The family-run company of Maison Louis Latour is one of the most highly respected négociant-éléveurs in Burgundy. The company is unique in Burgundy in that – to this day – the firm is still family owned and family run, having passed down from father to son for over ten generations. They were even admitted into the exclusive club of the Hénokiens. This club only admits companies that are l To this day Maison Louis Latour ships its wines to over 60 different countries worldwide and will be found on some of the most famous dining tables around the globe. The Latour family themselves have been viticulteurs since the 17th century, slowly building up a unique Domaine 125 acres – the largest Grand Cru property in the Cote d'Or with a total of 71.58 acres. Their vineyard holdings extend from Chambertin in the north, to Chevalier-Montrachet in the south, and are exclusively planted with the two noble grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. All of the grapes from these vineyards are vinified and aged in the attractive cuverie of Château Corton Grancey in Aloxe-Corton. This winery was the first purpose-designed cuverie in France, and remains the oldest still functioning. A unique railway system with elevators allows the entire winemaking process to be achieved through the use of gravity, totally eliminating the threat of oxidation from unnecessary pumping of the must.
Exhaustive research led Latour to the discovery of an ideal location to produce a Vin de Pays Chardonnay in a lesser-classified appellation. The Ardèche is 350 km south of Beaune in a region on the west bank of the Rhone valley, between Avignon in the south and Montelimar in the north. It is one of the areas of southern France that is attracting the attention of serious wine makers, looking for sites of special interest to make better wines. Its wines are sold as Vin de Pays des Coteaux de l'Ardeche. The Ardèche river carves a narrow gorge through the limestone foothills of the Massif Central, and it is on these steep slopes that vines have been planted since Roman times. It is here that Maison Louis Latour planted Chardonnay for the very first time. The Ardèche is a barren, rugged, region that is appreciated for its dramatic beauty and has a warm climate with a long hot growing season. These factors combined with the chalk-clay soils make it ideal for the production of high quality Chardonnay. Buying grapes from 180 different growers spread over 920 acres permits Latour to select the ripest, highest quality fruit from the most well located vineyard plots for the production of Ardèche Chardonnay and a “reserve” Chardonnay called Grand Ardèche. The regular Ardeche is a fresh, pale lemon color, with a fruity bouquet of citrus and lemon fruits. It is light and elegant on the palate, deliciously apple-fresh, with crisp balancing acidity and a clean, smooth finish. It is a fine, even complex wine, with lovely fruit, a hint of butteriness, and some length. Regular Price $6.99 Web Special $4.99
“And why is it, did you say,
There is more. Referring to its claim to be one of the very limited number of organically produced sparkling wines, its labeling also informs consumers that it is “FOE Organic,” and “vegetarian,” and was produced from organically grown grapes cultivated without chemical fertilizers, weed killers, or pesticides. Regular Price $13.99 Web Special $10.99
SAINTSBURY Saintsbury themselves say that, “Twenty years ago, California Pinot Noir was slumbering somewhat fitfully. In the middle seventies, a wine reviewer noted that "truly fine California Pinots can be numbered on one hand...the thin, pallid bottles are outnumbered by the merely dull." Saintsbury was founded in 1981 by winemakers Richard Ward and David Graves. The objectives of their new winery were pretty straightforward. They were going to disprove the prevailing notion that Pinot Noir from California was, "only marginally different from jug reds." The winery was named in honor of George Saintsbury, the British man of letters and professor who is best known to wine lovers as the author of "Notes on a Cellar-Book." Saintsbury specializes in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay is fermented and aged in barrels coopered in Burgundy. With the planting of Saintsbury’s Brown Ranch in 1991, total plantings are now 55 acres. Since 1996, the This month, we are featuring the very special 2002 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir Perrier-Jouet Flower Bottle 1996 Perrier-Jouet The History of Perrier Jouet Champagne Between 1840 and 1870, Perrier Jouët added extensively to its vineyards holdings in the best parts of the Champagne region. By 1890 Perrier-Jouët was producing one million bottles a year, and the company was part of the closed circle of the "great names of Champagne". G.H. Mumm of Reims bought the House of Perrier-Jouët in 1959. In the early 1970's it became one of the top brands in the portfolio of Seagram, the Canadian world leader in wines and spirits. By the end of the 1980's, annual sales to the United States had reached the three million mark, making Perrier-Jouët the third biggest Champagne exporter on the American market. Then, 1991 saw two outstanding events: The first was the presentation of Hachette Wine Guide's "Grappe d'Or Award,” given to Perrier-Jouët following a rigorous tasting of more than 13,000 wines. A true distinction indeed. The second event was the inauguration of the Maison Belle Epoque Cuvee. Then, in 1995, Perrier-Jouët set aside the "Reserve Belle Epoque" du Millénaire”, produced especially for the millennium celebration on December 31st, 1999. The bottle for this extraordinary cuvee – a jeroboam – reproduces the famous anemones of the glass-maker artist Emile Gallé. To greet the new millennium in style, Perrier-Jouët has blended and bottled the exceptional 1995 vintage in a limited edition of 2,000 jeroboams adorned with gilded anemones and numbered from 1 to 2000. From the creation of the Cuvée Belle Epoque to the opening – 25 years later – of the guest house, named Maison Belle Epoque, the whole development of the Perrier-Jouët brand is exemplified in this marriage of Art Nouveau, and astonishing, exceptional champagne. 1996 Perrier-Jouet La Cuvee Belle Epoque “Fleur de Champagne The harvest is sometimes so outstanding that in special years, Perrier-Jouet decides to make a vintage Cuvee Belle Epoque. 1996 was such year, when the quality of the grapes signaled a remarkable harvest from the very outset. All the art of champagne making went into keeping the house style while bringing out the exceptional character of this particular vintage. The Cuveé is distinguished by a high proportion of Chardonnay from the best slopes in the Côte des Blancs district. The color is a greenish-gold, reflecting a magnificent, crystalline brightness. The wine presents an intense, strong effervescence, with fine and regular bubbles. The aromas carry soft notes of white flowers, honey and lemon married with the aromas of fresh fruit, including plum and pineapple. The flavor confirms the richness of the bouquet, with initial freshness. It is light but strong and lively, with some subtle notes of honey and vanilla, and the palate imparts good length. SOME JOURNALISTIC COMMENTS: “Gorgeous leaner style wine with subtle intensity before a big long finish. Great structure, a fine wine. Exceptional." “Ignoring (if one can) the striking flower design of the Belle Epoque baked onto the bottle, this wine takes you into the highest echelon of Champagne quality. Bright, light, yellow-green, with excellent mousse, it is spotlessly clean and with intense bouquet bursts, white peach, citrus and cashew aromatics, and a palate with glorious length and intensity, leaving the mouth tingling with anticipation for another sip ...” “The epitome of great champagne, for its flavour and its beautiful floral-clad belle epoque-styled bottle. This vintage champagne is already six years old but tastes so fresh it could be new. It has a pale lemon colour, citrusy aromas, vanilla biscuity flavours and a long life ahead.” AWARDS: Regular Price $99.99/Bottle In the early 1970s, Hijos de Antonio Barceló went for "Castilla y León" as a strong bet. This region represents almost 4% of the Spanish wine production and it is famous for the unquestionable quality of its wines, with origins as prestigious as Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, Cigales and Bierzo. That is how Bodegas Peñascal was created, it was then located in Tudela de Duero (Valladolid) and for almost 30 years it has been the cradle of the most famous rosé wine trademark in Spain. Penascal is produced by Hijos de Antonio Barcelo, a wine company founded in 1876. Antonio Barcelo, originally from Malaga in southern Spain, founded a company that traded in raisins, olive oil and sweet wines. He and his descendants established markets in South America and the United States. In 1975, the company acquired Penascal, a wine-producing firm in Tudela de Duero, Spain. The wines epitomize value – remarkable quality and consistency for the price. The Tempranillo grape has become Spain's answer to the popular Cabernet Sauvignon, yet little is known about this ancient variety. Used quite often for blending, it is the Tempranillo that will give a Spanish red |
LOUIS LATOUR
eaders in their respective fields, remain family owned, have a history of 200 years' experience and still bear the name of the founder. There are only approximately 30 of these companies in the world.
On the other hand, perhaps the most elemental and important factor that affects the flavors of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown in the Cote d'Or, is the soil itself. There are soil differences in each vineyard and even variations in the soil composition every few steps in any direction. There are, however, three principal components of these soils of the Cote d'Or – limestone (calcaire), clay (argile) and sand (silice). The different combinations of these elements go a long way to explain some of the differences in the flavors of the final wines. Generally speaking, sandy or gravelly soils favor lighter wines; clays favor robust reds with good color and high alcohol and tannin content; limestone soils favor wines of high alcohol and powerful bouquet; and soils high in iron oxide are ideal for color and bouquet.
Renowned throughout the world for the quality of its Burgundies, the Domaine Latour has built a reputation for tradition and innovation, but it has also begun to pioneer the production of fine wines from outside of the confines of Burgundy. The wine we are featuring this month is from the region of Coteaux de l’Ardèche, and the wines from this appellation are slowly gaining esteem for their unmatchable quality outside of Burgundy.
DELMAS
It is made from the traditional Blanquette blend of 80% Mauzac and 20% Chardonnay This particular example is clean, fresh and elegant, very lively. It has a distinctive yeasty aroma, is well balanced on the palate, and offers an invigorating mouthful. It comes from a small single estate belonging to Bernard Delmas and represents extremely good value. It has heady grape and floral aromas with hints of green apple – a fine yeasty character is present in the bouquet – and there is a fabulous nutty flavor. It is a dry, refreshing fizz – very classy. It is aged 18 months in contact with the lees, is pale lemon-yellow in color, is nuanced, with persistent, regular and fine bubbles. It is elegantly proportioned, balanced, without aggressiveness, and finishes wonderfully. This wine led a British journalist to remark wryly, “And why is it, did 
you say, that Champagne is so expensive”? 90 Points by Wine And Spirits Magazine.
Saintsbury Winery, Carneros CA
winery now produces a small but very special bottling of Pinot Noir from this ranch that is released on October 23rd of each year in celebration of George Saintsbury’s birthday.
The great house of Perrier-Jouet, Epernay, France was founded by a couple who fell in love with the vineyards of Champagne and each other. Together they created the world's most passionate Champagne. The date 1811, carved in stone above the main entrance to the House of Perrier-Jouët on the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, commemorates the foundation of this prestigious brand of Champagne by Pierre Nicolas Marie Perrier and his wife Adèle Jouët. By 1815 Perrier Jouët shipments were made to the United Kingdom and by 1837 to the United States. Charles Perrier took over from his father in 1854 with the desire to build on these early successes, especially abroad. At the request of his British customers, Charles Perrier produced the very first “Brut Cuvées” and the first single-year vintages in the Champagne region! Charles Perrier also held several high public positions, including that of Mayor of Epernay. It was he who built imposing Château Perrier across from the firm's offices and cellars.
An epochal turning point in Perrier-Jouët's history took place in 1964. Pierre Ernst, then the firm's Marketing Director, and André Baveret, then Cellar Master, discovered in the Perrier-Jouët cellars an old bottle decorated with en enameled arabesque of anemone flowers, which had been crafted by Emile Gallé in 1902. This bottle became the "Cuvée Belle Epoque," the brand's own distinctive work of art. Michel Budin, Perrier-Jouët's Managing Director at the time, and his successor Pierre Ernst were the driving force behind the success of the great Cuvée Belle Epoque, which they launched in 1969 at the renowned restaurant Maxim's, and at Fauchon, the gourmet food emporium. It was not until 1975 that the Cuvée Belle Epoque, under the name "Fleur de Champagne," was introduced to the United States, where it soon became one of the most sought-after select champagnes.
Fleur de Champagne is a marriage of the very best that the vineyards of Champagne can produce: wines from Cramant, Avize, Ay, Mailly and Verzenay, the region's most highly-rated vineyards. One half of the blend is Chardonnay of surpassing finesse and delicacy. The other half is Pinot Noir of noble richness and complexity. The blend of these wines yields Champagne of ravishing fragrance and style. Offered in the famous "Flower Bottle," the wine's aromatic, elegant style coupled with its unique hand-painted bottle, have established “Fleur” as the "Champagne of Romance".
Penascal
