Tag Archives: Mâconnais

60 Second Wine Review — Domaine des Pins St. Amour Les Pierres

A few quick thoughts on the 2015 Domaine des Pins Les Pierres from the Beaujolais cru of St. Amour.

The Geekery

Founded by Jean-Francois Echallier, Domaine des Pins was sold in 2011 to David Gobet, a family friend. The Les Pierres bottling is made in partnership with the Pardon family who have been making wine in Beaujolais since 1820.

One of the 10 crus of Beaujolais, St. Amour is unique for being in the Saône-et-Loire department of the Mâconnais. The rest of the crus (and greater Beaujolais region) are all in the Rhône department.

The Les Pierres is 100% Gamay produced with 50-80% semi-carbonic maceration where whole clusters of grapes are loaded into a fermentation tank that is then sealed. Since the the tank is not pre-filled with carbon dioxide to initiate an intracellular fermentation, this process is only a “semi” carbonic maceration. However, as the weight of the grapes crush the clusters underneath and release juice, native yeast start fermentation–filling the closed tank with carbon dioxide. This triggers carbonic maceration for the intact berries higher up in the tank.

Among the distinctive aromas produced by carbonic maceration, particularly in grapes like Gamay, are fruity esters such as benzaldehyde that produce cherry kirsch aromas and ethyl cinnamate that encourage raspberry and strawberry notes.

The Wine

Photo by ShakataGaNai. Released on Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-SA-3.0

Bright, juicy cherry notes characterize this wine.

Medium intensity nose. Cherries and raspberries with some spice and floral notes.

On the palate those red fruit notes come through but bring an herbal (rosemary and thyme), rather than spicy, element with them that wasn’t present on the nose. With the medium-plus acidity those notes take on a savory quality that is intriguing. Medium tannins have some grip but balances well with the medium-plus body fruit. Moderate length finish brings back the floral notes but lingers on the cherry flavors.

The Verdict

At $15-20, this is certainly a step up from your basic Beaujolais. However, it has enough character to more than merit the jump.

Charming and easy drinking, this wine lends itself easily to food pairing though it is quite enjoyable on its own.

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60 Second Wine Review — Louis Bouillot Extra Brut

A few quick thoughts on the Louis Bouillot Extra Brut Cremant de Bourgogne.

The Geekery

The sparkling wine house of Louis Bouillot was founded in 1877 in the Burgundy wine village of Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Tom Stevenson and Essi Avellan note in the Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine that the house owns around 50 acres of vineyards but works with over 70 growers throughout the Côte d’Or as well as in the Côte Chalonnaise, the Mâconnais and Chablis.

Since 1997, the house has been a part of the Boisset Collection along with other notable Burgundian houses like Bouchard Aîné & Fils, Domaine de la Vougeraie, Ropiteau Frères and the California estates of Raymond Vineyards, Buena Vista Winery, DeLoach Vineyards and Lyeth Estate.

The Limited Edition Extra Brut is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Gamay and Aligoté. The wine spent 30 months aging on its lees (well above the 9 months minimum required for regular non-vintage Cremant de Bourgogne and 12 months required for NV Champagnes) before being bottled with a dosage of 6 g/l.

The Wine

High intensity nose. A mix of ripe apples and lemons with toasty pastry. There is also a white floral note that adds a sweet smelling element–honeysuckle?

Photo by Tomwsulcer. Released on Wikimedia Commons under CC-Zero

Perfect balance of apple fruit and toastiness in this dry sparkler.

On the palate, the apple notes come through the most and with the toastiness reminds me of a freshly baked apple turnover with some cinnamon spice. Noticeably dry I would have pegged the dosage more in the 3 g/l range. Impeccably well balanced with fresh lively acidity and silky smooth mousse. Long finish brings the lemon notes back with them being more zesty than fruity.

The Verdict

At around $20-25, this is a fantastic sparkling wine that would put many of the grocery store level NV Champagne brands in the $35-45 range to shame. I’ve long been a fan of Cremant de Bourgogne (and Louis Bouillot in particular–especially their rose sparkler) but this Extra Brut takes it to another level.

Being a limited edition, it will be hard to find but well worth the hunt.

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