This past Sunday was a fantastic day of tasting in Yorkville Highlands/Anderson Valley, including a stop at the emerging California Grand Cru for traditional Rhône varietals, Halcon Vineyard.
At Halcon, Paul and Jackie Gordon showed us their amazing site for Rhône varietals- 2500 feet elevation in the Yorkville Highlands AVA, organically-farmed, schist soils, and temperature patterns similar to Ampuis. It's a beautifully remote site with expansive views of Anderson Valley. A great lineup of wines- we especially loved the 2015 Alturas Syrah, with elegant Northern Rhône-style expression of fruit and savory herbs and flowers, as well as the 2015 Esquisto Grenache/Mourvedre blend. The great hospitality included a comparative tasting with a 2009 Levet La Chavaroche.
Wine notes at:
https://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=35656&searchId=B4F54B37%23selected%253DW2590143_1_Ked66135ba50de0e9a42e9fb256b4bdfb&UISource=list
Wine + Other Flotation Devices
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Early April 2016
Looking west toward the village |
On the flipside of a bright and sunny early April day in
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, were the whipping cold Mistral winds. The vines were just
on the other side of bud break, and the heat of the Mediterranean summer was
far in the distance. My wife Melissa and my wine-touring friends Justin and Jon
set off for the last of our wine adventures during our early spring visit to
France. This day would feature visits to venerable producers and top vineyard
sites in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, along with sensational wines.
The highlights started early, at Domaine-du-Pegaü. Pegaü is
a top-echelon producer of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, along with other wines of the
Southern Rhône. The proprietors are the Feraud family, whose history of
agriculture in the area dates back centuries, and with winemaking as far back
as 1733. It was 1987 however that Laurence Feraud and her father Paul Feraud
created the domain in its modern form.
Today, they own 21 hectares in the AOC, spread across
several different terroirs. La Crau to the east of the village- planted to 13
different varieties, with 100+ year old vines planted on sandy & pebbly
soils. The Bédarrides area- 75 year-old Grenache vines grown in pebbly soil,
with south and southeast exposures. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape village area- parcels
growing Grenache and Mourvedre in red earth and pebbly soil, and parcels
growing Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, and Roussanne in clay soils. The
Pignan in the north of the appellation- low yielding Grenache and Mourvedre
planted on a hilltop near Chateau Rayas, protected from Le Mistral winds by the
surrounding forest, and with soils similar to La Crau. And Les Bosquets- near
the domaine, 80 year-old vines planted to Grenache, Cinsault, Counoise and
others, on hillsides sheltered from Le Mistral and overlooking the Rhône. Pegaü
also bottles Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône Villages under the Chateau Pegaü
label from grapes grown outside of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC.
In the barrel room at Pegaü |
In the cellar, the wines are made in a very traditional
manner, particularly the reds. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s are fermented using
whole bunches, in concrete, and with no added yeast or sulfur. Aging takes
place primarily in 100-year-old Russian oak casks, with extended elevage and
stricter selection of grapes on the top bottlings. The Cuvée Réservée receives
18-24 months of aging, and is typically around 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4%
Mourvedre, with the other 10% coming from the remaining varieties allowed in the
appellation. The Cuvée Laurence comes from a single cask that is selected for
extended aging, usually an additional 2 years longer than the 18-24 months that
the Cuvée Réservée receives. The Cuvée de Capo is the domain’s most exclusive
bottling, and is the strictest vineyard and tank selection, made only the top
vintages, and is matured for 27 months. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blancs are
fermented in concrete egg, typically 60% Clairette, 20% Grenache Blanc, 10%
Roussanne and 10% Bourboulenc, aged without malolactic fermentation in
stainless steel tanks.
Concrete Egg fermenter at Pegaü |
Concrete fermenter at Pegaü |
Our tasting included a range of Château Pegaü wines,
highlighted by the 2015 Château Pegaü Côtes du Rhône Blanc Cuvée Lone
(Clairette, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc & Ugni Blanc) showing well-balanced
citrus zest, honeysuckle flowers, minerality and white pepper; the 2015 Château
Pegaü Vin de France Pink Pegaü Rosé (100% Cinsault) showing white flowers,
minerality, zesty berry fruit and peppery spice; and the 2013 Château Pegaü
Côtes du Rhône Villages Cuveé Setier (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre) showing black
fruit, spice and florals with nice richness and depth.
Two Domaine Du Pegaü
wines were shown. The 2013 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Reservée wowed with aromas
of spices, garrigue, cassis, cherry & violets; with great concentration and
intensity on the palate, balanced with silky elegance; finishing with thick,
firm and silky tannins and hints of mineral notes. The 2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Cuvée Laurence was even more expressive- showing minerality, garrigue, meat,
leather, tobacco, anise and blackberry; concentrated, silky and complex on the
palate with silky tannins and a huge finish. Two incredibly complex and
profound wines.
The second stop, Domaine De La Janasse, is located in the
village of Courthezon in the northwest of the Châteauneuf-Du-Pape appellation.
The domain was founded in 1967 by Aimé Sabon, who took over his father’s vines
upon returning from military service. Today, the wines are made by the second
generation, Christophe and Isabelle Sabon.
Domaine De La Janasse grows each of the 13 permitted
varietals of the appellation, including plots in La Crau. They prefer Grenache
coming from the cooler, northern parts of the appellation, with rockier soils;
Syrah and white varieties from sandy limestone soils with eastern exposures;
and Mourvedre coming from clay and limestone soils covered with river rocks. Farming
is free of herbicides and pesticides, and makes use of natural fertilizers.
French oak barrique aging for Mourvedre and Syrah at Janasse |
Winemaking is more pragmatic than Pegaü. Grapes are sorted
in the vineyard and again in the cellar. For the Châteauneuf-du-Pape red
cuvees, wines are partially destemmed, the degree of which depends on the
ripeness of the stems. The wines are cold-soaked, with a daily manual punch-down
for gentle extraction of tannins. Grenache is matured in large French oak
foudres to allow for a slower micro-oxygenation, while Syrah and Mourvedre are
aged in smaller French oak barrels in order to soften tannins. Typical aging is
12-14 months. The white Châteauneuf-Du-Pape wines make use of mostly new barrel
fermentation for Roussanne, and vat fermentation for Grenache Blanc and
Clairette, and are bottled unfiltered. The Côtes-Du-Rhône and Côtes-Du-Rhône
Villages range of wines are grown in Courthezon just outside of the
appellation. Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignane are the primary reds; and
Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Viognier and Roussanne are primary
whites. The reds are made with less stem inclusion, with the Côtes-Du-Rhône
wines being aged in concrete vats and the Côtes-Du-Rhône Villages wines being
aged in foudre and barrel, much like the Châteauneuf-Du-Pape reds.
Our visit included a cellar tour and a tasting of the full
range of the domain’s wines. The Côtes-Du-Rhône reds impressed, particularly
the richness and depth of the 2013 Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Terre d’Argile. The
2013 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc was very impressive, showing expressive notes of
clove, butterscotch, stone fruit and white flowers; with silky structure,
layered complexity, and full length on the finish.
Grenache from La Crau aging in foudre at Janasse |
A trio of the domain’s 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds were shown,
as were 2 recently bottled 2014’s. All were extremely solid- The two standouts
being the 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, showing aromas of brambly black fruit,
mineral and fresh flowers; with bright red fruit on the palate and rich, silky
layers of spice and minerality; along a rich and dense core and full finish.
The 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes showing greater complexity with
aromas of sandalwood, fig, spice, flowers and cherry; leading to silky fig and
cherry fruit on the palate, layered with spice and earth complexity; with silky
tannins through a big and dense core, and a huge finish.
Les Tresquous terroir, looking southwest |
Domaine La Barroche is located in the village of
Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Barrot family’s history in the village dates back to
1703, with vineyard plots first being developed in the late 19th
Century. Christian Barrot further expanded the domain’s vineyard holdings in
the 1970’s, focusing on new plots in different terroirs, while lowering yields
and increasing quality. He sold wine produced from the plots in bulk to
prestigious negociants in the Rhône. In the early 2000’s Christian’s children,
Julien and Laetitia, were brought in as the domaine set out to bottle and sell
its own wine. Today, Julien farms and makes the wine, and Laetitia runs the
sales and communication.
First look at the concrete fermenters at Barroche |
Inside the gate of the new winery facility, we were greeted
by a gregarious and rugged fellow who turned out to be Julien. Julien exuded
enthusiasm as he quickly showed us the inside of the ultra-modern gravity-flow
winery and its new concrete tanks. He asked us how much time we had, and if
we’d like to see the domain’s vineyard plots throughout Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
And with that, we were off in my rental car bouncing around gravel drives
through the vineyards, with Julien behind the wheel.
Les Bosquet vineyard plots of Barroche |
Les Bosquet terroir, looking toward the village |
As we drove, Julien explained that he typically favors soils
with less limestone in the topsoil, and more sand, clay and iron-rich
sandstone, which to him expresses the purity he’s looking for in Grenache. He
explained that he practices biodynamic farming, although he’s skeptical of some
of the various rituals therein.
Terres Blanches plots of Barroche, looking east |
At the various vineyard stops, Julien explained the
variances in the soils, often times atypical of the given lieux-dit in which
they are located. For instance, at the first stop in the section of the Les
Bosquets area nearest to the village, the field blend of 100+ year old
Grenache, Mourvedre, and Clairette vines is on less-rocky soil than further up
the hill. Stopping in the Terres Blanches area up the slope north of the village,
we saw Barrot’s Grenache vines growing on sandy soils surrounded by vineyards
covered with river rocks.
Grand Pierre plots of Barroche, looking west |
Grand Pierre plots of Barroche, looking north |
At the crest of the Rayas slope, with Le Mistral winds
whipping around us, we toured Barrot’s plots in Grand Pierre. Soils here were
sandy, with iron-rich red sandstone. From there, we circled north and east past
Barrot’s plots in Cabrières looking west toward the Rhône, and then back to the
village and the winery. While driving, Julien explained that while he could
make very intellectually appealing and distinctive wines from individual plots,
he preferred the wholeness and completeness of the wines he’s able to craft
from the plots as a whole.
View of the tank room from the crush pad at Barroche |
The barrel room below the tank room |
As the winery is built into the side of the hill, we entered
the tank room from the top level where the grapes are brought in, seeing the
tops of the new concrete tanks, then descending two levels down into the barrel
room for tasting. The production at La Barroche is solely red
Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvees. The grapes are fermented in concrete tanks, with
destemming of underripe stalks, with gentle extended macerations. Grenache is
aged in old oak casks, while Syrah and Mourvedre are aged in 600L French oak
barrels, and Cinsault is aged in stainless steel tanks. Aging is approximately
18 months, and the wines are bottled unfiltered.
Cask samples of 2015 Grenache |
Our tasting included 2015 Grenache from cask, including the
blend for the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure (the domain’s predominately
Grenache cuvee from its top vineyard sites)- which showed concentrated and
complex notes of blackberry compote, fig, cracked pepper, flowers, minerals and
spices- rich, spicy, dense and powerful on the palate, with creamy silky
tannins and a huge finish. The 2015 Mourvedre and Syrah from barrel both showed
huge concentration and depth.
Bottled wines tasted in included the 2014
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pure; a 2013, 2012, 2011 vertical of the domain’s standard
Châteauneuf-du-Pape; and a 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Fiancée. The 2014 Pure
showed beautiful primary raspberry and lavender notes, with garrigue, black tea
and clove, along an elegant yet dense palate with great depth and length. The
vertical of the domain’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvee showed primary red fruit,
minerality and flowers of 2013, sweet red fruit, spices and flowers of 2012,
and a great balance of ripe red fruit, minerality, garrigue, spices and tobacco
in 2011. All were richly layered with silky elegant tannins. It’s tough to pick
a favorite of the three- but the complexity of the 2012 stood out- notes of fig
paste, allspice berry, rose hips, raspberry, tea and lavender- with silky rich
layers, great density & texture, thick silky tannins, and great length. The
2005 Fiancée is a Grenache and Syrah blend that Barrot is no longer producing.
It showed nice complexity of red fruit and spices, with silky structure and
some nice minerality on the palate- still very youthful. Overall, I thought
Barrot’s wines displayed an impressive precision and purity of flavor, while
capturing the earthy mineral and garrigue notes that are endearing in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
It was a truly amazing day experiencing the terroir in
Châteuneuf-Du-Pape. With that, it was farewell to the majestic Rhône Valley.
Resources:
Monday, May 9, 2016
Northern Rhône- early April, 2016
Another day along the Saône and Rhône corridor. This time
moving south from Lyon and spending a day and a half seeing the grand vineyards
of the Northern Rhône Valley. The early April Tuesday morning was cold and
rainy, and getting out of Lyon was a bear, but we finally made it to Ampuis and
the center of Côte-Rôtie.
Agnes Levet and Justin in La Chavaroche, in Côte-Brune
Our first destination was a storefront under-construction
along the main drag through town, which houses Vignobles Levet (a.k.a. Domaine Bernard Levet). Inside was a small reception/tasting room, moving behind into a
patchwork of rooms comprising the cellar, eventually leading below ground into
the barrel room. Behind the winery was a short walk up onto the slopes of Côte-Brune
in Côte Rôtie. We were greeted by Agnes Levet, the daughter of Bernard, who has
taken the helm of the domain.
Agnes Levet explaining the granite soils of Côte-Brune in Côte-Rotie
Levet began in 1929, and Agnes is its fourth generation of
vintners. They own just under 4 hectares of vineyards in Côte-Rôtie across 6
different plots, including old vines in Landonne and Chavaroche in Côte Brune,
and their Moulin plot in Côte Blonde just below La Turque. 55% of their vines
are 60 years or older. They primarily grow the Serine clone of Syrah. Farming
is a mix of organic and traditional farming practices. All of the vineyard
plots are either south, southeast or southwest in aspect. Soils in Côte Brune
are darker and primarily granite and clay, whereas in Côte Blonde they become
lighter due to higher amounts of sand and limestone, differentiating the two
slopes in the styles of wines they produce.
Walking in La Chavaroche
Melissa in La Chavaroche
Levet is known for very traditionally-styled and long-lived Côte-Rôtie-
dark and primal, with layers of complexity and sophistication. Fermentation
uses whole-clusters, and wines are aged for two to three years starting in
large oak casks, eventually racking down demi-muids and smaller French oak
barrels, with minimal new oak. The wines are bottled lightly fined and
unfiltered.
Biodynamically-farmed plots in Côte-Brune
The rain broke for a spell, and Agnes asked if we would be
interested in seeing the vineyard. We walked into the Chavaroche vineyard, and
Agnes explained their farming techniques during bud-break, as well as the soil
differences in Côte Brune compared to Côte Blonde.
Concrete fermenters at Vignobles Levet
The barrel room at Levet
In the tasting room, we sampled a pair of 2013’s. The 2013
Amethyste is 100% Syrah coming from their various vineyard sites. It displays
notes of mesquite smoke, dried violets & herbs, sous-bois and blackcurrant;
with medium weight, elegance and brightness on the palate; and further depth of
minerality and earth before finishing with polished tannins. The 2013 Les
Peroline (labeled as La Chavaroche for import to the US) comes from 40 year-old
vines in the Chavaroche vineyard. It shows notes of barbecued meats, flowers,
blackberry remoulade and iron, with big density, complexity, and structure on
the palate; finishing with fine tannins and primary black fruit &
minerality. I loved this one… Definitely one for the cellar.
View of Ampuis from Côte-Brune
The duration of our visit with Levet shortened our tasting
at Domaine Georges Vernay. Vernay is an esteemed producer of Condrieu,
producing some of the most profound expressions of Viognier anywhere in the
world. Christine Vernay, the third generation, makes the wines today. The
domaine is credited helping to reinvigorate the Condrieu appellation, whose
Viognier was nearly extinct just several decades ago.
The first of two wines tasted was the flagship Condrieu –
2014 Condrieu Coteau de Vernon. This comes from 2 hectares of
south/southeast-facing terraced vineyards in the heart of the appellation, with
vine age between 50 and 80 years, and farmed with organic methods. The wine is
barrel fermented and aged 25% new French oak barrels on the lees with regular
battonage. The wine showed nuanced and profound aromas of butterscotch,
florals, orange zest and bright minerality. Huge and intense on the palate,
lifted with brightness, great expression and balance. Definitely a ‘wow’
factor.
We also tasted their flagship Côte-Rôtie – 2013 Côte-Rôtie
Maison Rouge. It comes from 2 hectares in the south of the appellation within
the ‘Maison Rouge’ plot, in the sandy granite soils of Côte Blonde. The wine is
vinified de-stemmed and aged in 30% new French oak barrels. Almost the polar
opposite of the Levet wines, this was sleek, stylized and done in a modern
style. Showing nuanced aromas of smoke, meat, cassis and florals; with a silky
& rich palate of cassis, tea, violets, white pepper and minerality. Dense,
rich and polished. Very nice, but not quite as exotic as what I might look for
in Côte-Rôtie.
In the cellars at Voge
The rain returned in Cornas, so our tour at Domaine AlainVoge was confined to the cellars. Extending back several generations, Alain
Voge took the helm at his family domain in 1958, deciding to specialize in
wine, then redeveloping vineyards in the Cornas and Saint-Peray appellation
which had been dormant for decades prior. A top-echelon producer in Cornas today,
Voge is operated by partner Alberic Mazoyer, who biodynamically farms 10+
hectares of Syrah and Marsanne in the Cornas, Saint-Joseph, and Saint-Peray
appellations. The cellar is located in the center of the village, in a series
of compact spaces- tightly packed fermentation tanks leading to a labyrinth of
underground barrel rooms. A very workman-like space.
We met with Assistant Winemaker Lionel Fraisse, and tasted
through the full range of Voge’s available 2014 & 2015 Saint-Péray whites,
and 2013 Saint-Joseph and Cornas reds. The Marsanne whites come from granite
and calcareous soils in Saint-Péray, with fermentation and aging on lees in
tank or in cask, depending on the wine, with full malolactic conversion. They
impress with their elegance. There is also a traditional-method sparking Saint
Péray produced. The Syrah comes from decomposed granite soils along the steep
hillsides in Cornas on the right bank of the Rhône, and also from the southern
portion of Saint-Joseph, also on the right bank and near Cornas. Fermentation
is temperature controlled in stainless steel, grapes are completely or
partially destemmed, with daily pigeage and pump-over prior to pressing, and
extended aging in French oak casks, with the percentage of new oak varying depending
on the wine. Stylistically these are very brooding and complex wines, true to
the nature of Cornas, but tempered just a bit in a way that makes them somewhat
approachable young.
The 2014 Saint Péray bottlings showed a common thread of silky
textures and subtle elegance, with both the 2014 Saint-Péray Terres Boisees and
the 2014 Saint-Péray Fleur de Crussol standing out. The 2014 Fleur de Crussol
showing layered expression and outstanding depth, highlighting notes of stone
fruit, honeysuckle bloom, turned earth, baking spice and minerality, along a
silky texture. The 2013 reds showed big structure with massive savory and
mineral notes- smoked meats, iron, smoke; along with bright dark fruits. The
2013 Saint-Joseph Les Vinsonnes highlighted with nice complexity- iron, meat,
spices, crushed stone & mulberry; adding bright primary fruit, flowers and
mineral notes on the palate; closing with nice density and richness. The 2013
Cornas Vieilles Vignes, always a top wine from Voge, benefitted from receiving
fruit normally bound to the Les Vieilles Fontaines (which wasn’t bottled in
2013). It showed aromas of mulberry, mesquite smoke, blueberry and iron; rich
and full on the palate, adding floral and mineral highlights accenting cassis fruit,
with savory dried herb and meat notes; finishing with polished structure and
full depth, though still tightly-wound. This was such a solid lineup of wines
from top to bottom.
Justin, Jon and I in Cornas
The next morning in Tain-l’Hermitage, a mix-up over another
appointment left us wondering around the corner to Domaine Ferraton, where Stéphane
took us in and showed outstanding hospitality with an impromptu cellar
tour and tasting. Ferraton was founded in 1946 by Jean Orrens Ferraton, growing
in vineyard holdings under his son Michel. In the late 1990’s, Michel
Chapoutier became an investor, and the domain vineyards were later converted to
organic and biodynamic farming. Today, Ferraton bottles domain wines from the Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, and Crozes-Hermitage, as well as a full
line of negociant wines from appellations throughout the Northern and Southern
Rhône.
Concrete fermenters at Ferraton
The barrel room at Ferraton
We tasted a full line of quality bottlings, highlighted by a
pair of Hermitage wines. The 2012 Ferraton Hermitage Blanc Les Miaux is 100%
Marsanne grown in the decomposed granite soils over clay and limestone
subsoils. Barrel fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts, with aging of
10-12 months. It showed very nice complexity on the nose, with aromas of honey,
flowers, melted stone and citrus zest; with full density and structure on the
palate, and lots of layered savory & spice flavors, along with good depth.
The 2011 Domaine Ferraton Ermitage Le Méal comes from 30 year-old vines in
pebbly soil along the south facing hillside of the Méal. The Syrah grapes are
destemmed, with fermentation in concrete with daily pump-overs and punch downs.
Barrel aging is 14-18 months, with 30-50% new French oak barrels. The wine
shows classic brooding and deep Hermitage Syrah- aromas of blood sausage, iron,
violets, and black cherry; along with a silky and rich palate of black tea,
olive, black fruits, meats and dark herbs; and huge structure.
Above Tournon overlooking Tain & The Hill of Hermitage
The sunny day in Tain & Tournon finished with a walk to the slopes across the Rhône above Tournon, passing along vineyards in
the Saint-Joseph appellation. Then we took a short walk back across the river,
and up onto the hill of Hermitage, for a farewell to the amazing wines and
scenery of the Northern Rhône Valley.
Looking up at Le Meal in Hermitage
Looking up at La Chappelle in Hermitage
Click here for notes on all wines tasted.
Additional Resources:
Great overview of the Northern Rhône from Jancis Robinson.
James Molesworth discussing the Serine Clone of Syrah.
Another good overview of the Northern Rhone with map at Wine Folly.
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