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Châteauneuf-du-Pape!

Châteauneuf-du-Pape!  What can I say?  This tiny village produces some of my favorite wines in the world.  A beautiful wine region, this is one of the most famous appellations in France and is thought to be one of the first regions in this world famous wine country to produce wine.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself is a charming town with lovely restaurants and great bed and breakfasts and hotels. My husband and I visited during a few very cool days in late May, but the warmth of the people in the area made it all okay.  We stayed for three nights at the “Maria & Andreas” Bed & Breakfast, a very homey and welcoming place to lay our heads after a full day of tasting and fun.  The hosts were very kind and supplied us with much information regarding restaurants and wineries to visit.

If the wines of this village weren’t so stellar (but they are!!!), the main attraction would undoubtedly be the ruins of the castle.  In 1308 Pope Clement V relocated the papacy to the city of Avignon, France.  Being great lovers of wine, he and subsequent popes from Avignon did a lot to promote wine and winemaking in the region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, just 11 kilometers away.  John XXII, who built the famous castle, which was completed in 1333, succeeded Clement V.  This “New Castel of the Pope” was known as the papal summer residence.  Some claim the castle served mainly in a defensive function, but one source told me that it was a weekend get-away spot and rumored to house lady friends.

We had the opportunity to visit several wineries, from famous producers such as Roger Sabon and Chateau de Beaucastel to less well-known wineries like Domaine de la Ronciere and many in between.  Located right in town there also is the “Vinadea – Maison des vins de Châteauneuf-du-Pape” selling 200 varieties of Châteauneuf du Pape wines (representing 90 producers) at cellar door prices.

Here are a couple of my favorite visits:

Domaine du Pégau – Wonderful wines made this a great tasting, but our host Jacques made this one of the most memorable tastings of my life!  Domaine du Pégau is a family owned winery.  The Feraud family has been producing wine in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region since 1670.  The holdings have grown slowly and in 1987 they incorporated as a partnership between father and daughter, Paul and Laurence.

The tasting room is a wonderful old cave full of bottles and crates of their lovely wines.  We didn’t taste a dud, ranging from their Plan Pégau (a steal at only 7 Euro) to their 2010 Cuvee da Capo, which has received scores of 98 – 100 points!

Jacques was WONDERFUL!  He was very knowledgeable as well as a hoot and a half!  He had my husband and me in stitches while enjoying the wines.  If it had been easier to get home, we would have bought cases!  Luckily many of these wines are distributed and can be found in the states.

 

We spent our last night in Châteauneuf-du-Pape at the Chateau des Fines Roches, a lovely castle with beautifully decorated rooms and lovely outdoor areas to have a picnic and a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine!  Right next door is Château la Nerthe!  This winery was on my list of must visits, so we stopped on our way out of town.

Château la Nerthe – This is a winery that has beautiful wines and a gorgeous setting.  Its treasured vineyards surround this elegant castle, built in 1760.  Château La Nerthe itself was started in the 12th century, around the same time that vines were planted in the area.  The château itself houses an immaculate winemaking cellar producing wines that have the toughness typical of Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge wines, but also a very pleasant elegance.

We were there early in the morning and shared the tasting with only one other couple.  I’ve heard that it can get pretty busy here, so we picked a good time.  The wines were predictably great.  We tasted both red and white from many vintages.  We sampled their lovely 2005 vintages, which was a treat.  They even had some library wines available for purchase, so we bought a 1988 to drink later during the trip.  It was wonderful!

This was the first day of many in which we were “lucky” enough to experience “Le Mistral”!  Le Mistral is the savage, cold wind that blows down from the Alps and through the Rhone Valley, gathering speed and ferocity as it goes.  I mention this because I’m including a photo of us in front of Château La Nerthe’s vineyards.  You’ll see the effects of Day 1 of Le Mistral.  It only gets better …

Tasting Paso Robles

I attend a lot of wine tastings around Florida and beyond, and the tastings at Tim’s Wine Market in Orlando are always very special.  Tim has loads of wine credentials and an enormous wealth of knowledge, which make his tastings very informative, but he always adds a fun factor too!

Last week he hosted a tasting “What I Did On My Summer Vacation”.  I got a kick out of his subtitle “Three days in Paso Robles I barely remember and will never forget”!

The Paso Robles AVA is located in San Luis Obispo County, about 3½ hours south of San Francisco and 2 hours north of Santa Barbara.  Set farther inland than other parts of the Central Coast, Paso Robles is shielded from the cool, maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean by the Santa Lucia Range to its west.  The days are long, hot and dry, but the nights are usually chilly which provides the perfect temperature for Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah and other Rhone varietals.

First on the agenda was a brief history of the region, while we sipped the pleasant 2011 Clayhouse Winery Adobe White, which retails for $15.

Tim then moved on the sharing some fun facts about the wineries, while we tasted a few from each he visited.

Clayhouse Winery has many, many acres of vineyard, and only uses between 5 – 10% for their own wines.  The rest of the grapes they sell to other wineries.  Their name comes from a 150 year old adobe structure that sits in the middle of their vineyard acreage, which has become their symbol.  Other Clayhouse wines we tasted were:

2010 Clayhouse Malbec ($15) This wine (100% stainless steel) has cherry and raspberry on the nose and it’s very bright fruit explodes on the palate.

2010 Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles ($15) With grapes from their Red Cedar Vineyard, this wine spent 12 months in oak and has aromas of raspberry and cherry.  These fruits also come through on the palate, along with licorice, vanilla and spice.

Sans Liege Winery is a one-man operation.  That man is Curt Schalchlin, whose passion for the vine and vision of being a partner with the fruit is aiding him to make some very intriguing wines.  His other label is Groundwork, and here’s what we tasted:

2012 Groundwork Grenache Blanc ($20) – Aromas of passion fruit, pear and melon come from the glass.  On the palate was baked apple with a hint of cinnamon.  It was delightfully like eating apple pie.  This wine was fermented for 14 days (which is very long) and has lees contact for 14 months.  The acidity and alcohol are balanced perfectly.

2010 Groundwork Grenache ($20) – On the nose of this wine are chocolate covered cherry, fresh raspberry and rose petal.  The rich palate has some licorice and sweet fruit.  The almost 15% alcohol sounds shocking, because the harmony in the glass keeps the wine from being too hot.

2010 Sans Liege Pickpocket Grenache ($49) – One of my favorite wines of the night, this was a big wine full of ripe red fruit, spice and some wet earth to balance it all out.  This is a lovely wine.

Halter Ranch Winery is located in the heart of Paso Robles’ Westside Adelaida District.  They make estate-grown wines, which are sustainably grown.  Their winemaker, Kevin Sass, was formerly the winemaker for Justin Winery.  Their wines of the night were:

2012 Halter Ranch Rosé ($18) – This is a salmon colored wine made of 68% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 12% Picpoul Blanc and 5% Syrah.  With strawberry, watermelon and a touch of pipe tobacco on the nose, this is a refreshing, crisp Rosé that reminds me a lot of the Rosés I drank earlier this summer in Provence.

2011 Halter Ranch Synthesis ($25) – This is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Syrah.  The nose is spicy, which also comes through on the palate, along with some cherry and plum.

2009 Halter Ranch Syrah ($29) – Aromas of plum, black currant and black olives, with cherry and vanilla on the palate, this is a pleasing wine.  There is also a little pepper on the finish.

AmByth Estate Winery is certified Biodynamic and 100% dry-farmed.  Their wines are 100% Estate, unfiltered, unfined and use native yeast.  “AmByth
is a Welsh word meaning ‘forever’, so it’s the perfect name for this winery.  Owners Phillip Hart and his wife Mary are passionate about keeping the land healthy for the rest of their lives, as well as future generations.  And their wines rock! 

2010 AmByth Estate Viognier ($34 at winery) – This wine spent 16 weeks with the skins, which is very rare for a white wine.  The honeysuckle and gardenia leap from the glass and compliment the peach on the palate.  No sulfites are added to this wine.  This is one of the best bottles of California Viognier I’ve ever had.

2010 AmByth Playground (N/A) – A Mourvedre blend (70% Mourvedre) this is a fabulous wine with raspberry and earth, along with an essence of caramelized white mushroom.  The Playground will benefit with more time in the bottle, or some serious decanting.  This was another favorite of mine.

2010 AmByth Mourvedre (N/A) – Another wine in need of time or decanting, this shows some cherry, soil and sage.

I bought a bunch of these wines, and Tim did a great job of making me want to visit each of these wineries the next time I head to the Central Coast region.

You can check out more about Tim’s at: www.timswine.com

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.

2007 Domaine de Terrebrune

My husband and I are heading to Provence this summer, so last night we popped in the movie “A Good Year” and cracked open a bottle of red from Bandol to get in the spirit.

The wine we chose was the 2007 Domaine de Terrebrune.  This winery and its vineyards are located near the village of Ollioules in the south of France.  Bandol is considered the best wine appellation in Provence, producing small amounts of white wine and some lovely dry rosés, but their red wines are what put Bandol wines “on the map”.

By law, the red wines of this appellation must be at least 50% Mourvèdre, but many winemakers use as much as 100%.  Grenache and Cinsault compliment the blend.

The 2007 Domaine de Terrebrune, a deeply colored and full-bodied wine, is 85% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 5% Cinsault.  After pouring it into a decanter, I immediately poured some in a glass and swirled.  On the nose was watermelon and raspberry.  I then let it sit for about 30 minutes.  After allowing it to get some air, I found dark black cherry, earth and some wonderful fresh herbs on the nose.  The fruit and tannins were nicely balanced on the palate, and the finish was pleasant and long.  The longer this wine sat, the better it become.  At this point it definitely needs a few hours of decanting, or be sure to lay it down for a few more years.

This estate is certified organic.  They use no herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers.  Domaine de Terrebrune does not use machinery in the vineyards.  Everything is done by hand.  The grape selection is even done in the vineyard, not at a sorting table.  The wines are bottled unfiltered and unfined.

I look forward to visiting Domaine de Terrebrune this summer!  I’m sure I’ll find their current vintages as exciting as this 2007.

2001 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard

A fun way for a wine lover to celebrate an anniversary of any kind is to crack open a bottle from that respective year.  My husband and I did just that to celebrate our wedding anniversary last month.  We were married in 2001, so we selected a 2001 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon from Martha’s Vineyard.

The 1970 vintage of this wine was one of the wines in the famous 1976 Paris tasting, where California wines went up against French wines and won!  Although the Heitz didn’t win the overall ratings in Paris that day, one French judge did pick it number one and another French judge picked it number two over many wonderful red wines, including some first growth Bordeaux.

I was surprised at how youthful this wine still is, both in appearance and taste.  It still has a bright ruby color, with very little change of color at the rim.  The nose is vibrant with licorice, crème de cassis and earth.  I got a touch of eucalyptus, which is a trademark of this well-respected vineyard.  On the palate the fruit still shines!  I was pleasantly surprised by the brightness of the black currant and cherry.  The tannins are oh so smooth, but still present enough to hold up to some serious food.  I also tasted some wet earth and mocha, and the finish is nice and long.  I love that this is a California wine that doesn’t try to be BIG and over-stated, but instead lets its lovely depth and earthiness shine through.  It is proof that a California Cab can show fabulous terroir.

I am very confident that my husband and I will be able to enjoy this wine for anniversaries to come as well, as it shows no signs of slowing down.

The next time you’re in Napa, be sure to stop at the Heitz Cellars tasting room.  They provide a lovely tasting of some of their top wines.  They are also one of the few wineries in Napa who don’t charge a tasting fee.  Perhaps that is because it seems impossible to leave without making a purchase.  No pressure is needed!  Check them out at:  www.heitzcellar.com

 

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