Dr Vino's wine blog

Pabst Still Coasting On 1893 Blue Ribbon Win
-The Onion

So what’s wrong with the 1855 classification of red wines from the Medoc? We can sum it up succinctly: the Pabst problem. It’s resting on its laurels.

The classification was a snapshot and not a moving picture. Several houses riding high in 1855 have since plummeted or been acquired by others. One chateau, Mouton-Rothschild, headed the other way and was promoted to first growth status as recently as 1973, the first and only change to the system cast on parchment.

But over on the Right Bank, they’ve got a moving picture. Granted, we’re talking one frame per decade but at least that’s more dynamic than over in the Medoc.

The wines of St. Emilion (see dark purple on map) were first classified only in 1954. Unlike the 1855 classification with 61 properties distributed over five “growths,” or classes, the St. Emilion classification divides 55 proprties into two categories of average and above average. Actually, that would be too humble: the two categories are mere “great growths” (42 chateaus) and “super great growths” (13).

Well, tomorrow is the big day for the announcement of the next revision. The big phenomenon in the region in the 1990s was the emergence of ultra-premium vins de garage that were not included in the last revision in 1996. More garagiste wine makers than you could shake a gigot d’agneau at have hit their stride since then. If the revision is truly dynamic, it should expand beyond the current 55 members and include some of the garagistes. Stay tuned for part deux tomorrow…

St. Emilion Classification, 1954 (1996 edition)

FIRST GREAT GROWTH CATEGORY A

* Château Ausone
* Château Cheval Blanc

FIRST GREAT GROWTH CATEGORY B

* Château Angélus
* Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
* Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarosse)
* Château Belair
* Château Canon
* Château Figeac
* Château La Gaffeliere
* Château Magdelaine
* Château Pavie
* Château Trottevieille
* Clos Fourtet

GREAT GROWTHS

* Château Balestard La Tonelle
* Château Bellevue
* Château Bergat
* Château Berliquet
* Château Cadet Bon
* Château Cadet-Piola
* Château Canon La Gaffeliere
* Château Cap De Mourlin
* Château Chauvin
* Château Clos Des Jacobins
* Château Corbin
* Château Corbin-Michotte
* Château Curé Bon
* Château Dassault
* Château Faurie-De-Sauchard
* Château Fonplégade
* Château Fonroque
* Château Franc Mayne
* Château Grand Mayne
* Château Grand Pontet
* Château Guadet Saint-Julien
* Château Haut Corbin
* Château Haut Sarpe Saint-Christophe Des Bardes
* Château L’arrosée
* Château La Clotte
* Château La Clusiere
* Château La Couspaude
* Château La Dominique
* Château La Serre
* Château La Tour Du Pin-Figeac (Giraud-Belivier)
* Château La Tour Du Pin-Figeac (J.M. Moueix)
* Château La Tour Figeac
* Château Lamarzelle
* Château Laniote
* Château Larcis Ducasse Saint-Laurent Des Combes
* Château Larmande
* Château Laroque Saint-Christophe Des Bardes
* Château Laroze
* Château Le Prieuré
* Château Les Grandes Murailles
* Château Matras
* Château Moulin Du Cadet
* Château Pavie Decesse
* Château Pavie Macquin
* Château Petite Faurie De Soutard
* Château Ripeau
* Château Saint-George Cote Pavie
* Château Soutard
* Château Tertre Daugay
* Château Troplong-Mondot
* Château Villemaurine
* Château Yon-Figeac
* Clos De L’oratoire
* Clos Saint-Martin
* Couvent Des Jacobins

St. Emilion producers’ union web site

tags: wine | St. Emilion | St. Emilion classification

I spoke with a cult producer last week who told me that he will release a new wine this fall: a blend of merlot and grenache. Unusual, eh? But thinking about it, the smooth of merlot blended with the sweet of grenache and I’m surprised there isn’t more of this already.

More details in the new wine to follow. But in the meantime, which two regions will the grapes come from? Post your guess in the comments below. The winner will get a link back to his or her blog/site or, if blogless, some form of glorious mention here that trumpets their wine savvy.

UPDATE 9/7: Thanks to all for guessing in the comments and to Whit for guessing the hardest. The answer lies here with Jean-Luc Thunevin of Valandraud.

tags: wine | wine blends

Michelin, The Wine Regions of France

A guide to cathedrals might seem like the logical shift toward themes for the Michelin green guides, traditionally organized by country or region. But I came across one with another theme: French wine regions.

On the whole the book offers the first time tourist a bird’s eye view. The first 70 pages provide a brisk overview of wine and France that is balanced and up-to-date enough to touch on the recent troubles of the French wine industry. In the subsequent twelve regional sections, each has a regional map with several itineraries laid out in typical Michelin style. Practical information ranges from select hotels and restaurants to good shops for wine and other regional products in the main towns.

However the major drawback is that the guide’s group author backs down from providing a star-ranking for the wine producers themselves. Michelin has no qualms about rating chefs, hotels, cathedrals, museums, indeed entire towns and villages in its other guides yet is unable to rate wine producers here either for the quality of their wines or the tourist appeal of their properties. Since many visits to wine country tend to be for a weekend or combined with other attractions in the area, such a ranking would provide the harried traveler a useful thumbnail sketch of the top wineries in the area. Suggesting a fun big name to visit as well as an independent grower that few might have heard of would be helpful way for a tourist to balance an afternoon. In Champagne, for example, why not offset the slick tour at Moet with a visit to Jacques Selosse whose extraordinary champagnes are not exported to the US.

Although it is a book of all wine producing regions of France, the tourist is probably only likely to visit one region. Thus the book must be evaluated on the strength of the regional coverage. It’s a pity then that the regional sections are too thin with too much material recycled from the regional green guide and not enough opinion and information satisfy the wine tourist. The maps indicate only a few winery locations among the other sites and hikes. While the unstarred winery blurbs do provide useful contact info and some visitor hours, their descriptions are often bland and not enough for the tourist to know what’s worth visiting.

Even if they pull their punches by not giving star reviews, that’s not the case here. I give the book one star, or “worth a browse.” In the end this book resembles Michelin’s thin rival guide, Zagat, since it is mostly useful for the contact information and hours (when correct).

tags: wine | wine travel | France | Michelin guide

American wine geeks will feel at home at La Derniere Goutte. And it’s not because the name—the last drop—evokes an American ad campaign of a bygone era. It’s thanks to the fact that the owner speaks perfect English, since he is an American.

Juan Sanchez started his first wine shop in Paris 13 years ago in the charming streets of the Latin Quarter. After three years at one location he moved around the corner and started La Derniere Goutte. He has been sourcing wines from boutique producers ever since.

The small, climate controlled shop has a great selection of wines from independent growers particularly from the Languedoc and the Rhone. Many of the growers practice wine making that uses little intervention in the vineyard and in the winery.

And many of the producers aren’t imported to the US so you can keep WAY ahead of the Jonses. Have you ever wanted to try a champagne from Anselme Selosse for example? Juan has several as well as other champagnes made by the growers themselves (not the norm in Champagne where the big houses prevail). It’s a good thing he offers a tax refund of 13 percent for purchases over 120 euros.

Beyond simply having great wines, Juan and his staff make it easy for you to actually buy them on a tight travel schedule since they’re one of the few Paris (wine) shops open on Sundays. And oh yeah, if you’re local, they deliver too. How about that for convenience!

6, rue de Bourbon le Chateau, 75006 Paris
tel : 01 43 29 11 62

* * *

Juan is also a partner in the restaurant Fish, just around the corner on rue de Seine. Located in an old fishmonger’s store with ornate tile work on the façade, the food and service on the inside are just as refreshing as the air conditioning. We enjoyed the Domaine Roquefort rose from Provence (find this wine), which is available by the glass, carafe, or bottle. The friendly staff pour natural wines from the list and would no doubt welcome naturalistas seeking glass when the restaurant is not in full swing. You may even see Juan there after the shop closes.

A bit of trivia: directly across the street from Fish is a sandwich shop called Cosi. They bake their own flatbreads in the oven and offer a menu of light fare. Sound like the publicly traded American company by the same name is following Starbucks and making inroads into France? Actually it is the other way around in this case. This location spurred American investors to buy the rights and turn it into a hugely successful business in the states.

Fish, La Boissonnerie, 69, rue de Seine 75006 Paris. Tel : 01 43 54 34 69

tags: wine | wine shops | natural wines | Paris

One case (12 bottles) of Chateau Petrus 2005 futures (wine arrives in 2008): $24,000 at Morrell’s Wine in NYC (currently sold out)

2006 VW Jetta: $23,790 sticker price (available now, any color).

See some of my other posts on the insanity and the misery of Bordeaux 2005

tags: wine | Bordeaux 2005

When I was in Paris last week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Bertrand. You may know Bertrand from his great pictures of the independent wine makers of France. That’s how I knew him.

We met up at La Muse Vin, one of a growing number of “natural” wine bars, in the 11th arrondissement roughly between Republique and Bastille. It is a wine bar/restaurant that, unknown to us, converted fully to a restaurant at 8:30 (20h30, if you will) slightly before we got there. So we each ordered a plate from the chalkboard since that was the requirement in the intimate space. I had chilled pea soup with a yowza amount of spearmint in it.

When it came to the wine, our thoughts turned to the Loire not only because I am a fan of the wines in general, but also because Bertrand had just gotten back from a shoot in the Loire of Jean Pierre Robinot. Although Robinot only started his winery in 2002, he has been around wine for a lot longer, previously owning a wine bar in Paris and founding the insider wine publication Le Rouge et Le Blanc (whose name would no doubt make Stendhal chuckle). You can read all the details on Robinot and see photos on Bertrand’s blog.

Coincidentally, several of Robinot’s wines were on the wine list at La Muse Vin. Or perhaps I should say in the cold storage since one of the onwers was “the list.” Example bottles with prices painted on them are on display around the periphery of the restaurant and he walked us through a few until we settled on the Robinot, Lumière de Silex 2002 from the Jasnieres appellation

As the chenin blanc was decanted and chilled at the table, I couldn’t help but marvel at the rich, golden color. With aromas of honeysuckle, on the palate it had a crispness yet also a slight note of sweetness. Overall, the wine was so intense that I could feel it in the back of my cheekbones. I was sorry we didn’t decant it several hours earlier to see what more appeared to be locked inside.

Enter Alder. Well, he didn’t really enter La Muse Vin. But he did assign a write up of a Loire white for today’s edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. Another fortunate coincidence.

La Muse Vin, 101, r Charonne, 75011 Paris – 01 40 09 93 05

If you are in Paris looking for a wine from the Etats-Unis, New Zealand, or even Brazil, your home to one-stop shopping convenience has a name: Lavinia.

Sprawling over a climate-controlled three floors, the store is the most New World in its orientation in all of Paris. Opened in 2003 after its owners cut their teeth on locations in Barcelona and Madrid, the store stocks 6,000 wines, hundreds of spirits, a significant selection of wine books in French and English, and a handsome tasting bar and restaurant. And with copious amounts of staff, the customer service is as refreshing as the air conditioning.

Consider it a must-stop for wine geeks, whether for ex-pats or locals who are stuck in a rut or visitors who are looking for the best of French wines.

The entry floor has many wines stuck neck first into a display with helpful rings around them indicating a good value, organically grown, best seller, or a seasonal selection. One section suggests wines paired with various foods. They offer a sample of a wine or two a week, poured in a glass (not plastic!).

This floor houses the wines of the world, from Argentina to Spain and Tuscany to Napa. A panel on the wall said “Cuba” and I was intrigued–since my home country has an embargo against products of the island, this was my first chance to try a wine from the island more known for tobacco than grapes. Alas, it was not to be since the wine, once stocked, was no longer available (a testimony to its poor quality a staff member told me).

Upstairs is the library, a huge array of armagnacs and cognacs, and the swanky bar/restaurant. Their attitude toward customer service is such that the whole store becomes the wine list: each wine in the store can be consumed at the bar for the same price as in the store, which makes it the most diverse wine bar in Paris (open til 8 PM).

Downstairs is all French, all the time. There is a cooler storage area for not just e expensive and rare wines but also some affordable “natural” wines that need a little more TLC. This area holds perhaps the most appeal for visitors to Paris looking to pick up some of the bounty of France.

If the sumptuous selection is too much for you to carry home, they deliver! (a concept, essential in Manhattan, which is still in its infancy in Paris) And for non-EU visitors who start swiping the plastic with vigor, the store offers a 13% tax refund on purchases over 300 euros–though it will require getting to the airport early to claim it.

The selection here of wines from the world can’t be beat in Paris. If you are sold on the business model, then it can be yours: a sign in the window says “franchisees wanted.”

Lavinia, 3-5 Boulevard de la Madeleine, 75001 Paris. 01 42 97 20 20
www.lavinia.fr

tags: wine | wine shops | wine stores | Paris

If you are returning your rental car to the Bordeaux train station, drive past the main door of the station, turn left over the tracks, then left again on the other side. There. Now somebody told you. Nobody told me and there are no signs. Better yet, if you are traveling with at least one other person, drop them off at the main door with all the luggage–there are no luggage carts to traverse the vast parking lot. Oh, and no elevators inside the train station.

Use your ATM card: my credit card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee vs 1% for the ATM card. Sure $20 on every $1000 isn’t that much but hey–it’s two bottles of Dr Vino picks!

If you’re in Paris during a heatwave, take the bus. No AC in the metro means that it is an odorific, heatastic experience. At least in the bus you can open the window two or three inches. Or better yet, splurge for a taxi (no charge for extra passengers) and get some AC–maybe.

Have a pique-nique on a shady park bench. Any decent boulangerie will have (pre-made) sandwiches that will knock the snot out of any Subway 12 incher. If you’re traveling with kids under 10, the best spot for this pique-nique is the jardin du Luxembourg with its pony rides, playground, puppet shows, and pond with sail boats.

Take a couple of large ziploc bags with you when you go. That way when you buy some yummy, transportable foods to bring home, it won’t get all over your luggage the way my AOC green lentils spilled in mine. My stews this fall will have a nice aroma de luggage.

Drink local. Many local wines offer compelling price to quality ratios. However, many of them stink. Only one way to find out.

If you fly home on American Airlines from CDG, have an e-ticket, and are a US citizen, bypass the check-in lines and head straight for the short self-check-in line in the middle. Nobody knows about it and it’s totally legit. It only took me 45 minutes in the other line to find this out.

And if you’re in Paris, be sure to hit some of the cool wine shops and wine bars I will be posting about over the next few days!

tags: wine | French travel tips