How fabulous to have Anne Parent as a speaker in today's presentation for NYC journalists and trade about the terroir of Burgundy.

The audience consisted of the city's most vibrant journalists and trade representatives -- and even though most of us were familiar with Burgundy and its terroir -- it was so valuable to taste eight prime examples of the different terroir (four reds, four whites) and take part in a tutored tasting.

After this two hour seminar, guests joined others in a large scale tasting of several producers, including Anne Parent and Jeanne-Marie De Champs (above) of Domaines et Saveurs  who represents several producers, many of whom were also featured on a special "showcase table."

I had tasted several of her producers which you can find with this link ...

Do you see this beautiful chateau in the picture above? During En Primeur week, owner Paulin Calvet walked down these famous stone steps to greet me and walk me up the impressive entrance of his Chateau.

During this week, journalists are divided into small groups to taste the wines of various regions each day. I am in the "blind" tasting group with several other top name journalists and together we will taste the whites and the reds of the Grand Cru Classe De Graves "blind."

This means  the bottles are covered and we would only find out what wineries made the 2011 wines we were tasting and taking careful notes on after we finished our work.

Château Picque Caillou is located at the gates of the city of Bordeaux in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation. A close neighbour of the prestigious Haut-Brion and Pape Clément châteaux, this 21-hectare vineyard carries a name indicative of its pebbly soils that originated from sediments deposited by the nearby Garonne River over thousands of years.

Paulin Calvet, who now heads the estate, has brought the quality up in recent years ... and in  2007  consultant œnologists Professor Denis Dubourdieu and Valérie Lavigne joined the winemaking team, bringing their technical rigour and skill.

Perhaps the first thing you notice about Paulin Calvert is he is a very friendly, thoughtful, yet very serious gentlemen about wine. He and his entire family, including his charming teen-age daughter (who looked like a portrait from Rembrandt) and his beautiful, hospital wife took much trouble to make sure the journalists received appropriate pourings of wines, and that everything was as it should be.

Lunch -- organized by Mrs. Calvet -- was delicious and allowed the journalists the opportunity to renew relationships from previous years and talk about the vintage.

I enjoyed the wines of Chateau Picque Caillou very much, and though I usually prefer reds, I gave his white wines my highest score in comparison to the majority of the other whites.

The blend is typically60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon, with the  citrus flavors of a Sauvignon Blanc, but the Semillon with its rich saffron and vanilla elements. I love white wines from this region and with this quality, it is a remarkable value.

It may be interesting to note that historically, the wines of Picque Caillou were favored by Napoleon.

If you are interested in visiting the Chateau, here is some information.

Vineyard surface area: 20 hectares (1ha for the white vine)

Average annual production:
60-90 thousand bottles (red wine)
3,600-4,800 bottles (white wine)

Location: Pessac-Leognan (Bordeaux region, France)
Opening hours:

Wine tasting reservations and visits

Tel.: +33(0)5.56.47.37.98
web:
e-mail: chateaupicquecaillou@wanadoo.fr

Imagine being taken deep inside the caves of Champagne Vilmart and its owner/winemaker Laurent Champs asking which of its golden tresures (behind lock and key) you wanted to break open?

Laurent himself chose the above vintage bottles which includes a '93 Cellier D'Or as well as several more recent vintages ...

The day began with a cab from Reims taking me to the very tiny town of Rilly Le Montagne where we had to ask a few local residents where Vilmart was located. One woman asked "the father or the son?" yet eventually we found the chateau which is very beautiful and to me, pretty central for people not to know it.

Laurent Champs is a very elegant looking man and soon arrived for our nine o'clock appointment. I was happy to see that a friend who had lived in New York -- and now lives in Champagne -- would be joining us with two of his friends, both buyers.

So together Laurent gave us a tour of the winery, including the press and the celler, and then we had a tasting of several vintages of his wine. During the visit, we briefly met his very beautiful wife and extremely handsome and charming father.

I could discuss tasting notes of the vintages yet in this post the most interesting thing about the winery was the absolute passion of Laurent Champs and the integrity of the wines he makes. During the visit, we toured the cellar ... Laurent has a unique way of aging the wine in oak (large casks as well as small barriques) and their production is small and sold very exclusively.

When you taste wine from Champagne Vilmart it is the taste of a very exclusive, handcrafted product. Every family member is involved, and the wines reflect their elegance, refinement, and dedication to quality.

The winery was established in 1890 and has a very romantic history as well that you can read here

http://www.champagnevilmart.com/en/index.htmR

Herve Deschamps, the chef de cave, was in a different part of France that day yet enjoyed a fabulous tour and tasting.  You might not be aware of the history ... the winery opened in 1811 ... Pierre Perrier developed the vineyards in the family of his wife Rose Jouet ... by the time their son Charles was a man, the winery was successful enough for Charles to build the magnificent mansion outside the gates.

Success follwed success, and the chalk in these deep caves is so soft and white watch out if you wear black! The caves also have an interesting history ... during the French-Italian ware Italian prisoners were kept in the second floor.

The cave is absolutely spotless and incredibly well organized. This celler also has its collection of special vintage bottles under lock and key.

One of the more interesting points is that in its entire history, there have only been seven cellar masters, with the "secrets" passed from master to student.

The house recently created a similar concept -- this time passing the "secrets" from the winemaker to future generations.  Famous American artist Daniel Arsham was commissioned to create a sculpture to showcase the magnums of Belle Epoque 1998 in an exclusive work inspired by Perrior-Jouet's conception of nature. Each work of art (containing two bottles of the 98 Belle Epoque) is sold to a consumer, with the idea that the consumer enjoys one of the bottles, and leaves the second bottle in its work of art for a future descendent.  The bottles (as I understand it) can also be stored in a special cellar at the champagne house, where Herve Deschamps can write a note ... and the consumer can also write a note to his/her descendent.  A message in a bottle, as it were.

Now I am a writer and if I bought a bottle I can't really think of anything to say other than I had a fabulous visit on April 18, 2011 and enjoyed the tour and fabulous tastings of the wines below, and that this unknown descendent has a similar opportunity.  If you have a more clever idea, please respond with the comment function.

The tasting started with Grand Brut, straw colored with fine bubbles, a very floral nose, and a cepage of 4o/40 Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir and 20 percent of Chardonnay. Tangy finish and refreshing.

The Belle Epoque 2004 is 50 percent Chardonnay, 45 percent Pinot Noir, with aging on the lees. Very delicious with a tangy finish.

The Blason rose is a pretty salmon coor with a faint taste of dried orange peel and crisp acidity ... very delicious.

And my favorite was the Belle Epoque Rose 2004 (and of course it would be at $300 a bottle). A bright salmon color with a delicious nose of orange peel and floral notes. Very crisp and refreshing.

You can read a related story about Perrier-Jouet here

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So after visiting the three champagne festivals, I was lucky enough to get a VIP tour of Champagne G.H. Mumm in Reims. It was a cool cloudy day with rain sometimes showering through the occasional glimpses of sun -- and the G.H. Mumm is right in the city - I took a cab.

On entering reception the first thing that caught my eye was this incredible oil painting. "Do you have a poster?" I couldn't resist asking, for even though I am not a poster kind of person the color and vibrance displayed here -- gorgeously dressed people enjoying Mumm Champagne at the opera -- was a happy thought.

You will find many such paintings and sculptures in the reception area.

Soon Kristina came to escort me on my VIP tour, which included a tour of the cellars dug out of chalk.  Since the cellar was dug before electricity, there are places for candles.

What was most interesting about the cellar is that there are number of bays, each designated to a different grand cru.

During this trip, I found myself reading "Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines" written by Henry Vizetelly in 1879  In this excellent book, Henry visits all the different villages and makes his assessement - and these are the same villages I saw printed on the various bays of Mumm.

During the tour, we also peek into a special area where Mumm stores its treasured wines from key moments in the winery's life. Sometimes Didier Mariotti, the current chef de cave, will open them to get inspiration for a new blend from the past.

Mumm has some of the best kept antiques of ancient champagne making techniques -- or winemaking in general -- I have seen. These tools are arranged in a museum -- a glimpse of the past.

Finally, we come to the tasting portion. Mumm is one of the best selling champagnes in the United States and also England ... everyone recognizes the red slash on the bottle.

First we try Mumm de Crement ... it is a special wine, as the grapes all come from the Grand Cru terrior of Crement, the grapes are all chardonnay (which has smaller more delicate bubbles than the red grapes or a blend) and is left to mature in the cellar for 2.5 years. It has less dossage than the others and is meant to drink when it is young and fresh - do not age this. It is refreshing as an aperitif.

Another thing you will notice about the bottle is its unique shape, and also the label which represents the card of the then-owner with the upper right edge turned down. This is to recreate the way the Mumm owner would give this specific wine as a gift to employees.

The second wine we try is Cordon Rouge, the best selling wine of the house. It is great during cocktails or with a first course of fish or salad. Over eight million bottles sell each year. It uses chardonnay (30 percent) pinot noir (45 percent) and pinot meunier and is toasty, rich, and sumptuous. It is such a brand that when you order it in a restaurant or buy it in a store for a gift, your guests knows exactly how much you care for them.

... and now we try the Cuvee Lalou 1999, which is 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It is a golden color and has a very rich sumptuous nose ... complex and honeyed and delicious. it can pair very well with a dish that has truffles and has a crisp dry finish.

And such was my excellent day visiting G.H. Mumm

So Les Artisans du Champagne was the last fair in this three day festival, and though not the oldest, seemed for some reason the most "old school" -- perhaps because the percentage of extremely well known smaller houses were so prevailent.

One had the chance to speak one on one with the winemakers and/or owners from all of the chateaux below, and taste their vins clair and champagnes. Unlike the previous two festivals Terroirs & Talents and Terres and Vins, no one brought big blocks of chalk or seashell crusted bricks of clay to show off.

Yet like the other festivals, the routine was to taste the vins clairs, discuss the vintage, and then taste the champagnes.

It was an excellent way to get to know the producers and the vintage.

• Maillard
• Paillard
• Savart
• Huré
• Hébrard
• Gerbais
• Doyard
• JL Vergon
• Alfred Gratien
• Margaine
• Vilmart
• Lancleot Pienne
• Dehours
• Gonet Médeville

The day started out great with a glass in my hand and a few dozen producers pouring their vin clairs and champagne.

I would llke to say all were fabulous --  yet will modify this by saying all were clean and precise and from that point it is personal taste.  Many people from all over the world came here just to taste from this select group. I met an Australian and also saw importer Michael Feuerstein from New York, as well as ex=New Yorker Peter Liem from Wine & Spirits who has since moved to Champagne.

The woman in the picture above was the first producer encountered on the way from the hotel Castel Jeanson to the "back lot" tasting that took place both outside and in a sort of shelter. This winemaker was Francoise Bedel and offered very terroir driven wines with minerality and acidity.

Of course the weather was freezing, yet it was not raining and at noon in the sun brisk and pleasant for Chapagne.

Many of the producers strived for zero dosage which is fine.

It works for the style.

Perhaps what the last few days have brought home to me is that there are many champagne styles.

I read recently that when Americans order champagne it is from a list of four or five big houses each with a "house style."

So this grower experience is valuable in that I experience the two dozen or more styles and perhaps more importantly the soil.

The soils are so important in the blend. As a group, these were basically terroir-focused producers who marched to the tune of their own drummer. As this is my second day tasting this fresher, more intensely mineral and higher acid (no malo) style I have come to appreciate it.

Producers included:

• Horiot
• Agrapart
• Françoise Bedel
• Bérche
• Francis Boulard
• Chartogne-Taillet
• Couche
• Doquet
• René Geoffroy
• Etienne Goutourbe
• Jeauneaux-Robin
• Benoit Lahaye
• Laherte Fréres
• Tarlant
• Leclapart
• Franck Pascal
• Hubert Paulet
• Pouillon & Fils

On the way to my hotel Clos Raymi in Eperney, the driver pointed it out to me. I could see many people through the upstairs windows with glass in hand and could not wait to drop off my luggage and attend.

Okay, so the theme is terrior and the winemakers brought rocks like you see above from their estate and vins clair (still wines) to show how the rocks produce the minerality in the still wine that makes the champagne blend.

I visit each producer in turn.

One is  Champagne Michael Loriot whose daughter speaks English and so does Madame ... a bit. The daughter directs the booth (table)  with her male cousin who is shy or does not speak English.

We looked at the soil which is marl and calcarious. It looked like a brick of seashells and an attractive beige color.

The best thing about this and also the other festivals is the focus on terroir. During my WSET studies when we thought about champagne we really only learned about the chalk soil, yet during this week of tastings it was incredible to taste the vins clair from all the different soils.

And "chalk" takes on a whole new meaning when you are able to touch it! It can also be messy if you are wearing black.

You can see why the complexity and differences of soils makes champagne so special.

In any event my favorite Michael Loriot wine was the Millesime Brut 05. I tasted the still wine and it was earthy with ingredible minerality. They use mostly pinot meunier which gives fruit in this region.

Serge Matthieu, another producer, is distributed in NYC. The daughter and a man who may be her husband (or cousin!) pours the wine. Their village is mostly pinot noir (pn) and I liked their 2005 brut prestige with pn and chard.

Though the fair is small, it is interesting to observe and meet people mostly from france yet also all over the world. I stood next to an Aussie importer, very polite, who popped open the bottles for a petite female producer and had come for this event. The producer, curiously enough, spoke halting english as she began to speak to us, yet by the end of our visit her school studies suddenly returned and she was very conversant.

This is SUCH a great tasting in that it and reinforces all my education and actually goes beyond my WSET education as I am able to speak with and question producers.

What I notice throughout the tasting is that it is possible for a producer to present two cuvees with the same vinification methods, the same percentage of cepage, yet the wines taste completely different because they are composed of different vintages. For example, one was a blend of key vintages 06 05 and 04. Then I tasted the blend of 07 06 05 and experiencedvintense pleasure! The second blend was much richer and seemed like it had oak yet it was stainless steel fermented and matured.

Here are the producers:

From La Montagne de Reims:

• Aspasie
• Maxime Blin
• Penet Chardonnet

From La Côte des Blancs:

• de Sousa
• André Jacquart
• Vazart Coquart

From La Vallée de la Marne:

• Janisson Baradon
• Michel Loriot
• Sélèque

And Jacques Copinet from Le Sézannais
and  Coessens from further south in La Côte des Bar

More tomorrow!

I am SO excited to visit Champagne next week! I heard about the three festivals on LinkedIn from Jiles Halling (My Man in Champagne) and he has been very helpful in helping me set up the trip.

The first event is  Terroirs et Talents de Champagne and  takes place in Epernay on  Sunday 15th April at the Restaurant Au  Théatre. In no particular order (!) Champagne producers taking part at this tasting are:

From La Montagne de Reims:

• Aspasie
• Maxime Blin
• Penet Chardonnet

From La Côte des Blancs:

• de Sousa
• André Jacquart
• Vazart Coquart

From La Vallée de la Marne:

• Janisson Baradon
• Michel Loriot
• Sélèque

And Jacques Copinet from Le Sézannais
and  Coessens from further south in La Côte des Bar

The Second Event is Monday 16th for the Terres et Vins de Champagne at the
Hotel Castel Jeanson , Ay, and in no particular order, here are the champagnes being presented at this tasting:
You can see pics from last year here

• Horiot
• Agrapart
• Françoise Bedel
• Bérche
• Francis Boulard
• Chartogne-Taillet
• Couche
• Doquet
• René Geoffroy
• Etienne Goutourbe
• Jeauneaux-Robin
• Benoit Lahaye
• Laherte Fréres
• Tarlant
• Leclapart
• Franck Pascal
• Hubert Paulet
• Pouillon & Fils

And third is Les Artisans du Champagne on Tuesday 17th April at Regates Remoises, (Reims Rowing Club) Reims.  You’ll be able to meet and chat with these producers there:

• Maillard
• Paillard
• Savart
• Huré
• Hébrard
• Gerbais
• Doyard
• JL Vergon
• Alfred Gratien
• Margaine
• Vilmart
• Lancleot Pienne
• Dehours
• Gonet Médeville

You’ll need to go here to get yourself into this event:

http://www.lesartisansduchampagne.com/

"What a gorgeous chateau!"

I am here, inside Chateau Lafton-Rochet, speaking with Basile Tesseron, the son of the owner. Other journalists from around the world are here to taste the 2011 vintage of wines from Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, and Haut-Medoc.

These represent some of my favorite vintages in Bordeaux and overall, the quality is excellent.

You would expect the popular second and third growths to do well, and they did ...

... host 3rd Growth winery Lafon-Rochet was delicious, with my notes saying "On the nose, very ripe black fruits (baked ripe black plums), lots of delicious ripe black fruit on the palate, very fresh and natural black ripe plums, the finish is fresh yet still that ripe plum. Lively despite the concentrated black fruit."

Overall - aside from the Sauternes and the whites from Pessac-Leognan, this was one of the best tastings, with virtually all the wines scoring very high points.

Size of the Vineyards: 45 Hectares
Soil: Gravels and Clay
Average age of the vines: 40 ans
Average density: 9 000 vines per hectars
Harvested by hand in Small plastic baskets

Vats: 100% Temperature controled Stainless Steel Vats Vinification:

Premaceration at cold température in between 2 to 4 days Alcoolic fermentation during 10 to 16 days at 26°C. Pumping over 1 or 2 times per day depending on the variation of density between plots. Post fermenting macération at hot temperature in between 8 to 26 days at 30°C. Partial malo-lactique fermentation in new barrels.

8 Month in new oak barrels 7 months in one year barrels French oak Fining done with egg withes.

Alcool: 14 % Vol
Total Acidity: 3,35
Ph: 3,68
IPT: 73