Have ten minutes to stop by on the way back from work? Why not come in and sample some delicious young Bordeaux and Beaujolais. 
The wine surpassed my expectations so much that I wanted to find out more about its origins. Browsing their website (only in French, but google translate will fake it) and consulting a few reference books made it clear this Champagne has a pedigree. Yannick Doyard is currently the 11th generation winemaker at the estate and the family has strong ties with other notable houses in the region. Marie Duval-Doyard and husband Benoit Duval make very classy Champagnes at André Jacquart. Yannick and Marie’s grandfather, Maurice Doyard, began estate-bottling champagne in 1927 and later played a key role establishing Champagne’s governing body, the Comité Interprofessionel des Vins de Champagne (CIVC), along with Rovert-Jean de Vogüé of Moët & Chandon. Since its inception in 1941 the CIVC has not only promoted the region’s business, it has also worked to improve production standards across the board. Knowing none of this before tasting, I’m no longer remotely surprised the wine is of such quality and distinction.
Doyard takes the quality of his grapes seriously at every stage. He has adopted some biodynamic techniques, his vines which lie on grand cru and premier cru vineyards around the Cote de Blanc have an average age of 40 years. Every year roughly 50 percent of the harvest is sold off to negociants, keeping only the finest grapes. His meticulous nature continues in the winery, carefully pressing the grapes, again keeping only the cuvee, or first pressing, for his own wines. Like the fine whites of Burgundy he ferments and ages half of his wine in barrels, letting the wine rest naturally on its lees.
The wine is an assemblage of three vintages, 2001, 2002 and 2004, it was bottled in 2005 and left in the bottle to carry out its second fermentation for 4 years. It is this important step in the process that I think distinguishes Yannick from his contemporaries. In order to get the second fermentation started which makes the still base wine fizzy, the winemaker adds an amount of sugar, known as the liqueur de tirage. Doyard adds as much as 20 percent less than most, resulting in lower pressure in the bottle. This produces a quite superior looking wine with delicate bubbles politely lining up and waiting their turn to escape, perfectly integrated, rather than fighting the fruit you taste on the palate.
On the nose it gave away a beautifully fresh, aromatic, elderflower and pear quality, surprisingly not so much of the yeasty, autolytic quality you might expect from a wine that has had such a length of time on tirage. The palate had quite a deep, almost rich toasty and yet fruity flavor for 100 percent Chardonnay, which I am sure the barrel aging contributes to. Finishing the bottle quite easily between the two of us, it is a wine you want to get stuck into but also savor every sip. Overall, highly recommended.
Felix Milner
Come in this evening and try these five wines from Castello Vicchiomaggio.Vigna La Prima, Chianti Classico Riserva, 2007 $39.99 (100% Sangiovese)
This wine is made using grapes from 35 year+ vines. The result is low yielding, concentrated fruit that spends 16-20 months in small 225 liter barrels.
Ripa delle More, IGT, 2005 $59.99 (60% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot)
My wine of the week this week is a young Semillon from the fine wine region of Hunter valley in Australia, located just 80 miles north of Sydney.
Semillon was first cultivated in the south west of France where it is a key ingredient alongside Sauvignon Blanc in the sweet whites of Sauternes and also Bordeaux’s fine dry whites of Pessac Léognan. At one time it was the world’s most planted white grape variety but has since fallen out of fashion into obscurity. Semillon still plays a supporting role next to Sauvignon Blanc in the mertiage blends of northern California and the Margaret River in south west Australia. The only place you’re likely to find it standing on its own is in the Hunter Valley, where it has settled in very comfortably in the unusually hot and humid climate. Semillon's success in the region is now regarded as, and in Jancis Robinson words, “one of the most idiosyncratic and historic wine types exclusive to the New World”.
Brokenwood Wines have established themselves slowly over the last thirty years, initially the part time pursuit of three wine loving Sydney based solicitors,it soon took off and evolved into a full time venture. They are less well known outside of Australia than Tyrrell’s and their famous rendition of Semillon, but are arguably making wines of at least equal quality.
The 2009 that I drank last night was very different to other stand alone Semillons. Whereas most of the Hunter Valley Semillon’s, including Vat 1 and Brokenwood’s single vineyard bottles, are made with their unique ageing capacity, of well over 20 years, in mind. This bottle vintage is ready to drink now. Unlike the nutty and honeyed aged Semillons which are delightful in their own right, this had a much more youthful quality, with hints of lemon grass and blossom. The 2009 still has a tight and lean structure, a contributing factor that gives this grape its massive aging ability. However the low alcohol level, of 11 percent, and careful use of residual sugar, of 4.5 grams per liter, help keep the acidity in check, the result, a wine with balance and elegance.
I have recently enjoyed trying a few of Epic's beers for Salt Lake City, Utah . I highly recommend these three to anyone with a passion for interesting, well made beer.
This is Thibault's first offering from Beaujolais. A descendant of Burgundy aristocracy, he makes wines predominantly from the Cote de Nuits where he is based. He gained great interest in the wines of Moulin-à-Vent while studying oenology at Lycee Bel-Air in Beaujolais. 2009 was his first vintage after acquiring 3.2 hectares, making three wines. We stock two of them, this one, made from 80 year old vines and a slightly higher priced example for $34.99 made on the famous La Roche vineyard, which shows huge aging potential.
Fancy a glass of good Pinot Noir over the weekend? Why not try WesMar’s Russian River Pinot? As the weather begins to warm up a little and we’re moving towards spring, I’ve been looking for lighter wines, still with plenty of flavor and character. I opened a bottle of the WesMar Russian River Pinot yesterday and it satisfied my desires perfectly. Vibrant red fruit, elegant and not overdone, it was absolutely scrumptious. It gets the juices running and thinking I should dust off the barbeque and grill some lamb chops to go with it.
We’ve stocked WesMar for a couple of years now, they’re run by a great husband and wife duo, Kirk Wesley Hubbard and Denise Mary Selyem. Before starting their own venture, they worked with Denise’s farther Ed Selyem at Williams & Selyem Winery. The WesMar wines definitely share some similar characteristics, but when I consider the Selyem wines start around $120 a bottle, the Russian River Valley at $40 is something I can treat myself and my friends to a little more often.
Felix Milner
