Pessac, Right Bank, and Some 2023 Revelations

I’ll have to admit, and have received feedback as such, that I’ve often been a bit too cynical about the vintage at hand, or the market conditions that challenge the primeur campaign. Perhaps I’m just trying to make sure producers share our stress and reduce their prices. It’s also a tough position to be in–we’re dropped into the middle of the action for a brief week, being pulled in many directions. Avoiding the stress of it is like landing in the middle of a storm and trying to ignore the wind. But today, we’re starting to slow down, and perhaps it is time to focus on some of the bright spots from the last few days.

Bordeaux and a Bottle to Inspire

Yesterday was a day of exploring Bordeaux, discovering a vintage, tasting First Growths (and wines that rivaled them), and spending time with friends new and old. All in all, it was a great day to be part of the people, wines, and region of Bordeaux. Unfortunately, it has become clear that it will take a bit more than a day to figure out this sometimes confounding, sometimes profound, and very unique vintage that’s about to shape the market. Conclusions for these wines will come in a matter of days, weeks, and years, but I’ll not be able to draw anything today.

Small-Production Wines in Santa Cruz: Alfaro Family Vineyards and Farm Cottage

I have long believed that the Santa Cruz Mountains are a truly special place to grow grapes. This rugged coastal range forced up by the collision of two tectonic plates has an incredible bounty of complex soils. It’s a geological kaleidoscope of ancient uplifted seabed, volcanic deposits, and metamorphic rock bent and twisted by the immense pressures below. All of this is churned up by the San Andreas fault and weathered down by several millennia of coastal storms.

The Hand-Crafted Sticky Wines of Australia’s Rutherglen Wine Region

Rutherglen is a wine and region of its own. For those who are not familiar, Rutherglen is a classic, legacy Australian wine. Since the 19th century, a small group of determined producers has been making this fortified dessert wine in the harsh, continental climate of North Central Victoria. Everything you want in a wine region is here: a unique and distinctive style, generational winemaking, and an honest, incredibly tenacious community of winemakers determined to show the world the beauty that they craft. Take one look at Rutherglen winemaker Steve Chambers’ hands, and they’ll tell you everything you need to know about the fortitude and hands-on work of this incredible wine region.

Back on Our Shelves: Champagne Boulard-Baquaire

This past May I had the chance to drive all the way up to the very top of Champagne to the village of Cormicy. I was there to visit Christophe Boulard at Champagne Boulard-Baquaire, and it had been too long since I had seen him and visited the winery. Now, his wines have just come back in stock, and I would like to share their story with you.

Gilbert-Jacquesson: A Growers’ Grower Making Great Champagne

Nothing beats a tasting at the dining room table of a great grower, especially when that grower is Jean-Baptiste Jacquesson and the dining room looks out onto the vineyards of Troissy in the Marne Valley.

Our SF Team Hit the Slopes of Santa Cruz

Once again, the dynamic duo of Ryan Woodhouse and Jorge Valencia treated the San Francisco team to a fantastic wine van journey. This time we embarked to the Santa Cruz Mountains and the awe-inspiring beauty, terrain (We experienced some of the steepest vineyards ever, akin to the Mosel!!), and talented winemakers we met along the way. What a beauty of a day!

Billecart-Salmon’s Clos Saint Hilaire and More

Last week I had the chance to visit one of the most hallowed pieces of ground in the Champagne region, the great Clos Saint Hilaire in Mareuil, at the center of the Billecart-Salmon property there. This vineyard, entirely planted to an old massal selection of Pinot Noir in 1964, makes one of the most profound Blanc de Noirs in the whole appellation. Over the last few years, the Billecart family has put in a huge effort to improve the vineyard, by adding hundreds of different plants along the border of wall, creating bird houses, insect hotels, two small ponds for frogs, and even adding beehives. This new biodynamic approach will encourage ladybugs to eat aphids, birds to eat caterpillars, and, in the end, a healthier vineyard. It is an amazing project to see.

A Visit with Didier Lapie in Champagne

It is great to be back on the road in Champagne, and last week I visited Vaudemange for the very first time in 23 years of visiting the region. Just southeast of the Grand Cru of Ambonnay, this picturesque part of the region is called La Perle Blanche de la Montagne de Reims, or “the white pearl of the mountain of Reims.” Just below it is Champagne Agricole, with plains of wheat, and it is at the crossroads of the Marne and the Montagne.

En Primeur: Memory Lane

As we wrap up the end of this year’s En Primeur week, we’ve got a look back at years past. These are photos from Clyde’s archives, with his captions below each. Enjoy!

Bordeaux En Primeur: Yielding to Merlot

Yields are down. A common colloquialism among many in the supply side of the wine world. Since wine crops are so measurable, it is not just out there to garner sympathy—it is usually a meaningful component to quality of a vintage and the marketplace for the wine. But low yields are a symptom that can be ascribed to many different issues, good and bad. We take a look at what it means for the 2022 vintage.

Since 1590: Chablis Seguinot-Bordet

During our lovely vacation in Chablis, Cinnamon and I visited Seguinot-Bordet to meet Jean-François Bordet, see his facility, and taste his wines. He is located in Maligny, a picturesque 10-minute drive north of the town of Chablis. Along the way you cross the river Serein to la rive droit and pass in front of Les Clos, Grenouilles, and Bougros Grand Crus and the Premier Cru of Fourchaume—a gorgeous ride!

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