Vacation time can means different things for employees of KLWM. So far this year we’ve headed to Hawaii, Vermont, Zion National Park, and a few have taken the relaxing “stay-cation,” choosing just to stay home. I’ll be following in the footsteps of many salespeople who decide to spend their precious vacation time traveling to France, visiting the properties of the vigneron’s whose wines we import.

Having been fortunate enough to study in France during college, this pilgrimage will be a new discovery of a country and culture I’ve already learned to love. What an opportunity.

Here’s a few producers I’ll be visiting and why I’m excited to see their properties.

Domaine Les Pallières

I’m going to ask that the tour at Kermit and the Brunier’s domaine will include a viewing of the “Terrasse du Diable” vineyard. This parcel is located high above the winery and beneath the imposing Dentelles de Montmirail. It is responsible for the wild, brambly, and chewy bottling of the same name. The 2007 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable” is available for the moment at $34 a bottle. It is one of 2007’s greatest wines. The vineyards of Pallières are pictured to the right.

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

What self-respecting Kermit Lynch employee wouldn’t want to see the famous “La Crau” vineyard? The stones! The massive galets covering the vineyard floor of this Châteauneuf-du-Pape are legendary among fans of Vieux Télégraphe, and that is something I’ve got to see with my own eyes.

The La Crau vineyard at Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

Domaine Comtesse Bernard de Cherisey

De Cherisey produces classic Chardonnay, described by my colleague Michael Butler as “wine from a different time.” White Burgundy like this doesn’t come around very often unless you purchase from the likes of Coche-Dury and Antoine Jobard. Unlike Coche, de Cherisey is regularly available for purchase and at a fraction of the price.
Vigneron, Laurent Martelet, is a family man who took over his mother-in-law’s vines in the late ‘90s and has focused his craft on making precise, mineral-driven wines. He’s even writing a book on his winemaking philosophy. Start purchasing these wines now. Demand is quickly growing, but the supply isn’t. The 2008s are currently on pre-arrival.

De Cherisey’s Meursault “La Genelotte” 1er cru vineyard

Pierre Guillemot

Kermit has imported the red and white Burgundies of Pierre Guillemot since the 1970s. They aretightly coiled, terroir-driven masterpieces that never break the bank (premier crus for $35!?!). Entering the Guillemot cellar is like taking a step back in time, not just because of the old vintages that are often opened during tastings, but because nothing has changed in decades. The wines and family are true to their roots, old-school Burgundian. I can’t wait to get underground with them.

I’ll be taking a hiatus from the blogging during my two weeks in France but I’ll be updating the KLWM Facebook and Twitter accounts regularly. I hope to have some interesting tidbits for you when I return.

Today’s guest blogger is salesman Chris Bunag…

Amongst the staff here at KLWM, we not only talk about wine but we also talk a lot about food. Conversations regularly revolve around what we are making for dinner, our latest great restaurant find, and what wine to pair with what dish. I remember one day after work my colleague, Michael Butler, was talking about how he had braised short ribs waiting for him at home. He waxed poetic on how they had been cooking on low all day, how delicious they were going to be, how the meat fell right off the bone, and how easy they are to make. Not having had short ribs before, I immediately obsessed over them, and as soon as I got home I looked up photos online to see them in all their glory.

Inspired by Michael’s story and the photos I found, I knew that I must try them. I scoured the internet for recipes. After days of searching and conversing with my colleagues about how to best approach the dish, I settled on a recipe that used a two-day process and was very simple. Two days of preparation seemed like an eternity but the saying “good things comes to those who wait” rang true for this dish. The meat was tender and succulent and the sauce was hot, but not too spicy. I had never made a dish with such complex flavors. I served the short ribs with a parsnip purée and crispy kale and a bottle of one of my favorite southern Rhône reds, the 2007 Lirac Rouge from Domaine Joncier. Below you’ll see pictures of the preparation and the final outcome of the dish and you can find the recipe I used here. Try it yourself and we can compare notes!

Last week’s staff tasting focused on recent arrivals from Corsica and the south of France. More often than not, Kermit likes to taste north to south, however this time we started in Corsica and moved north to the mainland. Our normal behavior is also to taste white before red, but I’ve heard of other people doing the opposite. Here are the highlights from the tasting.

Two Corsican whites started us off, both 100% Vermentino. The first was Yves Leccia’s 2008 Vin de Pays Blanc ($26).  Vermentino from Corsica has a beautiful way of seamlessly balancing a bit of weight on the palate with a crisp, refreshing acidity. In my mind, this combination makes Corsican whites excellent food wines. Leccia’s Blanc has plenty of perfume, and, on the palate, a dash of sea salt, lime zest, and Mediterranean herbs.

Antoine Arena’s Patrimonio Blanc “Haut de Carco” ($36) followed. Per the vineyard name, this parcel is located above Arena’s Carco vineyard. To plant a vineyard above his current holding, Arena had to terrace a very steep hillside. Everyone in his village though he was crazy to do this, asserting that it would be impossible to grow grapes on such a steep côte. Something tells me his neighbors’ skepticism only egged him on to see through his project. Here is the first example of wine from his new “Haut de Carco” vineyard and you must check it out. White peaches, earthy garrigue, and oyster-shell saltiness offer a depth rarely found in a young vineyard. Need some sunshine during this rainy winter? Drink these two Corsican wines.

We tasted one white from mainland France, a first time import from longstanding red wine producer, Domaine du Joncier. We’ve imported their Lirac Rouge for years now and in 2007, we also liked the white. The Lirac Blanc ($22) is a big white, but it isn’t cloying or sweet – it is full and dry. Ginger and nutmeg spice complement aromas of mango and a touch of cooked pumpkin. It tastes like it smells, which works for me. We only have five cases, so expect it to go fast.

Two reds stuck with me most after the tasting, both from the southern Rhône. The 2008 Côtes du Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif” ($27) produced by Maxime-François Laurent stands perfectly in line with the wines of his mother, Aubrey Laurent of Domaine Gramenon. The “Il Fait Soif” is super quaffable, with lovely bright fruit, pepper, and a touch of smoky leather. The pepper, leather, and smokiness always make me think that there must be Syrah in this wine, but there isn’t – no, amazingly enough it is 100% Grenache. Kermit said we’ll see more unexpected aromatics from the 2008 southern Rhônes.

Now that most of our 2007 southern Rhône reds have arrived (some have come and gone) all the hype surrounding this astounding vintage has turned out to be true. If you missed out on your chance to purchase the 2007 Vieux Télégraphe, then we have an excellent substitution at a lower price. The second bottling from Vieux Télégraphe, the 2007 Télégramme Rouge (also from the La Crau vineyard) comes in at $38 a bottle and there is no better value in Châteauneuf these days. The classic Châteauneuf balance of power and elegance, a stony réglisse aroma, and firm structure make this bottling apt for a number of years in the cellar. Yes, a $38 Châteauneuf that can age – sounds like gold to me.

We break our rule of white before red when tasting dessert wines so we finished with Antoine Arena’s 2008 Muscat du Cap Corse ($39). If you dig Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, do not miss trying this one. Uber floral, deep earthiness, no bite from the alcohol and loaded with peach and pear fruit. Kermit said it best, “there must be someone to whom you would love to give something beautiful. Here ya go.”

We voted at the end of the tasting. Kermit asked, “which red did you like best, the ‘Pourpre’ or the ‘Causse du Bousquet?’” Out of the eight voters  it was a split decision (Kermit was the ninth attendee but didn’t vote). Each red received four votes. What does that mean? It was close, I could have voted for the other guy but I stuck with my instincts. My favorite red of the night was the “Pourpre,” made by the son of Domaine Gramenon vigneronne Michèle Aubrey-Laurent, Maxime Laurent.

“Pourpre” is a funny word to say. I’d recommend that you practice saying it out loud a few times. Don’t worry about using your best French pronunciation; say whatever you feel most closely resembles “Pourpre.” In general I’d use that advice when pronouncing French wine names.  Just say what comes out naturally and being the intuitive creatures humans are, whomever you’re speaking to will probably understand it. Back in the day, Robert Mondavi decided that “Sauvignon” was too difficult for Americans to say, so he started bottling his Sauvignon Blanc as “Fumé Blanc.” Decades later, we’ve figured out that Americans do possess the intellect to say “Sauvignon” and now the wine drinking public is just confused when they learn that Fumé Blanc is actually Sauvignon Blanc.

Maxime Laurent’s 2008 “Pourpre” ($32) and the Mas Champart 2007 Saint Chinian “Causse de Bousquet” ($22) are two very different wines. The “Pourpre” is 100% Grenache from the southern Rhône but vinified in the style of the wines of Beaujolais. There is a bright spice, a faint brush of tannin, and simply beautiful fruit. My colleague, Sam Imel, poignantly described it by saying: “It (the “Pourpre”) is just so fresh, like fresh cut fruit in your mouth.”

Mas Champart’s “Causse de Bousquet” is a different animal. This wine has muscle and structure. It’s powerful, but not over the top. The black olive, black cherry, and réglisse notes are firmly held together by a strong backbone of tannin. Drink this now, but only with a hearty meal, or let it soften for a number of years. This is one of our many wines that don’t break the bank, but can be held for 5+ years and will give you immense pleasure down the line.

Don’t forget to join us for tomorrow’s 18th annual Oyster Bliss event!
Here are the details:
Saturday, April 18th
11am to 4pm
No reservations required.
Hog Island Oysters, homemade sausages by Christopher Lee of Eccolo, and wines by the glass are served à la carte.
Cash only!
Denis Jamain of Domaine de Reuilly will be pouring his wines!
This event is presented by Café Fanny.

Here’s the list of the wines we’ll be pouring by the glass:
NV Grande Réserve Brut 1er Cru • Veuve Fourny
2007 Muscadet • André Brégeon
2007 Reuilly Blanc “Pierres Plates” • Domaine de Reuilly
2006 Bourgogne Vézelay Blanc • Domaine de la Cadette
2006 Chablis • Olivier Savary
2006 Reuilly Rouge • Domaine de Reuilly
2006 Gigondas • Domaine Les Pallières

The Oyster Bliss Line-Up

Last night we had our staff pre-Oyster Bliss tasting. Each year we have to figure it all out again and see if 1) oysters are still the most delectable shellfish and 2) if crisp white wine pairs well with them. Believe it or not, we found out that the answer is “yes” on both accounts. We tasted through about fifteen wines last night to select what we’ll be pouring tomorrow. To whet your palates for tomorrow’s event we’ve included a few fun pictures from last night’s tasting.

Shuckin’.

Kermit finds the right oyster.

Steve Waters selects the next wine.

Don’t serve me one. Serve me a dozen!!

The best party in town!

Any time someone uses a superlative to describe one of our wines, we tend to appreciate it and enjoy the fact that someone else out there enjoys our wines as much as we do. Kermit has long described the Bandol Rosé from Domaine Tempier as the best rosé in the world. Jeremy Parzen of the blog Do Bianchi apparently agrees. Check out his posting here.

Rosé season is quickly coming upon us, with our first large shipment of rosés arriving in Berkeley in mid-May. If the May shipment of rosés taste anything like the one 2008 rosé that we currently have available (2008 Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé, St. Martin de la Garrigue – $12) then we will have another full season of excellent rosé quaffing. Look forward to drinking rosé from Provence, the Languedoc, the Rhône, Burgundy, and the Loire Valley all summer and fall long.