A Fine Pair of Poitou Cheese and Charentais Wine

3 Mar 2018

A friend brought a special bottle last night - Domaine Le Petit Marand Cuvée Elise 2016 (Elise is daughter of Fabrice Papin, whose family owns this domaine - read the lovely message on the back label). Limited production of Chardonnay from the Gironde region - IGP Vin de Pays Charentais.  Only 1,830 bottles were produced. 10 months of élevage in oak barrels. Winemaker is Joël Bonneau. It was an added bonus to find that this bottle won a gold medal at the drinks business Global Chardonnay Masters in 2017! 

A grape variety not usually associated with this area of the Gironde, but I was told that the soil at the vineyard is chalk-dominated, and suited to Chardonnay.  Here the climate is warmer and more maritime than Chardonnay's spiritual home, Bourgogne.  Beeswax and white flowers dominated the nose, on the palate, there was a core of chalky minerality, with nuances of liquorice spice, Macadamia nuts and ripe pear.  Fleshy and slightly unctuous, balanced with soft acidity. Creamy and long finish.

We initially served it with the prawns and Marie Rose sauce starter, with guacamole and cherry tomatoes.  While it did a nice job, not overwhelmed by the slightly spicy sauce, it did an even better job later on when I went back to it with cheese.  I paired it with La Bonde de Gâtine, a raw goat milk cheese from the Poitou region.  La Bonde de Gâtine weighs about 150 grams, has a wrinkly charcoal-ash coated rind. It has a close and crumbly texture, giving a smooth yet dense paste, delivering ample saltiness and acidity. The characteristic fruity tang belies the mineral richness.  The generous character and vivid minerality of the Domaine Le Petit Marand wine paired beautifully with this cheese, with just enough acidity to cut through the richness of the cheese. 

About the other wines we had:

We started the evening with 2009 Dom Perignon.  The richness of the vintage was so well-carried off by the vibrancy and energy of this young Dom Perignon. Fine bubbles and creamy texture caressed the palate, delivering a serious yet approachable champagne, that is already drinking well.

With the main course, we had a magnum of Trotanoy 1990, and then a bottle of Trotanoy 1982 to finish off the evening.  Had the size of the bottles been different, we would have swapped them round. (Main course was Coq au vin blanc.) The 1990 showed more stewed plum fruit, with a slightly burnt character., with tobacco notes  It had an immediate hedonistic appeal, fleshy with a ripe and firm tannic structure, but it lacked the balance of lively acidity. No sign of waning here. Can be cellared for another 8 - 10+ years in this magnum format.

The 1982 was much more elegantly structured, with more complex bouquet of tobacco, violet and leather.  There was an understated finesse about this wine, but I felt that the fruit and the overall palate was a little weak and I would probably drink this wine in the 750 ml format within the next 4 - 5 years for optimum enjoyment. 

Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the abolition of wine duty in HK

I was prompted by a key international industry figure to reflect on this important milestone in HK's wine history.  

On 27 February 2008, Hong Kong announced with much fanfare the abolition of excise duty on liquor with alcohol content at or below 30% (it was previously 40%) and the city's ambition to become Asia's wine hub. This government-led decision was designed to inject new economic dynamics and GDP growth into the city, allowing all aspects of the wine industry to flourish under this ruling. According to Euromonitor International, the HK wine market stood at US$ 1, 543 million in 2016, based on wine sales that recorded 6.5% per annum growth during the past 5 years (or 33.8 million litres). The same report forecast its continuous growth at 9.8% per annum in value, from 2016 to 2021 (or 3.1% per annum growth in volume). Hong Kong has firmly established itself as a successful wine trading hub, with a staggering number of wine importers, presence of world-class fine wine storage facilities, wine logistics companies and impressive wine auction results that would oftentimes beat London and New York. In 2016, wine auction sales in Hong Kong totalled US$ 92 million, according to Wine Spectator.

The WSET was also attracted by HK's wine hub status to open its first international office in Hong Kong in November 2016, leveraging from its proximity to the high-growth mainland Chinese market. Wine education, whether at professional level or targeted at amateurs, has become a must-have qualification, for most city executives and industrialists. To sustain the wine economy, Hong Kong needs to produce a regular stream of workforce with requisite level of wine knowledge. This has spurred the mushrooming of wine schools and wine courses in the city, leading to an increase in the number of wine industry professionals, qualified sommeliers and educated wine amateurs. Qualified sommeliers are quickly snapped up by the city's latest fine dining venues, to keep alive the gastronomic scene in Hong Kong, fueled by the awarding of Michelin stars and social media verdicts.

An average-sized apartment in Hong Kong is not the ideal place for home entertaining. As such, Hong Kong has developed a strong BYO culture, whereby almost all restaurants allow you to bring your own bottles, at corkage fees that range from friendly to intimidating. While there is no official data, it would not be difficult to imagine that Hong Kong hosts more wine-tastings and wine dinners per square metre of usable space than any other metropolis in the world, despite being far from holding the spot for the highest per capita consumption in the world. Wine consumption is restricted to a privileged minority percentage of the 7.5 million population. The average wine connoisseur in Hong Kong can be invited to a wine tasting or wine dinner every evening of the week. There is no room for lonely hearts and wine hermits. Hong Kong has successfully bred a community of fine wine devotees who can roll off the tip of their tongues the top wines from Burgundian domaines, reach out to the wine world's Who's Who via Whatsapp and boast a collection of trophy bottles.

Given the small percentage of real wine consumers in Hong Kong, the trade in Hong Kong is marked by a significant amount of it being re-exported. Growth has been significant since 2007. For example the imported value recorded HK$ 5.7 billion in the first half of 2017, compared to HK$ 1.6 billion in 2007. In volume terms this represented 30.3 million litres of wine imported in the first half of 2017, with about 43% of this re-exported. However, the growth is starting to deviate from a linear path, the imported value for this period actually showed a 9% decrease. The exported volume also saw a 24% decline, compared to a 9% growth in the same period last year. (Source: HKTDC Research, 4 September 2017)

Looking at the big picture, Hong Kong has fulfilled its lawmakers' prophecy of becoming a fine wine hub in the last decade, but what about its wine culture? Wine to many remains a subject of curiosity, a luxurious commodity that is only revered but not tasted. We have few dedicated wine bars in Hong Kong, and most drinking holes would need to double up as coffee and sandwich outlets during the day to pay for the high rentals. (https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/02/why-does-hong-kong-lack-true-wine-bars/)

Have some of us lost sight of what wine really is? It is a beverage first and foremost, albeit made by ingenious alchemy using interesting grape varieties and the skill of knowledgeable winemakers. Throughout history, it has fulfilled its role of pleasing the gods, nobility and government leaders, but its real destiny is to become a part of the everyday culture of people, providing spiritual enrichment to us humans when consumed modestly and responsibly. It is made to be enjoyed, with friends and family. Every bottle of wine has a history and a soul that is meant to evoke in us an emotion, an inspiration and most of all, an awareness of its ingenious creation. It is time Hong Kong started to embrace wine as part of our multi-racial culture, just like we have embraced French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese cuisines into our weekly food regime. This notion may help fuel the next decade of Hong Kong's wine industry development, while avoiding the phenomenon of falling consumption and dwindling sales in some developed cities, and the negative impact of falling re-exported sales. 

Wine education directed at the right audience will help create the right sentiment about wine, sparking more interest in a diversity of styles and price points. Is there more the government can do to help incorporate wine into the culture of Hong Kong? Has the once a year Wine & Dine Festival, approaching its 10th anniversary in October 2018, helped towards this goal or it has only benefitted the few with resources to put up a booth? Perhaps the government is quietly reluctant to make wine a popular cultural aspect, for fear of moral decline or social debauchery?

Fine wine merchants/importers have their pre-determined missions and pre-selected and targeted customer segments and private clients. While barrier to entering the wine selling sector is not high, rental prices remain as deterring as ever as in 2007 to ensure a continuous threat to the long-term survival of many wannabe neighbourhood wine retail shops. A number have shunned brick and mortar to turn to the online space, which still requires word of mouth to secure a loyal client base through the ethers. The duopoly in Hong Kong's supermarket retail sector features a selection of wines but the bottles may need more encouragement to find themselves more frequently in shoppers' baskets.

The generic bodies certainly have vested interest in growing the wine culture in Hong Kong. At one level, they are not so much at conflict with each other. The bigger the pie grows, the larger is everyone's share. Alas, most of them view the growth potential of the Hong Kong market as limited. While they have not totally given up on Hong Kong's spoilt palates, more budget has been allocated to nurturing the more acute and curious palates of mainland China with younger and more eager involved consumers.

Hong Kong, limited in space and in population, may remain that fine wine hub we were destined to be, and fine wine consumption will continue to thrive amongst the privileged few. The overwhelming success of Hong Kong's fine wine business has drawn some quiet undercurrents of discontent with the state of wine affairs in Hong Kong​. One such manifestation is the recent organisation of VINsurrection, a collective of 7 local wine importers that specialise in high quality artisan wines​ to showcase the diversity of Hong Kong's wine scene at an annual tasting.  The event organisers declare this as the antidote to stuffy, buttoned-up tastings. ​

This is not jealousy, simply a desire for a more balanced and interesting lifestyle.  In the press release about the 3rd edition of Bourgogne Week in Hong Kong, BIVB sent messages to Hong Kong's trade and consumers to focus on lesser-known village and regional appellations, that offer a rich and varied portfolio to satisfy Bourgogne enthusiasts, at much more attractive prices. A key motivating factor behind this appeal was the concern of meeting demand with successive vintages of reduced volumes.

I believe Hong Kong is eager to show the world that our market has matured since 2008. Education feeds curiosity and breeds interest. Our trade needs to offer new experiences to our consumers.  We need to educate our younger generation of wine consumers about diversity and the culture of wine.  

I am excited to see that there is a lament of the lack of a wine culture because improvement can only come from this. 

Chinese New Year Wines with a special focus on 2002 and 1997 vintages

Over Chinese New Year, we did a bit of damage to the cellar and it turned out to be a very rewarding experience to revisit the 1997 and 2002 vintages of some top Bourgogne reds!

Before then, let's take a look at some 2002 champagne:

2002 Gimonnet Special Club
Nose of apple compote, brioche, toasted hazelnut, butter shortbread, with blond cocoa notes. Creamy mousse, enriched with layers of flavours and caressing texture on the palate. Deftly balanced with crisp acidity, altogether culminating in a wine of supreme elegance. Finish is clean, crisp and lingers with the purity of Chardonnay. A very refined champagne, drinking at its peak now, but in no way showing signs of decline. Expect to hold for another 6 to 8 years. 18/20
(This sadly was our last bottle, which Richard salvaged for me to try! So pleased I got to try it.  It was truly remarkable!)

2002 Salon
Sublime nose of pure Chardonnay, with green apple, buttered toast, minerality notes.  Creamy mousse but somehow the bubbles did not quite dance persistently on the palate.  It felt a little flat.  Saline and slightly austere finish, and long.  Need to try another bottle to see if it was a one-off. 17/20

Then onto the 2002 vintage of Bourgogne reds:

2002 Robert Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saints Georges
The intense bouquet reveals notes of ripe blackberries, sweet spices, underlaid with notes of minerality and earthy character. Voluptuous with a velvety textured body, yet the ripe tannin structure belies a muscular and firm structure, lifted by vibrant acidity. Bold and virile, a wine best paired with a Cote de Boeuf or a roast lamb dish. (It went beautifully with our faux filet de Limousin.) Finishes very long, lingering with a ripe fruity quality that has a beguiling sweet note. Ready to enjoy now, but one could wait 3 - 4 years for more complex tertiary character to develop in the wine. 17.5/20

2002 de Montille, Pommard Les Rugiens
The nose redolent of truffle, strawberry, Asian spice, balsamic, wild herbs, dried violet, overlaid with a sauvage character. Silky texture, bright acidity. A very fine drop, slightly dry finish but long. 17/20


And the best surprise of all, some excellent 1997 Bourgogne reds:

1997 Claude Dugat, Griotte-Chambertin
Sous bois, mushroom, cardamom, cloves, with prune and leather notes complete the beguiling bouquet. A wine still exuding energy and depth of character. Lively acidity (lifted with some VA), wrapped in silky texture, belies this wine's maturity. A very fine example of this vintage. Drinking perfectly now, at peak. While there are no signs of deterioration from this bottle, it would be a shame not to enjoy this at its peak. 17.5/20

1997 Dujac, Clos St Denis
The tertiary character now dominated by vegetal and sappy notes. The silky texture and elegant structure still lifted by lively acidity.  It was a brilliant display of sophistication and finesse so well defined by a wine of 20 years.  17/20

1997 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St Jacques

Intense bouquet of prune, leather and mushroom. The texture was velvety, wrapping with it such balanced and lively acidity, underscoring the subtle power and firm structure of this wine.  A wine showing so well that we all felt that it was a fine example of wine punching above its weight. Finished very long, with just a sense of dryness on the finish.  18/20

And finally, a white Bourgogne from the 2004 vintage:

2004 Raveneau, Chablis Montée de Tonnerre
Minerality, green fruit, spicy, smoky notes define the nose. Lively but measured acidity threads through the medium-bodied palate, underscoring the freshness and vibrancy of this super Premier Cru climat, with the characteristic flinty, saline and lingering finish. A wine at its prime. We tested it in two different glasses. The liveliness seemed better preserved when served in the smaller tasting glass, than in the bigger Zalto universal glass. Perfect now. 16.5/20

I cannot wait to try more 1997 Bourgogne reds!  They seem to be at such a great place now......so far from the bottles we tried!

A Valentine's Day Special with 2004 Ramonet and 1993 Musigny

14 Feb 2018:

A Valentine's Day special for us and two dear friends - we decided to venture out to Kowloon Bay to be pampered by Chef Edward Voon's creative culinary skills at Le Pan.

We started the evening with a glass of the menu champagne which was a Dhondt-Grellet Premier Cru Rosé NV, before we moved onto the main wine characters of the evening.

The two 2004 Ramonet wines were such contrasts that made them so perfect throughout the entire menu. We darted between them to find the best pairing with Chef Edward's dishes.

 

The 2004 Ramonet Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet was infused with bright minerality, lovely citrus and yellow fruit and frank purity, balanced with freshness and character. The caviar with langoustine tartare delivered a very just pairing with the Bienvenue, with the saline character of the caviar complementing the minerality of the Bienvenue and the acidity of the wine pairing very well with the richness of the langoustine tartare. The Bienvenue did an equally fine job pairing with the next course of oyster in a watercress velouté, with lemon compote.

 

Royal Oscietra caviar, Nordic langoustine tartare

Fine de Claire oyster, watercress veloute, lemon compote

The 2004 Ramonet Montrachet was initially very tight but slowly opened up in the glass to reveal depth, richness and an immense structure, with an exceptionally long finish. I found it an excellent complement with the opulent crab ravioli with sea urchin dish in an intensely savoury flavoured Vermouth sauce.

 

Atlantic brown crab ravioli, Savoy cabbage, sea urchin, Vermouth

The next course of Brittany lobster with the Granny Smith emulsion and the tartness of the crispy green apple slice, returned me to the Bienvenue which delivered the better pairing, in my view.

Brittany blue lobster, artichoke, Granny Smith apple emulsion

There was no question that the Ramonet Montrachet divinely showed off the chicken main course, with the crispy wafer-thin chicken skin atop a piece of perfectly executed Bresse chicken breast with black truffle and Albufera sauce. The pairing was exceptional.

 

Perigord black truffle, Bresse chicken, celeriac, Albufera sauce

I would have very happily stopped here with the tasting of the two sensational white Bourgogne wines. I guess for many a dinner would not be complete without a dash of red. Given it's a special occasion, we allowed ourselves to be a little indulged. We tasted two bottles of 1993 Musigny, although initially not quite side by side. The second bottle was opened rather as a second thought, seeing how urgently the first bottle was depleted.

 

The first bottle was a 1993 Louis Jadot Musigny. The second bottle was a 1993 Jacques Prieur Musigny which probably should have been opened earlier to benefit from aeration and appreciation over a longer period. The Louis Jadot Musigny had aged gracefully, showing predominantly tertiary character amid a lithe and still elegant structure, but the legendary understated power of Musigny was replaced by a mature but dignified languor. On the contrary, the Jacques Prieur still boasted abundant ripe blackberry and preserved prune fruit notes. While it was lush and opulent with the class and power dominating the mid palate and finish, it did not quite have the finesse of a benchmark Musigny.  We should have reversed the order of serving these two wines. For me, I would sip the Louis Jadot Musigny to contemplate life, but I would turn to the Jacques Prieur Musigny for immediate hedonistic pleasures. I think the Prieur could benefit from further cellaring (3 - 4 years) to fully unravel its layers of complexity.


Based on these two bottles, I would score the 1993 Jadot Musigny 16/20 and the 1993 Prieur Musigny 17.5+/20.

Harder to score the two 2004 Ramonets as they were both excellent in their own styles. I would give 18/20 to the Bienvenue and 19+/20 to the Montrachet.


Chef Edward's cooking has given fine dining a new definition in Hong Kong. A self-taught chef from Singapore, each dish was executed with talent, care and instinctive innovation.  Here's the menu to remind us of our indulgence:

Royal Oscietra caviar, Nordic langoustine tartare

******

Fine de Claire oyster, watercress velouté, lemon compote

******

Atlantic brown crab ravioli, Savoy cabbage, sea urchin, Vermouth

******

Brittany blue lobster, artichoke, Granny Smith apple emulsion

******

Périgord black truffle, Bresse chicken, celeriac, Albufera sauce

******

Rosette

Rosette (so divinely light!)

2014 Domaine Leflaive: So irresistibly enjoyable now but keep some for cellaring!

9 Feb 2018:

At a media tasting of the 2014 vintage organised by Watson’s Wine, Domaine Leflaive’s exclusive agent in Hong Kong for 10 years, 4th generation family member Brice de La Morandière explains his vision for the venerable Burgundy family estate dated 1717 and the challenges he faces in ensuring its future succession and consistently top quality for its wines. During a visit to his former home city as CEO of a multinational company, de la Morandière also leads a frank conversation covering topics of premature oxidation, sustainable pricing versus demand and “corporate” Burgundy.

 

Appointed as the General Manager of Domaine Leflaive in 2015, de La Moranidière, nephew of the late Anne-Claude Leflaive, was quick to rise to his key challenges of preserving the domaine from one generation to the next, while ensuring the quality of the wines lived up to market expectations. Domaine Leflaive was a pioneer in biodynamics in Burgundy, with trials starting as early as 1990. One of De La Morandière’s first initiatives was to invite Pierre Vincent, formerly of Domaine de La Vougeraie, a young and talented winemaker, committed to biodynamics, to join the team. He further initiated the project to renovate the cellar to extend and to improve insulation. De La Morandière’s other challenge was to tackle the issue of premature oxidation in bottled wines. Extensive improvement to the soil helped restore the health of vines, enabling them to be more resistant to climatic hazards within the framework of biodynamics. In the winery, apart from longer and more gentle pressing to incorporate more oxygen into the juice before fermentation, they also aim to retain more “bourbes” (gross lees after pressing) which have strong antioxidant qualities. To minimise oxygenation during vinification, new and more effective pumps have been installed. But de La Morandière’s ultimate innovation to tackle the issue head-on was to change all closures from natural cork to Diam in order to eliminate or minimise bottle variation. The domaine now uses Diam 10 for Bourgogne and Village level wines, and Diam 30 for all Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines.

He cautioned that certain care had to be taken when preparing wines bottled with Diam. For example, all the wines tasted were double-decanted 3 hours before the tasting, to aerate the wines.

The media tasting showcased 5 wines from the 2014 vintage: starting with Bourgogne, Puligny-Montrachet village, followed by two premier cru wines, Clavoillon and Les Pucelles, and finishing with a Grand Cru, Bâtard Montrachet. 2014 vintage was the first vintage to be closed with Diam closures and the bright acidity and mineral character in all the wines was testament to the efficacy of the closures as well as the outstanding quality of the vintage.

 

De La Morandière said that the 2014 vintage whites were drinking so well now that he was concerned that buyers would not wish to take the risk of holding back some for cellaring.

The wines from such an illustrious domaine do come at prices that many may find unattainable. De La Morandière accepted that “scarcity” was a factor in ensuring that the domaine’s wines were less than accessible to most. However, he quickly pointed out that the pleasure in wine could not be equated to pricing. Nevertheless, “I don’t want to make wines for billionaires”, he retorted. He sympathized that the Leflaive wines were not for everybody given the prices but equally, the premium wines were not meant for every occasion. He encouraged wine lovers to start with their Bourgogne which retails at around EUR 45 a bottle (ie one-tenth of the retail price of the domaine's Bâtard Montrachet) but certainly delivers a taste of what the domaine offers, even at this entry level. With 24 hectares in Puligny, the Leflaive Bourgogne accounts for 4.3 ha, with a similar area dedicated to Puligny-Montrachet village. 10.8 ha is for the Premiers Crus and 4.8 ha for the Grands Crus. To prove that Chardonnay expresses itself in places other than Puligny, the domaine also has 20 ha of vineyards in the Mâconnais since 2004, producing the two appellations of Mâcon-Verzé and Pouilly-Fuissé in the philosophy of Domaine Leflaive. De La Morandière jokingly said that their Mâconnais wines had to be the cheapest fine wines of the world. 

De La Morandière is the only family member currently living in Puligny. Recent purchases of Burgundian domaines by large corporates and entrepreneurs have highlighted the fragility of family succession in this historic French winemaking region. He wishes to encourage the family’s next generation members to join the business, but he retains a practical outlook about the future of Burgundian domaines.

When asked if he would expand to other winemaking regions in France or beyond, his comment was “One step at a time.”

Meursault in a Class Above

1 February 2018:

Continuing with the live-streamed masterclass series on Bourgogne wines simultaneously broadcast to multiple global markets by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB), Hong Kong kicked off 2018 with a well-attended session on Meursault and its climats on 31 January. [#BIVBRDV]

Meursault wines are well loved by consumers and trade professionals around the world. This masterclass hosted by the Bourgogne Wine Board further explores the nuances in topography and geology of the Meursault vineyards to explain the diversity of the wines of Meursault, finishing with a tasting of 6 Meursault climats.

In 1098, the Duke of Bourgogne donated land in Meursault to the Abbey of Citeaux, signifying the importance of this vineyard. Using wine as a political tool, the Duchy of Bourgogne significantly raised the profile of Bourgogne wines across Europe and with it, the reputation of the white wines of Meursault. By the mid 18th Century, Meursault’s reputation was widely spread across France. In an official account in 1788, Les Charmes, Les Perrières, Les Genevrières and Les Gouttes d’Or were already named as best sites for Meursault wine. Meursault’s fame and importance had attracted many aristocratic families to establish stately homes, complete with barns and cellars, in the village of Meursault, located just 8 km south of Beaune, on the Côte de Beaune. In 1923, at the initiative of Jules Lafon, the first Paulée de Meursault took place, in an effort to promote local wines on a national scale. From a modest attendance of 35 guests at the inaugural Paulée, this significant and convivial finale event of Les Trois Glorieuses which marks the end of the auction of wines at the Hospices de Beaune in November, has received strong media attention. In 2017, this event was attended by 742 guests from Bourgogne and beyond.

The Meursault AOC was created in 1937. As the list of premier cru climats was drawn up in 1943, during the Second World War, in an effort to protect national assets, many of Meursault’s top vineyards joined this prestigious ranking. Meursault covers a vineyard area of 397 hectares, dominated by white wine production. The area under production for white wine is 385 ha (including 105 ha for Premier Cru), leaving just 12 ha for red wine production (including 2 ha of Premier Cru). The diversity and quality of Meursault wines is expressed not just by its 19 distinct premier cru climats but also by a long list of lieux-dits.

 

Source: www.bourgogne-wines.com

One may wonder with so much historic interest and indisputable reputation and quality, why there are no Grand Cru climats in Meursault. According to Stéphane Follin-Arbelet, CEO of Château de Meursault, the answer is a simple one: tax reasons. In order to avoid higher taxes for its wines at the beginning of the 20th Century, along with its neighbours Volnay and Pommard, Meursault decided not to promote any wines to the Grand Cru status. Today, the top Premier Cru climats of Meursault command prices in the market as competitive as those for the Grand Cru wines in neighbouring villages.

To explain the diversity of styles, Jean-Pierre Renard, Official Educator of L’Ecole des Vins de Bourgogne, took us through the geology and topography of the vineyards. As a result of tectonic movements and geological events, the Meursault vineyard is not one gentle slope, but one built on irregular steps, separated by plantings of bushes and trees. At the bottom step/level, there is a thin layer of marl with compact limestone that has been carved from the quarries. The next distinct level shows a limestone layer called Pearly slab. Near the top, the marl soil is more recent, dating from the Upper Jurassic period, stopped by compact limestone at the summit.

In terms of vineyard area, Meursault can be divided in general into 3 different parts. The first part is at the north side of the village, to the left bank of the Ruisseau des Cloux which runs down from Auxey Duresses, extending to the villages of Monthélie and Volnay. Here the vineyards enjoy a gentle slope, with perfect SE exposure. Vineyards near the Ruisseau des Cloux enjoy the cool air that comes with the flowing water. You find the Premier Cru climats of Les Cras and Les Caillerets at the north end, together with the peculiarity of sharing vineyards with Volnay. Where Pinot Noir is grown, the wine is called Volnay-Santenots Premier Cru and where Chardonnay is grown, the wine is called Meursault-Santenots Premier Cru. The second part is located NW of the village, from 220 metres to nearly 380 metres. Here we have mostly village level wines. With the influence of the cool air from the valley of Auxey Duresses, vine maturation is slowed at higher vineyard sites such as Les Luchets, Les Meix Chavaux and Les Vireuils, and their wines have a signature freshness. The third part of the Meursault vineyard is located at the south of the village. Here, the landscape is marked by a number of geological faults, thus leading to much diversity in soil structure. At the lower slopes, the soil is deeper, covered with pebbles and scree. The soil structure becomes more marl-based higher up, followed by more compact limestone, such as in Les Perrières, or the upper parts of Les Genevrières and Les Bouchères, at higher altitudes. Another peculiarity, similar to that with Volnay, here Meursault shares vineyards with neighbouring Blagny. Where Pinot Noir is grown, the wine is Blagny or Blagny Premier Cru, and where Chardonnay is grown, it can be Meursault-Blagny Premier Cru or Meursault Premier Cru, with the name of the climat, such as La Pièce sous le Bois and Sous le Dos d’Ane.

The wine styles of Meursault have evolved over the years. They used to be described as ample, rounded, fleshy and oaky. With better understanding of the soils and subsoils, microclimatic conditions, and vinification improvements, Meursault wines are now much better expressions of their diverse terroirs. Marion Javillier of Domaine Patrick Javillier said that winemaking used to involve a lot of bâtonnage, extended élevage and heavier use of oak, and winemakers used to make one cuvée by blending in different climats. Today, the wines of Meursault are much more refined and elegant - each wine is a distinct expression of the individual climat. Some are more rounded and rich while others are more mineral.

When asked how to differentiate Meursault from its illustrious neighbours of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, Renard said that Chassagne would be recognised for having more structure and body while Puligny would be recognised for its elegance, finesse and delicate structure. Meursault would be in between these two, showing an elegant structure backed by distinct minerality.

A wine of such reputation can sometimes be accompanied by a deterring price. To this, Renard recommended the wines from the appellation of Saint Aubin as a “rapport prix-qualité” option for those on a more modest budget.

To experience this diversity of styles, we tasted 6 wines selected by BIVB:

Six different expressions of Meursault

Meursault Les Pierres, 2015, Domaine Jean Chartron

“Les Pierres” is a cuvée created with vines from Les Tillets and Les Gorges de Narvaux. The higher altitude lends a certain steely tension and freshness to the wine. It displays a mineral character, overlaid with nutty and floral nuances. The use of oak (30% new oak) is well-integrated and subtly discernible. This wine could benefit from some aging to soften out the youthful edginess.

Meursault Les Tillets, 2015, Domaine Patrick Javillier

The word “Tillets” is derived from the tree “tilleul” or lime blossom. The stony vineyard of Les Tillets is higher up, between 320 and 380 metres in altitude. The nose of this wine is textbook Meursault, with floral and nutty notes, hinted with oak spice. The palate is rounded, balanced, with well-defined freshness. Refined, elegant, and a clean lingering finish. New oak use is 30%, with 11 months élevage in oak plus 4 months in stainless steel vats. Already a great expression of Les Tillets, it will benefit from another year of cellaring before tasting.

Meursault Les Charrons, 2015, Maison Vincent Girardin

The word “Charrons” is derived from the word “charrettes”, recalling the time when this area was grown with trees for making carts. This is more powerful and fleshy in style, with softer acidity. Almond, floral and hint of beeswax notes, with a distinct chalky minerality. 15% new oak is used. Ageing for 14 months, with the last month in stainless steel vats.

Meursault Premier Cru, Poruzots, 2015, Domaine Philippe Bouzereau, Château de Citeaux

The word “Poruzots” is derived from the word “porroux” referring to areas with rocky soils. This wine seems more austere at this stage, broad-shouldered, with a very tight structure, and not very expressive at this stage. This will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring time.

The question of drinking windows prompted Renard to recall the experience of tasting a still vivid Meursault from the 1846 vintage (we guess it was a recent-ish experience!). However, for the wines made today in a more approachable and expressive style, his recommended drinking window for Meursault Village is about 4 – 5 years and for Premier Cru, 5 – 10 years, depending on the climat.

Meursault Premier Cru, Blagny, 2015, Domaine Faiveley

This is at once a more approachable style than the previous example. Creamy texture belies a still tight but elegant structure. Citrus, floral and spicy notes. Richness, elegance and finesse all wrapped into one here. Although the 50% new oak is discernible, it seems well-integrated into the structure of the wine, enriching the wine aromatically and giving the wine a mellow creamy texture. A very sophisticated Meursault-Blagny Premier Cru.

Meursault Premier Cru, Genevrières, 2014, Domaine Latour-Giraud

This domaine is the largest holder of the climat Les Genevrières in Meursault, with 2.5 ha out of a total of 16 ha for the entire climat). The vines are over 40 years old. The word “Genevrières” is derived from the reference to juniper bushes, with prickly needles and purple berries that grow well on limestone soil. There is a vibrant freshness, that is characteristic of the vintage, balanced by the richness and intensity from the climat, complete with a linear structure. An elegant wine with purity and intensity that will enhance its cellaring development over the next 2-3 years.

Consistent high quality and diversity make Meursault wines, at all levels, a compelling choice for your cellar. Follin-Arbelet concurred, “Meursault is [definitely] a wine to have in your cellar!” Out of his domaine’s portfolio, his two favourite climats were Charmes-Dessus and Les Perrières. The power and richness in Charmes-Dessus reminds him of a panda, strong yet comfortable [cuddly?] while the sinewy and mineral Les Perrières reminds him of a wild horse. As for Javillier, she would choose the rounder and richer Clos du Cromin as the perfect accompaniment for chicken and meat dishes, whereas the minerality and elegance of Les Tillets would be perfect for shellfish and Asian food.

Happy hunting for your favourite Meursault climats!

 

Acknowledgement:
As the host of this masterclass and a Bourgogne Wines Ambassador, I would like to thank Berry Bros & Rudd for the use of their tasting room venue for this masterclass and their staff for being so helpful.

A mid-summer feast featuring stunning 1996 champagnes and elegant Romanée-Saint-Vivants

4 August 2017:

We were greeted with a glass of 1996 Selosse upon arriving at at Ephernité in Taipei. Chef Vanessa had created an exceptional menu, using excellent ingredients and her unique creative sense, to pair with the superb list of wines selected by our friend for this very special dinner, to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter for their family.

Vintage 1996 was chosen for the champagnes of the evening. As we tried them in pairs, there was one clear conclusion, that 1996 was indeed a great champagne vintage, and some of the wines were still so youthful and fresh that they would endure decades of cellaring.

1996 Selosse: very delicate mousse, so gently petillant, elegantly layered with intense ripe pear, marzipan and praline notes, lingering finish. Much better appreciated as a mature white Bourgogne. 16.5/20

Flight 1:

1996 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses: About 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay. Compared to the Dom Perignon Oenothèque which followed, this showed a bright golden hue. Intensely aromatic with apple crumble and spicy pear notes, nuanced with almond and hazelnuts. The creamy texture and rich concentration showed off a vinosity balanced by vibrant freshness that made this wine a wonderful accompaniment to Chef Vanessa’s foie gras griotte mousse, a creamy ball of foie gras mousse delicately balanced by the acidity from the cherry fruit coating. 18/20

Watermelon ginger gazpacho and foie gras griotte mousse

1996 Dom Perignon Oenothèque: This seemed to have been trapped in a time warp. With its pale lemon colour and crystalline flavours and uncompromising minerality, this wine was full of tension and energy. Citrus peel and green apple notes, leading to a faint brioche character, and finally a saline finish. Amazingly youthful and finishing long. I would love to try this wine again in 10 years time to check its evolution. 18+/20

Salmon and caviar

Flight 2:

1996 Cristal Rosé: a beautiful light salmon colour. Fresh pinot fruit, raspberry and cherry, with a purity of expression, brilliantly balanced texture and acidity, with a crisp and long finish. A most refined rosé champagne, with such style and elegance. A very memorable experience when paired with Chef Vanessa’s visually and gustatorially extremely delectable local cherry tomato salad, flavoured with champagne vinaigrette and topped with flounder tataki, a dish bursting with summer freshness. I would score this wine 19/20

Tomato salad/champagne vinaigrette/flounder tataki

1996 Dom Perignon Rosé: a very different colour here, more orange-pink, more evolved. Savoury notes accompanied the ripe plum flavours. This seemed more loose-knit, less structured when compared with the Cristal in this rosé champagne pair. 16/20

Flight 3:

1996 Krug: I really liked the vinosity and richness of this wine. The savoury and nutty nuances, together with hazelnut shortbread and praline characters, were beautifully layered with ripe apple and pear notes. There was an elegant harmony that put this wine in a class of its wine. It could have earned a higher score, if only for the fact that it fell short of the lengthy finish and depth of flavours delivered by the Clos du Mesnil. 18.5/20

1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil: The freshness, pervasiveness of flavours, concentration were first-rate. This was a wine that delivered class and style with the opulence but balance from the 1996 vintage. A wine that appealed to the hedonistic senses. Spicy toffee apple, shortbread, toasted brioche characters with a thread of uncompromising minerality and purity that delivered an unequalled expression of Chardonnay from Champagne. 19.5/20

It’s so difficult to say which of the two wines was the better accompaniment to Chef Vanessa’s sublime creation of homard bleu served with passion-fruit flavoured beurre blanc. I might have to go for the Clos du Mesnil for the greater persistence of fruit.

Homard bleu/beurre blanc des fruits de passion

Flight 4:

1996 Montrachet, Bouchard: The first impression was a rich full-bodied wine that delivered great persistence. Creamy textured, with intense buttery, hazelnut and ripe pear notes, the acidity was well-woven into the rich complex flavours. There was a well-defined sense of place and expression of terroir. A big wine, perhaps not the most elegant example of its class, but it would certainly benefit from more years of cellaring before re-tasting. 17.5/20

1996 Montrachet, Lafon: Smokey, toasty and spicy nuances, with ripe pear notes. This wine attested to superior craftsmanship, with an elegance that belied the richness of this wine. This bottle however seemed more evolved than the Bouchard. I detected a faint oxidative note but the trace of volatile acidity might have appealed to others and it gave the wine a welcome lift in freshness. 17/20

Perhaps it was the citrus kumquat sauce in the dish for this flight, the Lafon Montrachet seemed the better accompaniment: garoupa in bamboo thick stock, served with organic wheat, okra and kumquat sauce.

Market fish/bamboo thick stock/organic wheat okra/kumquat sauce

1996 Meursault Les Gouttes d’Or, Leroy: One could detect the lovely materials that made this wine under the cork taint. A wine that deserves a re-trial!


To put the following two flights into context, a little history on the domaine and the vines, thanks to notes from Allen Meadows and Clive Coates. Sylvain Cathiard had been making wine independently since 1986, by renting the family vines. He eventually took over the control of the family’s vines when his father André retired in 1995. The Cathiard’s family wines had previously been labelled under Domaine Cathiard-Molinier. The farming of the particular Romanée-Saint-Vivant parcel, previously owned by André Galtié (a member of the Thomas-Moillard family) had been shared between Domaine Cathiard-Molinier and Domaine Arnoux since 1941. In 1984 Galtié decided to sell his inheritance of the Romanée-Saint-Vivant parcel, in total 68 ares (0.68 hectare), equally to Domaine Arnoux and Domaine Cathiard-Molinier, both having been sharecroppers. André Cathiard subsequently resold 17 ares back to the Thomas family. (This parcel of 17 ares was later sold to Wilf Jaeger in 2005, amongst other holdings of the Thomas-Moillard family and this Romanée-Saint-Vivant has since been leased to Domaine Dujac.) So the Cathiard holding remained as 17 ares (0.17 ha). Sylvain’s son Sébastien joined the domaine around 2005, after his various internships in Chablis, Bordeaux (Château Smith Haut Lafitte - the Cathiards in Bordeaux are distant relations) and New Zealand. The first vintage under Sébastien’s full control was 2011.

Flight 5:

1996 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard: This bottle showed a rather significant level of brettanomyces character and volatile acidity that made it far from enjoyable. It is worth trying another bottle at some stage. 15/20 for this bottle

1998 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard: There was again the brettanomyces character that made it less attractive, but not enough to detract our enjoyment of the well-delineated structure of the wine and the complexity from the savoury, mushroom notes underlying the charming cherry fruit. Still a lovely wine that showed elegance and class. 16.5/20

This flight was paired with Canard de Challans, fresh cherries and berries with porto sauce.

Flight 6:

1999 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard: It was hard to decide which of 1999 and 2002 we preferred, but I might slightly rate the 1999 a little above the 2002. There was just a little more delineation in the structure with the 1999 bottle, but the pure expression of fruit was very classy and testified to the hallmark of the winemaker.18.5/20

2001 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard: There was a hint of band-aid brettanomyces character in the beginning but it somehow managed to submerge into the pinot fruit, sauvage and sous-bois characters that dominated the nose after some aeration. A lithe and stylish wine. 17.5/20

2002 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard: Purity of pinot expression, smoothly textured, with well-defined ripe tannins, and a persistent finish. Very stylish and very moreish. 18/20

This flight was paired with Wagyu beef cheek stew, mashed potato and farm veggies, as well as a portion of home-made tagliatelle with girolles, which was a highlight worth saving room for!

Home-made tagliatelle/girolles

Wagyu beef cheek/mash potato/farm veggies

The final wine was paired with the cheese selection.

I had never tasted a Massandra before and this 1906 Al-Danil Tokay from the Massandra Collection (the oldest winery in the Crimea) was a very fine example of a perfectly matured lively dessert wine, with notes of dried figs, spicy fruit cake, caramel and balsamic, full-bodied, rich and concentrated, still brimming with vibrancy and energy. Such a rare treat!

Thank you very much to our generous hosts and friends, Iris and Joe, for all the memorable dinners we’ve had over the years. This dinner marked the beginning of your new journey and we look forward to sharing other memorable experiences with you soon, wherever they may be around the world!

And a note to Chef Vanessa and Restaurant Manager Claude - congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Dessert of mango-peach crepe/lemon verbena jelly/passion fruit meringue