The final bottled results rest here...

Todd an Tony toast the fruits of their labor.

2007 Clos du Chaigne (Rully 1er Cru) by Domaine Louis Picamelot (Philippe Chautard)

Another very interesting bargain found at the Maison du Vin in Chalon-sur-Soane for €13.50 (Bertrand Celce has a good post about Maison du Vin you might want to read…as well as all his posts and photos..a beautiful blog worth viewing).  A slighly golden-colored white premier cru by Domaine Louis Picamelot , well known for making 5 different cremants of Bourgogne.  Domaine Picamelot (owned and operated by Philippe Chautard, Louis Picamelot’s grandson)  consistently wins awards for the cremant they produce, and judging by the quality of this bottle of young “Clos du Chaigne”, their only non-sparkling wine,  it is probably very, very good indeed.

This white immediately struck a very nice balance between the refeshing acidity and crisp flavors of citrus and white fruit with a smooth, nearly buttery feel and glycerine silky presence bordering on creamy.  The flavors linger and change, revealing more depth as it develops over the mid palate and keeps on delivering a flavor you might expect to see more close to Montrachet and its neighboring parcels than from tiny Rully.  The aroma has definite white flower notes which deliver their flavor into the start, mid and finish with subtle hints of vanilla and toast.  Delicious 1er Cru from Rully.  Now I have to see what all the fuss is about their cremant collection. Can’t wait….

Contact:

Domaine Louis Picamelot
12 , Place de la Croix Blanche- BP 2
71150 RULLY FRANCE
Tél. : +33 (0) 3 85 87 13 60

2006 Volnay Rouge by Domaine Christophe Vaudoisey

The small village of Volnay, situated just south of the famous Pommard in Burgundy has some very nicely made wines often overlooked by those seeking more illustrious names along the valley of the Côte-d’Or.  Christophe Vaudoisey impressed us with a simple, but remarkable Bourgogne Rouge we enjoyed at the Restaurant Le Bouchon Givrotin in Givry.  Julian has some comments at a post at FullPour.com about the 2005 version of this wine you might find interesting.

The 2006 version we tried had the same lingering, satisfyingly delicious finish as the post at FullPour mentions, but we found the aroma and mouthfeel to be more robust and darker, and surprisingly impressive for a Bourgogne Rouge.  It was not nearly as thin as some comparative village reds we have encountered, but gave the impression of a much more sophisticated and impressive wine with rustic heft. The longer it breathed, the more it changed, trying to give off hints of velvet attic and robust mouthfeel.  I was impressed and immediately came to expect more from any other Bourgogne Rouge in the future.  Domaine Christophe Vaudoisey has raised the bar on simple village reds of Burgundy with this Volnay.  Very enjoyable and superbly satisfying.  We will definitely visit the Domaine for more samples of their winemaking craftsmanship.  You can find this wine for about €18.50 on-line, or pay about €40 at a restaurant.

Contact:
Domaine Christophe Vaudoisey
Place de l’ Eglise
21190 VOLNAY
Tél : 03 80 21 20 14

2007 Montagny 1er Cru "Le Las" by Domaine Stephane Aladame

Another bargain at around €10 from a young producer who makes only white wine and cremant from his 5.5 hectares.  We’ve noticed the whites from Montagny have a definitive flavor, maybe due to the more clay-like soils in some of that area as compared to the stonier soils of other villages.  The mineral flavor and underpinnings are definitive and delicious, while balanced nicely with the light fruity, citrus tastes.  The aroma is another Montagny trademark, similar to the way Saint Aubin wines have a unique aroma compared to typical whites from Burgundy.  The more we tasted, the more impressive it became.  Lots of personality and individuality, but never overbearing or showy.  Stéphane makes a very pleasing, delicious white.  Excellent quality.

Contact:
Domaine Stéphane Aladame
Rue du Lavoir
71390 Montagny-les-Buxy
France
Tel : +33(0)385920601
http://www.aladame.fr/