The Aesthetics of 2013 Crus

The 2013 Crus turned out to be one of the delicious vintages in my recent memory. The 2013 vintage did not start well and was difficult.  It was cool and grapes struggled to ripen.  As with great wines, the vignerons, who cared their vineyards and not pushed what the vintage had to give, produced beautiful Crus in 2013.  It was so much work in the vineyards that I think the vignerons were exhausted by the time the elevage was finished.

When first bottled, our vignerons themselves did not know how the vintage would turn out. It may be a surprise to readers, but our vignerons themselves do not always know how the wine will evolve. They, of course, have a reasonable trajectory but not always certain. The uncertainty lingered after the wines were first bottled.  After a year in bottles, the Crus evolved to be have what I call ‘French aesthetics’ – pretty and perfumed. The Crus, not lacking intensity, are low in alcohol with stunning nose and freshness. Subtlety and nuances, which I appreciate the most in wines, are abundant in the 2013 Crus. The differences of terroirs are clearly etched in 2013.  I can’t think of another wine that brings so much joy at my dinner table.

Catherine et Pierre Breton in l'île d'Yeu

Catherine and Pierre Breton, with their children, have been taking their family vacations on the island of Yeu or, as French would say, l'île d'Yeu. They now opened a wine bar/store La Dilettante Yeu. That is Catherine Breton on the left in front of La Dilettante Yeu. It serves simple delicious local dishes as well as their wines and many other wines that they personally like. You can also purchase wines and take them home with you. How civilized is that?  I can only dream about this kind of place in BC.  Sigh...

Catherine and Pierre Breton simply pack their family and a whole lot of wines and head to the l'île d'Yeu for summers. By the way, La Dilettante Yeu is opened only in July and August. The wine bar/store also serves to anchor this somewhat remote community, where people come to socialize and eat in a relaxed setting. There are jazz sessions in La Dilettante Yeu. The inimitable aesthetics of Catherine and Pierre Breton wines are also translated in their La Dilettante Yeu.  Their beauty is everywhere in La Dilettante Yeu.  So, if you yearn for an island vacation in France after a busy week in Paris, La Dilettante Yeu may be just the thing. 

Low Alcohol Wines - Drinkability

I just received the latest November 2014 issue of The Art of Eating.  Ed Behr, the editor and founder, of the journal writes about wine and food with a refreshing thought. On the opening page of the editor’s section, he presents how the traditional wines, whose alcohol levels were low, in the 1930’s were enjoyed in quantities for nutrients like food.  And that rising alcohol levels, driven by farming tactics and warming climate, are leading to wines that are difficult to drink, let alone in quantities.

And that has been my experience as well. Of course, there are exceptions, where wines with 14% or more alcohol do taste balanced.  But increasingly, I find such exceptions rare. Drinkability and pleasure-ability came into light recently at our dinner table when my wife and I shared a bottle of Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf ‘La Guerrerie’ 2011 – a blend of Côt (aka Malbec) and Gamay.  The wine had 11.1% alcohol, tasting perfectly ripe and balanced.  The wine perfectly described the drinkability that Ed Behr mentions in his article. 

By the way, if you like food and wine, I strongly recommend The Art of Eating.  It is an ads-free quarterly journal – an independent journalism that is rare as the traditionally-well made wines in a sea of industrial plonk. 

Oyster and Wine Event

West coast oyster season is here. To mark the occasion, Curious Oyster is teaming up with Racine Wine Imports to host Bon Hiver, a casual evening of food and drink at the beautiful Le MarchéSt. George. Guests will enjoy some of BC’s most gourmet indulgences: oysters varieties grown by Outlandish Shellfish Guild’s family-run farms, delicious sausages and terrines from Oyama Sausage Co., served with artisanal breads. To pair, Brian and Ramona of Racine Wine Imports will serve a Muscadet and a sparkling wine from organic wine producer Domaine de la Pépière.

WHEN: November 28, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m
WHERE: 4393 St. George Street (@ East 28th Avenue)

Tickets are $65 and includes open oyster bar, food and one glass of wine (Stand-up cocktail service is additional). Tickets are limited — reserve now.

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.

Domaine de la Pépière ‘Cuvee Granit’ – A Jewel in an Unlikely Place

Domaine de la Pépière is in the Muscadet country in Nantes – the land of Melon de Bourgogne. Nantes is on the Atlantic, north  of Bordeaux. I have visited Marc Ollivier of Domaine de la Pépière a few times now.  My original visit took me to meet Marc Ollivier because of his real Muscadets.  How surprised I was then to taste his reds.

On a southern and rocky slope of the domain, just a few yards from his house and chai, Marc Ollivier planted classic Bordeaux red cépages.  When asked why, he simply said: “It is too hot for Melon de Bourgogne. The terroir on this slope is better suited for reds.”  When you are standing at the slope and listening to Marc Ollivier wearing blue overalls, the above words and his wines take on a different meaning.

As the name implies, Cuvée Granit is a blend of Cab Sauvignon, Côt (aka Malbec), and Cab Franc on a vineyard that is strewn with granite.  The wine spends a few months in neutral barrels.  There are only a few barrels.  On arrival, the wine is often tannic and structured – not surprising given the varietals and traditional vine growing & vinification. Even the label looks like something from a bygone era.  I always buy a few bottles and cellar them.  After a few months in cellar, Cuvée Granit tastes even better.  Currently, the 2012 vintage is the latest offering. Recently, after cooking lamb for a supper, I went down to the cellar to grab a bottle of the 2012 vintage.  What a delicious revelation. The wine still had the grip but loosened to reveal its charm and depth.  A jewel of red that I did not expect to find in the Muscadet country. 

Warmth of Zinc Bars

There is something about zinc counter tops in wine bars and bistros.  Wine bars often have a different connotation in North America.  We tend to view wine bars like beer bars.  Places where we go for wines, instead of beers. In Paris, I see wine bars in different light.  I see good wine bars in Paris, where one has honestly made wines by a glass from a dozen of selections and equally honest foods in a friendly setting.

The honest foods may be simple as terrine maison, salads, oeuf mayonnais, roasted birds or cheeses and, of course, some crusty bread.  In Paris, there are usually no chairs at zinc bars.  You simply lean in and ask for a glass of wine and some delicious dishes.  Zinc bars are where the locals and visitors congregate to eat, drink and, above all, to socialize.

Zinc bars, like no other material that I know have elegance and warmth.  They are warm to touch.  You can lean in and feel the ambience.  Zinc bars have wabi-sabi beauty that is hard to match.

So, when the local chef Brad Miller of Bistro Wagon Rouge decided to put in a zinc bar (pictured above), I was so happy.  Chef Brad has spent some time cooking in France.  On my recent visit to the bistro, I noticed the zinc bar is very popular.  The bar is where I would like to sit. I often order some chef Brad’s addictive tartines and fresh white wine or bubbles to start the evening.  It is a civilized way to unwind my day. 

Concrete Vats – Pure Perfection

I see concrete vats in the cellars of the vignerons whom I respect and whose wines I love. Matthieu and his father Bernard Baudry have concrete vats in their chai; Thierry Puzelat and his brother Jean-Marie have them; and Jean Maupertuis has them, too. There is something supremely pure about fermenting and aging wine in concrete vats. They are neutral. They do not take away or add anything. The thermal inertia of concrete vats is enormous. Thus, allowing the wines at a steady temperature. Concrete vats breath. The wines that see concrete vats are not as 'square' as, say. from those wines that see stainless steel vats.

There is wonderment of energy and purity about the wines that see concrete vats. I especially like wines that spend their time in the traditional concrete vats. Jean Maupertuis, for example, has concrete vats that are probably made before WWII. Jean Maupertuis himself does not know when his concrete vats were made.  The picture above is Jean Maupertuis in front of his concrete vat. Oh heck, Jean Maupertuis' vats are not even ergonomic. When I visited him in the tiny village of Saint-Georges-sur-Allier in Auvergne, he chuckled as he was explaining the concrete vats in his cellar.  The draining sprouts are located about a couple feet above the bottom of the vats rather than at the bottom.  So, he has to take a bucket and scoop out the remaining juice after fermentation.  Despite the extra labour and hassle, Jean Maupertuis keeps the concrete vats for a reason.  I can taste the freshness and purity that is rare in wines.