Recent Wine Blog Entries

Visiting Maison Capitain-Gagnerot in Burgundy

On my recent trip to France, the first destination was Burgundy.  The beautiful scenery, ancient city streets and fabulous meals were only upstaged by one thing: the wine!

Of the many tastings we enjoyed, one stood out by far. Maison Capitain-Gagnerot was not only fun to visit, but their wines are first rate as well.  And we hadn’t even planned a set appointment!  While having a quick lunch in Beaune we were chatting with our server about different wineries to visit.  He told us that his wife’s family had a winery.  He called and squeezed us into a French speaking tour for the next day!

The small wine village of Ladoix-Serrigny sits where the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune meet.  This village (sometimes referred to simply as Ladoix in the wine world) has been home to Maison Capitain-Gagnerot since Simon Gagnerot founded it in 1802.  The domaine was one of the first wineries in Burgundy to actually sell estate-bottled wine directly to consumers.  Traditionally wine sales went through negociants instead.  Mr. Gagnerot’s son, Jean-Baptiste, later entered into a partnership with his son-in-law François Capitain.  This is where the name Maison Capitain-Gagnerot comes from. 

Today the domaine remains a family affair.  Patrice and Michel Capitain, along with Patrice’s son Pierre François and the rest of the family, run this lovely winery.

We were very fortunate to have Pierre François himself conduct our tasting.  He escorted our group down into the cellar and began the presentation.  My husband and I were the only two in the group who aren’t fluent in French.  Luckily I speak enough to get by, and Pierre François was very gracious with making sure we understood everything.  His English is superb, and so are his wines!

We tasted a wide selection, starting with their 2011 Cote de Nuits-Villages and moving through their reds, tasting some of their Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines along the way.

One of my favorites was the 2010 Ladoix 1er Cru “La Micaude”, which had a nice nose of currant and cassis, and strawberries and lovely acidity on the palate.  I also enjoyed the 2009 Corton “Les Grandes Lolières” Grand Cru, with rich, ripe cherries on the palate, balanced with a wonderful spiciness and some earth.  My favorite white was the 2009 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru.  With some tropical notes on the nose, this wine has pear and peach on the palate with a beautiful hint of oak that isn’t overbearing.  It also has great minerality.  I had to have a bottle!

After the tasting Pierre François took us on a brief tour, showing us the cellar and letting us take a peek at the Caveau de Famille, where the family’s stash is stored!  Oh the fun of seeing the dusty bottles of wine, some of which have been in the bottle for close to a century!

Before moving on to our next tasting, Pierre François helped with our purchase and chatted with us for a bit.  What a talented and nice guy!

If you’re heading to Burgundy, be sure to look into setting up a tasting appointment for Maison Capitain-Gagnerot!

http://www.capitain-gagnerot.com/Accueil

My June Wine of the Month

Sleight of Hand Cellars
“Levitation”
Columbia Valley
2008

My husband and I visited Washington wine country two years ago.  A favorite spot of ours was Walla Walla, a delightful town surrounded by the beautiful Blue Mountains, which greeted us as we entered this growingly well-respected wine region.  There are a lot of great wineries and vineyards located here.  One that stood out for us was Sleight of Hand.

The Wine – The Sleight of Hand “Levitation” is 100% Syrah.  On the nose are black raspberry, blackberry, smoke and a perfume of lavender.  This wine has a creamy mouth feel with plum and smoky bacon on the palate, along with a hint of Cherries Jubilee!  The finish is long and lovely.  This wine is a winner!

My Experience Visiting the Winery – We had no expectations upon arriving at Sleight of Hand for a tasting.  My stepson is a magician, so we were intrigued by the name.  Little did we know we were walking into a REALLY fun experience.  As soon as we entered the tasting room the co-owner and winemaker, Trey, greeted us with a question:  “What do you want to hear?”   I was a little confused; until I saw the row of albums he had lining the back wall.  I suggested Bryan Ferry, and by gosh if he didn’t have some Roxy Music!  So he put on the album, (yes, VINYL!!!) and we started tasting.

The Journey – Sleight of Hand is located in a beautiful area of Walla Walla with open areas of vineyards and beautiful views.  I can’t help but think that it may be similar to Napa Valley many, many years ago.  Their original tasting room had been in the quaint downtown area of the city, but had just moved into the beautiful current location when we visited.

If you’re looking for some “magical” wines, check out Sleight of Hand Cellars in Walla Walla!  We fell in love with many of them, and they all have magic themed names!!!

Visit their website at:  www.sofhcellars.com

My June Wine of the Month

Gloria Ferrer
Blanc de Noirs
Sonoma County
90% Pinot Noir
10% Chardonnay
N/V

Yesterday was the first official day of summer, so I decided that an appropriate Wine of the Month would be a refreshing sparkling wine.

José and Gloria Ferrer, owners of the successful Spanish Cava producer Freixenet, established Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in 1986.  This was the first sparkling wine house to open in California’s famous Carneros region.  The Carneros AVA is actually located in both Napa and Sonoma counties, with Gloria Ferrer sitting solely in Sonoma County.  The winery uses their Spanish traditions and centuries-old winemaking practices to create some wonderful sparkling and still wines.

The Wine – This sparkling wine rocks for the price, coming in at about $20 per bottle.  The color is a light salmon.  The nose has strawberry Creamsicle.  The palate explodes with its lively, fine bubbles, creamy cherry, raspberry and some red apple.  There is just a touch of yeast to complete the lush palate of this wine.

I love many of their other (and more expensive) vintage sparkling wines, specifically their Royal Brut, their Rose, and their Carneros Cuvee.  This Blanc de Noirs, however, has been my mainstay everyday bubbly for years!  The quality is consistent year after year and I seem never to tire of opening another bottle.

Visiting the Winery – Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards is always our first stop when visiting Napa and Sonoma.  This is not the typical California tasting room.  Here you actually purchase a glass of sparkling or still wine at the bar when you walk in.  You then head outside to sit at a table and a friendly tasting room attendant brings the wine out to you. They serve you these really yummy, spiced almonds and you sit on their patio and look at the UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous view of the vineyards and the valley.  It’s always a great way to start the Wine Country experience.

The Journey – Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards is located 40 miles north of San Francisco at the southern tip of Sonoma County.  It’s the perfect first stop from the San Fran airport heading into either Napa or Sonoma.  They are located right on Carneros Highway 121.  This is also called Arnold Drive, which is the street name you should plug into your GPS.  Once you pull onto their driveway you will have a lovely drive through the vineyards, with their expansive winery awaiting you above.  In my opinion, this is a must visit spot on any Napa/Sonoma adventure!

www.gloriaferrer.com

2007 Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne

My husband is out of town, so I spent some time rifling through our cellar last night to find a wine for just me.  In celebration of my upcoming trip to the Rhone Valley, I decided on a half bottle of the 2007 Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne.

Cairanne, located in the French departement of Vaucluse, is a small village located between the Rhone River and the famous Dentelles de Montmirail mountain chain.  Along with its neighbors Beaumes-de-Venise, Rasteau, Sablet, and Seguret, Cairanne is considered one of the five best areas allowed to use the Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC distinction.  The red wines of this region require a minimum of 50% Grenache and at least 20% Syrah and/or Mourvèdre; other permitted varieties (Counoise, Cinsault and Carignan among others) must not exceed 20%.

Catherine Le Goeuil is a bit of a trailblazer.  She was born in the Congo to French parents, but had always wanted to “return to her roots”.  In 1993 she and her family bought this six-hectare domaine.  After their first chemical treatment to the vineyards she became very ill, and she realized that if these chemicals made HER ill, they would also make the vines ill.  She began the conversion to organic farming and today her winery is now certified organic.

And now for the wine!  On the nose are bright berry aromas with a hint of fresh flowers and some damp earth.  The palate of this medium bodied wine is very pleasing with spicy red currant, thyme and good acidity.  This is a very pleasant wine possessing a substantial finish with black pepper and hints of the terroir.

I saved a glass for tonight and had it with a fresh salad drenched in a very garlicky dressing, along with a chunk of Beemster XO Gouda from Holland.  It was a great pairing with both.

There are many lovely Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages wines on the market here in North America.  A lot of these wines are of great value and don’t break the bank.  This wine is one of them!

2010 Domaine Patrick Javillier Meursault Tête de Murgers Cuvée

I’m paying a return visit next month to one of my favorite wine regions in the world, Burgundy!  In preparation, I’m treating myself to a lovely white Burgundy today, the 2010 Domaine Patrick Javillier Meursault Tête de Murgers Cuvée.

I’m a sucker for white Burgundy, and although this is a villages level wine, it competes nicely with a premier cru.  This 100% Chardonnay is yellow in color, with lemon, passion fruit and a touch of vanilla and smoke on the nose.  The palate is racy with citrus, the passion fruit, some pear, green apple and a bit of caramel.  The finish is long and nutty!  This is a rich and complex wine with great acidity, and well worth the $70 price tag.

Meursault is a commune of the Côte de Beaune (within the Côte-d’Or department) of Burgundy.  This village is known for its fine white wines, and is located south of Volnay and north of Puligny Montrachet.

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