Together: Château de Puligny-Montrachet and Domaine de Montille

Etienne de Montille has been at the helm of both Domaine de Montille and Château de Puligny-Montrachet for the past ten years. Domaine de Montille, of course, is Etienne's family domaine. He was co-manager with his father, Hubert de Montille, in the mid-1990s, before taking full reins after 1999.

And around the same time, in 2001, Etienne was handed management of the underperforming legendary estate of Château de Puligny-Montrachet, which owns parcels in the glittering vineyards  of Puligny and neighboring Meursault. Etienne immediately went to work, lowering yields, converting the vineyards to organic and to biodynamic farming, and hiring a talented winemaking team. Later, he and his family took up residence at the elegant château.

Last month, news headlines reported that Château de Puligny-Montrachet sold its .417-hectare Montrachet parcel to high-profile French billionaire and Château Latour owner, François Pinault, for a jaw-dropping sum of one million euros. Immediately following the divestment, Domaine de Montille purchased the entirety of Château de Puligny-Montrachet from the French bank, Caisse d’Epargne.

These back-to-back transactions have generated a buzz for sure. What is Etienne up to? Etienne said that Domaine de Montille will sell off 5 hectares of the 21 hectares Château de Puligny-Montrachet owns and, presumably, will keep the rest to be folded into Domaine de Montille. However, which 5 hectares will be sold he did not specify. I hope that the half-hectare parcel of Puligny-Folatières would not be included, as this complements the Puligny-Cailleret parcel that Domaine de Montille has owned since 1993. Les Folatières is one of the finest vineyards in Puligny, potentially at the same quality level as Pucelles and Combettes, though its large size somewhat masks its class. Under the management of Etienne de Montille this parcel has produced marvelous wines since 2002.

And then there's the prized holdings in Chevalier-Montrachet and Meursault-Perrieres, brilliant, prestige vineyards that should be kept, especially after the Le Montrachet parcel apparently had to be sacrificed. So if I have to guess, the domaine would let go of the the red wine parcels of Château de Puligny-Montrachet in Nuits-St.-Georges, Pommard, and elsewhere, as these are not as important and, after all, the domaine has bulked up on prestige red wine vineyards, particularly in the Côte de Nuits, since 2005.

Yet, I wouldn't be surprised if Etienne de Montille is not finished expanding. He appears motivated by two desires. One is to continue the work started by his father to return the glory of the de Montille estate back in the 19th century when it owned some of the most dazzling parcels in the Côte de Nuits, which included Musigny, Bonnes-Mares, and Chambolle-Amoureuses. Sell-offs by ancestors reduced the estate to just 3 hectares by the time Hubert de Montille took over. But Hubert strove to get the domaine back on its feet, acquiring vineyards on the strength of the quality of the wines he made. By the time Hubert handed the domaine to Etienne in 2001 it consisted of about 15 hectares of vineyards and has become one of the most admired estates in Burgundy.

Etienne appears to be more ambitious than his father, as he has added prestige vineyards in both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, especially in the latter. Before acquiring Château de Puligny-Montrachet last month, Domaine de Montille's vineyard acreage totaled to about 20 hectares. With the addition of Château de Puligny-Montrachet (less the 5 hectares that will be sold) Domaine de Montille is set to be 35-hectare strong.

I also believe that Etienne wants to solidly establish the domaine for the future, for his children and for future generations of the family. Just like his father, he wants to reverse the mistakes of his ancestors. But he also realizes that the stakes are higher today and going into the future. To be able to compete and survive and be among the ranks of the elite producers of Burgundy, the domaine has to have significant vineyard holdings and own parcels in some of the best sites, as well as have a healthy negociant operation on the side. There is no doubt that so far Etienne has been successful in achieving his ambitious goals.

Thomas Jefferson and Burgundy

Thomas Jefferson was principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and a Founding Father, but on the side, he was wine adviser to presidents George Washington, James Madison, and James Monroe. He famously declared that "good wine is a necessity of life for me.

Jefferson was definitely a drinker, not one who just sits on a bottle. His household in Monticello was said to consume 400 bottles of wine a year, and apparently exceeded that number on occasions--like the day when the Marquis de Lafayette dropped by to party in 1824, they exhausted every bottle of red wine in the cellar and Jefferson had to send someone to the city for backup.

Jefferson's cellar in Monticello must have been legendary during his time, as he filled it with all the great wines from France, Italy, and Portugal.  He had a keen palate, able to discern wines that he liked, without having to resort to Parker scores. His favorite wines are to this day regarded as some of the best wines in the world.

Jefferson clearly had a fondness for Burgundy, but even he realized back then that unlike Bordeaux, which was a cakewalk for him, Burgundy wasn't easy to navigate. He found help in the person of Etienne Parent, a cooper in Beaune, whom he met on a visit to Burgundy when he served as ambassador to France. It was said Jefferson and Parent talked shop on wine and viticulture, as well as philosophy and way of life over, we could only imagine, many bottles of great Burgundies.

After Jefferson became president and even later when he retired to Monticello, his communications with Etienne Parent continued. Apparently, Parent became Jefferson's negociant for importing Burgundies into the US. Papers, records, and correspondence exist that show proof of their purchases. Such was his friendship and respect for Etienne Parent that Jefferson signed some of their correspondence: "Thomas Jefferson, your humble and devoted servant." A bit over the top, perhaps? But, hey, Jefferson probably wanted to make sure he kept getting those allocations.

In late 2010, work on restoring Jefferson's Monticello cellar was completed and a formal celebration dinner was planned at the French Embassy in Washington DC. Among the folks invited were François Parent, direct descendant of Etienne Parent, and his wife, Anne-François Gros. François is proprietor of Domaine François Parent in Pommard. Unfortunately, François could not make it to the US but he sent a gift for the newly restored wine cellar, a bottle of 2005 Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots and a bottle of 1789 Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens!

Ah, life, liberty, wine, and the pursuit of happiness.

Pure Chardonnay from Limoux

Pierre and Marie-Claire Fort are close friends of the late Didier Dagueneau. Pierre also makes wine in the Loire, at Château de Tracy in Pouilly-sur-Loire. When he's not in the Loire, Pierre is busy making wine in his native village in Limoux, which is known for its sparkling wines.

The Forts took control of a prized 35-year-old vineyard above their village of Roquetaillade. Situated at an altitude of 480 meters, this vineyard came to them through Pierre's family and, ironically, Pierre had helped plant the vineyard when he was in his early teens while studying winemaking.

The Forts' goal is to live the true, enlightened peasant lifestyle. One where time is regulated by nature and technique and execution are the thoughtful response to observation. They are in the process of restoring an ancient farmhouse in this stone village that will become the soul of their winery.

Several years ago, Michael Sullivan, Dagueneau's friend and US importer, received an unmarked sample of the Forts' wine from Dagueneau. Dagueneau simply asked him to taste it and to give it his honest opinion. Michael narrates his introduction to the Limoux wine:"The wine turned out to be splendid, a very pure, minerally expression of Chardonnay that reminded us of one of the chalkier sights in Burgundy (think St. Romain or Chablis). When speaking with Didier shortly thereafter, he informed me that it was from his friend Pierre in Limoux, 2003 vintage! Would we go and visit him when in France? Absolutely! After visiting the sight, walking the vineyards and tasting the 2004 from barrel, we were smitten. A finished bottle of the same wine sealed the deal (especially after tasting it on our burgundian friends blind)."

Mind you, Michael imports Dominique Lafon and de Montille among others.

There is almost no still Limoux sold outside of the region, and these people are making exclusively that. They farm organically and manually harvest 100% Chardonnay from clay and limestone chalk vineyards. Fermentation and elevage are done in large puncheons (450-600 liters). Lees stirring is done occasionally. The wine, in large part, was already made in the vineyard, and since not one blemished grape makes it into the press the Forts know that their hard work is over for the season.

You will pay less than $20 for this spectacular 2008 Domaine Mouscaillo Limoux Chardonnay that rivals more expensive fine white Burgundy.

Chalone Night with Master Ben

Ben was in rare form. On the patio with a view of the serene garden, while everyone was preoccupied with the Champagne preliminaries (I even had a Syrah in one glass), Ben, without warning and pomp, poured the 1974 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay as he sat next to me. I secured a splash for my glass then passed on the legendary bottle. The anticlimactic start was almost comical, but its spontaneity truly Zen-like. We shall receive more lessons from Master Ben later in the evening.

Thirty-six years after placing third among the whites in the celebrated 1976 Judgment of Paris wine tasting--ahead of the 1973 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches, the 1973 Ramonet Batard-Montrachet, and the 1972 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles--the 1974 Chalone Chardonnay rushed out of the bottle with a worryingly brownish color. Seemingly tired, a golden patina held the wine together for a good hurrah. It still tasted fine and fresh, and the color magically transformed to a pale amber--or were my eyes playing tricks on me?--within minutes. The Chardonnay was as good as we could hope for, round and luscious, with green apple notes, and even a hint of oak. It was graceful, and there was some brilliance left, I could only imagine how it danced in its youth.

The flight of three vintages from the late 1970s Pinot Noirs produced by Chalone was stunning. Both 1977 and 1978 (12.5% alc) were private-labeled for the venerable San Francisco wine retailer, John Walker & Co. Chalone sourced the grapes for these bottlings from Edna Valley Vineyard in San Luis Obispo, a grape supplier to Chalone which it helped manage and later co-owned. The third wine in the flight was the 1979 Chalone Estate Pinot Noir from grapes grown in its estate vineyard high up in Monterey's Pinnacle hills. The two Edna Valley Pinot Noirs showed their affinity. They have ripe crushed berry flavors, exotic notes, and sweet spices, as well as an underlying rustic character. The 1977 (13.5% alc) was fuller and expansive, with earthy, underbrush notes. The 1978 (12.5% alc) showed much of the same fruit character but less poised, though it left a trail of lovely spice in my mouth. Someone compared the 1977 to a Romanee-St.-Vivant, and I wouldn't be opposed to that--certainly the power and seductive fruit give it that range--although I didn't see enough finesse to be convinced.

I thought the 1979 Chalone Estate Pinot Noir was unquestionably the star of the flight. Of course, it tasted quite different from both 1977 and 1978 Edna Valley bottlings, but there was also a separate issue. We opened two bottles, each from different cellars, and quite apart in bottle number that Chalone used to mark on the label. There were about 26,000 bottles produced of the 1979, one bottle we drank was number around the 2,000, while the other was around 25,000. The latter, which was stored at 49 F constant showed a brighter edge, somewhat tighter, and was more subdued in the nose. The other 1979, kept at about 55-57 F constant, offered an alluring floral, spice perfume. After some time in the glass the two bottles started to converge but never fully became identical. Suffice it to say that this vintage is truly spectacular, offering a quality one expects from an outstanding grand cru Burgundy, particularly from Clos de Vougeot. Broad, rich, gamey, and fleshy flavors, with a mile-long finish, it had plenty of power and depth to spare. Truly aristocratic.

The next Pinot Noir flight were all Chalone Estate wines from the 1980s. They were good, but not nearly as long-lived and interesting as the previous flight. These '80s were softer and showing cracks. Everyone, I believe, loved the 1981 best. I thought it offered much of the qualities seen in the 1970s with its ripe, luscious layers--black cherries, licorice, red currants, sweet spices--but with less refinement. As we moved on to the 1982 and 1986, the quality declined further, but still offered pleasurable drinking--the '82 showed interesting earthy, floral notes, while the '86 had dollops of soft, ripe cherries.

Just before dinner started Ben called me out to check on the 1991 Chalone Estate Pinot Blanc that I brought. It looked alarmingly like iced tea in Ben's decanting pitcher. I gave it a minute or so in the glass then tossed it--there wasn't much life left. Thankfully, I brought another bottle which had a more honey color and significantly in better shape. Still, that didn't prevent Ben from suddenly propping up another bottle of Chalone Estate Pinot Blanc on the kitchen counter. My jaw dropped when I saw the vintage on the label. 1969! But is it still good? He opened the bottle with the long cork puller. Amazingly, the color was a pale yellow and it tasted like it couldn't be more than five years old. Ben already had it chilled and ready to go! He is the true Master!

Unplanned, as far as I knew, we magically had a flight of three Chalone Estate Pinot Blancs! I said during the run-up to this dinner that I was going to bring a 1991 Chalone Pinot Blanc, and that got the group excited. But that was that as far Pinot Blancs were concerned. Ben lamented that way back when he and Mayon had a lot of Pinot Blancs, and that they aged better than the Chardonnays. He was right and it would be proved in this unbelievable flight.

The 1991 Chalone Estate Pinot Blanc on release was the most critically acclaimed Pinot Blanc from Chalone. From a ripe vintage, it was Chardonnayesque, viscous, blockbuster style that wine critics fall for, especially back in the 1990s. It drank well enough, showing waxy, pear flavors, with a very deep golden color and no oxidized notes. Yet, it was soft and on the brink, lacking sufficient liveliness to be exciting.

On the other hand, at eight years older, the 1983 Pinot Blanc showed a much lighter color and vivid fruit, with flavors of pear and buttered yellow corn. California whites aren't supposed to last thirty years, but this one has and remains youthful.

As I mentioned, the 1969 Chalone Estate Pinot Blanc appeared magically as a last-minute replacement. The vintage was just the fourth for Dick Graff since taking over the estate in 1965, but after some years of adjustment he finally improved conditions in the vineyard and put together the winemaking approach he wanted in time for one of California's greatest vintages. It was said that his future business partner, Philip Woodward, a successful executive at Touche Ross, resigned from his job to join a fledgling Chalone in 1972 after tasting a bottle of 1969 Chalone Pinot Blanc!

I can tell you that after drinking the forty-three year-old 1969 Chalone Pinot Blanc a few days ago I can fully understand why Woodward gave up his cushy job. It must have been a Damascene moment, and akin to Steve Jobs wooing Pepsi CEO John Sculley to join Apple, "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?"

The 1969 Chalone Pinot Blanc has a transformative effect, as we experienced first-hand this night. The color belies having aged at all. A pale yellow. On the palate the freshest acidity and the brightest fruit conveying intrinsic Pinot Blanc flavors with brilliant precision. Not so intense and terribly complex but youthful. Gentle layers of pear, almonds, buttered brioche, and popcorn. Round and mineral on the finish, with a hint of wheat ale. A blast from the past, though nothing about the wine seems old. It exists in the here and now, in a good place where Master Ben has led us to in this unforgettable Chalone night.

Summer of Riesling 2012

Summer started last night and with it the official celebration of Summer of Riesling 2012. Join in this joyous, sensuous celebration! It's easy, fun, and delicious, not to mention immensely affordable. Riesling is simply the best wine to drink all summer.

Enjoy Rieslings from New York's Finger Lakes. Try some from New Zealand. Imbibe those from Germany. Sip as much as you can from Austria. Dry, off-dry, and sweet. They're all good. Especially with food.

Be happy. Be Riesling.

Moscateers

I love Moscato d'Asti, a light sparkling wine--a frizzante--from the hills of Piedmont in northwestern Italy. But I'm amazed to read reports that this humble wine is selling like crazy these days, outpacing all other wine categories. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, as it is quite sweet after all, and sweet sells. Take soda, it is simply "sugared water", according to that famous line from Steve Jobs. I bet if you could make broccoli sweet everyone would eat it--hey, there's an idea!

But to Moscato d'Asti geeks--proud to count myself one--sweet alone wouldn't cut it. Great Moscato d'Asti is like any other great wine, it should be all about flavors and textures that are in harmony. It draws you in with the fragrance of jasmine and white flowers. Its sweetness is vivid such as the intense flavors of lychees, fresh summer peaches, and apple compote. Each sip should be wonderfully refreshing.

Moscato d'Asti is a terrific aperitif-- light and vibrant, it doesn't fill you up right away. At the end of the meal, it spectacularly freshens the palate, almost miraculously restoring your appetite even after eating an eight of a cow or something like that.

Among my favorite Moscato d'Asti is the very modestly priced single-vineyard Tintero Sori Gramella, just $13 for the current release 2011. Another is Elio Perrone's Sourgal ($17 for the 2011). Perrone is widely regarded by experts and connoisseurs as one of the best in the business. Finally, Vittorio Bera et Figli's Moscato d'Asti ($21 for the 2011), from a well-known producer of natural-wines, is utterly alive and irresistible.

Schiava Is Good

This heartwarming wine from Bolzano in the South Tyrol is made by Heinrich and Elda Mayr from their small parcel of old Schiava vines. It's a bit Burgundian, but perhaps more reminiscent of a full-bodied Morgon, with a sweeter fragrance, as well as  brighter and more spicy in flavor.

I brought a bottle of this 2009 Elda Rosso with me recently to the Sardinian restaurant La Ciccia and it was friendly with almost every dish I ordered. But it was most insane with the baby octopus stew with the mild, pulsing heat of the pepperoncino calabrese of the tomato sauce. I was happy drinking a full, luscious Vermentino di Sardegna with it, yet the Schiava was a revelation. Another delicious aspect of the dish would have escaped me were it not for this brilliant wine.