Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Two videos of Languedoc-Roussillon

Couple of great videos:

Collioure (heart of the Collioure AOC and Banyuls AOC, both in Roussillon, right next to the Spanish border)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqFNkOvveNE&feature=related

Languedoc-Roussillon, one of the most exciting wine region of France today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tZxOazYQ7g


A bientot..

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Sweet Languedoc-Roussillon Wine Class

The three colors of Vins Doux Naturels

A Vin Doux Naturel is a style of fortified wine made from grapes with a naturally high sugar content. The fermentation process is manually stopped and a neutral alcohol (from the same grapes) is added to the wine. Those grape sugars not converted to alcohol by the action of yeast provide the sweetness. The added grape spirit more than compensates for the reduced conversion of the grape sugars to alcohol.

The Vins Doux Naturels of the Languedoc are:
•Muscats de Frontignan
•Muscat de Lunel
•Muscat de Mireval
•Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois
•Those white wines are produced with the two Muscat varieties Muscat d’Alexandrie and the higher quality Muscat à petits grains.

The Vins Doux Naturels of the Roussillon are:
•Rivesaltes (red and white)
•Muscat de Rivesaltes (white)
•Maury (red and white)
•Banyuls (red, rose and white)
•Banyuls Grand Cru (red)

•The Muscat grapes are perhaps the oldest vitis vinifera variety in the world, native to Greece. Used in the Rivesaltes AOC for its sweet desert wine. Grenache Blanc, Malvoisie du Roussillon and Macabeo are also included in the white blends for the AOCs that do not have “Muscat” in the title.

•Red Vins Doux Naturels from the Roussillon are mainly made from Grenache and are rich and powerful in flavors of fig, coffee, black tea, hazelnut, and chocolate.
•There is 50% Grenache noir grape in the blend.
•Banyuls Grand Cru: Contains a minimum of 75% Grenache noir, considered the best variety for these wines.
Carignan Cinsault and Syrah are also permitted.
•They must be aged in oak for at least 30 months.

We Tasted tonight:
2007 Clos du Gravillas "Douce Providence" Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois
Taste of pineapple, floral nose, honeyed structure and lots of minerality. Delicious aperitif or served with roquefort cheese.
1979 Cuvée Amedee Rivesaltes
The color is a translucent tawny brown and there is a lot of complexity to savor on the nose, from sappy maple, currant and spiced orange through to toffee and licorice.
1989 Banyuls Grand Cru, L’Etoile
The palate is a delight, with its elegance, great finesse and flavors grilled hazelnut, tobacco, and cocoa blended with crystallized fruits.
It is a well balanced wine ready to serve with a chocolate dessert, coffee or a cigar...

Map of Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence
Map of the Vins Doux Naturels from the Languedoc-Roussillon

Monday, September 28, 2009

French Wine Tasting on the Rooftop in San Fancisco (9/28/2009)

Thank you Christy for hosting this great event with your Stanford Alumni Group.

Line up was:

Vouvray Sec, Sylvain Gaudron 2007
100% Chenin Blanc (as for all whites in the Middle Loire Valley)
Finesse, minerality and power. Notes of ripe peach, honey, apricot and classic Vouvray minerality and flint. Small amount of residual sugar.

Bourgogne Blanc, Chateau du Chatelard 2008
100% Chardonnay (as for all whites in Burgundy)
Notes of white flowers like acacia paired with scents of vanilla. Toasty oak tones that extend into a very long, complex and subtle finish.

Cotes de Provence, Domaine de Brigue 2008
50% Grenache - 30% Cabernet Sauvignon - 20% Cinsault
Brilliant and crystalline color, with a nose full of fresh peaches and wild strawberries including hints of white blossoms and spice. In the mouth it is just as delightful with flavors of peach and cantaloupe surrounding a bright, dry, mineral acidity.

Cotes du Rhone (organic), Domaine des Carabiniers 2007
50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% cinsault
Rich, ripe, round, deeply satisfying and full-bodied. Bursting with lovely, intense black currant, spice and game notes

Bordeaux Medoc, Chateau Le Barrail 2004
55% Cabernet Sauvignon – 45% Merlot
Deep color, ripe with a very fruity nose. This wine has been aged for 12 months in oak barrels, including 25% new.

Bordeaux Sainte Croix du Mont, Chateau La Grave 1998
90% Semillion - 10% Sauvignon Blanc
This classic Sainte-Croix is full and generous, almost buttery in texture at times, but in addition has a great acidity and an impressive structure which gives it a great potential for ageing.

Alsace Tasting at PariSoMa (Sept 25, 2009)

Dark berries, medium-bodied and plenty of minerality. Another great value Pinot Noir from Alsace
Tasting Location (once a month)
1436 Howard St (between 10th St & 11th St) San Francisco (http://www.parisoma.com/)

France Summer 2009 (Last 2 days: Paris)

France Summer 2009 (Day 9&10: Beaujolais, Champagne & Normandy)

France Summer 2009 (Day 6,7 & 8: Riviera, Provence & Rhone)

France Summer 2009 (Day 4&5: Sancerre, Rhone, Marseille)

France Summer 2009 (Day 2&3: Loire Valley)

France Summer 2009 (Day 1: New York, Paris & Normandy)

Tailgate Party Terroir-style

D Tasting Group

BBQ wines in Sacramento, Tunisian style

Aurelien Farewell Dinner

Alliance Francaise Jura Wine Class

Alliance Francaise Savoie Wine Class

BBQ wines in Sausalito

Top Burger

Dinner with Raymong, Rusty et Peter

Last night at Applewood in Brooklyn

Traveling to and drinking wines of Morocco

Port4lio Trade Tasting

Wine Dinner at Cote Sud

Wine Dinner at Fleur de Lys

Life at Soizic / Mua in Oakland

Wine Dinner 2 at La Folie

Wine Dinner 1 at La Folie

Wine Dinner at Yabbies

Bordeaux Wine Class at Saint Supery

Alliance Francaise South West Wine Class

Alliance Francaise Loire Wine Class

Alliance Francaise Champagne Wine Class

Alliance Francaise Rhone Wine Class

Alliance Francaise Bordeaux Wine Class (6/9 - 7/15/2009)

California Wine Country 2009

Champagne, September 07'

France Italy 08 - Part 4

France Italy 08 - Part 3

France Italy 08 - Part 2

France Italy 08


Old Blog: InVinoSF

IN VINO SAN FRANCISCO (www.invinosf.com)
Bordeaux
Left Bank
AOC Listrac-Medoc
AOC Medoc
Right Bank
AOC Bordeaux Superieur
AOC Pomerol
AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Loire Valley
AOC Pouilly Fume
South West
AOC Armagnac
AOC Madiran
Archives
September 2007
July 2007
Recent Posts
Saint-Emilion - July 17th, 2007
Pomerol - July 17, 2007
Claude Michot (Pouilly Fumé) - July 23, 2007
Chateau Peyros - July 21st, 2007
Chateau Laubade (Bas-Armagnac) - July 20th - 21st, 2007
Chateau Cap Leon Veyrin and Chateau Bibian - July 19th, 2007
Chateau Lagravette Lacombe - July 18th, 2007
Chateau Cadillac - July 17th, 2007