Showing posts with label Alsace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alsace. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Biodynamics in Action at Barmès-Buecher
My thanks go out to Guilhaume, The Wine Digger, for turning me on to these very cool, informative video clips from François Barmès of Domaine Barmès-Buecher in Alsace. Don’t let the fact that François is speaking French in the first clip scare you away; you’ll get the full gist of what he and his crew are doing just from the visuals. I’ve added these clips to my trip report and profile of Barmès-Buecher too, just in case it wasn’t long enough already.
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x94igu_domaine-barmes-buecher-preparation_webcam&related=1]
Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Préparation 500
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Mixing and dynamizing biodynamic preparation 500 (horn manure), to be sprayed in the vineyards.Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Préparation 500
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x9k3s7_domaine-barmes-buecher-compost-2009_webcam&related=1]
Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Compost 2009
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Adding compost preparations such as yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian to the estate’s biodynamic compost heap on the slopes of Le Grand Ballon.Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Compost 2009
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x96ols_domaine-barmes-buecher-travaux-de-p_webcam&related=1]
Domaine Barmès-Buecher – Travaux de Printemps
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Spring work in the vineyard – turning the soil, cutting the superficial vine roots to encourage deep, vertical root growth, and pruning foliage to encourage airflow and balance.
Domaine Barmès-Buecher – Travaux de Printemps
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Friday, July 17, 2009
Stage 13 to Colmar and Some Unresolved Questions About Alsace
[Editor’s note: I’d hoped to finish and post this piece this morning but speed blogging, it seems, is simply not my forte. I can’t bring myself to adjust the verb tense below so, as I’ve yet to watch today’s stage or check out the results, I’m just going to pretend that the race into Colmar didn’t actually finish several hours ago….]
The thirteenth stage of this year's Tour de France finishes today in Colmar, where the natural barrier of hills that is likely to make it a tough day in the saddle for most of the peloton is the same barrier that greatly influences the terroir of Alsace. The Vosges.
The mountains here are not as high and mighty as the Alps or Pyrenees but they're more than steep enough to put a hurting on the legs of the climbers and a serious crimp in the style of the flatlanders. From a terroirist perspective, the north-south running ridgeline of the Vosges serves as a natural storm break, stopping much of the rain that comes across France from the west. The mountains also act as reflectors, radiating sunlight and heat onto the vineyards immediately to their east. These factors combine to make Alsace a surprisingly warm, dry region, a somewhat counterintuitive condition given the region’s position near the northern periphery of wine growing possibility.
Today’s post, though, is not so much about the intricacies of Alsace terroir as it is about addressing a couple of questions I (and others, I’m guessing) have about the region and its wines. Today’s wine – the 2002 Alsace Rosenberg de Wettolsheim Pinot Blanc from Domaine Barmès-Buecher (16ドル/20, 13.5% alcohol, cork, Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ) – seems as good a vehicle as any for addressing those questions.
First, can Pinot Blanc-based wines be age worthy?
I frankly don’t have a shoe box kind of answer for this one. I think that common wisdom dictates no. But like any rule, if indeed that is one, there are always exceptions. At about 6 ½ years of age, Barmès’ Pinot Blanc is hardly old by wine world standards; I think it’s fair to say it is old, though, by Pinot Blanc standards.
When first opened, I wondered whether it had weathered its slumber in my Vinotheque. The color was fine – medium-golden and bright – but the aromas were suggestive of decay and the beginning, at least, of decline. Its flavors weren’t entirely off-putting – corn, wet hay, dried honey and composting leaves came to mind – but weren’t exactly enthralling, either. Air came to the rescue though, and the wine actually picked up freshness and complexity with some time in the glass. Less decay, more dried honeycomb and minerals. My “delayed” posting schedule has allowed me to revisit the wine on its second day (I’m sipping it as I write), and I must say it’s more than held its own, maybe even improved. That minerality is still there, along with an aroma that I can only describe as corn meal pound cake, slathered with butter and maple syrup. So yes, I guess, Pinot Blanc can age relatively well, at least when grown and produced by François Barmès in a good year. In spite of all the sweet descriptors above, what really strikes me is that this seems much drier than I remember it feeling in its youth. And that brings things around to…
The second question: Is Alsace’s naturally warm, dry climate combining with global warming to push many Alsace wines over the top in terms of balance and concentration?
When asking this question a while back, I fear it may seem as if I too easily jumped on the bandwagon of answering “yes.” The real question I was asking in that posting, about a Riesling from biodynamic producer Marc Tempé, was about the role of biodynamics as a potentially contributing factor in delivering a more and more common over-the-top style in Alsace. Allow me to quote myself….
Thor Iverson called me out on that assertion, leaving a comment to which, I’m embarrassed to say, I never managed to respond or rebut. I still don’t have an answer for you, Thor. But I can say that I meant my original thought to be as much a question as an assertion. I agree that the evidence doesn’t prove that biodynamic farming contributes to the fattening of Alsace wines. But there’s no real evidence to disprove the possibility either. Oddly enough, I’ve increasingly found the wines of Barmès-Buecher, a biodynamic producer that Thor cited among the non-obese camp (and who I’ve visited), to display just such tendencies toward richer texture and more honeyed fruit. Today’s wine started there six years ago but has since morphed into something more graceful.
I guess what I’m really trying to say, in my typically long winded way, is that all of these questions remain, as far as I’m concerned, unanswered. But I’d sure love to hear your thoughts, honorable readers, if you’d care to share.
Now to go answer the real first question: who won today’s stage of the Tour? Just don’t tell me, at least not until tomorrow. I want it to be a surprise.
The thirteenth stage of this year's Tour de France finishes today in Colmar, where the natural barrier of hills that is likely to make it a tough day in the saddle for most of the peloton is the same barrier that greatly influences the terroir of Alsace. The Vosges.
The mountains here are not as high and mighty as the Alps or Pyrenees but they're more than steep enough to put a hurting on the legs of the climbers and a serious crimp in the style of the flatlanders. From a terroirist perspective, the north-south running ridgeline of the Vosges serves as a natural storm break, stopping much of the rain that comes across France from the west. The mountains also act as reflectors, radiating sunlight and heat onto the vineyards immediately to their east. These factors combine to make Alsace a surprisingly warm, dry region, a somewhat counterintuitive condition given the region’s position near the northern periphery of wine growing possibility.
Today’s post, though, is not so much about the intricacies of Alsace terroir as it is about addressing a couple of questions I (and others, I’m guessing) have about the region and its wines. Today’s wine – the 2002 Alsace Rosenberg de Wettolsheim Pinot Blanc from Domaine Barmès-Buecher (16ドル/20, 13.5% alcohol, cork, Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ) – seems as good a vehicle as any for addressing those questions.
First, can Pinot Blanc-based wines be age worthy?
I frankly don’t have a shoe box kind of answer for this one. I think that common wisdom dictates no. But like any rule, if indeed that is one, there are always exceptions. At about 6 ½ years of age, Barmès’ Pinot Blanc is hardly old by wine world standards; I think it’s fair to say it is old, though, by Pinot Blanc standards.
When first opened, I wondered whether it had weathered its slumber in my Vinotheque. The color was fine – medium-golden and bright – but the aromas were suggestive of decay and the beginning, at least, of decline. Its flavors weren’t entirely off-putting – corn, wet hay, dried honey and composting leaves came to mind – but weren’t exactly enthralling, either. Air came to the rescue though, and the wine actually picked up freshness and complexity with some time in the glass. Less decay, more dried honeycomb and minerals. My “delayed” posting schedule has allowed me to revisit the wine on its second day (I’m sipping it as I write), and I must say it’s more than held its own, maybe even improved. That minerality is still there, along with an aroma that I can only describe as corn meal pound cake, slathered with butter and maple syrup. So yes, I guess, Pinot Blanc can age relatively well, at least when grown and produced by François Barmès in a good year. In spite of all the sweet descriptors above, what really strikes me is that this seems much drier than I remember it feeling in its youth. And that brings things around to…
The second question: Is Alsace’s naturally warm, dry climate combining with global warming to push many Alsace wines over the top in terms of balance and concentration?
When asking this question a while back, I fear it may seem as if I too easily jumped on the bandwagon of answering “yes.” The real question I was asking in that posting, about a Riesling from biodynamic producer Marc Tempé, was about the role of biodynamics as a potentially contributing factor in delivering a more and more common over-the-top style in Alsace. Allow me to quote myself….
“The nurturing of the soil and harnessing of energy achieved through biodynamie can actually accelerate vines' growth and production cycles and result, especially in already warm climates like Alsace, in ultra-ripe, concentrated grapes.”
Thor Iverson called me out on that assertion, leaving a comment to which, I’m embarrassed to say, I never managed to respond or rebut. I still don’t have an answer for you, Thor. But I can say that I meant my original thought to be as much a question as an assertion. I agree that the evidence doesn’t prove that biodynamic farming contributes to the fattening of Alsace wines. But there’s no real evidence to disprove the possibility either. Oddly enough, I’ve increasingly found the wines of Barmès-Buecher, a biodynamic producer that Thor cited among the non-obese camp (and who I’ve visited), to display just such tendencies toward richer texture and more honeyed fruit. Today’s wine started there six years ago but has since morphed into something more graceful.
I guess what I’m really trying to say, in my typically long winded way, is that all of these questions remain, as far as I’m concerned, unanswered. But I’d sure love to hear your thoughts, honorable readers, if you’d care to share.
Now to go answer the real first question: who won today’s stage of the Tour? Just don’t tell me, at least not until tomorrow. I want it to be a surprise.
Posted by David McDuff 1 comments @
Labels: Alsace, Barmès-Buecher, Biodynamics, Pinot Blanc, Tour de France
Friday, May 8, 2009
Cooking up the Ramp Romp
After our ramp foraging excursion a few days back, a little bit – actually, a lot – of cooking was in order. What didn’t go into scrambled eggs or into the pickling jar was whipped up at the main event, courtesy of Chef Bill.
Smoked Salmon and Ramp Bruschetta
Really delicious; I could have made a meal of these and been perfectly happy. Nothing more than lightly grilled baguette slices, brushed with a dab of olive oil and topped with Talula’s smoked salmon and sautéed ramps. Washed down well with bubbles and Rheinwein.
Crémant d’Alsace Brut, Domaine Barmès-Buecher 2007
18ドル. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The exuberant ripeness of François Barmès’ fruit shows through in the forward nature of his ’07 Crémant d’Alsace. It’s drinking well now that it’s had a chance to settle into itself and shows the potential to develop interest with a couple of years in the bottle. Simultaneously crunchy and creamy, with pear, apple and guanabana on the palate and youthful, primary yeast aromatics.
Rheinhessen Riesling Kabinett “Limestone,” Weingut Keller 2006
32ドル. 7.5% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The weight and concentration of a Spätlese combine with the slightly lower than usual acidity of the 2006 vintage to make for quite an opulent Kabinett. Keller’s trademark crystalline minerality is still lurking in the background though, helping to keep the mouthfeel lively. Its fruit attack borders on the tropical, with key lime and guava playing nicely with flavors of ripe white peaches. This is fruit from Westhofener Kirchspiel, labeled much as with “von der Fels” to brand Klaus-Peter Keller’s focus on limestone driven terroir.
Spaghetti “Ramp-o-nara”
Yep, that’s my name for it. Laugh all you want…. This was a neat play on Italian and down home Southern cooking techniques. The ramps were sautéed in bacon drippings, the pan deglazed with white wine and chicken stock to form a “sauce,” then everything, bacon and all, tossed with the pasta. Really great depth of flavor. Premier Cru red Burgundy was hardly a traditional pairing but the smokiness in the flavor profile of both of the following wines made it work.
Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Duresses, Domaine Diconne (Christophe Diconne) 2005
32ドル. 13% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Vigorous, even masculine expression of a wine defined in most vintages more by its delicacy than its structure. Brambly black cherry fruit with spicy, smoky nuances. Well balanced, its acidity and tannins are beginning to find their center, just starting to gel and harmonize. Quite tasty now if very young, this is showing every bit the promise that led me to stash away a few bottles on release. A fine value in ’05 red Burg.
Volnay Premier Cru Santenots, Robert Ampeau et Fils 1993
70ドル. 13% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The best of many bottles of this vintage I’ve tasted over the last couple of years. Medium-red with amber and rose petal notes around the rim, this is in that great spot where primary fruit is still evident but tertiary bottle bouquet is in full bloom. You could feel the wine’s age coming on but still sense its vitality; it was surprisingly firm, almost muscular in texture. A solid core of wild red forest fruits was surrounded by scents and flavors of clove, tar, smoke, leather and anise seed. This is a current release, by the way.
Pan-roasted Halibut Cheeks with Butter-braised Ramps
I’d never had halibut cheeks before; their texture reminded me of skate but meatier. A really nice foil to the butter enriched ramps – and to a youngster from Rioja.
Rioja Crianza Blanco “Viña Gravonia,” R. Lopez de Heredia 1998
28ドル. 12% alcohol. Cork. Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY.
The wine world would be such a safer place to play if more producers cellared their wines and released them when ready to drink rather than on a fixed marketing schedule. Both Ampeau and Lopez de Heredia do just that. Of course it’s an expensive business practice, which makes it all the more surreal that a wine of this age and quality that’s been cared for so well – not to mentioned aged in cask for four years before bottling – can still be purchased in the mid-20ドルs. Much like the Ampeau, this is showing lovely development but also plenty of potential for further growth. Golden, sunbathed fruit, waxy texture and blanched almonds. It really brought out the savory, oceanic essence of the fish, its pure essence – about all one can ask for in a food and wine match. (It's also the full answer to Wednesday's "Name That Wine" post.)
Smoked Salmon and Ramp Bruschetta
Really delicious; I could have made a meal of these and been perfectly happy. Nothing more than lightly grilled baguette slices, brushed with a dab of olive oil and topped with Talula’s smoked salmon and sautéed ramps. Washed down well with bubbles and Rheinwein.
Crémant d’Alsace Brut, Domaine Barmès-Buecher 2007
18ドル. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The exuberant ripeness of François Barmès’ fruit shows through in the forward nature of his ’07 Crémant d’Alsace. It’s drinking well now that it’s had a chance to settle into itself and shows the potential to develop interest with a couple of years in the bottle. Simultaneously crunchy and creamy, with pear, apple and guanabana on the palate and youthful, primary yeast aromatics.
Rheinhessen Riesling Kabinett “Limestone,” Weingut Keller 2006
32ドル. 7.5% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The weight and concentration of a Spätlese combine with the slightly lower than usual acidity of the 2006 vintage to make for quite an opulent Kabinett. Keller’s trademark crystalline minerality is still lurking in the background though, helping to keep the mouthfeel lively. Its fruit attack borders on the tropical, with key lime and guava playing nicely with flavors of ripe white peaches. This is fruit from Westhofener Kirchspiel, labeled much as with “von der Fels” to brand Klaus-Peter Keller’s focus on limestone driven terroir.
Spaghetti “Ramp-o-nara”
Yep, that’s my name for it. Laugh all you want…. This was a neat play on Italian and down home Southern cooking techniques. The ramps were sautéed in bacon drippings, the pan deglazed with white wine and chicken stock to form a “sauce,” then everything, bacon and all, tossed with the pasta. Really great depth of flavor. Premier Cru red Burgundy was hardly a traditional pairing but the smokiness in the flavor profile of both of the following wines made it work.
Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Duresses, Domaine Diconne (Christophe Diconne) 2005
32ドル. 13% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Vigorous, even masculine expression of a wine defined in most vintages more by its delicacy than its structure. Brambly black cherry fruit with spicy, smoky nuances. Well balanced, its acidity and tannins are beginning to find their center, just starting to gel and harmonize. Quite tasty now if very young, this is showing every bit the promise that led me to stash away a few bottles on release. A fine value in ’05 red Burg.
Volnay Premier Cru Santenots, Robert Ampeau et Fils 1993
70ドル. 13% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The best of many bottles of this vintage I’ve tasted over the last couple of years. Medium-red with amber and rose petal notes around the rim, this is in that great spot where primary fruit is still evident but tertiary bottle bouquet is in full bloom. You could feel the wine’s age coming on but still sense its vitality; it was surprisingly firm, almost muscular in texture. A solid core of wild red forest fruits was surrounded by scents and flavors of clove, tar, smoke, leather and anise seed. This is a current release, by the way.
Pan-roasted Halibut Cheeks with Butter-braised Ramps
I’d never had halibut cheeks before; their texture reminded me of skate but meatier. A really nice foil to the butter enriched ramps – and to a youngster from Rioja.
Rioja Crianza Blanco “Viña Gravonia,” R. Lopez de Heredia 1998
28ドル. 12% alcohol. Cork. Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY.
The wine world would be such a safer place to play if more producers cellared their wines and released them when ready to drink rather than on a fixed marketing schedule. Both Ampeau and Lopez de Heredia do just that. Of course it’s an expensive business practice, which makes it all the more surreal that a wine of this age and quality that’s been cared for so well – not to mentioned aged in cask for four years before bottling – can still be purchased in the mid-20ドルs. Much like the Ampeau, this is showing lovely development but also plenty of potential for further growth. Golden, sunbathed fruit, waxy texture and blanched almonds. It really brought out the savory, oceanic essence of the fish, its pure essence – about all one can ask for in a food and wine match. (It's also the full answer to Wednesday's "Name That Wine" post.)
Posted by David McDuff 8 comments @
Labels: Alsace, Ampeau, Auxey-Duresses, Barmès-Buecher, Jean-Pierre Diconne, Keller, R. Lopez de Heredia, Ramps, Rheinhessen, Rioja, Volnay
Friday, February 13, 2009
Tempering Alsace
Alsace Riesling “Saint-Hippolyte,” Domaine Marc Tempé 2005
28ドル. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Vintage ’59 Imports, Washington, DC.
For a few reasons, simple and not so simple, I don’t drink wines from Alsace all that often. Simply, there are only so many wines one person can drink and I don’t like to write about wines I’ve only sipped and spit, though I’ll occasionally make an exception in the context of a formal trade tasting. Also, my love for German (and Austrian) Riesling tends to push Alsace wines – Rieslings and all the other specialties of the region – into the back seat. Less simply, more and more of the wines from the region, including those from top producers, have been getting bigger and bigger, richer and richer, over the last several years. Eric Asimov focused on this very trend a few months back at The Pour. While I have no problem with sweetness if it’s balanced by the wine’s other traits, I do have a problem with wines that are over-the-top, and that’s where an awful lot of Alsace juice seems to have headed.
Along with global warming and the global trend toward pushing the boundaries of physiological ripeness, one of the culprits Asimov and others have mentioned is a farming practice that many lovers of natural wine have enthusiastically embraced: biodynamics. The nurturing of the soil and harnessing of energy achieved through biodynamie can actually accelerate vines' growth and production cycles and result, especially in already warm climates like Alsace, in ultra-ripe, concentrated grapes.
Marc Tempé’s Riesling “Saint-Hippolyte” 2005, which is the end product of biodynamic farming, doesn’t buck the trend toward richness but it does take its scale in stride. And it does so with aplomb. On the nose, it’s ripe with scents of spiced pear and melons, with an underlying layer of the kind of dark mineral scents that develop only with the onset of bottle development. It’s on the palate that the wine finds its lift, bursting with lemon and lime fruit driven by a combination of physical extract and acidity that form an extremely invigorating mouthfeel, like a swirl of fine-grained prickles across the palate. That may not sound pleasant, I know, but it was. Though the wine possessed an undeniably honeyed aspect – one that came more strongly to the fore on days two and three – it was kept in check by superb balance and structure. A happy meeting of traditional style and new-found scale.
28ドル. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Vintage ’59 Imports, Washington, DC.
For a few reasons, simple and not so simple, I don’t drink wines from Alsace all that often. Simply, there are only so many wines one person can drink and I don’t like to write about wines I’ve only sipped and spit, though I’ll occasionally make an exception in the context of a formal trade tasting. Also, my love for German (and Austrian) Riesling tends to push Alsace wines – Rieslings and all the other specialties of the region – into the back seat. Less simply, more and more of the wines from the region, including those from top producers, have been getting bigger and bigger, richer and richer, over the last several years. Eric Asimov focused on this very trend a few months back at The Pour. While I have no problem with sweetness if it’s balanced by the wine’s other traits, I do have a problem with wines that are over-the-top, and that’s where an awful lot of Alsace juice seems to have headed.
Along with global warming and the global trend toward pushing the boundaries of physiological ripeness, one of the culprits Asimov and others have mentioned is a farming practice that many lovers of natural wine have enthusiastically embraced: biodynamics. The nurturing of the soil and harnessing of energy achieved through biodynamie can actually accelerate vines' growth and production cycles and result, especially in already warm climates like Alsace, in ultra-ripe, concentrated grapes.
Marc Tempé’s Riesling “Saint-Hippolyte” 2005, which is the end product of biodynamic farming, doesn’t buck the trend toward richness but it does take its scale in stride. And it does so with aplomb. On the nose, it’s ripe with scents of spiced pear and melons, with an underlying layer of the kind of dark mineral scents that develop only with the onset of bottle development. It’s on the palate that the wine finds its lift, bursting with lemon and lime fruit driven by a combination of physical extract and acidity that form an extremely invigorating mouthfeel, like a swirl of fine-grained prickles across the palate. That may not sound pleasant, I know, but it was. Though the wine possessed an undeniably honeyed aspect – one that came more strongly to the fore on days two and three – it was kept in check by superb balance and structure. A happy meeting of traditional style and new-found scale.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Food, Wine and Friends at the Thanksgiving Table
In spite of my sentimental ruminations of yesterday, Thanksgiving is more to me than a time for melancholy reflection. It’s also a holiday that holds an important place in my heart for bringing together friends or family to share in the pleasures of good wine, good food and good company. This year’s feast was shared with dear friends and paired with delicious food and a little more than our fair share of good wine.
We wasted no time in getting to the highlights of the day, sitting outdoors on a bright, chilly November afternoon, shucking oysters, sautéeing mussels and warming our hands by the fire. Both wines we kicked-off with worked wonders with the shellfish.
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie “Le L d’Or de Pierre Luneau, Cuvée Médaillée,” Domaine de la Grange (Pierre Luneau-Papin) 1995. 25ドル. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.
How’s that for an overwrought wine name? No matter, this was fantastically fresh. Drinking it gave me the sense of cool rain water leaching through the limestone and schist soils in Le Landreau. Marrowy and broad, intensely mineral, slightly saline and hinting at its age only via its dark aromatic profile, it was naturally stellar with the oysters.
Vouvray “Clos Baudoin,” SARL Vallée de Nouy (Poniatowski/Chidaine) 2004. Around 20ドル on release. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
I also really dug the 2004 Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” of François Chidaine, produced during the period when he was farming and making the wines at Prince Philippe Poniatowski’s estate. (The “Clos Baudoin” now belongs to Chidaine). Fully sec in style and medium golden in color, its richer flavors were not as automatic a pairing with the oysters, but the match created some finishing flavor combinations that were really magnifying and haunting. And its pear nectar and sunshine-laced fruit worked handsomely with sweet, juicy mussels picked straight from the fire.
Palette, Château Simone 2006. 70ドル. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Neal Rosenthal, New York, NY.
As hard as the first two wines were to follow, the most exciting white of the night was the 2006 Palette from Château Simone. It was my first experience with wine of any color from this tiny AOC located just southeast of Aix-en-Provence. I’d never thought Provençal white wine could be this good – sweetly herbal, dry but generous in its texture and braced by clean, refreshing acidity and apple tinged fruit. Poured alongside a Vietnamese preparation of pan seared scallops and a slaw of napa cabbage and mirin-spiked shiitakes, the wine did far more than stand its own. Its price, though, forces the wine even further into the realm of curiosity than does its obscure AOC.
Alsace Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling “La Dame (Partager Avec Toi),” Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss 2004. 20ドル. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, Saint Helena, CA.
This was the only dim bulb in a lineup of otherwise luminescent whites. The wine was perfectly sound and palatable but more or less bereft of any liveliness or depth, not living up to its Grand Cru status or to my hopes based on a positive write-up of the Domaine in Monty Waldin’s Biodynamic Wines (Classic Wine Library). I suppose there’s a reason why it was on closeout for 20ドル….
Meursault “Clos des Mouches,” Domaine Henri Germain 2002. 46ドル. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Not to be confused with Beaune “Clos des Mouches,” the Clos des Mouches in Meursault is a monopole vineyard owned, farmed and planted to Pinot Noir by Domaine Henri Germain. This took the honors for red of the night, at least in my book. Its nose of macerated cherries and white truffles was followed up by silky, lithe red fruit, with flavors of buttery lucques olives, vanilla-laced cherries and sweet English thyme all dancing across the palate. Firm of texture and fresh in acidity but delicate, delicate, delicate, through and through. Really lovely red Burg.
At this point, my note taking and wine geekery took a back seat to the spirit and timing of the meal. The size of our party didn’t merit a whole turkey, besides which I don’t think anyone wanted to spend the afternoon at the oven door. Instead, our hosts prepared duck two ways, with braised duck leg served atop walnut oil-dressed mashed potatoes and seared duck breast set alongside my wife’s dish of curried lentils and sweet potatoes. After thoroughly enjoying Germain’s Meursault Rouge with all of this, we popped and tasted a couple of other reds of potential interest. Thierry and Pascale Matrot’s 2006 Blagny “La Pièce sous le Bois” is already drinking nicely, with dark, crunchy fruit and good structure, but will definitely benefit from further slumber in the cellar. After the two Burgundies, Smith Haut Lafiitte’s 1998 Pessac-Léognan seemed dull in comparison.
When it comes to pairing wines with traditional Thanksgiving desserts – pies of pumpkin, apple, pecan and mince meat – it’s the stickies of Southwest France that often come first to mind. I don’t think the delicious 2004 Jurançon from Camin Larredya made it past the cheese course, though. Our dessert compartments weren’t cooperating that night. A brisk walk and, for me at least, a wee nap were in order before pie could even be considered.
When it comes to traditional Thanksgiving meals, this evening’s menu may have been something of a departure. But it was a welcome one, offering more than plenty for which to give thanks.
We wasted no time in getting to the highlights of the day, sitting outdoors on a bright, chilly November afternoon, shucking oysters, sautéeing mussels and warming our hands by the fire. Both wines we kicked-off with worked wonders with the shellfish.
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie “Le L d’Or de Pierre Luneau, Cuvée Médaillée,” Domaine de la Grange (Pierre Luneau-Papin) 1995. 25ドル. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.
How’s that for an overwrought wine name? No matter, this was fantastically fresh. Drinking it gave me the sense of cool rain water leaching through the limestone and schist soils in Le Landreau. Marrowy and broad, intensely mineral, slightly saline and hinting at its age only via its dark aromatic profile, it was naturally stellar with the oysters.
Vouvray “Clos Baudoin,” SARL Vallée de Nouy (Poniatowski/Chidaine) 2004. Around 20ドル on release. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
I also really dug the 2004 Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” of François Chidaine, produced during the period when he was farming and making the wines at Prince Philippe Poniatowski’s estate. (The “Clos Baudoin” now belongs to Chidaine). Fully sec in style and medium golden in color, its richer flavors were not as automatic a pairing with the oysters, but the match created some finishing flavor combinations that were really magnifying and haunting. And its pear nectar and sunshine-laced fruit worked handsomely with sweet, juicy mussels picked straight from the fire.
Palette, Château Simone 2006. 70ドル. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Neal Rosenthal, New York, NY.
As hard as the first two wines were to follow, the most exciting white of the night was the 2006 Palette from Château Simone. It was my first experience with wine of any color from this tiny AOC located just southeast of Aix-en-Provence. I’d never thought Provençal white wine could be this good – sweetly herbal, dry but generous in its texture and braced by clean, refreshing acidity and apple tinged fruit. Poured alongside a Vietnamese preparation of pan seared scallops and a slaw of napa cabbage and mirin-spiked shiitakes, the wine did far more than stand its own. Its price, though, forces the wine even further into the realm of curiosity than does its obscure AOC.
Alsace Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling “La Dame (Partager Avec Toi),” Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss 2004. 20ドル. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, Saint Helena, CA.
This was the only dim bulb in a lineup of otherwise luminescent whites. The wine was perfectly sound and palatable but more or less bereft of any liveliness or depth, not living up to its Grand Cru status or to my hopes based on a positive write-up of the Domaine in Monty Waldin’s Biodynamic Wines (Classic Wine Library). I suppose there’s a reason why it was on closeout for 20ドル….
Meursault “Clos des Mouches,” Domaine Henri Germain 2002. 46ドル. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Not to be confused with Beaune “Clos des Mouches,” the Clos des Mouches in Meursault is a monopole vineyard owned, farmed and planted to Pinot Noir by Domaine Henri Germain. This took the honors for red of the night, at least in my book. Its nose of macerated cherries and white truffles was followed up by silky, lithe red fruit, with flavors of buttery lucques olives, vanilla-laced cherries and sweet English thyme all dancing across the palate. Firm of texture and fresh in acidity but delicate, delicate, delicate, through and through. Really lovely red Burg.
At this point, my note taking and wine geekery took a back seat to the spirit and timing of the meal. The size of our party didn’t merit a whole turkey, besides which I don’t think anyone wanted to spend the afternoon at the oven door. Instead, our hosts prepared duck two ways, with braised duck leg served atop walnut oil-dressed mashed potatoes and seared duck breast set alongside my wife’s dish of curried lentils and sweet potatoes. After thoroughly enjoying Germain’s Meursault Rouge with all of this, we popped and tasted a couple of other reds of potential interest. Thierry and Pascale Matrot’s 2006 Blagny “La Pièce sous le Bois” is already drinking nicely, with dark, crunchy fruit and good structure, but will definitely benefit from further slumber in the cellar. After the two Burgundies, Smith Haut Lafiitte’s 1998 Pessac-Léognan seemed dull in comparison.
When it comes to pairing wines with traditional Thanksgiving desserts – pies of pumpkin, apple, pecan and mince meat – it’s the stickies of Southwest France that often come first to mind. I don’t think the delicious 2004 Jurançon from Camin Larredya made it past the cheese course, though. Our dessert compartments weren’t cooperating that night. A brisk walk and, for me at least, a wee nap were in order before pie could even be considered.
When it comes to traditional Thanksgiving meals, this evening’s menu may have been something of a departure. But it was a welcome one, offering more than plenty for which to give thanks.
Posted by David McDuff 7 comments @
Labels: Alsace, Blagny, Château Simone, François Chidaine, Henri Germain, Marc Kreydenweiss, Meursault, Muscadet, Palette, Philippe Poniatowski, Pierre Luneau-Papin, Thanksgiving Wine, Vouvray
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Domaine Barmès Buecher Current Releases
If you’ve been following this site for a while, you may have noticed that the blogging vehicle has provided me with the inspiration I needed, finally, to chronicle the details of a ten day whirlwind wine tour through Germany and France that I took back in February 2004. A visit at Domaine Barmès-Buecher, stop four of the trip, was the inspiration for the most recent installment. By a chance of timing, it was due up hot on the heels of a recent trip to the east coast by François and Genevieve Barmès. During their visit, I was able to spend a couple of hours catching up with the couple. Neither of them appeared to have aged a bit in the last several years. And as always, once we got him talking, François’ energy level was unbelievable. We managed to squeeze in enough time, just barely, to taste through the lineup of their wines now on the market. So, just in case you didn’t get your fill when reading through my notes on the 28 wines we tasted at the estate a few years back, here are a few thoughts on their current releases.
If you still haven’t had enough, or if you’re just sick of reading my shorthand notes, you may enjoy the nice write-up of a few of these same wines, tasted in a different scenario, by Rajiv at Students of Wine.
- Crémant d’Alsace 2005
This vintage is a blend, which can differ from year-to-year, of Chardonnay (grown solely for this wine), Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. François considers it a finer vintage than the 2006 which is ready and waiting to ship. Very fine mousse, appley fruit, bright and biscuity. Ideal as an aperitif and as an accompaniment to smoked fish or game-based salads and appetizers.
A little background: Crémant d’Alsace was established as an AOC in 1976. Barmès began producing his in the 1986 vintage. Though it is bottle fermented, Barmès’ production method differs slightly from the Méthode Traditionelle. François picks at 13° potential alcohol. Initial fermentation in tank is stopped at 11°. Natural grape yeasts are then added to the base wine, which is then bottled; no liqueur d’expedition is used. The hope – this process does accept a certain level of risk – is that secondary fermentation will then occur in bottle. There is no guarantee that the natural yeasts will get things going again. By nature of this process, Barmès’ Crémant d’Alsace is always a vintage wine and naturally differs from year to year. - Pinot d’Alsace 2004
100% Pinot Auxerrois. Low acid and spicy, with hints of apricot nectar. Seems less sweet than when last tasted, though a touch of RS still shows through. A bit fat. Intended simply as “un vin de plaisir.” - Pinot Blanc Rosenberg 2005
Medium bodied. Structured. Very mineral, with hints of dried honey. Far less rich than the 2002 currently on the market. Interestingly, these notes seem quite similar to those for the 2002 when it was tasted at the winery in 2004. It would seem that the Pinot Blanc sheds its minerality and acidity with age, in favor of rich pear fruit and honeyed texture. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Silicis” 2004
The terrain of the “Silicis” portion of Rosenberg is dominated by limestone with a good deal of silex stones above and below ground, plus a dash of volcanic soil. Gun flint, graphite, peach pits and quince all spread across the palate. Solid acidity, something I don’t always associate with this wine. A good pairing for duck confit and salt-cured meats. - Edelzwicker “Sept Grains” 2004
This is an atypical Edelzwicker, produced from free run juice captured at the beginning of the wine making practice rather than from leftover or lower quality fruit as is more usual. For a full description of the production process, see the note from the 2004 visit.
The 2004 is mostly Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. It shows the spice and slightly unctuous texture typical to Gewurztraminer with a good bolster of acidity from the Pinot Gris. A good choice for highly seasoned pan-Asian cuisine as well as a solid option for the Thanksgiving meal. As with the Crémant d’Alsace, the blend and resultant style differ from year to year; the 2005 version is dominated by Pinot Auxerrois. - Riesling “Tradition” 2006
Stony mouthfeel, with bitter lemon, citrus rind and dried apricot fruit tones. This vintage is an assemblage of fruit from Rosenberg, Herrenweg and Clos Sand, meant to express the typicity of Alsace Riesling rather than a particular site or terroir. - Riesling Herrenweg 2004
Tasting this immediately after the “Tradition” was very educational. Though the wine can sometimes seem fat, in this context I noticed more flesh (without fatness) and physiological intensity. Muscular on the palate and long on the finish. Riper citrus tones than found in the former wine. Pair with simple preparations, without sauces, of full-flavored fish like salmon or rouget. - Riesling Rosenberg 2005
François feels that the personality of the Rosenberg cru is so intense that the aromas of its wines tend to be masked until some bottle maturation occurs. Livelier acidity and spicier flavors than the Herrenweg. Good cellar potential. - Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 2005
Pink grapefruit and floral spiciness. Citrus rind. Sappy, almost resiny, with an unmistakable hint of mint on the finish. Here’s the wine to stand up to richly sauced seafood dishes. Hengst has a perfect southern exposure. The vines are almost grilled by the sun, inducing intense photosynthesis and garnering a constant, high-energy ripening process. It shows, though without being over-the-top in any way. This has serious presence. - Gewurztraminer Herrenweg 2004
Classic spice, rose petal and lychee profile. Dry but with lower acid and fatter texture than the Riesling from the same cru. A good foil to curry dishes. - Pinot Noir “Réserve” 2005
Black cherry vanilla fruit. Creamy, with a hint of sweet oak on the nose. Firm and medium bodied. Classic pairings within Alsace would be main courses of game or leg of lamb. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Vendange Tardive” 1999
Partial botrytis. Very musky. Orange oil and pear nectar. Good acid. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Sélection Grains Nobles” 1999
100% botrytis. Intense. As with the VT, good acidity, which is needed here to support the oiliness and high RS. - Muscat Ottonel “Sélection Grains Nobles” 2000
Sultanas and guava. Just enough acid to keep the super round texture afloat. - Riesling Herrenweg “Sélection Grains Nobles” 2000
There’s no mistaking this wine’s aroma. It’s not just a little raisiny. Nope, it’s like sticking your nose in a freshly opened box of raisins. Much darker flavor and more unctuous texture than in the above VT’s and SGN’s. Intense RS balanced by a beam of acidity. Yikes!
If you still haven’t had enough, or if you’re just sick of reading my shorthand notes, you may enjoy the nice write-up of a few of these same wines, tasted in a different scenario, by Rajiv at Students of Wine.
Posted by David McDuff 0 comments @
Labels: Alsace, Barmès-Buecher, François Barmès, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling
Monday, November 5, 2007
Domaine Barmès-Buecher, February 2004
Crossing the border into Alsace after a brief two days on the German side of the Rheinland, our first stop in France during a February 2004 wine trek was at Domaine Barmès-Buecher. Situated on the Route des Vins in Wettolsheim, just SW of Colmar in the Haut-Rhin, the estate was founded in 1985, joining the work of the Barmès and Buecher families which had each been involved in some aspect of viticulture since the 17th Century. François Barmès and his wife Genevieve (née Buecher) along with eight full-time employees, farm a total of 16 hectares of vineyard, spanning six different communes in the environ of Wettolsheim, from the Grand Cru sites of Pfersigberg in the south to Hengst in the north. The estate is made up of 96 separate vineyard plots, ranging in size from as large as two contiguous hectares to as small as five or six rows in a particular climat. Our visit there would prove to be one of the most intense of the entire trip.
In the Field:
François Barmès completed conversion of his entire property to Biodynamics in 1998, reflecting a change in philosophy that had begun for him in the early 1990s. I’ve met few vignerons with energy levels as intense as that of François and I’ve yet to meet anyone with as passionate an attachment to his land. That passion was reflected in our time spent at the estate. Arriving shortly after a quick lunch at a little café in Wettolsheim, we met François at his winery and headed straight out to his vineyards. The sun was setting by the time we returned to the winery, at least four hours having elapsed. During those hours, M. Barmès led us from vineyard to vineyard, expounding on his farming practices, the special characteristics and energy of each plot, the negative effects of conventional farming on the land around his, and on the viticultural trends and climatic tendencies of Alsace in general.
The Vosges, at 1300-1400 meters elevation, lie just to the west of Alsace, creating a natural rain block for the viticultural landscape. Combined with the reflective power of the sun beaming off those hills onto the vineyards below, the climate in Alsace is naturally much warmer and drier than in the German portions of the Rheinland. In spite of that warmth, Alsace, as one of the northernmost wine regions of France (only Champagne is more northerly), sees a low number of sunlight hours throughout the growing season.
To work that limited sunlight to its fullest advantage, Barmès utilizes Double Guyot vine training, with wires placed at 1.8 meters to maximize the sunlight captured by his vines. He seeks naturally low yields in the vineyard, training his vine shoots in a downward arc meant to slow the flow of chlorophyll to the grapes and to promote full foliage development. He does not practice green harvesting, fruit reduction or leaf removal, operating in a belief that vines possess long-term memory and that removing pieces of their whole only redirects energy in confused directions. And it seems to work. His yields average 35-50 hl/ha, low by any reasonable standards and quite low given the Alsace AOC standard of 80 hl/ha.
To cope with the dry conditions – he has holdings in the Herrenweg cru, one of the driest vineyard sites in all of France – the estate is farmed completely by hand and, according to Biodynamic principles, with no chemical or synthetic fertilizers. Hand culture, François told us, keeps the soil soft and friable, promoting deep, vertical root growth that allows the vines to reach low water tables, creating natural drought resistance. Standing between his rows in Herrenweg, we could see the beneficial results of his work. Where his neighbors’ soil was gray and compacted, his was brown and soft under foot. It looked alive. Yellow ribbons, used to mark a dead plant, were tied around every third or fourth vine in a neighboring plot. We saw only one or two in Barmès’ entire parcel.
Given the timing of our visit, François spoke in particular of the rigors of the 2003 vintage. Only 200 millimeters of rain fell in Wettolsheim during the entire year, with nary a drop from the end of February through mid-October. Those deep root systems were put to the test and passed, with no damage occurring directly from the drought. That said, his plants did suffer from the intense heat, which averaged 28°C with little night cooling. Sugar levels accelerated so quickly at the end of summer that many producers picked their fruit only 80 days after flowering; 100 days is generally considered the minimum duration for achievement of physiological maturity. Those like Barmès who waited lost some of their fruit to the heat but achieved greater complexity, according to François, in their finished wines.
We finished the tour of Barmès’ vineyards with a hike up the slope of his most recent acquisition, a parcel called “Clos Sand” located on a steep hillside in a forested corner of Wettolsheim, followed by a drive through the rolling, wall-enclosed cru of Rosenberg. On the way through, François pointed out a parcel where, in 2001, wild boars destroyed 60% of his crop while he was away on a week long vacation. Apparently the pigs favor naturally farmed fruit, as they ignored the neighboring vines owned by conventional growers.
At the Winery:
Back at the winery, François drove home the points he’d been making all afternoon. 95% of the work at the Domaine, he said, is done in the vineyard, only 5% in the cellar. The vineyard is everything to him; the cellar is only for tasting and making sure all goes well. In keeping with that philosophy, Barmès puts only juice into his tanks and barrels. All wines are wild yeast fermented; nothing is ever added other than sulfur, and that only for anti-oxidative purposes after completion of fermentation.
Believing that their fruit and wines should be handled just as gently as the soil in their vineyards, François and Genevieve have constructed a three-level winery. All fruit, after harvest, is brought quickly into the top level, where a vibrating sorting table is used to remove any imperfect clusters before the fruit goes to the pressoir. After pressing is complete, the juice is moved by gravity to the cuves in the level below. Only following a long, slow fermentation and the appropriate aging regimen are the wines moved, again by gravity, to the lowest level where they go through a gentle filtration prior to bottling.
In the Cellar:
By the time François led us to his underground cellars for a tasting, we were all feeling the effects of a long, cold day in the vineyards on top of the day-three creep of jet lag from our recent journey across the Atlantic. We knew that the estate produces a huge array of wines – approximately 30 different cuvées are vinified each year – but we were nonetheless astounded when we saw the array of bottles he’d lined up for us to sample. The dégustation proceeded at a blur, resulting in some rather brief tasting notes.
Before moving on to the white line-up, our host described what he sees as three distinct families of white fruit types in the Alsace vignoble: mineral (Riesling, Silvaner), oxidative (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris), and aromatic (Gewurztraminer, Pinot Auxerrois, Muscat).
In the Field:
François Barmès completed conversion of his entire property to Biodynamics in 1998, reflecting a change in philosophy that had begun for him in the early 1990s. I’ve met few vignerons with energy levels as intense as that of François and I’ve yet to meet anyone with as passionate an attachment to his land. That passion was reflected in our time spent at the estate. Arriving shortly after a quick lunch at a little café in Wettolsheim, we met François at his winery and headed straight out to his vineyards. The sun was setting by the time we returned to the winery, at least four hours having elapsed. During those hours, M. Barmès led us from vineyard to vineyard, expounding on his farming practices, the special characteristics and energy of each plot, the negative effects of conventional farming on the land around his, and on the viticultural trends and climatic tendencies of Alsace in general.
The Vosges, at 1300-1400 meters elevation, lie just to the west of Alsace, creating a natural rain block for the viticultural landscape. Combined with the reflective power of the sun beaming off those hills onto the vineyards below, the climate in Alsace is naturally much warmer and drier than in the German portions of the Rheinland. In spite of that warmth, Alsace, as one of the northernmost wine regions of France (only Champagne is more northerly), sees a low number of sunlight hours throughout the growing season.
To work that limited sunlight to its fullest advantage, Barmès utilizes Double Guyot vine training, with wires placed at 1.8 meters to maximize the sunlight captured by his vines. He seeks naturally low yields in the vineyard, training his vine shoots in a downward arc meant to slow the flow of chlorophyll to the grapes and to promote full foliage development. He does not practice green harvesting, fruit reduction or leaf removal, operating in a belief that vines possess long-term memory and that removing pieces of their whole only redirects energy in confused directions. And it seems to work. His yields average 35-50 hl/ha, low by any reasonable standards and quite low given the Alsace AOC standard of 80 hl/ha.
François Barmès expounding among his vines in the Herrenweg cru
To cope with the dry conditions – he has holdings in the Herrenweg cru, one of the driest vineyard sites in all of France – the estate is farmed completely by hand and, according to Biodynamic principles, with no chemical or synthetic fertilizers. Hand culture, François told us, keeps the soil soft and friable, promoting deep, vertical root growth that allows the vines to reach low water tables, creating natural drought resistance. Standing between his rows in Herrenweg, we could see the beneficial results of his work. Where his neighbors’ soil was gray and compacted, his was brown and soft under foot. It looked alive. Yellow ribbons, used to mark a dead plant, were tied around every third or fourth vine in a neighboring plot. We saw only one or two in Barmès’ entire parcel.
Given the timing of our visit, François spoke in particular of the rigors of the 2003 vintage. Only 200 millimeters of rain fell in Wettolsheim during the entire year, with nary a drop from the end of February through mid-October. Those deep root systems were put to the test and passed, with no damage occurring directly from the drought. That said, his plants did suffer from the intense heat, which averaged 28°C with little night cooling. Sugar levels accelerated so quickly at the end of summer that many producers picked their fruit only 80 days after flowering; 100 days is generally considered the minimum duration for achievement of physiological maturity. Those like Barmès who waited lost some of their fruit to the heat but achieved greater complexity, according to François, in their finished wines.
Looking down from Clos Sand.
We finished the tour of Barmès’ vineyards with a hike up the slope of his most recent acquisition, a parcel called “Clos Sand” located on a steep hillside in a forested corner of Wettolsheim, followed by a drive through the rolling, wall-enclosed cru of Rosenberg. On the way through, François pointed out a parcel where, in 2001, wild boars destroyed 60% of his crop while he was away on a week long vacation. Apparently the pigs favor naturally farmed fruit, as they ignored the neighboring vines owned by conventional growers.
At the Winery:
Back at the winery, François drove home the points he’d been making all afternoon. 95% of the work at the Domaine, he said, is done in the vineyard, only 5% in the cellar. The vineyard is everything to him; the cellar is only for tasting and making sure all goes well. In keeping with that philosophy, Barmès puts only juice into his tanks and barrels. All wines are wild yeast fermented; nothing is ever added other than sulfur, and that only for anti-oxidative purposes after completion of fermentation.
Believing that their fruit and wines should be handled just as gently as the soil in their vineyards, François and Genevieve have constructed a three-level winery. All fruit, after harvest, is brought quickly into the top level, where a vibrating sorting table is used to remove any imperfect clusters before the fruit goes to the pressoir. After pressing is complete, the juice is moved by gravity to the cuves in the level below. Only following a long, slow fermentation and the appropriate aging regimen are the wines moved, again by gravity, to the lowest level where they go through a gentle filtration prior to bottling.
In the Cellar:
By the time François led us to his underground cellars for a tasting, we were all feeling the effects of a long, cold day in the vineyards on top of the day-three creep of jet lag from our recent journey across the Atlantic. We knew that the estate produces a huge array of wines – approximately 30 different cuvées are vinified each year – but we were nonetheless astounded when we saw the array of bottles he’d lined up for us to sample. The dégustation proceeded at a blur, resulting in some rather brief tasting notes.
Our group in Barmès' cellar.
- Pinot Noir “Réserve” 2002
Pinot Noir was planted on the property in the 1950s, at the suggestion of the Marquis d’Angerville following his visit to the vineyards of Wettolsheim. 2002 was a difficult vintage, with a bout of frost in September and rain at harvest. Aged in barrels previously used for the “Vieilles Vignes,” this exhibited pale color, lean texture and smoky, wild red-berry fruit. - Pinot Noir “Vieilles Vignes” 2000
All fruit for the “VV” comes from the Hengst vineyard, from which Pinot Noir is now entitled to Grand Cru status (as of 2006). In any given vintage, it spends between 18-22 months in new barrel. Darker, richer color, with smoky fruit and delicate oak carrying ripe, red and black cherry fruit. Only four barrels made. - Pinot Noir “Réserve” 2003 (from barrel)
Reductive. Apparently, François stated, this is normal at this point in the wine’s evolution. If the reductivity shows only on the nose, it will dissipate with more time in the barrel. Darker, richer and softer fruit relative to the 2002, with lower acidity but good tannin development. - Pinot Noir “Vieilles Vignes” 2003 (from barrel)
Just finished malolactic fermentation (all of the estate’s wines, red and white, go through malo). Big fruit, grapey nose, with high alcohol showing on a sweet finish.
Before moving on to the white line-up, our host described what he sees as three distinct families of white fruit types in the Alsace vignoble: mineral (Riesling, Silvaner), oxidative (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris), and aromatic (Gewurztraminer, Pinot Auxerrois, Muscat).
- Pinot Blanc Rosenberg 2001
Limestone, sandstone and flint dominate the soil in Rosenberg. Rich yellow color. Ripe, melon and orchard fruit on palate, balanced by better acidity than I remembered from the 2000 bottling.
Wettolsheim as seen from the Rosenberg vineyard. - Pinot Blanc Rosenberg 2002
Drier, leaner and more mineral than the 2001. - Riesling Rosenberg 2002
Lean, dry, mineral and apple driven fruit. Bold, spicy aromatics. Very bright acidity. - Riesling Herrenweg 2002
Herrenweg is a very flat, extremely dry and warm site on the southern end of Turckheim. Richer, more woodsy and piney aromatics (typical of Herrenweg, according to FB) relative to the Rosenberg, along with a broader, rounder mouthfeel. - Riesling Pfleck 2002
Situated in Wettolsheim. Oilier, richer fruit with a dense structure. - Riesling Leimenthal 2001
Huge lemon-lime aromatics followed by citrus, fennel and licorice on the palate. Leimenthal, in Wettolsheim, is an extremely terroir driven site with multiple strata of calcareous soils. - Riesling Grand Cru Steingrubler 2002
Also in Wettolsheim. Round, spicy apricot fruit. Very rich. Ripe for the vintage. - Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 2002
Hengst, located in Wintzenheim at the northern reaches of Barmès’ holdings, is arguably one of the best known of Alsace Grand Cru sites. Of its 60 hectares, Domaine Barmès-Buecher owns one. François had bottled this only one week prior to our visit, based on a specific point of the lunar cycle: “As the moon influences the tides, so the wines….” Very closed and a bit awkward but rich and promising.
- Edelzwicker “Sept Grains” 2002
Backing up from tasting notes for a moment, this wine bears some explanation. In a simple sense, it falls under the catch-all term of Edelzwicker, used in Alsace to identify blends that are often made of a little bit of everything a producer grows, nearly always with the unspoken suggestion of leftovers. “Sept Grains,” though, is a wine made not from leftover juice but rather from the free-run fluids which are released by his grapes as they pass along the sorting table on their way into the winery. It’s not uncommon for the skins of fully ripe fruit to be near bursting point at harvest time, so Barmès devised a method, using his sorting table, to capture the fluids that are inevitably released and funnel them to a cuve where fermentation begins naturally. As each picking, of various varieties and from various plots, comes into the winery, this free-run juice is added to the vat. By the end of the process, there is a blend which naturally reflects the conditions of the vintage. Based on the vintage-specific physiological qualities of each variety, one year the wine may be dominated by aromatic varieties, in another the oxidative or mineral grapes may dominate. In any case, FB views this as a non-terroir wine, as there is essentially no pressing or skin contact involved in the winemaking practice.
The 2002 suggested peaches, red berries, white pepper and sappy green wood, along with passion fruit and a hint of sweatiness. In most vintages, the wine is a touch off-dry and makes an easy pairing with aromatic Asian dishes. It’s also not a bad choice for the Thanksgiving table. - Pinot Gris Herrenweg 2002
Spicy and lush, with delicious cinnamon-apple fruit. - Pinot Gris Pfleck 2002
This was Barmès’ first vintage of Pinot Gris from the Pfleck cru. Deep golden in hue with more wood showing on the nose than with the Herrenweg. Honey and sweet orange marmalade in the mouth. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Silicis” 2002
So named for the soil base in a particular plot of Rosenberg. Cola nut on the nose, followed by spices and sea air. Rich and slightly off-dry, with a long, long finish. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Calcarius” 2001
This cuvee comes from a parcel of calcareous soil within Rosenberg. Botrytis on the nose. Honey, white peaches, flowers and green figs. Fat in texture yet bright in flavor. Seriously tasty. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Calcarius” 2002
Less honeyed, spicier than the 2001. Less botrytis showing on the otherwise lovely nose. Hints of vanilla on the palate. - Muscat Ottonel 2002
All lilacs and citrus oil. FB considers Ottonel a much more distinctive vine and wine than Muscat d’Alsace. He also finds it very risky to farm; if the temperature drops below 12°C at flowering, the entire crop is lost. - Gewurztraminer Herrenweg 2002
Heavily herbal and musky. Fuzzy green herbs, thyme and cannabis on the nose. Slightly bitter finish. Not an easy wine yet very interesting in the context of possible food pairings. - Gewurztraminer Rosenberg 2002
Herbal again – oregano and dried herbs. This was the first vintage produced from a plot of young, nine-year-old vines. - Gewurztraminer Wintzenheim 2002
Herbs no more. Quince and white flowers on the nose. A small percentage of botrytis. Fat, ripe orchard fruit flavors led to a long, rich finish. - Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Steingrübler 2002
Lean aromatic and flavor profiles, with a distillate-like nose that reminds me of Pineau des Charentes. Orange confit and caramelized sugar hints. This was previously FB’s least favorite cru though he was, as of 2002, starting to come into a better understanding of this Grand Cru slope in Wettolsheim. - Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Pfersigberg 2002
Pfersigberg is a grand cru of limestone, clay and marl soil situated in the commune of Eguisheim. Powerful and incredibly aromatic, with bright and lively acidity heralding a long finish. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Vendange Tardive” 1999
Rich amber color. Intense aromas of butterscotch, crème brulée and a raisined grapiness. On the palate, ripe melon fruit, exotic tea, caraway and rye. 180 grams of residual sugar. M. Barmès felt the bottle was a bit advanced, perhaps due to a slightly faulty cork. - Muscat Ottonel “Sélection Grains Nobles” 2000
99% botrytis. Pure decadence on the nose. Super viscous, drink it with a spoon texture. Dark wildflower honey and citrus confit. - Pinot Gris Rosenberg “Calcarius” Sélection Grains Nobles 2000
Bottled, after a full three years of fermentation, at 6.7% alcohol and a whopping 550 grams of residual sugar. Pure fig conserves. Rich, brooding and earthy with low acid and immense texture. - Riesling “Tradition” 2002 (from vat)
Back upstairs on the winery level, we tasted one last wine, something light and crisp to revive our palates. The Riesling “Tradition” is produced from fruit grown outside any of the crus and is meant to show the general typicity of the region. The 2002 had not yet finished its fermentation. Shutdown by the winter cold, fermentation would start anew with the coming of spring.
* * *
Addendum, August 2009: Video clips of biodynamic preparation and field work at Domaine Barmès-Buecher.
Addendum, August 2009: Video clips of biodynamic preparation and field work at Domaine Barmès-Buecher.
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x94igu_domaine-barmes-buecher-preparation_webcam&related=1]
Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Préparation 500
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Mixing and dynamizing biodynamic preparation 500 (horn manure), to be sprayed in the vineyards.Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Préparation 500
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x9k3s7_domaine-barmes-buecher-compost-2009_webcam&related=1]
Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Compost 2009
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Adding compost preparations such as yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian to the estate’s biodynamic compost heap on the slopes of the Grand Ballon.Domaine Barmès-Buecher - Compost 2009
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x96ols_domaine-barmes-buecher-travaux-de-p_webcam&related=1]
Domaine Barmès-Buecher – Travaux de Printemps
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Spring work in the vineyard – turning the soil, cutting the superficial vine roots to encourage deep, vertical root growth, and pruning foliage to encourage airflow and balance.Domaine Barmès-Buecher – Travaux de Printemps
Uploaded by barmesbuecher
Posted by David McDuff 4 comments @
Labels: Alsace, Barmès-Buecher, Biodynamics, François Barmès, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Tales from the Crypt, Winery Profile
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)