On
the fifth day of Unit 2 in The Intensive Sommelier Training at the
International Culinary Center we studied the regions south of Côte
d’Or in Burgundy – Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, Beaujolais, Jura and
Savoie.
There
are two primary texts for this course - The Sommelier Prep Course by Michael Gibson and The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson. I read these
books twice before the course began and I am going through them again making
notes cards along the way. I am also reading Wine by Andre Domine. It is 887 pages and the book is 8.5x12. It is
HUGE. The section on France is over 300 pages!
Students are expected to have completed the required readings
and take notes during the 2-hour lecture before we taste any wines. Anything in
the required reading or the lecture could be on the Unit Exams or the Final
Exam. But, as mentioned in the previous review, during the lecture a list of
Learning Objectives is provided “By the end of class, students should be able to…” which helps us
get to the nuts of bolts of what we are supposed to be learning and what can be
expected at the Certified Sommelier level. But, along the way the instructors
(who are all Master Sommeliers) will also give us a hint as to what would be
expected at the Advanced and Master levels as well.
I
provided background information on Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais in the previous post “Unit 2 - Day 3: Burgundy, Chablis andCôte d’Or White Wine” so in this review I’ll only discuss Jura, Savoie, cover the course objectives and review the wines.
Jura
Jura
is not part of Burgundy but is tucked between Burgundy and Switzerland around
Lake Geneva. It has a cool continental climate which means ripeness is at a
premium and like Germany and Austria, many vineyards are planted on hillsides
and utilize waterways to capture reflected rays from the sun. The top AOC appellation
of Jura is Arbois where white wines are made from Chardonnay and red wines from
Trousseau (also known as Trousseau Noir or Bastardo in Portugal) and
the name is from Old French trusse, meaning “a bundle” which is derived
from the shape of the bunch, it looks “packed up”.[1]
They
also produce reds and rosé from Poulsard (Plousard) and Pinot Noir. Poulsard is a dark-skinned noir grape, but the skins are very thin with low amounts of color (phenols).
Consequently it produces very pale colored red wines, even with extended
maceration and can be used to produce white wines. Because of this, Poulsard is
often blended with other red-skin varieties or used to produce lightly colored rosé
wines. Additionally the grape is used to make blanc de noir white wines
and sparkling cremants.
What
makes Jura unique is the styles of wines that have developed in the area. The
most well-known is vin jaune where late harvest Savagnin grapes are picked,
fermented and aged in barrels for 6 years or more. During this time they
experience evaporation and yeast develops (similar to Sherries) producing
intensely caramelized and nutty wines. This is the only style allowed in the
AOC appellation of Château-Chalon, where it is their specialty, but it also produced in all of
Jura’s appellations.
Another
unique wine is vin de paille which is made from grapes left on mats to dry to
concentrate flavors and alcohol before they are fermented. The region also
produces the sparkling wine Crémant de Jura.
Savoie (Savoy)
Savoy
is located due east of Burgundy and southeast of Jura. The French Alps dominate
the landscape of Savoie so the winemaking regions are dispersed throughout the
area and isolated from each other.
Most
of the wine produced in Savoie is simply labeled with the AOC Vin de Savoie
which covers a lot of grapes and styles. The primary focus is on white wines
such as Chasselas (AOC Crépy-en-Valois) and Roussette (Seyssel). The top red grape of the region is Mondeuse which produces
lighter spicy wines.
Important
regions within Savoie are the Bugey and Roussette du Bugey
which were elevated to Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status in
May 2009. A
high proportion of Bugey wine is white from Chardonnay, but rosé, red and
sparkling wines are also produced from Gamay and the aromatic white variety
Altesse, locally called Roussette. Vineyards of the two Bugey appellations
cover around 500 hectares (1,200 acres) spread over 67 communes in the
department of Ain.
Learning Objectives of Unit 2 - Day 5: Chalonnaise To Beaujolais
At
the beginning of class lectures a list of learning objectives is provided to
the students. By the end of the class, the students should have a certain
degree of understanding from their own reading and the lectures and be able to
provide the answers to list of questions. Learning Objectives for Unit 2 - Day 5
along with the answers are as follows.
By
the end of class, students should be able to:
(1)
Suggest wines from the AOC of the Chalonnaise
Answer: Brac
De La Perrier Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise
(2)
Suggest wines from the well-known AOCs of the Mâconnais
Answer: 2011 Robert Denogent “Les Reisses” Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles
Vignes
(3)
Discuss the character of the red grape of Beaujolais
Answer: Gammay, characteristic fruit aromas are red cherries and strawberries,
often with boiled candy (bubble gum) and banana notes.
(4)
Describe the production/style difference of Beaujolais Nouveau.
Answer: They use carbonic maceration, where the grapes undergo
intracellular fermentation of sugar into alcohol before being crushed, and then
standard fermentation. It gives the wine certain aromas like bananas or pear
drop.
(5)
Propose a Cru Beaujolais to your guest with vintage and
producer.
Answer: 2011 Marcel
Lapierre - Morgon Cuvee MMXI
(6)
State the best soil type of Beaujolais
Answer: Granite based soil called Schist
(7)
Explain to your guest the difference between Rully and Reuilly.
Answer: Rully: In
Challonais, Burgundy the red wine is Pinot Noir and white wine from Chardonnay.
Reuilly: Central Vineyards, Loire
Valley. The red wine is Pinot Noir and the white wine is from Sauvignon Blanc.
(8)
Explain to your guest the wines of St. Aubin and St. Véran.
Answer: St. Aubin is in Cote de Beaune. St. Veran overlaps Beaujolais
and appellation Maconnais.
(9) Describe the attributes
of any wine we tasted today.
Answer: See below
The Wines
On
the fifth day of Unit 2 we tasted the following 9 wines:
1. 2011 A. et P. de
Villaine Aligoté Bouzeron
Our first was wine was an Aligoté which I had never
experienced before so I didn’t have a basis for comparison. If tasted blind it
seemed like just a run-of-the-mill white wine with some citrus notes and high
acidity.
Aligoté is a white varietal that is made for still or sparkling wine,
called Crémant de Bourgogne. In the varietal appellation Bourgogne Aligoté AOC
up to 15% Chardonnay grapes may also be blended in. It is also used for making
a cocktail kir (also known as vin blanc cassis in French) in which
cassis is added to an Aligoté white wine. Aligoté is often planted only in the
poorer vineyard sites at the tops and bottoms of the slopes and it is more
tolerant to the cold. The grape ripens early with moderate yields and produces
wines high in acidity. The village of Bouzeron is considered to
represent the region’s finest examples of the variety with the appellation Bouzeron-Aligoté AOC. Aligoté is also used to acidity and structure
to other varieties when blended. The grape is often blended with
Sacy to complement its acidity
The
2011 A. et P. de Villaine Aligoté Bouzeron is clear, light straw in color, day-bright
with medium viscosity. Clean, subtle aromas of lemons, honeysuckle, hints of
almonds and celery. On the palate, it is dry with medium+ to high acidity,
light body, medium alcohol, and a medium length finish with notes of chalk.
This wine retails for about $25.
2. 2011 Andre et Michel
Quenard, Jacquère, Les Abymes
Our second wine was a Jacquère,
another varietal that I had never tasted before so I didn’t have a basis for
comparison. It also seemed like rather normal white wine with some citrus notes
and high acidity that would pair well with fish or light salads. It
is a
variety of white grape found primarily in the Savoy wine region of France. It
is a high-yielding vine variety which is used to produce lightly scented,
rather neutral dry white wine, such as Vin de Savoie.
The
2011 Andre et Michel Quenard, Jacquère, Les Abymes is a clear white wine, light
straw, star-bright, with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with
moderate aromas of green apples, white grapefruit, lemons and chalk. On the
palate it is dry with medium+ acidity, medium body, medium+ alcohol and a
medium length finish. This wine retails for about $14.
3. 2012 Jean-Francois Anne de
la Biguerne Chignin, Savoie
Chignin is a named cru of the Vin
de Savoie appellation in the Savoie region of eastern France. It is named after
the village of Chignin, which is located immediately south-east of
Chambery. Red wines from Chignin may be made from Mondeuse, Gamay and
Pinot Noir, but may also contain up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
and Persan – a variety unique to Savoie. Chignin white wines are made
predominantly from Jacquere and are dry and light in style. The best known Chignin
white wines are made from Roussanne.
The
2012 Jean-Pierre et Jean-Francois Quenard Chignin-Bergeron Les Damoiselles,
Savoie is made from Roussanne, a white-wine grape named after its skin color
which has a reddish-gold pigment that equates to the French word roux
(meaning ‘russet’, or ‘reddish-brown’). The variety originated in the northern Rhône Valley
and I have had numerous wines from its home as well as from California.
The
white is clear, straw-yellow, day-bright with medium viscosity. On the nose it
is clean with moderate to pronounced aromas of golden apples, ripe bananas,
hints of turmeric, and crushed rock. On the palate it is dry with medium body,
moderate acidity, medium+ alcohol and a medium+ length finish. In comparisons
to Roussannes
I have experienced in California, this wine is lighter in body, isn’t quite as
tropical, has slightly more acidity and has more minerality. This
wine retails for about $14.
4. 2011 Bouchard Pere &
Fils, Pouilly-Fuisse
This
wine is made from 100% Chardonnay. It is a clean white wine, yellow-gold in
color with a tinge of green around the edge and medium+ viscosity. On the nose
it has medium intense aromas of bruised apples, canned pears, melon, and honey
followed by vanilla, Crème brûlée, and a hint of butter. On the palate it has medium to
medium+ acidity, medium body with a round mouth-feel, moderate alcohol, medium+
complexity and a medium length finish with lingering hazelnuts. Overall this
wine has great balance and unique old-world character unobtainable from
California soil. This wine retails for about $30.
5. 2011 Domaine Labet Côtes du Jura Fleur de
Savagnin Vin Ouille
This wine is made from 100% Savagnin, a grape
I had not previously experienced. It is a variety of white wine grape with green-skinned berries and
is mostly grown in the Jura region of France.
The
wine is clear, day-bright, with a tint of green around the edges, low
concentration and low rim viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate to
powerful aromas of bananas, quince, baked apples, with notes of vanilla, a waft of banana
bread, hints of parmesan cheese and hazelnuts. On the palate it is dry with
medium acidity, medium body and alcohol and moderate+ complexity and a medium
length finish. This wine retails for about $20 to $30.
6. 2012 Lapierre, Raisins
Gaulois, Beaujolias
This
wine is made 100% from the Gamay grape. The wine is clear, day-bright, ruby-red
at the core to pink at the rim, medium concentration and medium viscosity. The wine has aromas
of pomegranates, cooked cherries, raspberries, roses and a hint of spice. On the palate it is dry
with medium to medium+ acidity, medium body, medium tannins and moderate alcohol
with medium complexity and a medium length finish with notes of fresh cherries,
dry earth, herbs and spice. I’m not the biggest fan of Beaujolias
and I have tasted this wine before, but this time it was served slightly cooler
than before and so the fruit seemed more vibrant and fresher so it was actually
a decent wine. This wine retails for about $13.
7. 2011 Jean Foillard
Morgon Côte du Py
This
wine is 100% Gamay from Beaujolais from organically farmed vines planted on
Schist, Granite, and Manganese.[2] It is clear, day-bright,
ruby red at the core to pink with medium rim variation, concentration and
viscosity. On the nose it has some subtle notes of volatile acidity and Brettanomyces and while
it doesn’t overwhelm the fruit it was the first thing I noticed. The wine is
clear, ruby-red at the core to pink at the rim with medium concentration and
viscosity. On the nose it has aromas of cherries, pomegranates, cranberries, red
licorice, dry earth, a hint of herbs and cedar. On the palate the wine is dry
with medium tannins, medium to medium+ acidity, medium body and a medium length
finish. This wine retails for about $34.
8. 2009 Domaine Mouton, Givry 1er Cry, La Grande Berge
This
is wine is 100% Pinot Noir. It is a clear ruby-red wine, day bright with minor
rim variation of garnet at the rim, medium concentration and medium viscosity. On
the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of earth, smoke, mushrooms, and
potpourri up front followed by dark cherries, dried cinnamon stick and dried
herbs. On the palate it is silky on entry, it has medium tannins, and medium+
acidity. It is well balanced as the earth, spice and fruit really come together
in a complex finish medium + length finish. I search around the internet for a
price this wine, but I find it difficult to believe that this wine sells for
only $15.[3]
9. 2005 Benedicte and
Stephane Tissot, Arbois, Vin Jaune, En Spois, Jura
This
wine is a truly unique made from the Savignin grape in the Jura region of South
eastern France. This was the first time I had experience this wine and it
reminds me of a cross between a fino sherry and a meursault. It is sold in an odd bottle called a
clavelin.
It
a clear white wine, solid gold in color with no rim variation, and medium+
viscosity. On the nose it has powerful aromas of dried oranges, dried apricots,
caramel, brown sugar, honey and a hint of saffron. On the palate it is dry
silky with volatile sharp acidity, high alcohol which provides a touch of
sweetness and it has a very long finish with notes of butterscotch and
lingering hazelnuts. This wine retails for about $59.
[1] If you do a Google image search for Trousseau the first thing
that appears are wedding dresses. There is a company that makes bridal dresses
who goes by the name Modern Trousseau, trousseau being another name for the
outfit of a bride, apparently the shape of the bunch apparently looks “packed
up” like a wedding dress. Searching for its other well-known synonym “Bastardo”
will give you a picture of a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies named
Antonio Bastardo.
[2]
http://kermitlynch.com/our_wines/jean-foillard/
[3]
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dom+mouton+gerard+la+grand+berge+rouge+givry+premier+cru+cote+chalonnaise+burgundy
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