roadtrip - day 13

Day13
So, last chance for Bourgogne it was too be…
…and Louis Jadot, macro-producers in the central part of Bourgogne was the saving grace for this region and has given us a reason to perhaps one day return to this area. However the debate in my head is still raging and I have not been able to conclude on this chapter of confusion…
As poorly as we have been treated on day12, so good have we been received at a. A super-professional set-up and tremendous welcome was a very good start to the day to set our minds and palates at ease. The fisrt impression when we walked into the cellar was…”what the hec….?” But then our guide, a professional sommelier (again) started to explain the circular lay-out, its overhanging pipes and cables and how it all fits together. It was truly magnificent. The technology was astounding yet simplistic and simple to work. Lots of space and open areas so that nobody has to fall over each other to get the work done. For me it was by far the best cellar design I have seen in my life. Simply perfect! So down we went to the barrel cellar that was less spectacular than some of the others we have seen on this trip, nevertheless again nothing fancy and extremely workable. But as they say, the proof is in the pudding…
…and as we started to taste FROM THE BARRELS, the arrogance and exclusivity of Bourgogne started to present itself and a realisation of what this region was all about started to make more sense. Perhaps the reason why people are protective over the small part of superior earth that they have been given to cultivate? I am not sure yet if this IS the explanation. But as the tasting continued and Stephan explained to us the different small parcels and appellations it was clear that Bourgogne was indeed a special place. The wines were stunning. And the variations between parcels were profound. Lots of red berry fruit, leathery notes, mocca and coffee beans, violet flowers, white spices. The mouth sensations were different depending on the barrel maturity. But elegant, velvety and silky smooth wines. Not as tannic and powerful ass some of the other wines we have tasted till now. And for me Gevrey-Chambertin coming out tops of all the villages. It has been described as being the most feminine style in Bourgogne, but let us rather leave that there….hahaha.
After the barrel sampling we were taken into a tabernacle type of room and had the further pleasure of indulging in older vintages. The experience was mid-blowing and unforgettable, with rich and extracted wines, but nonetheless not overpowering and heavy. Again the aging power of these elegant wines surprised me and I stood in awe. Whites and reds alike where superb and hats off to Louis Jadot for rescuing the pride of Bourgogne.
After our visit we made a team decision to let the pride of Bourgogne rest to keep the growing image in tact. We did not want to spoil the chances to visit this region again and the verdict was that we will head down to the Vallee du Rhone for a quick pit-stop and from there push on towards HOME. As we stopped at some known watering holes in the Rhone, the realisation set in…our FABULOUS Roadtrip of 2008 was drawing to an end and the nostalgic atmosphere was heavy in the little Peugeot as it dragged itself down the A9 en route for Montpellier.

roadtrip - day12

Day 12
This day will go down as the day of serious mixed feelings and for me personally adding to my Bourgogne-confusion. Let me explain…
…I have never been a serious Bourgogne fan, simply because I can not appreciate these wines. The Pinot noir cultivar is one I struggle to understand. And it was my quest to come to Bourgogne to improve or at least clear up the misunderstanding. On arrival the atmosphere was already “wrong” according to my gut feeling. Something that for me as a winemaker is very important – the sixth sense. The “air” was sterile and almost desolate. Very much unlike what we experienced in Bordeaux, Loire or even Chablis. But the people of the region did not help me much…
…our whole day was “infected” by people with bad attitudes. Form the first wine shop we tasted, followed by the 10-odd cellars that turned us away at their doors with some poor excuse, to the last cellar that turned us away, we where ready to pack or bags and abandon our plans to visit any other cellar or domaines in Bourgogne. I am not bitter. Let me give an example. The last Domaine when I asked the P.R.O person if it would be possible to do a tasting, he replied: “Does this look like a wine bar?” I was livid. It proved my worst fear of the area. The people are rude and they get away with it. It totally freaked me out.
But apart from that there where wines that really put up a strong fight to prove to me that there might be something good here after all. We did stop at the famous Romanee Conti and walk along “the wall” that surrounds this renowned vineyard. The tasting at Philippe Leclerc was equally impressive and the lady serving us must have been an “outsider” to the region seeing that she was friendly and warm hearted, even taking us to the underground cellar of their small Domaine. A real rose among thorns…a rare find.
The day ended with a stop and a walk around the town of Beaune. Impressive. We did a 15 wine tasting at the Marche aux Vins with a sommelier guiding us through the wines and giving us 3 extra wines to taste. A nice touch from the “Bourgogne wine gods” to persuade us to alter our opinion. They almost succeeded. With wines from Meursault and Gevrey, both 2003 vintage.
Final conclusion – we will give Bourgogne its final chance tomorrow.

roadtrip - day 11

Day 11
Today was the day for Chablis, the home of Chardonnay – perfect “Chardies” that is! The drive there this morning was swift and the expectation was immense. This is one of those places in the wine world that has been calling my name for years. And finally today I made it here…
It was an action packed day with four big visits and the number of wines tasted exceeding 30. What a day at the office. But again a learning school. The big difference in the town or appellation of Chablis is the site exposure. The appellation is divided into many small communes as they are called in France. And these combined yield petite Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premiere Cru and Chablis Grand Cru – in the order of ranking. The distinction between them or perhaps the Premiere vs the Grand Cru is that the first has more south-easterly exposure where the latter has more of a south-westerly exposure giving it more sun in the afternoon. These demarcations lend a very unique yet typical Chablis character to each wine. Delicate, elegant and a lot of finesse. Slight hints of citrus and orange peel, smoky aromas depending on the barrel policy of the proprietor, some chalky and the ever presences of those mineral character. In the mouth it simply keeps on going forever and the supple roundness is well balanced. Unlike the “Chardies” of the world that are heavy, over-wooded and smells like burnt rubber, these Chablis wines puts the whole A-B-C (Anything But Chardonnay) theory to bed!
Our first visit was to Domaine Long-Depaquit. This elegant and stylish Domaine is one of the bigger and more expensive buys in Chablis. But it was a good start to what would turn out to be another exceptional day for our palates. We tasted the four different levels of Chablis and the lady was very helpful to point out the parcels and vineyards on her big map on the wall.
Second stop was a home-run hit….out the park. We stopped at Domaine Servin. At first sight it looked like a cooperative set-up and we were a bit sceptic. But it soon turned into a real treat with us tasting over 10 different wines with variation in origin, soil and micro-climate. It was again a unique experience. Similar to what we had in Sancerre the day before. And the lady serving us was extremely friendly and helpful – added bonus.
Third stop was at a small village a kilometre or so to the east of Chablis. Here we visited a small family run cellar with wines that vary slightly from the main Chablis appellation. It was a good comparison to make and to better understand the influence of micro-climatic effects accompanied by the variation in soil (I refuse to use the T word. Yes = T_E_R_R_I_O_R). And despite our host being a bit people-shy, he gave us a visit to his vineyards to explain some of the finer arts of making the perfect Chablis at Domaine Jean Pierre Grossot.
Last stop was a village to the west of Chablis this time called St Brix le Vineu. Here we visited Domaine Bersan & Fils. But we nicknamed it “the haunted house”. Why? For the simple reason that on arrival the hostess guided us down a number of slippery and slimy stairs leading into what seemed like the vino-abyss. This cellar was built in the 12th century and comprises of underground tunnels that is worse than any maze on earth. Small little underground alleys and pathways, stacked with bottles covered with mould and fungus from the 17th century!!! It was scary, but at the same time a fabulous experience. To be honest I can not remember the wines much because I kept looking over my shoulder for a monster that wanted to devour me…

roadtrip - day 10

Day 10
It was hard saying goodbye to the super-comfortable chateau this morning and as the rain started pouring down in the French heartland, so too did our memories of the relaxing weekend wash away and the reality of five more gruelling days of tasting fine and exquisite wines dawned upon us…what a hard life indeed.
The destination for the day was the finesse and elegance of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, the home of Sauvignon blanc. The small village of Sancerre is to be found on a hilltop overlooking the Loire River and staring at it neighbouring Pouilly-Fume on the other side of the river. It still remains a mystery to my feeble mind that the wines that are grown and cultivated so close to each other can have such a vast different character. The people claim that the variation in micro-climate is the explanation. The one having more wind with vines planted on the sloped hillside and thus yielding colder more steely and mineral driven wines. Where the other has vines in the lower levels closer to the river with more humid conditions and therefore more aromatic and saline characters. But if you walk in the vineyards it is still difficult to comprehend this phenomenon. Also, your nose and palate has to be on song if you want to identify these fine differences. So that was exactly what we did – we put ourselves to the test…
First cellar we stopped does not really deserve to be mentioned. The wines were ordinary and the experience was mediocre. Probably the first cellar’s lack of staff and our wine minds still tilted towards weekend mode can be blamed for the latter. But from there things heated up swiftly and the good fortunes we have had returned.
Next stop was at Domaine Vincent Pinard in Bue – a village a stone’s through from Sancerre. As you can probably notice the connection between the name of the cellar and mine? So it felt like a small home coming. And when I mentioned this to the proprietor he just laughed and the ice was broken. We had such a relaxed experience and the conversation was stimulating. The wines were good, balanced and intriguing. It made me ask questions about the origin and techniques. There was something distinctive about these wines and I could not quite place it. I find it a good thing when a wine makes you scrape your brain like that. After all, this is work! The wines (Sauvignon = WHITE) had lots of mineral and flinty complexity lined with lemon and citrus fruit. But the surprise of this package was the complex mouth feel. Something completely unexpected. After our visit we said our goodbyes of what felt like leaving a family reunion.
Last stop of the day was in the village perhaps more famous for its crottin (cheese) than its wine. The petite village of Chavignol. And the well-know Domaine Henri Bourgeois. The stylish and modern tasting room was a warm welcome after a quick stroll through the village towards the big doors at the end of the chemin . Here we were received as kings once again. We ended tasting over 20 different wines – all Sauvignons. Different slopes, different origins and parcels. You name it – we tasted it. Fabulous! To explore the versatility of one variety like that – and that in Sancerre – is a privilege. We tasted young wines and older Sauvignons, of which the latter pleased me more - for the simple reason that not many other wines can age that well. It was here that the Sancerre vs Pouilly-Fume dispute that raged in my head was finally settled. The difference is indeed enormous! The sweeter passion fruit notes combined with saline characters is the image of Pouilly-Fume printed in my brain… opposed by my preferred choice – the mineral and steely wines of the Sancerre (and specifically Chavignol) slopes have stolen a special place in my coeur-du-vin.

roadtrip - day 8&9

Day 8&9
The weekend started with some lazy hours in the city centre of Tours. We decided to lay low for two days instead of rushing around to find a lone producer that will open his doors for us on the weekend. It was a good break. So the first liquid I consumed was an espresso that hit the spot from the word go. The best medicine against the cold sub-zero temperatures of the heartland of France…
…we had to take Meinard to the airport because he was jetting off to Italy for the week instead of joining us for the last leg of the trip. From there we had ample time to cover the odd 300 kilometres to the east. The decision was made that we would get off the auto route and criss-cross through the country, stopping at the odd chateau or two. It was to be a remarkable afternoon of driving and sigh seeing. If ever you are in France in the winter and you have time to spare – take a drive through the heartland of France. The forests and country side is exquisite. The tranquillity and peace was sublime. Even Nuno required a change of music to suite the mood (he is an electronica freak). Lanes and lanes of trees. That tunnel feeling with forests on both sides of the road, lakes and parks, grasslands and the occasional cow and chicken along the road. The different colours of red, yellow, gray and brown. I could do nothing else but absorb the beauty and the serenity…
…we finally got our destination for the weekend, at city called Bourges, 50 kilometres from Sancerre. A petit chateau on the lake of Bourges was the perfect place to do some more absorbing and relaxing to recharge for the last week of “work”. And at a reasonable price it was indeed the ideal place for sleeping late, being served at petite dejeuner and having plenty time to stroll around the lake with my iPod plugged in and singing my heart out. It was the perfect Sunday morning after a week that will go down in the history books as one of the best ever.
Professionally the best by FAR! I get emotional when I think about the precious opportunity I have been given to be here. The wonderful Company back home that has but their faith and trust in me. The best way I can return the trust is to do the most I can, to explore and put myself in the position to learn and see as much as humanly possible. I think I am doing just that…(Due to my discretion I will not name my Company)
So here’s to a Company of greatness, a week of greatness, LIVING life and LIVING your dreams!

Pictures pictures pictures...

1 - My name on the door of the wine shop in Bordeaux

2 - Sparkling wine cellar in Vouvray

3 - Domaine Huet

4 - Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

5 - Henry Marionnet

random pics continue

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