France ~ Burgundy and Bordeaux
December 12, 2009Saturday 4:00pm until 7:00pm
(or until it's gone)
$5 per person
French Wines from:
Burgundy — Chablis
Burgundy — Puligny Montrachet
Burgundy — Volnay
Bordeaux — Saint Emilion
Presented By:
Tom and JoAnne Hairston
Owners, Holston Valley Distributing
2006 Chablis La Chanfleure $24.95
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Village ChablisVarietal: Chardonnay
Vinification: Stainless steel with 100% malolactic fermentation in stainless steel. Barreled in stainless steel. Average vine age 30 years.
Tasting Notes: Rich and complex aromas of fresh fruits, white flowers and dried fruits with a mineral note. Full-flavoured on the palate and remarkably long finish — to keep for 5-6 years.
Description: Chablis is an isolated island of wine in the northern section of viticultural Burgundy halfway between Dijon and Paris. Maison Louis Latour's Chablis «La Chanfleure» is the ultimate expression of what the noble Chardonnay grape is capable of on the region's famous Kimmeridgian limestone slopes. The wine is perfumed, lively, clean and steely-tasting with a crisp finish. «La Chanfleure» a brand name, which has been in our archives since the 70's, has been associated with our Chablis to add identification to this wine in what is a very competitive category.
2007 Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc Les Sétilles $26.95
France, Burgundy,Varietal: 100% Chardonnay.
Vinification: Leflaive's wines are bought as fruit or on occasion as juice straight from the press. The cellar master, Franck Grux, has complete control over the vinification and aging. Each vintage benefits, as would any from a domaine, from a personalized approach, the primary goal being to maintain the authenticity of each appellation while respecting the terroir. Grux employs the the old Burgundian principle of cuvee ronde, which is the blending of wines from different yet complementary lots of the same appellation. It is the basis of the high quality and consistency of Olivier Leflaive's communal wines.
Bourgogne Blanc "Les Sétilles" comes from the flatter eastern vineyards of Meursault (60%) and Puligny-Montrachet (40%). Fermentation is carried out 60% in Allier and Vosges oak barrels (average of 10% new), the rest in small stainless tanks. After aging on the lees for 8-10 months, the lots are blended in stainless vats and allowed to settle. The wine is then fined to assist in the sedimentation of remaining deposits. The wine is generally bottled after 12 months, following light filtration.
Tasting Notes: Wonderfully pure Chardonnay nose. Steely and well-focused on the palate, with ample grace, medium body, and good length. The tinge of tropical fruit is a reflection of the extraordinary vintage. A wine of great pleasure in the short to medium term.
Food Match: scallops, salmon, quiche, fish, chicken.
2006 Nicolas Potel Bourgogne "Cuvée Gerard Potel" $25.95
France, Burgundy, VolnayWinemakers Notes: This wine is sourced mainly from the site 'Maison Dieu' on the plain of the commune of Pommard and from a 2 ha plot (purchased in 1978 by the Potel family) just below the Pommard premier cru site 'Clos Epeneaux' planted in 1928. It was matured in second use oak casks. The wine has a deep purple color. Bright and fresh on the nose very primary. Ample strawberry and cherry on the palate with a nice dose of spice. Quite dry and very well-focused. — Winemakers Note.
Varietal: Pinot Noir — The Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in the cooler climate of Burgundy, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Côte d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Germany, the U.S., Australia, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Sub-Region: Burgundy — The province of eastern France, famous for its red wines produced from Pinot Noir and its whites produced from Chardonnay. The most famous part of the region is known as the Côte d'Or (the Golden Slope). It is divided into the Côte de Beaune, south of the town of Beaune (famous principally for its whites), and the Côte de Nuits, North of Beaune (home of the most famous reds).
Specific Appellation: Volnay — Sometimes known as the Chambolle Musigny of the Côte de Beaune, Volnay is famous for its silky, elegant wines with finesse, delicacy and an almost ethereal nose. However, the wines have a depth and structure that can allow them to age for decades. Remington Norman said it wonderfully in his book The Great Domaines of Burgundy: 'If the wines of Pommard sometimes seem like a truck-driver's interpretation of Pinot, then those of Volnay are a ballerina's.
2004 Chateau Franc Mayne $32.95
France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru ControlleVarietal: 90 % Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Wine Spectator ~ Beautiful and subtle aromas of chocolate, coffee, tobacco and fruit. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Just a hint of smoky wood in the aftertaste. Much better than from barrel. Best after 2010. 2,250 cases made. JS
