Bargains for Your Basement - The Superb 2009 Bourgueil's of Stephane Guion!
10/10/11 -
(Stephane Guion, Photo: D. Lillie)
Chambers Street takes great pride in offering affordable wines that will age well, giving that unique experience of drinking a complex, mature wine from your own cellar or storage. Consider the Saint-Josephs from Gonon and Barou, Barolos from Burlotto, Burgundies from Rapet and Lafouge, Chinons from Baudry, Muscadets from Pepiere and Luneau-Papin and dozens more. Foremost among these great values however might be the 2009 Bourgueils of Stephane Guion, which have just arrived again at CSW. Domaine Guion, in the village of Benais, was started by Stephane's parents in the 1950's and was converted to organic agriculture in 1965. Stephane, who received an oenological degree and then worked in Bordeaux and Chinon, made his first wine in 1990 and has maintained the organic methods of his parents, using only the natural treatments allowed by Ecocert. He plows in the spring and once in early summer, leaving vegetation the rest of the year. Harvesting is by hand and fermentations are with only wild yeasts, with no sulfites added. (There are no sulfites added at bottling - a minimal amount is added to protect the wine after the malolactic fermentation). The Cuvée Domaine, from 8 to 30 year-old vines, is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks while the Cuvée Prestige, from 40 to 80 year-old vines, ferments in wooden cuves and ages in old barriques. Over the last few years we have tasted Stephane's 1985, 1990 and 1996, all of which were showing beautifully, benefiting from the high acidity and chalky minerality which is always present in his wines. The 1990 Cuvée Prestige, Stephane's first vintage - "Lovely, earthy, leafy mushroom and red fruit aromas, complex compote of red fruits on the palate, red currant, pepper, mint and fennel, still nice acidity and structure." 1996 - "Briary, earthy strawberry, dried flowers, citrus, musk aromas, the palate is fresh with lively raspberry, currant, plum skin, great acidity, long chalky finish..." We urge you to try the lovely wines of this thoughtful and dedicated vigneron and we appreciate his reasonable prices which keep these delicious organic wines affordable to all!
