by katrin on December 12, 2011
Not impossible at all!
When my mother told me that for Sunday dinner she would be making Sauerbraten with dumplings, one of my favorite German dishes, I knew I would have to dig deep in the cellar to find the perfect white wine. In the past, my choice of white wine has raised eyebrows in my family. Yes, Sauerbraten is a dish made with beef. But to me, the vinegar-based marinade in which it sits for several days before cooking and the addition of raisins and cream in the cooking process have this savory-sweet-sour dish calling out for a rich white wine with good acidity and fruit. And so it was that I chose a Domaine Belleville from Burgundy’s Côte Chalonnaise, the Rully appellation, to be precise.
Stone fruit, lime, vanilla, honey, and a light nuttiness on the nose. The fruitiness of the peaches and citrus flavors are complemented by the oak’s rich vanilla and warm oak. While the minerality is a bit more subtle here than in some other Burgundies, it helps to define the wine on the palate and in the finish. A long, evolving finish that is starting to show some hints of age and oxidation. Even so, at five years old, this wine is still developing, and its fresh acidity tells me that it will likely still be very good in a couple of years.
Since it had been in my cellar for a while, I couldn’t remember what I had paid for the Domaine Belleville. When I finally found my notes, I could hardly believe that this great Burgundy was only $16.99 when I purchased it nearly three years ago. It is worth every penny… and then some!
At Gordon’s Fine Wine for $16.99.
by glenn and katrin on October 26, 2011
GLENN – My serious wine education began with weekly tastings at Federal Wine and Spirit hosted by Len Rothenberg. The tastings weren’t just a “swirl, sniff and slurp” event but an in-depth tutorial taught by Len, one of the early and continuing players in Boston’s wine culture. Even though I never obtained the distinction of being one of the Federalistas - that merry band of wine-savvy long-term tasting regulars, I conscientiously attended the tastings for several years. By the time I decided to formalize my wine education by attending Boston University’s wine program, I had a more than solid foundation. I got a promotion – my hours changed – and attending the weekly tastings was over, though I didn’t miss descending Federal’s torturous stairway to the tastings in the cellar. When Katrin informed me that Len was offering a seminar with dinner at Journeyman covering the outlying regions of Burgundy – Chablis, Auxerre, Hauts Côte de Nuits, Côte Chalonnaise and Maconnais – and would I like to attend, I replied, “Sign me up!” What a partnership! Wines chosen and expounded upon by Len and dinner by the culinary duo of Diana Kudajarova and Tse Wei Lim made for the wine and dine event of the season.
KATRIN – The seminar started with a glass of Matchbook California Chardonnay. Though some wondered why Len would choose this ripe, tropical, smooth Chardonnay to prepare us for a Burgundy tasting, Len selected it to demonstrate what Chardonnay is not supposed to be. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the two dominant grapes of Burgundy, evolved in a very cool continental climate – a far cry from California’s typical warmth and sunniness. Often times Burgundian grapes would struggle to achieve ripeness. The best vineyards are the ones that faced south or southeast, which are warmer and more likely to produce ripe grapes. That’s changing now a bit through a combination of better winemaking techniques and climate change, which has been bringing warmer temperatures to regions like Burgundy over the past few decades.
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by katrin on September 9, 2010
The wine is too obscure to be made with anything other than artisan passion, but it lacks the breed and concentration of great Loire Sauvignon made in Sancerre… and is more of a curiosity (being technically Burgundian but made from a decidedly non-Burgundian grape) than anything else. – Jancis Robinson, The Oxford Companion to Wine, Second Edition
I recently became interested in Saint-Bris, an appellation in Burgundy that has the distinction of being the only place in Burgundy allowed to make wine from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. While Jancis’s entry in the Oxford Companion may hit the mark about its relative obscurity, it unfortunately leaves us guessing about the quality, not to mention value, of Saint-Bris wines. Saint-Bris is not found on all store shelves, and though I had wanted to compare three to four, my search of Boston wine stores yielded only two. The Domaine Goisot is officially from the Saint-Bris AOC; the Simonnet-Febvre is a Vin de Pays de L’yonne.
These two wines rank among the most restrained and understated wines I can remember having. You would almost guess that they are not Sauvignon Blanc. To quote Jancis again, there is no “cat pee on a gooseberry branch” here. They share a flinty minerality that brings to mind the land and that infamous French terroir. The nose of the Goisot has lots of lemon, where as the Simonnet-Febvre is more lemon-lime and grass (and after being open for more than a day, some nuttiness). The Goisot has refreshing acidity balanced by a round ripeness, making it very enjoyable and the favorite of this comparison. By contrast, the Simonnet-Febvre is intensely tart and juicy. Both are really lovely and are great on their own or with food. And at about half the price of a typical Sancerre, this little appellation is worth checking out.
2008 Domaine Goisot Sauvignon de St. Bris Moury is available at Gordon’s Fine Wines for $15.19.
2007 Simonnet-Febvre Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays de L’yonne is available at Brix Wine Shop for $13.99.
Not impossible at all!
