Articles

6/26/12- With an unusual proportion of old vines and new energy devoted to maintaining them, Castille-La Mancha is where some of the most exciting winemaking is happening in Spain today. Earlier this May a colleague and I ventured east of Madrid to go see the vinicultor at the forefront of the movement toward natural, non-interventionist winemaking in the region: Juan Antonio Ponce of Manchuela....

6/23/12 - Some Burgundy tasters are comparing 2010 to 1978 – historically one of the great vintages, with beautiful and graceful wines of exceptional balance. The wines are transparent, which means they really show off the distinguishing characteristics of the different villages and the vineyards within. 2010 is the vintage of the millerandage, or "shot berries" a rare occurrence caused by the weather during...

6/20/12 -   Summer is here and for us this means it's time to stock the refrigerator with white Burgundy. Let us draw your attention to the Summer Solstice, the day all of our Druid friends have been waiting for, the longest day of the year. For us this means an additional, languorous stretch of daylight in which to relax over a leisurely meal...

6/18/12 -   Italy, as a whole, provides the largest spectrum of wine styles, grapes, and traditions in Europe.  France may have been the first to itemize their terriors by the Appellation Origine Controlee system, but Italy has an equally rich vinous history represented by the country’s staggering amount of native varieties.  One of Italy’s most fascinating wines is grown tucked away in the...

6/14/12 -   Some of my fondest memories in wine involve drinking mature Beaujolais with Fernand Coudert and his son Alain at Clos de la Roilette, in their combination bar and cellar.  Following the progress of this fine estate has been a great pleasure over the last 20+ years, especially as Alain has continued, perhaps even improved on, the great work of his father....

6/12/12 -    You may have noticed that we very rarely use outside sources for notes about wine; our egos are so gigantic that we think our own opinions count for more. At any rate, if you’ve bought from us based on something you’ve read here, at least you know who to blame! However, even gigantic egos have their fragile aspects, and it’s always...

6/11/12 - Chambers Street is very proud to be working with Christian Ducroux, whose vineyard work is certainly among the finest in the world. His 4 hectares in Thulon, in the hills above Regnié, have been organically farmed since the 1980s and are Demeter certified Biodynamic. (The estate was originally 7-plus hectares, but Christian reduced it to 4, in order to more properly manage...

6/4/12 - (Philippe Pacalet - © Bertrand Celce ) For the last ten years, Philippe Pacalet, nephew of Marcel Lapierre, has been making some of the most elegant wines in Burgundy. Acting mostly as a negociant, he has sought out plots of old vines, especially of Pinot Fin, which are farmed to his specifications with plowing and organic treatments. Fermentations are whole-cluster, with wild...

5/31/12 -  (Verduno – a very quiet small town with 3 very good restaurants, and 3 fine places to stay – seen from the vineyard called Rocche dell’Olmo. The vines are mostly western-facing; Rocche dell’Olmo has long been considered ideal for blending – as in the Burlotto Barolo Acclivi – to add good freshness and verve to the classic blend of vineyards. Climate change,...

5/30/12 - The Mencia grape is to Ribeira Sacra as Gamay is to Morgon or Syrah is to Cote Rôtie – a grape perfectly matched to its terroir. One doesn’t have to be a viticultural historian to know that it takes inspired people in addition to great grapes and great terroir to spell success. Today we’re celebrating a superb vintage in Ribeira Sacra, the...

5/23/12 - (Stephan Magnien) The young and very capable Stéphan Magnien is the fourth generation in his family at this four hectare estate in Morey Saint-Denis. The domain has never used herbicides, doing a deep plowing to aerate the soil each winter (they changed from horse to tractor in the 1980s) and uses only organic composts. There is a high percentage of old vines,...

5/22/12 -   (The valley between Montgueux and Troyes seen from Emmanuel Lassaigne's vines.) My first stop in Champagne was at Domaine Jacques Lassaigne in Montgueux. I’m not prone to hyperbole, but these wines are excellent. Montgueux is five kilometers from the city of Troyes in the Aube. It’s a unique terroir, and essentially a viticultural island: an isolated outcropping of chalk some distance...

5/18/12 - Perhaps no other spirit is more shrouded in mystery than Absinthe.  To many, Absinthe conjures a romantic image of smoky Parisian bars filled with artist-types and misanthropes drinking small glasses of this harsh, mind-bending elixir.  While this may have been the case in the 1890s, today we have access to many artisanal Absinthes including the fantastic products made by Cheryl Lins at...

5/15/12 -   ​We first met Alice and Olivier De Moor about 10 years ago, and were immediately struck by their shy and quiet but strong and focused personalities. The wines were fascinating and somewhat irregular and sometimes oxidative or oaky, although there was not a new barrel in sight. There was always high acidity, purity and length with an almost breathtaking stony character....

5/14/12 - Our winter tasting with Pierre and Chantal Frick was one of the most fascinating and enjoyable of the year.  We tasted 21 wines this past January - Pierre's infectious enthusiasm and humor, as well as the incredible variety and quality of the wines was inspiring!  The Fricks work with each vintage according to what nature brings them, so there is great variation...