French Classics
Tuesday, Nov 4, 5-7pm drop in
$7 tasting fee, waived with featured bottle purchase
We are stepping up with our wine tastings (because they are so good, and now's the time to bring out some big ones). Alex from Kellogg Selections will pour an elegant line-up, for all occasions.
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Champagne
Jean Vesselle | Réserve Brut | 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay | $48
Jean Vesselle is a small family-estate standout amongst the big-house champagne houses near grand cru territory, near Bouzy. The family has been tending these chalky soils of top terroirrs for over 300 years. It is a classic Fall champagne for us - toasty, red apples, red berries, white pepper, wildflowers
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Beaujolais
Yann Bertrand | Oh!... | Gamay | $34
Yann Bertrand is the next-generation of natural Beaujolais winemakers, following footsteps of some of the great mentors - Jean Foillard, Yvon Metras, and Jacques Neauport (right-hand man of Jules Chauvet). If you don't recognize these names, they are are worth looking into.
These are old vines (60 years old), geographically in the Fleurie appellation (one of Alice's favorite Beaujolais cru regions), aged in 66% concrete tanks and 33% used barrels. This is fresh, lively, juicy, little barnyard-hay, crushed raspberries, dried roses, one to drink in one sitting
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Northern Rhone - François Villard
Contours de Deponcins VdF | Viognier | $31
Certitude | Crozes-Hermitage | Syrah | $31
Another old-world producer who in the past two decades returned to traditional winemaking - low intervention, minimal use of new oak, minimal additional sulfur. A former chef turned winemaker, he owns 40 hectares, from Côte-Rôtie to Saint Peray. Sustainably/organically farmed, balanced touch in the cellar, but true breadth and richness in his wines.
The viognier is young-vine Condrieu fruit grown in sandy granite and mica. Used barrel-fermented, elegant, plush middle, orange blossom, peach, apricot, honeyed notes
The Crozes-Hermitage comes from a mix of sandy clay and round river stones. These are whole-cluster fermentation, aged in five- to six-year-old barrels, lush fruit, gentle tannins, tar, earth, pepper, baked cherry flavors, a fantastic benchmark syrah
