France Day One

Greetings,

I landed in Paris on Monday morning and rendezvoused with the gang from Robert Kacher Selections at the Place De La Nation square. Robert Kacher, who represents the wineries I will be visiting and tasting, is an importer specializing in small family owned wineries from France. We Saddled up and headed three hours southwest to the town of Saumur in the Loire Valley.

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(View of the Loire River from Saumur)


Our first dinner was hosted by the very gracious husband and wife team of Kathleen Van den Berge and Sigurd Mareels, new owners of Chateau de Miniere in the region of Bourgueil. The estate, which dates back to the 16th century, has been handed down through a line of women for two centuries. In keeping with this tradition Kathleen will be in charge of the estate, while her husband pursues his career in mining consulting. The purchase of the estate was completed in 2010, but the current owners began involvement with the 2009 vintage and have retained wine maker Daniel Esteve. The estate is in the second of the four year process required to obtain their organic certification.






(Two generations of Chateau de Miniere)






















(Sigur and Sofie Mareels with Yours Truly)









In addition Denis Pommier, owner of Domaine Denis Pommier form the Burgundy region of Chablis joined us for dinner. Denis established the domaine in 1990 with the inheritance of 2.5 hectares of Chablis vineyards from his grandfather. Today the estate encompasses 13 hectares. All white Burgundies from the Chablis village are made using the Chardonnay grape.



(l.Edward Labaye of Robert Kacher Selections & r.Denis Pommier)




We tasted Denis’:




2008 & 2009 Petit Chablis ($18.99*) – Both showed bright lemon on the nose that followed to the palate. The 2008 was a bit tighter while the 2009 was more welcoming, but with a little less punch. Both done in stainless steel.

2008 Chablis – Lemon and lime on the nose with hints of grapefruit arriving on the palate with a longer finish.

2008 Chablis single premier cru vineyard “Beauroy” ($29.99) - Contained all the citrus zest of Chablis with a light butterscotch note.

2008 Chablis “Cote de Lechet 1er Cru” – added rich pineapple flavors to the mix.

2009 Chablis “Croix aux mons” – Fruit was more forward, but not as rich as the 2008’s.

And a rare look at his:

Pinot Noir Bourgogne – had light red cherry flavors with a bit of tangy orange peel.


Kathleen poured her 2009 vintage out of barrel. The 2009 vintage is being heralded as a blockbuster in Bourgueil. Cabernet Franc is the only allowed grapes to be used in red Bourgueil. In general Cab. Franc is a light to medium bodied grape, which is less commonly seen as a single varietal, more often used as a blending grape in Bordeaux styled wines.

2009 “Chateau” – Showing Cab. Franc’s elegance with lively dark cherry and raspberry flavors. The finish contained a pleasing light tannic grip. The vineyards sourced are on average 15 years old.

2009 “Vielle Vignes” – meaning old vines. Sourced from 45 year old vineyards. A bit more concentrated flavor, with the tannins becoming more prominent, giving it a significant aging potential. The scheduled spring bottling should provide the time for additional polishing from barrel aging.

And a special treat, the first public tasting of a new bottling not previously produced, the 2009 “Cuvee Centenaire” – Coming from hundred year old vines comprising a single Hectare section of the vineyard. A darker fruit nose with raspberry and licorice flavors that trail off into a long finish with significant tannins. This limited cuvee will, depending on the wines progression, see bottle in the fall.

Dinner:

Hors d’oveurs:
Belgian endives stuffed with shellfish salad - The bitterness of the endive paired very nicely with the crispness of the Petit Chablis.

Traditional Quiche - The brightness of the Chablis cut through the creaminess of the egg and cheese.
First Course: Coquille Saint Jacques – Scallops, shrimp, crawfish and mussels in a rich cream sauce served in a pastry shell. The heftier premier crus Chablis’ held up well to the rich flavors, while the crisp acidity gave a lively lift to the succulent seafood.

Second Course:

Roasted young chicken and roasted chestnuts with caramelized onions in mushroom gravy accompanied by a pastry filled with garlic buttered potatoes – The complex Cuvee Centenaire blended well with the smoky flavors of the chicken and calmed some of the woodsy nutty notes of the chestnuts.

Cheese Course:
Warmed Roquefort over sliced pair – the lighter red fruit of the “Chateau” worked well to take some of the bite out of the blue cheese.

Dessert:
Crème’ Brulee and a Pear Tarte Tatin. I prefer to enjoy sweets on their own or with coffee.

I hope you enjoyed the first day. Get some rest, we start early tomorrow with a visit to a castle.


Regards,
Mike