Integrity Wine Tasting @ Le Caveau 5/24/12

Happy Anniversary Le Caveau !!!  We are so glad to have you in our neighborhood!











This was the last of Le Caveau's 1 year Anniversary Events:
We met Certified Sommelier and owner of Integrity Wines, Doug Strickland while tasting some unique, natural wines from their portfolio:

1. 2010 Chateau Tour Des Gendres 'Cuvee des Conti' Bergerac Sec - $18.99 - 13% alcohol - 70% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle - The nose is pure and expressive with waxy white peach and pink grapefruit with cashews and a dash of ginger.  The wine has a fresh, herbaceous character on the palate with its acidity offering freshness within the full, rich texture.  The De Conti's have 52 hectares, all in Bergerac, all organically farmed since 1994, AGROCERT certified since 2005.  Yields are managed based on grape varieties, soil, vintages, the style and balance of the wines, and their agricultural plots.  Vinification techniques are customized to reflect the true vintage expression.  If you look up Bergerac in Hugh Johnson's Book The World Atlas of Wine (also affectionately referred to as "the huge johnson")- you will see that Luc De Conti is the only winemaker he mentions in that section.
2. NV Ampelidae Armance B - $18.99 - 12.66% alcohol - 80% Chardonnay, 20% Folle Blanc - Has a fine and nice bouquet, inspired of pastry and croissant.  Bubble's very delicate, light, and at the palate gives us nuances of white nougat, mature peach, and fresh almond.  The final taste prolongs with delicacy, purity, but unique freshness and body complicity (I think he meant "complexity.")  Armance B. takes its name from the first name of the winemaker, Frederic's grandmother who initiated the sparkling production in 1899.  She was born with the name Baillet (name of a big bucket where you put grapes), and married a Brochet, thus signing all her life with a B, without anymore precision except her tricky smile.  Frederic started winemaking at age 14, and another of his wonderful wines is the Marigny Neuf (a Pinot Noir also sold at Le Caveau for a very reasonable price). 
3. 2010 Chateau Tour Des Gendres Bergerac Rouge - $14.99 - 13% alcohol - 50% Merlot, 50% Malbec - the color, deep and steady, is garnet red with purple tints.  The nose is powerful with notes of cherry, blueberry, and soft spices.  The palate is aromatic and fresh.  Known since the 12th century as the winery of "Chateau de Bridoir", Chateau "Tour des Gendres" (literally Tower of the sons in law) is located on the site of an old Gallo-Roman villa. Owned and run for the past 3 generations by the "De Conti" family, Chateau Tour Des Gendres is the flagship of the Bergerac appellation.
4. 2009 La Reserve d'O Coteaux du Languedoc - $22.99 - 15% alcohol - 50% Grenache, 40$ Syrah, 10% Cinsault - The nose shows rich, ripe blackberries and chestnuts with lots of sweet but not jammy fruit.  On the palate it's supple with a nice mouth-filling structure, yet elegant at the same time.  After 10 years of searching for her own vineyards, Marie Chauffray, with her husband Frederic, found their unique property and have dedicated themselves to biodynamic viticulture.  The 10 hectare estate is certified organic from ECOCERT and biodynamic from Demeter.  The vineyard is situated 400m above sea level, is located on terraces of limestone pebbles, on very dry soils, and high winds with vine 30+ years of age. Being imported for the first time into the US, Maria won Silver Medal at Millesime Bio 2010 for La Reserve d'O.  Of interest is that her husband is a rock and roll guy.
5. 2010 Mathieu Barret 'La Banniere' Crozes-Hermitage- $27.99 - 13.5% alcohol - 100% Syrah - has bear on the label (due to the winemakers recently having a baby) - In the glass this is a very dark, medium-opaque purple. The nose is intense with scorched earth and blue fruit with animale notes.  In the mouth there is rich black fruits presented with nice acidity.  There are young, fine-grained mouth-filling tannins that provide structure for the wine.  The long mineral-driven finish is slightly juicy.  The wine is 100% destemmed and undergoes natural yeast fermentation in a concrete "egg" with a daily punching down of the cap and vinified without sulfur.  The wine spends 18 months in 400 liter barrels that are 10 years old.

A question asked at the tasting - What is the difference between Organic and Biodynamic winemaking?
Organic means no pesticides, no chemicals, no fertilizers, etc.
Biodynamic means all of these things, but ALSO looks at farming in a holistic way.  The belief is that we are all inter-related with the earth, and the terroir, some even farm on the lunar cycle, it is a purist view of making wine.  The farm is a cohesive, interconnected, living system.
Read more here

Vintage '59 Tasting @ Le Caveau 5/17/12

We met Susan Maschal of Ultimate Wine and Spirits as we tasted through some vins des terroirs from the Vintage '59 Portfolio.  Vintage '59 is named thus for the founder, Roy Cloud, who was born in 1959.  He has also just finished a book about wines called  To Burgundy and Back Again.

1. 2010 Domaine Branger Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Le Fils des Gras Moutons - $17.99 - 12% alcohol - 100% Melon de Bourgogne - Domaine Claude Branger was founded by his grandfather, who developed the wine domaine during the First World War.  Today his son Sebastien works beside him.  They farm 61 acres in two parishes in the heart of the Muscadet Sevre et Maine appellation.  Le Fils des Gras Moutons (the son of the fat sheep) is the domaine's base wine, which comes from 26 acres of vines in Branger's earlier maturing plots.  The soil runs from 10 to 16 inches deep and the granite bedrock is metamorphic gneiss full of mica and quartz.  Notes of chamomile and white peach flowers up front, followed by racy lemon zest, verbena, and fleur de sel notes through the finish.  Long and Pure.  Would pair well with oysters or light seafood.  Viscous finish, has salinity, and organic to boot!
2. 2010 Domaine de San de Guilhem Vin de Pays de Gascogne - $13.99 - 11.5% alcohol - 40% Columbard, 30% Gros Manseg, 30% Ugni Blanc (OO-nee-Blah-nk)- The 50-hectare Domaine de San de Guilhem (Gee-yum) is in the eastern portion of Bas-Armagnac (southwest France), a region of sloping green hills, and oceanic climate, and sandy soils.  Alain Lalanne's father (and his grandfather and great-grandfather) only made wine to distill into Armagnac (aka: Cognac), but his retirement in 1970 coincided with a progressive and lasting decline in the global market for Armagnac (cognac).  Consequently, Alain and the other growers in the region faced the need to sell the region's white wine as wine rather than as spirits.  Vin de Pays de Gascogne:  is a zesty and lively white wine with a nose of white fruits and a clean, crisp finish.  Would pair well with salad, seafood (without sauce). 
3. NV Charles Bove Sparkling Rosé - $21.99 - 70% Cabernet Franc, 30% Gamay - The Charles Bove company was founded in the 19th century in Montrichard (Mahn-trey-shard), in the Loire Valley.  Its base of operations is an enormous rock quarry.  The company specializes in sparkling wines, but also has an extensive portfolio of still wines.  The domaine buys juice after tasting vintages at each property.  The wines are then vinified, blended, and bottles at the domaine.  Sparkling Rose:  a methode traditionelle sparkling made from 70% Cabernet Franc (fine aromatics and acidity), 30% Gamay.  The wine rests on its lees in Bove's chalk caves for 18 months before being disgorged.  This is fresh, dry, with hints of rose petals and hibiscus.  Only 5 cases in Georgia.  This wine will be served at The Watershed's new location on Peachtree (near the original Cafe Intermezzo).
4. 2009 Mas Conscience Cuvée 'La Petite Prise' Coteaux du Languedoc - $24.99 - 13.5% alcohol - 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah - Genevieve and Laurent Vidal founded Mas Conscience in 2003, on the outskirts of Saint-Jean-de-Fos.  They came from the appellation of Pic-Saint-Loup, where they had started a domaine the preceding decade.  The village of Saint-Jean-de-Fos had a special place in their hearts because both had spent their childhood years there.  So when a friend offered them his vineyard parcels, the Vidals sold their domaine and bought their friend's vines, and built a cellar to make and bottle their own wines.  Cuvee La Petite Prise is made from equal parts Grenache and Syrah, both from young vines growing on the old Herault riverbed.  BONUS STORY:  You will notice a donkey and a ceramic vessel depicted on the bottle label.  Mas Conscience means Collective Conscience.  The story goes that there were 2 Benedictine Abbeys nearby, and this town was known for its ceramics.  Each year they had to decide, based on their conscience, whether to send a vessel of olive oil, or wine, or both to the Abbeys.
5. 2008 Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil 'Les Galichets' - $28.99 - 13% alcohol - 100% Cabernet Franc - Since 1640 this domaine has been in the Caslot family.  Today it is aided by the son and daughter team of Emmanuel and Stephanie.  These dynamic siblings have been instrumental in upgrading the winery equipment and converting the domaine to organic farming.  Galichets:  a 25-acre vineyard heading down the terrace toward the river that is planted on stony, sandy clay.  Galichets was first planted in 1934, and today the vines average 40 years of age.  This vineyard tends to make the domaine's fruitiest wine.  Full of energy, with uplifting aromatics.  One of the more fragrant and floral - Cab Franc's I've ever tried.  has notes of black olive and a mushroomy-bell-pepper .

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Kermit Lynch Tasting with Ryan Mullins @ Le Caveau 5/12/12

Kermit Lynch Wine Tasting with Ryan Mullins
We met Certified Sommelier, Ryan Mullins of Quality Wine and Spirits (Distributer) as we tasted through some gems from the Kermit Lynch Portfolio.

1. NV Achad-Vincent Brut Clairette de Die AOC - $24.99 - 11.5% alcohol, 100% Clairette - Fresh, clean-cut pear, and green apple notes backed by a tangy, refreshing finish.  The most well-known of Clairette de Die's producers today is the tiny Domaine Achard-Vincent.  Jean-Pierre Achard, and his son, Thomas, descend from five generations of growers.  The domaine has farmed organically since Thomas's grandparents were directing it, although it is now officially certified as both organic (since 1982) and biodynamic (since 2007).
2. 2010 Éric Chevalier Fié Gris Blanc Vin de Pays du Val de Loire - $26.99 - 12% alcohol, 100% Fie Gris - Wildflowers, tarragon, white peaches make an appearance on the aromatic nose, with hints of kaffir lime and sea salt.  Flavors on the mouth suggest citrus with more saline notes, hints of white fruits and lot of chiseled, chalky precision.  Fie Gris (also known as Sauvignon Rose or Sauvignon Gris) vines were discovered in Touraine and elsewhere in the southern Loire and are believed to be the ancestors - the pre-Phylloxera ancestors - of Sauvignon Blanc.  Fie Gris is a specialty of Eric Chevalier, who took over the family domaine, Domaine de l'Aujardiere in 2006 from his father.
3. 2010 Domaine Ostertag Pinot Noir Vin d’Alsace - $31.99 - 12% alcohol - 100% Pinot Noir - This wine displays good full red color with black cherry, raspberry, and cinnamon on the nose.  The palate is ripe and juicy, with high-pitched flavors of red fruits and spices finishing with a light dusting of tannins.  Alsatian Pinot Noir is very rare and it is a specialty of the domaine as Andre Ostertag, who trained in Burgundy with Dominique Lafon of Mersault while at enology school in Beaune, understands the grape varietal very well.
4. 2009 Terres d'Avignon 'Réserve des Armoiries' Côtes du Rhône AOC- $15.99 - 13.5% alcohol - 47% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 11% Cinsault, 7% Carignan - This wine displays intense red color with a nose of raspberry, spice, and a touch of smoke.  The same most appealing fresh impressions carry onto the palate.  Not a huge wine by any means but nicely ripe with supple tannins and great mouthfeel.  Since 1929, this cooperative winery has been bringing local vignerons together from the outlying areas of Avignon in the Southern Rhone to produce delicious wines that epitomize the region's complex terroir.  Kermit Lynch works closely with the winemaker, Jean-Francios Pasturel to develop the blend.
5. 2010 Éric Chevalier Cabernet Franc Vin de Pays du Val de Loire - $17.99 - 100% Cabernet Franc - A nice bright color and a lovely perfume to the nose; it has a smoky character, but lifting this up there is also a fine layer of floral Cabernet Franc fruit over the top.  On the palate there is dark fruit character, firmly styled, with moderate weight and a fine structure underneath.  Eric Chevalier is a rising star of the Nantais of the Loire Valley.  The Nantais is a maritime climate, and the vineyards are not far from the Atlantic Ocean.  Consequently, there is an interesting variety of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, as this area was once the ocean floor.

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Bottle Shock Movie night with Mr. Janssen - 05/09/2012

Bottle Shock Movie night with Mr. Janssen - 05/09/2012
The TWITs will be watching Bottle Shock on the big screen, while tasting Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, and Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon.  Our host Mr. Janssen will also be serving popcorn with the movie.  It would be lovely to be able to try the exact vintages of the wines in question, but of course that is not economical.  We did however, find the wines here in town, and we are excited to taste them this evening.
More information on Bottle Shock, the movie, and the famous Judgement in Paris 1973.

Recipes from the evening are below.

Seared Flank Steak with Avocado Salsa on Plantain ChipsIngredients

For salsa (makes about 5 cups):

2 serrano peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

2-3 avocados, peeled pitted and coarsely chopped

2-3 Tbsp of cilantro, chopped

¼ white onion, chopped

8-10 cherry tomatoes, chopped

8-10 sunburst tomatoes, chopped

Jalapeno, poblano peppers (optional)

1 lb flank steak

Sea salt

Paprika

Plantain chips (or other chip of choice)

Preparation

For salsa:

Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, season with salt to taste. Set aside in refrigerator (can be made ahead).

Note: regular tomatoes or tomatillos can be substituted for cherry and sunburst tomatoes.

Optional: grill peppers and tomatoes beforehand until skin is blackened.

For steak:

Generously cover one side of steak with paprika. Season with salt and pat down; turn over and repeat with other side. In oven-proof pan on high heat, sear each side, less than a minute each. Once seared, place steak in broiler set to high; cook for approx 7 mins. Turn steak over, set broiler to low and cook for additional 4-5 mins for medium. Remove from broiler, remove steak from juices and set aside on plate. Cut steak across the grain into thin strips about 1/8 inch thick.

Note: Steak juices can be reserved for au jus to be dribbled over steak.

To plate, spoon 1 tsp salsa on each chip. Place 1 to 2 strips of steak over salsa.

 

 

Mango-Curry Shrimp Salad in Phyllo Cups

Ingredients

For salad:

½ cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

5 tsp fresh lime juice

5 or so tsp mango chutney (such as Major Grey’s from Whole Foods)
1 ½ tsp Thai green curry paste
12 or so oz peeled cooked medium shrimp, coarsely chopped

Phyllo sheets

Preparation

For cups:

Preheat oven to 325*F. Cut phyllo sheets into 4 inch squares. For each cup, take 3 squares and layer, brushing lightly with oil or butter. Place layered squares, oiled side down, into mini muffin pan. Bake about 10 mins; let cool completely in pan.

Optional: Phyllo cups can be dusted with cumin prior to baking.

For salad:

Saute shrimp in garlic and oil (preferably sesame oil). Season lightly with salt and curry powder. In mixing bowl, whisk other ingredients to blend. Add mango chutney and green curry paste as necessary to taste. Stir in shrimp.

To plate, spoon 1 tsp salad into each cup. Garnish with cilantro.