Wine in the cellars of Patriarche
David Cobbold reports today on Les 5 du Vin on two sales of Burgundy organised in Paris by Bourgogne-Solidarité-Japon to raise money for Japan following the earthquake and tsunami in March.
Showing posts with label Burgundy. Show all posts
Statue on roundabout and the slope of the vineyards
Now that Bourgueil and its producers have left InterLoire they are having to work out how to promote their appellation and their wines. Yesterday I had a call from Claire Gressieux, who is working with Guillaume Lapaque, director of AOC Bourgueil, on an audit which will help to develop a strategy for how to promote Bourgueil.
It was an interesting call and provoked me to think how one might go about promoting AC Bourgueil with its 1400 hectares of vines and an annual production of around 70,000 hls (8,700,000 bottles).
My first reaction is rather them than me! What symbols might spark people's imagination? Tough question I think.
It was an interesting call and provoked me to think how one might go about promoting AC Bourgueil with its 1400 hectares of vines and an annual production of around 70,000 hls (8,700,000 bottles).
My first reaction is rather them than me! What symbols might spark people's imagination? Tough question I think.
Unlike neighbouring Chinon, Bourgueil doesn't have a picturesque and historic château overlooking La Vienne with a pretty town below and some medieval buildings still remaining. Unfortunately François Rabelais was born at La Devinière, near Chinon, and not at Restigné or Benais. True Bourgueil does have its abbey – l'abbaye Saint-Pierre de Bourgueil-en-Vallée, founded in 990 – and Jean Carmet, a French actor who starred in many films. However, the abbey doesn't dominate as the château does Chinon and I suspect that outside France, while the name Jean Carmet doubtless is well known by film buffs, it means little to the general public.
So what are the strong points that might build up the image of the wines of Bourgueil? Certainly from top producers it is among the best Loire reds and in good vintages will easily age for 15 years and more in great vintages. Typically it is more apparently tannic and 'masculine' than Chinon, which tends to be softer and more 'feminine'. This can mean that in some vintages Bourgueil needs more time before it is really attractive.
When I was asked what was distinctive about the wines of Bourgueil my response was there is nothing to really distinguish them from neighbouring Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. A Bourgueil from gravel vineyards is likely to be virtually indistinguishable from a Saint-Nicolas from the same type of terroir and similarly for wines from the clay limestone coteaux. I strongly suspect that the differences in style of wines from a similar terroir here owe more to differences between the producers than real differences between the two appellations. Driving along the D35, which bypasses Bourgueil town to the north, it is impossible to tell from the landscape where the vines of Bourgueil end and those of Saint-Nicolas begin. I suspect that if the appellations were to be fully revised today, there would only be one appellation here – AOP Bourgueil-Saint-Nicolas or similar.
There is an attractive sweep of vineyards that runs 14 kilometres from Saint-Patrice in the east to Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in the west. Arguably the closest feature that the Loire has to Burgundy's Côte d'Or. It does, of course, largely face south and is nothing like as famous. But it may be something on which to build. I would consider renaming the appellation – Bourgundy. This would certainly alleviate the difficulty many people in the UK have in pronouncing 'Bourgueil'. The Burgundians might well not be best pleased and could well resort to law but there is nothing like a high profile court case for raising your own profile!
So what are the strong points that might build up the image of the wines of Bourgueil? Certainly from top producers it is among the best Loire reds and in good vintages will easily age for 15 years and more in great vintages. Typically it is more apparently tannic and 'masculine' than Chinon, which tends to be softer and more 'feminine'. This can mean that in some vintages Bourgueil needs more time before it is really attractive.
When I was asked what was distinctive about the wines of Bourgueil my response was there is nothing to really distinguish them from neighbouring Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. A Bourgueil from gravel vineyards is likely to be virtually indistinguishable from a Saint-Nicolas from the same type of terroir and similarly for wines from the clay limestone coteaux. I strongly suspect that the differences in style of wines from a similar terroir here owe more to differences between the producers than real differences between the two appellations. Driving along the D35, which bypasses Bourgueil town to the north, it is impossible to tell from the landscape where the vines of Bourgueil end and those of Saint-Nicolas begin. I suspect that if the appellations were to be fully revised today, there would only be one appellation here – AOP Bourgueil-Saint-Nicolas or similar.
There is an attractive sweep of vineyards that runs 14 kilometres from Saint-Patrice in the east to Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in the west. Arguably the closest feature that the Loire has to Burgundy's Côte d'Or. It does, of course, largely face south and is nothing like as famous. But it may be something on which to build. I would consider renaming the appellation – Bourgundy. This would certainly alleviate the difficulty many people in the UK have in pronouncing 'Bourgueil'. The Burgundians might well not be best pleased and could well resort to law but there is nothing like a high profile court case for raising your own profile!
Grand Cru by Remington Norman
I am now reading Remington Norman's Grand Cru – the great wines of Burgundy through the perspective of its finest vineyards £40 (Kyle Cathie Ltd). Grand Cru was published at the end of last year and is the companion volume to Remington's The Great Domaines of Burgundy, which was revised last year with Charles Taylor MW contributing. As the title suggests the book is very much focused on the vineyards and solely on those of the Côte d'Or – the world's most precisely classified vineyards.
Remington is forthright in his opinions and is particularly scathing of the treatment that Burgundy get from the hands of some writers and journalists.
Remington is forthright in his opinions and is particularly scathing of the treatment that Burgundy get from the hands of some writers and journalists.
'These pages are not written for those in search of specific recommendations or assessments of individual wines; nor will they trivialise great wine with scores where half a point seems to make the difference between 'must buy' and 'leave alone'. The reader will perhaps also be relieved to be spared the mind-numbing litany of tasting notes which passes for expertise in some quarters. Fine wine is emphatically not defined by 'gobs' of super-ripe fruit, 'decadent' alcohol', 'lashings' of new wood or anything that such crude epithets must suggest. Too many published tasting notes are little more than lists of aromas and flavours, set forth presumably in the belief that this amounts to some kind of understanding. Clotted nonsense, of course; strings of descriptors do not equate to any kind of discernment. In any case, it is facile to assume that a descripton, however complete, or a numerical score convey anything that is truly important about a great wine. Genuine understanding transcends such banalities.'
I agree with Remington I think tasting notes are of limited use. They are a snap shot of a wine at a particular time and to imagine that they will have a long currency is mistaken. They rarely have a relevance in a book although they may be relevant on a blog or article written soon after tasting the wine.
Equally I prefer not to use scores whether they are out of 5,10, 20, 100 or 10,000. I do use them in articles when this is editorial policy and in wine competitions, such as the Decanter World Wine Awards.
I agree with Remington I think tasting notes are of limited use. They are a snap shot of a wine at a particular time and to imagine that they will have a long currency is mistaken. They rarely have a relevance in a book although they may be relevant on a blog or article written soon after tasting the wine.
Equally I prefer not to use scores whether they are out of 5,10, 20, 100 or 10,000. I do use them in articles when this is editorial policy and in wine competitions, such as the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Remington also deplores the arrival of 'trophy hunters' to Burgundy attracted by 'rarity and high prices'. "Whereas genuine wine lovers appreciate that there is pleasure and value to be found at every level and drink across the board, 'cash connoisseurs' don't seem content unless they are drinking highly rated Bordeaux or Grand Cru Burgundy. While not endorsing Clive Coates' ruthless prescription that 'those who only drink first growths because it is beneath their dignity to drink anything else ... are idiots and should be lined upo and shot', one cannot but feel it truly disheartening to find vinous treasures in the hands of people whose limit of appreciation barely transcends knowing their rarity and cost.'
May well return to Grand Cru later when I have finished it. In the meantime Grand Cru is a stimulating read.
May well return to Grand Cru later when I have finished it. In the meantime Grand Cru is a stimulating read.
I have recently received my review copy of Inside Burgundy by Jasper Morris MW (£50 inc delivery). This is the first volume in a new publishing project by Berry Bros & Rudd. Although a little disappointed that it is not called the Sex Lives of the Burgundians as originally titled by Jasper, it is clear even on a brief perusal that this J'espére Maurice as he is known in Bué, near Sancerre, has a deep knowledge and love for the region and its wines. Hardback with 656 pages and detailed maps.
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Winery@Baudry-Dutour
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2009 Cabernet Franc – Chinon
Cabernet Franc Ambassadors Wine Tour of the Loire
'Q. Why select Ambassadors for Cabernet Franc?
A. The UK Palate for red wine has historically been trained on Bordeaux blends, that of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a little Cabernet Franc. So coming to the Cabernet Franc, in the Loire, as a single varietal has traditionally been hard on the palate. This has been due to the grape not fully ripening in the cooler climate, which in turn leaves green/hard tannins. So a team at Interloire have been quietly working away on a 5 year Cabernet Franc Project to find the best Cabernet Franc wines in the Loire Valley.'
Mont Ventoux that dominates the southern Rhône vineyards
Two Centre Wine Tours i.e.: Loire/Burgundy – Loire/Rhône
Micaela and Sue: 'On another tack we have just partnered with Burgundy Discovery and Rhone
Wine Holidays to offer Two Centre Wine Tours i.e.: Loire/Burgundy – Loire/Rhône
