Bindernagel!
7/31/11 -
(A Tasting in the Bindernagel Courtyard)
In order to quench your thirst, dear customer, for exciting new wines from eastern France, as well as to provide you with light, chill-able summer reds, we happily offer four wines from Domaine le Chais du Vieux Bourg. Though they are relatively new to us here in New York, these wines have been “all the rage” in Paris for some time (Parisians have good taste).
Of Bavarian origin, winemaker Ludwig Bindernagel came to the Jura in the early 2000s. He and his French wife, Nathalie live in Poligny and own 2.5 hectares of vines in Arlay in the midsection of the region. (They recently purchased vines in Chateau Chalon, but we'll be waiting quite some time for Ludwig's first release from this famed appellation.) In his previous life, Ludwig was an architect; perhaps an eye for design explains his fantastic labels (not that we are superficially concerned with packaging). He has approached his new metier with the right spirit, in our humble opinion, farming his vines without pesticides and encouraging biodiversity in his vineyards. Though we find great joy in supporting ultra-traditional growers who have learned their craft from their parents before them, it's a pleasure to discover wines from an inspired newcomer. In addition to farming without chemicals, the cellar work at Chais de Vieux Bourg is excellent: old wood, long, slow fermentations in a cold cellar with native yeast.
A few notable features of these wines having tasted through them both at the Domaine and in New York: The red wines are extremely transparent to vintage. 2008 Savagnin Noir shows the bracing acidity of a cool year, while '09 Poulsard offer the plump, sweet fruit of a warm one. Crémant "Délire des Lyres" is made with bone-dry Cotes des Bars Champagne in mind and offers steely cut and earthy complexity. As often seems to be the case, the wines mirror their producer and are charming, elegant, and forward-thinking in style. We will have all four open from 5-7pm on Friday, August 12th. Come on by! -msb
