Jean Thévenet and his sweet chardonnay

 Wine tasting with Gautier and Jean Thévenet was an exeptionally interesting experience. Their wines are considered atypical of the region and the AOC authorities are only permitting the winegrower to use the Mâcon-Villages appellation.

It is true that for many reasons wines of Jean Thévenet stand out from the Mâconnais crowd.

He works on Bio (certified since 2007 , however we will not find this information on the label),picks late fully mature grapes and  has low yields. Fermentation alcoholic and malolaktic ,using indigenous yeast only,takes between 1 and 2 years at low temperature. After that wine is racked to stainless steel wats. Selling of the final product starts a year after bottling. All that means that the wine needs about 4 years to be ready!

The other interesting fact about their wines is the amount of residual sugar.Their dry white wines contain between 4,2 and 4,8 grams of residual sugar depending on the vintage (the regulation outlaws wines containing more than 2grams of residual sugar).All this is due to the soil. In Domaine Emilian Gillet it is the limestone that dominates, whereas in Domaine de la Bongran it is the white marl. Marne blanche is a soil that we will normally find in AOC Corton Charlemagne and where white wines could have similar levels of residual sugars to Mr Thévenet's wines shall they have been vinified the same way.

We have tasted Mâcon-Villages 2007 , Viré-Clessé Emilian Gillet 2009 and Viré-Clessé, Cuvée Tradition, Domaine de la Bongran 2004 only to confirm that the naturally occurring residual sugar is perfectly integrated in the wine. Wine of Domaine de la Bongran being the most concentrated, fruity, floral and mineral.

The most extraordinary of all are the sweet wines of the Domaine de la Bongran.

Cuvée Levroutée (made in 1999 and 2005 only) comes from parcel where, due to the specific climatic conditions 30% of the grapes have been attacted by the noble rot giving an off dry Chardonnay with 10 grams of resigual sugar.

Cuvée Botrytis (made in 2001 and 2006) is made only when specific condition are fulfilled : morning fog coming from nearby Saône river is followed by long, sunny afternoons and when noble rot ( Botrytis Cinerea) attacks the Chardonnay grapes. As a result we have grapes with lower amount of water, higher concentration of sugar and acidity.Noble rot only attacks about a hectare of vines every few years giving as a result a very rare wine (around 1200 bottles). Enjoy it if you can!

Izabela Zammit

Let's the nature do her job.....

Winter tasks being behind Frantz Chagnoleau, it's time now to finish the traditional way of bending "Arcure" in the Mâconnais.Now Frantz has to leave mother nature do her job.

Still wines at Bollinger

Last week, first experience of "vins clairs" at Champagne Bollinger, ie the still wines of 2011 vintage before blending. Despite their low alcohol level (always better for sparkling wine !!) and the fact that their quality is difficult to assess due to their youthness, this kind of tasting is paramount to understand the mechanic of blending. Indeed, with those wines we might forecast the future Cuvée that Bollinger will released in years to come.


Benjamin Roffet

Vintage 2010 in Loire Valley

Vintage 2010 in Touraine gave, like in most of France, wines in classic style and with superb acidity.
Last week I have tasted wines with two young producers of the Loire Valley, one from Vouvray, the other from Montlouis.
First one, Sebastien Brunet is a rising star , his wines with each year  are more refined and precised.
Situated in Chancay, his 5 ha Domaine lies in some of the best parcels of this appelation. Beautiful Cuvée Renaissance from his 45 year old vines reflects the 2010 style of Sebastien's wines. Chalky and soft at the same time, with fresh aromas of pink grapefruit, concentrated and racy in the mouth. The 9g of residual sugar are perfectly integrated in the wine.
Xavier Weisskopf in Amboise made the same progress in the winemaking. His 2 hectares of old vines (88 years) are laying on the flint clay (silex) in Montlouis. His Cuvée Négrette 2010 has been saline and rich.

Benjamin Roffet

Domaine Philippe Delesvaux

Just had some news from Catherine and Philippe Delesvaux from Loire Valley. Pruning will finish in one week, which is latter than usual, due to deep cold in february, -12°C in Anjou.

Wine tasting with Frantz Chagnoleau, Pierreclos, and comparison between 2010 and 2011 vintages of Pouilly Fuissé.

Spring is in the air...
Planting of the new vines in Burgundy