A little love from Burgundy complements of Albert Morot

I think that is it has been well established that I have an affinity for wines that are unique, interesting, fun to talk about, and are all around just kind of bad ass. Well, this wine certainly fit all of those characteristics and is also a really great introduction to Burgundy for those who are a little scared by it (and for those of you who are, fear not; you are not alone in that fear).

Before I get too much into the wine, how about we settle the fear slightly, or at least go over a little info so that the fear might subside. Consider this your nightlight. Let’s start with the basics. Burgundy is a region in France known mostly for their lush, delicate, and somewhat feminine pinot noirs and their many complicated styles of chardonnay (my favorite of which is Chablis, but that will be another article). Their wines are lauded as some of the best in the world, and most of the time that distinction can come with a hefty price tag. There are many different sub regions in Burgundy, but for today’s purposes we will be focusing on one: Savigny-le-Beaune.

I will now warn all that the following section is a WINE GEEK RED ALERT section. If you wish, skip to the next section and read about the wine itself (and don’t worry, I will not be offended in any way shape or form). Savigny-le-Beaune (mostly refered to  as Savigny, which I will do for the remainder of the article) is in the larger region of Cote du Beaune. It has 22 vineyard sites that grow grapes classified as premier cru and all of which are delicious. From here, if you are interested in knowing more about Burgundy, I encourage you to do a little research on your own. It is a great region and full of wine history, but is horribly complicated to get down and I feel like I am boring myself by getting into the details. If you have question, feel free to contact me and I will do everything I can to answer them. Now…to the good stuff.

Albert Morot is a bit of a nut job (and don’t we all love a crazy man making our wine?) His wines are super traditional in terms of growing style and wine making. However, that is where the tradition stops. His wines are bruisers and right out of the bottle are as tight as a kid’s grip on their blanket on the first day of school. Upon first opening the wine, the fruits are muted and overpowered by earth and Christmas spices. The fruits decide to show up fashionably late to the party, about an hour in.  When they do, they come in with a bang; bright, vibrant, and young, like the attractive person at a party that turns everyone’s head.

The cool thing about this wine is the fact that the next day, it was even better. I decided to leave it out on my dining room table with just the cork in it and see what happened, which is not an advised way to save wine. The next day, the fruits had darkened, the flowers had wilted and yet magic was still in the bottle. This is a wine that, while not a P Funk Allstar, is certainly one that will make your eyes widen a little further when you drink it. Luckily, the price tag won’t.

One bit of self promotion. If you are not already, follow me on twitter and facebook. The facebook page will have a lot more pictures, while on twitter you can get my up to the second where abouts, what I’m drinking, eating, or ranting about. The links for both of those are to your right, but I’ll leave them here for you as well. And tell your friends!!! Drink up!!

Le Brin de Chevre....the next to join the P Funk team

Not long ago, one of my sales reps brought me a line of wines to try. All were French, which for me was great having blown my palate out with Italian wines recently (don't get me wrong, I love them, but there is a whole world of wine to try). As we went through, we tasted a wine that they said was made of Menu Pineau. I thought I had not understood him correctly, as his French accent is insanely thick. So I enquired again, and sure enough, it was what he said and my ears perked up. The complete wine dork in me got excited with the chance to check off another wine from my century list.

Menu Pineau, also known as Arbois, is one of the most widely planted grapes in the Loire region on France. It is unknown where the grape may have come from, but continues to be one of the most used blending grapes in many of the wines we drink from Loire, especially those of the sparkling variety. However, you might come across some wine makers that are trying to bring back tradition and make a wine that is 100% Menu Pineau.

Now that I have bored you with the facts about this grape (you can tell I get excited when the wine geek in me really comes out), on to the nuts and bolts of this wine itself. The winery, Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf, is owed by two brothers, Thierry and Jean- Marie Puzelat. They got the winery from their father and began to focus on classic Loire wines. This wine is by far one of their coolest (and weirdest at the same time). The first thing I thought about when I tasted this wine was hard cider. It has a huge palate of golden delicious apple, making it taste like a bright hard cider. The bright acidic finish almost makes it dance on your tongue and have that effervescent effect on your tongue, making you think it could be carbonated. It really messes with you at first taste. Then, you realize that it has beautiful subtle white flowers, lily, slate, lemon zest, and so many other flavors that you go insane. This wine is truly a unique and really awesome wine that is one to try. Plus, you get to cross one more wine off your list of ones you have tried that isn't Pinot Noir or Chardonnay....make your friends jealous!!

A little white for summer and some red because I can

Sorry for the lack of video of this post, but hopefully the pictures and me talking about the wine will help inspire a little exploration and some enjoyment on your part.

So, we start with the white. For anyone on the east coast, especially DC, then you experienced a March like we have not seen in some time. There has not been a March that I remember recently that has seen 80 degrees, and an 80 that was honestly the prefect day. The coats are being but away, and the summer clothing, tans, and for me, freckles, are coming out. It made you feel like a west coaster, with the addition of the Capital Building in the back ground.

Given the crazy, and amazing weather, it makes sense to start the night with a glass of white. Now, you know I love bubbles, but I thought that white would be the best way to ring in the summer. So I began with a small wine from Cotes de Gascogne, a region also known for cognac.

This wine is not a complicated wine. You will not drink this and be blown away by the layers of flavor and intricate qualities of it. And yet, is that what you want when the weather gets warm? Summer is about thinking about being outside and enjoy the company you keep, not about the subtile peach flavors in your wines. This blend of Uni Blanc and Colombard will certainly hep you check two wines of your "Century Club" list, but not a wine that screams complexity. If you are a Sauv Blanc lover, then you will be crazy over this wine. It is bright, fresh, and slightly fruit forward, without any crazy sugar or grassy tones. Just good, simple wine.

After cooling down with the Domaine de Pouy, it was time to enjoy something a little more cerebral. For that, I reached into the cellar for a 2004 Tenuta L'Illuminata Barolo. On the outset, this wine was like drinking a Sour Patch Kid without the sugar. There were super sour fruits, super light tannins, and extreme acids. But, I continued to drink the glass while I was writing this. I am glad I did. It opened like the promises of spring that the weather brought today. The fruits brightened into sweet fruit, the tannins gipped and let you know they were there, and the acids chilled out. It balanced in a way that made this glass of wine the perfect to end the night on a high note. It lulls you into relaxation and comfort, almost like snug blanket that you burrow in on a Sunday. 

Hopefully some more stimulating visuals soon, but until then...Happy Sipping!!!!!