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Tomorrow (now today!) we will be hosting an impromptu wine tasting with our good friend and esteemed author, Wink Lorch! For anyone who shares our passion for Jura and Savoie wines, Wink's is a household name, as her books remain THE reference for the histories and biographies of the region's best estates. We are big fans and are very happy to host her as she passes through New York for a brief visit along with some Savoie producers.
Though we weren't able to organize a big tasting, we are excited to have Didier Berthollier in store alongside Wink, as we will learn about all things Chignin.
The Berthollier estate dates back to the original farm that was founded in 1850 by Marius Tissot (there are a lot of Tissots in the region!). Consistenly a polyculture farm with a small surface of vines, Didier and Denis' grandfather, Victor Berthollier, first began bottling wines under the family name in 1960. Previous to this, the tradition in the region was the "VRAC" system, where locals would bring their own jugs and fill them directly from large tonneaus. The current generation, brothers Denis and Didier, have been writing the newest chapter for the family, veering away from the use of chemical products in the vineyard and focusing on their prized plots in the foothills of the Savoyarde Mountain. They stopped with chemical treatments in 2011 and are now certified organic and introducing Biodynamic principles as well.
The Berthollier wines are balanced, charming, and truly representative of the Savoie. Denis and Didier work with the quintessential local grapes, Jacquere, Roussette de Savoie (Altesse) and Bergeron (Roussanne), along with Mondeuse, Persan, Gamay and Pinot Noir. We've tasted the four wines that will be featured tomorrow, and were immediately impressed with the textbook aromatic profiles, and mineral expression of the wines. This will be a fantastic tasting to attend for anyone curious about Savoie wines, and a lineup that will surely help to prepare us for the Spring months ahead!
Wink will have some copies of her "Wines of the French Alps" book on hand, and we've convinced our former colleague and contestant for the Biggest Savoie Fan in NYC, David Hatzapoulos, to come and pour the delicious red, "Paroxysme" from Cellier de Baraterie. A blend of Gamay, Pinot Noir and Mondeuse, the Paroxsyme is a luscious red that should follow nicely after the Berthollier wines. Additional unannounced bottles may be opened, depending on what we find in the cellar!
The Wine tasting with Wink Lorch and Didier Berthollier is free and open to the public, from 5-7pm this Friday, March 10th!
Denis & Didier Berthollier 2021 Chignin Vieilles Vignes (Jacquere)
From the hillsides of Chignin in the Combe de Savoie, this Jacquère is made with 50 year old vines. The Berthollier brothers come from a long line of winemakers and we're proud to carry this lovely 2021 bottling. The color is bright yellow in the glass. On the nose, bright lemony fruit and spicy herbs are accented by pepper and salinity. A touch of peach blossom adds a delicate touch. The palate is zingy with limestone and tangy stone fruit. With air, the wine takes on exceptional weight, gaining a terrific swish. Outstandingly drinkable - be careful or you'll finish it all in one sitting! -DH
Denis & Didier Berthollier 2020 Chignin Bergeron 'La Coulee de Prosperpine' (Bergeron)
'La Coulée de Prosperpine' is a Chignin Bergeron (known more widely as Roussanne), which expresses the more austere, alpine side of the variety. Very light and subtle on the nose, with notes of fresh and dried herbs, it gains some depth with air and reveals white apricot and lemon notes. The vines are well-drained clay and limestone on an almost entirely vertical hillside at the foot of the Savoyarde Mountain. Aging is in stainless steel, preserving the freshness and cut of the wine.
Denis & Didier Berthollier 2020 Savoie Rouge 'Sel de Marius' Pinot/Gamay
'Sel de Marius' is a charming red from the Berthollier family vines in Chignin. As they explain on their website, this is an homage to their great great (great?) grandfather, Marius, who worked the Gamay vines behind the house with his trusty pickaxe and classic beret into his final days. A blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir, whole cluster for the former, destemmed for the latter, the fermenation and aging is without SO2 and only a miniscule amount is added before bottling. Very pretty on the nose, this is on the shier side of ripe, and is overall quite lean, with lovely red fruit from the Pinot Noir framed by a touch of rusticity and minerality from the Gamay. This is a perfect red for the Spring and we will keep it stocked as long as we can! We were really happy with this wine and overall really impressed with the price to quality.
Denis & Didier Berthollier 2020 Appellation Mondeuse Protégée 'Et ma Goutte de...'
Tasting this bottling of Mondeuse from the Bertholliers, one can clearly understand how this ancient variety is a parent of Syrah. The aromatics are undeniably similar, with notes of roasted meat, blackberry and blackcurrant. It's lightly tannic and spicy, but weighing in at 11% alcohol, it's effortlessly easy to drink, and should be a perfect accompaniment to any Spring (or Summer) time barbeques and would also pair perfectly with regional cheeses like Tome des Bauges or Reblochon.Grapes are hand-harvested, half destemmed and half whole cluster, and macerated for 10 days before aging for 12 months in demi-muids and stainless.
Cellier de Baraterie 2020 Vin de Savoie Paroxysme
Paroxysme is a lush red from Cellier de Baraterie in the Savoie. A blend of mostly Pinot Noir and Gamay, with 10% Mondeuse from certified organic vineyards of clay and limestone soil in the Combe de Savoie, it's a versatile light-to-medium-bodied red. The juice is naturally fermented in stainless steel and fiberglass vats, then aged in steel, which helps preserve freshness and lift. As we find with many Savoie reds (especially ones that contain some Mondeuse in the blend), there is an attractive rusticity and suggestion of dark fruit on the nose, but elegance and relatively light body on the palate. Drink with a light chill!