The perfect time of year for white Burgundy – and the Verget is so good that not only did Tuta break his quill on its behalf, but I just had to write a little something about it in my column. Read on for Tuta’s review and be sure to hit the link at the bottom of the page to read the column in the Burlington Free Press for some additional praise. -  Jason

We have lined up two white Burgundies on the counter, both from Mâcon.  One of us knew which glass was which — the other tried the two wines blind.  One is a Macon-Villages at $12.50; the other is Macon-Charnay “Le Clos Saint-Pierre” at $22.50.  Both are made by the  respected producer Verget.

Mâcon lies at the southern end of Burgundy.   It has long been known for producing reliable Chardonnay — perhaps more lyric than epic in its ambition.  The region’s most famous offering is Pouilly Fuissé.  These are serviceable table wines which exist to complement food, especially shellfish.

Both the Village and the Macon-Charnay are on the crisp end of the Chardonnay spectrum.  Side by side, the Village tasted more watery than the denser Charnay.  They were clearly cousins.  The Charnay is more assertive.  It has a pleasing taste of pine and tart pear mixed with a little soft butter.

Considered together, both wines show us a way towards the ur-taste of Chardonnay.  Things are clearer as the wine warms past the serving point.  What is the taste exactly?  Tasted warm, there is a faintly oily feel in the mouth — rich in the way that shrimp and salmon feel rich.  The taste is not lemon or grapefruit,  but acidic in the mineral-laden way that some water or earth is acidic.  Both wines show us the direction of Chardonnay past sweetness towards a taste which has qualities of fermentation and weight.  But — ne t’inquiète pas –these two excellent Macônnaise wines are easy to drink without further scrutiny or any more talk.

Verget Macon Village $12.50

Verget Macon Charnay $22.50

Tuta

Click Here To Read: Retro Burgundy – The Burlington Free Press

Bouillabaisse Bash at the Barn

June 13^th, 2010

Celebrate spring like you’re in southern France… For a taste of spring in Provence, we’re serving up big, spicy bowls of delicious Bouillabaisse and washing it down with piles of juicy, ice-cold rosé.

Every town in southern France has a different variation of Bouillabaisse. Every chef in the region adds his or her own twist to this legendary seafood stew. But two things are always true in Provence: There’s no better way to wash down a spicy bowl of Bouillabaisse than with cold glass of a gorgeous rosé, and there’s no better way to spend a warm spring evening than with lots of food, wine & friends. Join us for a night of eating, drinking and merriment at the Intervale Barn – the heart of Burlington’s Fresh District.

Where: The Interval Barn, Burlington Vermont

When: Sunday, June 13^th 4:30 – 8:00 (rain or shine)

Musical Guests: The Wrecking Ball (honky tonk/country)

TICKETS ARE LIMITED – CLICK HERE TO BUY THEM NOW

$30/Person

All of our classes are held at the beautiful Firehouse Gallery for the Visual Arts on Church Street in Burlington from 4:30 – 6:00.

Each class features a guided tasting lead by our wine educator, David Garaventa. You’ll receive a packet of information about the wines and the content covered in the class.

Space is limited, call for reservations!

802-865-2368

I have recently joined the Dedalus Team…Jason and Tim and I have a history that goes back a ways now, and I am excited to participate in the growth of their (ad)venture!!  I have been around the block once or twice and tasted a few wines…to this day I am still humbled by what I do not know about wine, not by what I do know.  One of my missions, which I can already see will be a lengthy process, is to develop a strong Burgundy presence at Dedalus.  We anticipate that this growth from within (specifically, the inventory of wines we will be bringing in) will be accompanied by education without…as we bring in new selections we want you to have not only the most current information, but also we want you to know what the long rich history of Burgundy’s past can offer.  Appreciating Burgundy is a combination of tasting and education…this, too, is a process that we all can benefit from.

Okay, let’s jump right in!!  I recently attended a tasting with a group I have a long association with in Connecticut (yes, I certainly will travel some distance to share a glass of wine with friends!)…and guess what…this was a Burgundy tasting. Specificallywe were attacking the great whites of Meursault (just a fancy geographical name for Chardonnay).  All blind, the tasting covered vintages from ’96 to ’06, village wines to premier crus (there are no Grand Cru’s in Meursault).  Wine of the night…1996 Meursault “Les Narvaux” from Domaine Leroy (the domaine of the “irascible bitch of Burgundy”, Madame Bize-Leroy).  It was quite yummy, with a dense earthy nose, and an elegant, pure Meyer lemon finish. Nicely complex and a good poke of caramel… this one paired up quite nicely with the tuna tartare I prepared!

Some of the group had recently attended another tasting that, blind, pitted red Burgundy with West Coast Pinot Noir…and the results were interesting.  In each and every pairing, it was clear which was the domestic wine, and which was the Burgundy. And again, in each case, the French was the clear first choice.  Now, it is not my intention to be critical of New World Wines. In fact our group has tended to purchase Northwest Pinots as we have watched the prices skyrocket in the Cote d’Or.  But keep in mind, the French have been making wine for many, many, years. Combine that with the association of the soils of the vineyards with the flavor profiles of the juice and you have something that in many cases is exceptionally special.

What does this mean for you?  Well, as we progress with our efforts at building a Burgundy portfolio, keep in mind that while prices remain high in France, we will be searching for out-of-the-way producers and single vineyard village wines that will deliver big value. And what a prospect! There is little that’s more fun for an old wine geek like me than scoring a great deal on an out-of-the-spotlight producer, or a so-called  “lesser” vineyard, grabbing a case and stashing it in the cellar (yes, many French wines benefit from a bit of ageing)…then going back after a year or two and enjoying the transformation as the components come into harmony!

Obviously, I have a soft spot in my heart for Burgundy Some of my most ethereal experiences have come from this source.  But it takes work, it takes time, and it takes patience to successfully explore its riches.  They are there…they need to be discovered, they need to be explored, they need to be savored.  We look forward to experiencing some of these nuances with you. I should be in the “shop” most every Thursday – officially BURGUNDY DAY at Dedalus. Stop by sometime and talk Burgundy with me!!

So what have we got, and what are we going to get?  Well, as I looked at our inventory, I realized that we are really in need of those wines that your hand reaches out to immediately, and grabs because they’re under 20 bucks.  We bought a few Burgundies just prior to the holidays, and while they are excellent representations of the geography and are very good values, they are not in this price range. So I guess it would make good sense for us to offer a couple of White Burgs and a couple of Red Burgs in this price range…and that is what we are going to do!!

Right now we have only a few – but they’re real good examples!  Starting out with a pair of clean, vivacious whites, we’re loving the 2007 Bourgogne Chardonnay from Domaine de la Cadette for $14.75 a bottle and the  2007 Macon-Villages from Henri Perrusset. On the Red Burg front, we just snapped up a few choice cases of Pierre Guillemot’s classically dirty, bawdy and thoroughly delicious Bourgogne, 2006. Imagine our surprise to find that we could sell this beauty for less than 20 bucks. It’ll only set you back $18.75, and it’s one of the most satisfying values we’ve come across in ages.
We hope to have a plenty more wines in this price range soon. Wines that express the “terroir”, the unique character of the land that nurtured the vines and ultimately the grapes – these are the key wines for us. I want you to experience the range of styles and flavors this region is so well known for. I am on the hunt for a good Givry (again, just a fancy geographical name for Pinot Noir) as they are often juicy and fleshy as well as inexpensive and can be a great “introductory” red.

Guillemot’s Bourgogne has the super-stink up front, like an under ripe red cherry in the middle of a pile of old damp hay and freshly turned topsoil. But on the palette, it’s super-clean, classic Burgundian Pinot Noir. The kind of middle-weight wine that foodies across the country are starting to worship. That red cherry thing is there for sure, but it breaks into a minerally, mouthwatering mossy wine with a really nice hit of spice that pops up right before the mellow tobacco and clove finish sets in. I’ll be loving this wine for a minute, and so will you. At less than 20 bucks for a bottle, I’ll be drinking this one with bone marrow, grilled fish and roasted bird… frequently.

Pierre Guillemot Bourgogne Rouge, 2006   –   $18.75

Domaine de la Cadette Bourgogne Chardonnay, 2007   –   $14.75

The Cuvee de L’Elegance is full of tropical fruit flavors, citrus peel, and hints of toasted almonds.  There is an enchanting floral quality and a zing of acidity that is all rounded out with lots of toasty oak.  Sustainably grown, hand-picked and produced with care, this beautifully textured white comes from old vines. It is both sleek and voluptuous and would be lovely paired with chicken picatta or bacon-wrapped scallops.

Lemenicier Cuvee de l’Elegance 2006, $23.95

The wines of Alsace have strong German influences because of repeated changes of nationality of the Alsace region, which has passed from France to Germany and vice-versa several times throughout history. In the early history of the Alsace wine industry, they were traded together with other German wines since the Rhine provided the means to transport the wines.

The “Rosacker Vineyard” Riesling is an invitingly smooth wine.  It has hints of honeyed apricot with a firm mineral base.  Medium bodied with good acidity, the plush fruit lingers on the palate.  This wine works best when paired with food that is simply cooked.  From seafood to rabbit, this Riesling can do it all.

Frederic Mallo “Grand Cru” Riesling 2002, $27.95

So you hear all the hype, but it’s really just a tease because you don’t want to drop the big coin? Or maybe you picked up a few bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape to cellar, but you’re itching to pull the cork on some ‘07 Rhône? What’s an average Jane to do? Well, if you’re in on this little secret, you get to follow the wine insiders to the trough of exceptional value. Drink it in… deeply. You won’t regret picking up a few bottles (or even a case – while our meager supplies last) of the Domaine Gallety Côtes du Vivarais.

This wine is from the northern-most appellation in the Southern Rhône is going to put Vivarais on the wine geek’s map. It has all the intensity, all the virtuous beauty and balance of really good Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but it clocks in at less than a third of the price! If you’re drinking this wine now, or laying it down in your cellar, you’re ahead of the curve – in five or six years, Vivarais is going to be the new Chateauneuf, and you’ll remember when it was our little secret.

The wine is bright and beautiful right out of the bottle.  It’s got a gripping nose of lavender, black cherry, anise, tobacco and freshly tilled earth. The mouth is plush, velvety sleek, and deeply layered with truckloads of red and black fruit, blueberry pie, smoke and earth. And the balance – whew, it is incredible. I think this is the real character of the vintage. Everything is bigger – but it’s proportional. Somehow, those grapes fattened up nicely and didn’t lose any of their mouthwatering acidity or grippy tannins.

With just a few minutes of decanting you can pop one of these open now. If you’ve got the discipline, cellar a bottle or six – in 4 years, you’ll be very, very happy.

Domaine Gallety Côtes du Vivarais, 2007 – $23.00

Cairanne is a village in the Vaucluse region — just north of the Mediterranean coast.   It is a place of formidable independence.  During the middle ages, Cairanne was a walled enclave of the Knights Templar.  Petrarch, the 14th century poet who is strongly associated with the humanist origins of the Italian Renaissance, lived and worked nearby in Avignon.  During World War II, members of the resistance formed the Vaucluse Republic.   These are people who know their own minds.

From such a place, we get the southern Rhône wines of Cairanne, Gigondas, and some 20 other villages.  The better wines, including Domaine Catherine Le Gœuil,  are listed within the AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages.  Mme Le Gœuil is a leader in the movement for biodynamic wines from small producers.  Her wine is a lovely example of the art.

Tuta 12/13/09

Available at the shop for $16.75