the gang with 1928...
me at a bubbly cellar.
me in the vineyards.
one of our visits.
madame c and superchef a.
Monday, July 14, 2008
endless summer #14
the gang with 1928...
me at a bubbly cellar.
me in the vineyards.
one of our visits.
madame c and superchef a.
endless summer #13
the best vintage in history...1979
healthy apetite. good mood. big thirst.
nuno and me.
me drinking the 1928...
jp with his 1928.
Friday, July 11, 2008
endless summer#12
clara. nuno. jp. madame coralie.
the oldest wine in bourgueil. 1893
what we tasted. 1976. 1964. 1959.
tasting underground.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
apology
dear bloggers. i have not had sufficient internet time to post pictures of the Loire valley yet. my most humble apology. as soon as i have a better connection i will post them. promise. for those who are on facebook. they are already placed there seeing that loading unto facebook is so much easier and faster. chef.
endless summer #11
A day with Ruben in La Rioja
After a day of recuperation in the summer villa of Clara’s parents, today was back to work. Yesterday we slept late and hung around the house and the pool the whole day before doing the “tapas” experience last night with some of Clara’s friends. It’s a lot of fun “running” from “tapas” bar to “tapas” bar and just grabbing some bites at each. That way you eat less and get filled faster. A good balanced diet I would say....not! Well, we ended up only getting to bed at one in the morning.
Today was action packed and the early start after the late night was a tough one. But we are professionals and it is part of what we do....so no complaining. We were hosted by the winemaker of “Bodegas Encina”, their brand is called “Tobelos”. Ruben was fantastic. We had a historical and viticultural tour of the whole region of “La Rioja Alta” and it include some stops at ancient Roman vinification sites. We also had two exclusive wine tastings at very prestigious “Bodegas”...friends of Ruben extending their hospitality to Ruben’s international friends.
The “Bodegas” in the region is a smooth combination of ultra modern and architectural designs blended with history and tradition. As we stood in the vineyards staring over the valley below you get the sense of destiny. We discovered the various soil types and terroirs of the small region, filled with over 700 individual producers. The main variety in the area is “Tempranillo” with some “Granacha” parcels here and there. The area is furthermore characterised by the vast number of small parcels cultivated under vines and as we drove the rolling hills and mountain side, you find a small parcel of land under Tempranillo everywhere.
It was surprising to make the comparison between the vines seen today and that what we have seen thus far. It is a new ball game here and again illustrates that vines can grow anywhere. The key remains local knowledge of soil and climate...plus a bit of feeling. I found myself studying the soil and kicking the earth to distinguish between the sandy clay and the calcareous clay when Ruben asked me what I thought about the vines on that specific parcel. I told him that it did not impress me much and he smilingly answered that the wine form these vines have scored 100 Parker points two years in a row...eat your hat “chef”!
So our first day has been full of adventure once again and with many surprises. The fitting start seeing that tomorrow we will be returning to Ruben’s cellar to assist him in doing his selection tasting for the year...that means a 100-plus barrels will be sampled tomorrow morning.
After a day of recuperation in the summer villa of Clara’s parents, today was back to work. Yesterday we slept late and hung around the house and the pool the whole day before doing the “tapas” experience last night with some of Clara’s friends. It’s a lot of fun “running” from “tapas” bar to “tapas” bar and just grabbing some bites at each. That way you eat less and get filled faster. A good balanced diet I would say....not! Well, we ended up only getting to bed at one in the morning.
Today was action packed and the early start after the late night was a tough one. But we are professionals and it is part of what we do....so no complaining. We were hosted by the winemaker of “Bodegas Encina”, their brand is called “Tobelos”. Ruben was fantastic. We had a historical and viticultural tour of the whole region of “La Rioja Alta” and it include some stops at ancient Roman vinification sites. We also had two exclusive wine tastings at very prestigious “Bodegas”...friends of Ruben extending their hospitality to Ruben’s international friends.
The “Bodegas” in the region is a smooth combination of ultra modern and architectural designs blended with history and tradition. As we stood in the vineyards staring over the valley below you get the sense of destiny. We discovered the various soil types and terroirs of the small region, filled with over 700 individual producers. The main variety in the area is “Tempranillo” with some “Granacha” parcels here and there. The area is furthermore characterised by the vast number of small parcels cultivated under vines and as we drove the rolling hills and mountain side, you find a small parcel of land under Tempranillo everywhere.
It was surprising to make the comparison between the vines seen today and that what we have seen thus far. It is a new ball game here and again illustrates that vines can grow anywhere. The key remains local knowledge of soil and climate...plus a bit of feeling. I found myself studying the soil and kicking the earth to distinguish between the sandy clay and the calcareous clay when Ruben asked me what I thought about the vines on that specific parcel. I told him that it did not impress me much and he smilingly answered that the wine form these vines have scored 100 Parker points two years in a row...eat your hat “chef”!
So our first day has been full of adventure once again and with many surprises. The fitting start seeing that tomorrow we will be returning to Ruben’s cellar to assist him in doing his selection tasting for the year...that means a 100-plus barrels will be sampled tomorrow morning.
endless summer #10
Initiation in the Loire:
I have to say I have never seen or had such a “wine” experience and it has to be mentioned as one of my favourites of all time. We were invited to visit a private cellar for a tasting, not knowing what to expect. We arrived at what looked more like a hide-away cave from the outside than anything that would be a worth while experience. But as we started to descend into this underground “temple” I was discovering that this was going to be special...and it was.
The private cellar of Patrick was a combination of small caves all connected with passages and everywhere you looked there was just bottles of wine stacked up, arranged by country, region and vintages. There must have been more than 30 000 bottles hidden in small corners and passages. Unbelievable! Wines dating back to the beginning of the previous century and even older. All kept perfectly at optimum temperatures and humidity...I mean, we were at least 20 or 30 meters under the earths surface.
After walking around and getting lost in all the small corridors, it was time for the serious business to start. The tasting and the sharing of Patrick’s fortune. We started with old vintages...1983, 1979, etc. Then he opened a bottle without telling us the vintage and told us that we must guess which year. It was clear from the tasting of this specific bottle that it was older than the previous bottles but little did we suspect that it would be THAT old...1928! I could not believe my eyes. The wine was still in good (if not better than just good) and enjoyable condition...80 years after its birth. Simply exquisite!
What followed was a bit against the run of play, but I guess one of those incidents you just laugh about. We were told (after enjoying some more good wines with Patrick) that first time visitors had to go through a small initiation process. There was no time or place to argue with a 100-plus kilogram Gaul keeping in mind that we were some serious meters underground. So what happened was that he picked again a very good wine and made us drink half a bottle at once out of a very big glass. We were given 2005 Sauternes, one of the sweetest wines in the world and very expensive. It was a bit of a waste to think about it, but I don’t think I would ever be able to afford that amount at that price in my life. So without thinking or hesitating twice, I downed the almost 500mL of liquid gold and joined the club with a smile.
I have to say I have never seen or had such a “wine” experience and it has to be mentioned as one of my favourites of all time. We were invited to visit a private cellar for a tasting, not knowing what to expect. We arrived at what looked more like a hide-away cave from the outside than anything that would be a worth while experience. But as we started to descend into this underground “temple” I was discovering that this was going to be special...and it was.
The private cellar of Patrick was a combination of small caves all connected with passages and everywhere you looked there was just bottles of wine stacked up, arranged by country, region and vintages. There must have been more than 30 000 bottles hidden in small corners and passages. Unbelievable! Wines dating back to the beginning of the previous century and even older. All kept perfectly at optimum temperatures and humidity...I mean, we were at least 20 or 30 meters under the earths surface.
After walking around and getting lost in all the small corridors, it was time for the serious business to start. The tasting and the sharing of Patrick’s fortune. We started with old vintages...1983, 1979, etc. Then he opened a bottle without telling us the vintage and told us that we must guess which year. It was clear from the tasting of this specific bottle that it was older than the previous bottles but little did we suspect that it would be THAT old...1928! I could not believe my eyes. The wine was still in good (if not better than just good) and enjoyable condition...80 years after its birth. Simply exquisite!
What followed was a bit against the run of play, but I guess one of those incidents you just laugh about. We were told (after enjoying some more good wines with Patrick) that first time visitors had to go through a small initiation process. There was no time or place to argue with a 100-plus kilogram Gaul keeping in mind that we were some serious meters underground. So what happened was that he picked again a very good wine and made us drink half a bottle at once out of a very big glass. We were given 2005 Sauternes, one of the sweetest wines in the world and very expensive. It was a bit of a waste to think about it, but I don’t think I would ever be able to afford that amount at that price in my life. So without thinking or hesitating twice, I downed the almost 500mL of liquid gold and joined the club with a smile.
endless summer #9
Val de Loire:
What a week! We have had so much fun together in only five days. Thanks to Anthony and Coralie (our French friends) for their hospitality and the trouble they have gone through to organise such a great week....
...in the Loire.
There was wine tasting and wine tasting and then some more wine tasting. We tasted it all. We tasted a wine from 1928! We tasted 1959, 1964, 1974, 1979, 1982.....and the list of old vintages goes on. It was fantastic. I know that it has been an opportunity that not very many people have in their lifetime. And YES, the wine from 1928 was still good – exceptional to be honest. It was a Cabernet franc from Bourgueil in the Loire Valley.
The week was arranged in such a way that we visited two cellars or producers per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Anthony really did his homework well (being a native from the Loire I would not have expected less....) and we visited the top producer in every appellation. We were taken into private cellars, tasted private collections and enjoyed the hospitality of kings and queens. We sat down in living rooms and kitchens discussing details and secrets with winemakers - listening as they share their passion for the vine and its produce. I have to say that again the French hospitality blew my mind away.
Furthermore, the Loire is one of the most picturesque areas in France. With the river flowing down the middle, the enchantment of castles and chateaus is simply breathtaking. You get a sense of country side combined with good food and amazing wines – unlike anywhere else I have ever been.
Finally – it would simply be impossible to write down every experience of the last week. There fore I will post picture and write some notes below each. Cause a picture is worth a thousand words....
What a week! We have had so much fun together in only five days. Thanks to Anthony and Coralie (our French friends) for their hospitality and the trouble they have gone through to organise such a great week....
...in the Loire.
There was wine tasting and wine tasting and then some more wine tasting. We tasted it all. We tasted a wine from 1928! We tasted 1959, 1964, 1974, 1979, 1982.....and the list of old vintages goes on. It was fantastic. I know that it has been an opportunity that not very many people have in their lifetime. And YES, the wine from 1928 was still good – exceptional to be honest. It was a Cabernet franc from Bourgueil in the Loire Valley.
The week was arranged in such a way that we visited two cellars or producers per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Anthony really did his homework well (being a native from the Loire I would not have expected less....) and we visited the top producer in every appellation. We were taken into private cellars, tasted private collections and enjoyed the hospitality of kings and queens. We sat down in living rooms and kitchens discussing details and secrets with winemakers - listening as they share their passion for the vine and its produce. I have to say that again the French hospitality blew my mind away.
Furthermore, the Loire is one of the most picturesque areas in France. With the river flowing down the middle, the enchantment of castles and chateaus is simply breathtaking. You get a sense of country side combined with good food and amazing wines – unlike anywhere else I have ever been.
Finally – it would simply be impossible to write down every experience of the last week. There fore I will post picture and write some notes below each. Cause a picture is worth a thousand words....
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