Burgundy Wine Tasting at Café Maxx

I think wine is always necessary and Burgundy is our subject of study for next week with this tasting making up part two of our mini-series on Burgundy next week.

We will be focusing on the wines of one of Burgundies most famous large negociant eleveurs, Louis Latour.

I will never forget the tasting we did with Louis-Fabrice Latour when we had channel 7 at the restaurant shooting footage of the event for their Deco Drive show.  The presence of the TV crew added some extra excitement to the evening and having the 10th generation of Latours at the event also made the event special.

The wines were from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 vintage which unfortunately were not great vintages in Burgundy. This time we have just our local rep for Latour in town and of course me to present the wines but we do have the outstanding 2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages on the table this evening- which should make this night special.

These last three vintages from Burgundy have been truly outstanding with 2009 being the best young vintage that I have ever experienced.  The tannins in these 2009's are so ripe they are like melted chocolate on your tongue.

The 2010's are being touted by producers as being even better with enough structure to last for decades in your cellar, but the top wines will not be pleasing to drink today.  You will need patience for the best 2010 vintage Burgundies but the entry level wines are drinking very nicely right now.

Then there is 2011 which has the best of both worlds from these last two vintages.  They have the forward and precocious nature of the 2009's which make them appealing right now and they also have very nice structure like the 2010's which mean the best wines will also age nicely in your cellar.

These tastings at Cafe Maxx for $35 are the best value of any event that we do. You get to try 8 different wines at the same time, pre-poured so they have a chance to open up and so you can go back through the line-up to get a second and third look at everything. This is how you learn about wine and with master chef Oliver Saucy sending out a few small courses to accompany the wines, you get a taste of Cafe Maxx and an education in wine all at the same time. A great way to spend happy hour!

Tonight we will feature an array of wines from the most famous wine region on earth for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 35 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Louis Latour Burgundy Wine Tasting at Cafe MaxxWednesday September 4, 20136:30 PM

Tasting Line-up:

Louis Latour Whites

Louis Latour Ardeche 2011 Price:$11.25        Sale $9.90            Case $115

Maison Louis Latour is one of the most innovative producers in Burgundy whilst maintaining its traditional image. In 1979, with a view to expanding the business the valley of the Ardèche river with its clay and limestone-based soils was chosen as the ideal location to produce top-quality Chardonnay wines. The Grand Ardèche comes from the best vineyards, carefully selected every year when harvesting begins. The grapes are pressed and the rapes are placed immediately in oak barrels made by the cooperage at Latour, where the wine will age for approximately 10 months, like the great wines of Burgundy.

The Grand Ardèche 2011 has a lovely shimmering yellow-green colour. It has a delicate bouquet with a subtle oaky touch. Still young, one must leave it for a few months in order for the the woody notes to be perfectly smooth. It is a very balanced wine with a certain nervousness present on the finish which gives it a very promising future.

Louis Latour Pouilly Fuisse 2011 Price:$23.75        Sale $20.90          Case $243

Pouilly-Fuissé is the name of a village in the Mâconnais producing highly distinctive Chardonnay wine. The vineyards producing this wine are part of a breath-taking landscape where the limestone and heavy clay soils combine to create a unique ‘terroir'.

The wine shows beautiful pale gold color and a discrete nose which bears notes of acacia flowers. On the palate it is well balanced, fat and sappy at the same time with floral aromas accompanied by a peppery finish.

Louis Latour Montagny La Grande Roche Premier Cru 2011 Price:$26.00        Sale $22.88          Case $266

The appellation of Montagny lies approximately 30 kilometres to the south of Beaune in the rolling folds and hills of the southern part of the Côte Chalonnaise. Montagny is a 100% white wine appellation originating solely from Chardonnay grapes and giving a fresh white wine that is an uncomplicated representation of its parent grape variety. The high quality of the vines is a direct consequence of their limestone bedrock and admirably oriented slopes. The vineyard of « La Grande Roche » is quite high up on the hillsides, catching plenty of sunshine which aids the great concentration of flavours in the grapes.

Of a lovely light golden colour, the Montagny 1er Cru "La Grande Roche" reveals a nose with aromas of muscat and fresh almonds accompanied by a hint of pepper. In the mouth it is ample, with vanilla and muscat notes. It has a lovely minerality on the finish.

Louis Latour Chassagne Montrachet 2011  Price:$61.25        Sale $53.90          Case $625

The village of Chassagne-Montrachet is the last and most southerly of the three great white winemaking appellations in the Côte de Beaune. Chassagne-Montrachet produces all appellations from village to Grand Cru. The village appellation covers just over half of Chassagne-Montrachet.

The Chassagne-Montrachet 2010 is pale yellow with golden highlights and an heady nose of marzipan and acacia. In the mouth, this is a full, tasty, rich wine with beautiful texture and pretty apricot notes.

Louis Latour Reds

Louis Latour Domaine Valmoissine Pinot Noir 2010 Price:$13.25        Sale $11.66          Case $136

The Domaine de Valmoissine 2011 has a lovely ruby red colour with garnet tints. It has an intense nose with aromas of Morello cherries. It is harmonious in the mouth with slightly young tannins which will soon become fine and sily-smooth. It is a wonderfully balanced wine.

Louis Latour Pommard 2009 Price:$64.50        Sale $56.76          Case $658

Pommard is for many the most familiar Burgundy appellation. The village itself lies approximately 2 miles south of Beaune, and the total appellation is fairly extensive, covering 300 hectares, flanking a narrow valley which leads back into the Côte d'Or hinterland. The wines of Pommard are quite different from those of the neighbouring villages. They tend to be deeper and more concentrated than Beaune or Volnay wines and have a sumptuous perfume and bite without being too tannic. This wine requires a number of years to reveal itself.

Sparkling ruby red in colour, delicious aromas of cherry, liquorice, leather and clove emanate from the glass. Structured in the mouth and in perfect harmony with its olfactive richness. Tasted November 2010.

Louis Latour Volnay Chevrets 2009 Price:$50.00        Sale $44.00          Case $510

This wine originates in the village of Volnay just south of Beaune and is a neighbour of Pommard. The "En Chevret" parcel of vines is located below the main road, just under the "Caillerets" parcel at the border of the village of Meursault. The easterly exposition and the specific terroir of this single vineyard give us an elegant wine at each vintage.

Intense dark ruby red with a mouth-watering bouquet of plums, strawberries, liquorice and peppermint this Volnay 1er Cru is attractively long on the finish with some tannins which still need smoothening out. Tasted November 2010.

Louis Latour Aloxe Corton 2009 Price:$51.75        Sale $45.54          Case $528

Aloxe-Corton has been the hometown of the Latour family and is the heart of the Domaine Louis Latour for centuries. The village of Aloxe-Corton located north of Côte de Beaune on a stony hillside, at the foot of the hill of Corton. It was in 1862 that the name of the climate "Corton” was added to the village name "Aloxe”. Surrounding this famous village, the vineyards of Domaine Louis Latour yield a classic Aloxe-Corton.

Cherry red in color, with an undeniable nose of Pinot Noir, ripe cherry and licorice. Balanced, harmonious and supple on the finish.

**Chef Oliver Saucy will be sending out a few small course to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this tasting is $35 + tax + gratuity.  for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Some Info on Maison Louis Latour:

The family-run company of Maison Louis Latour is one of the most highly-respected négociant-éléveurs in Burgundy. Renowned throughout the world for the quality of its red and white wines, the company has built a reputation for tradition and innovation.

Regarded as one of the traditional négociant-éléveurs, Maison Louis Latour is the producer of some of the finest Burgundian wines but has also pioneered the production of fine wines from outside of the confines of Burgundy.

These wines from the Ardèche and the Côteaux de Verdon are slowly gaining esteem for their unmatchable quality outside of Burgundy.

The Latour family themselves have been viticulteurs since the 17th century, slowly building up a unique Domaine of 50 hectares (125 acres). This Domaine has the largest Grand Cru property in the Cote d'Or with a total of 28,63 hectares (71,58 acres) . The vineyards extend from Chambertin in the north to Chevalier-Montrachet in the south and are solely planted with the two noble grape varieties ; Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

All of the grapes from the vineyards we own are vinified and aged in the attractive cuverie of Château Corton Grancey in Aloxe-Corton. The winery was the first purpose-built cuverie in France and remains the oldest still-functioning. A unique rail-way system with elevators allows the entire wine-making process to be achieved by the use of gravity. This eliminates the threat of oxidation from unnecessary pumping of the must. Since 1985 Louis Latour has been selling the wines of its own vineyards under the name Domaine Louis Latour.

The Latour family founded the 'Maison de négoce', an important shipping company, in 1797 and is still based at 18 Rue des Tonneliers in Beaune. The company is unique in Burgundy in that it is still to this day family owned and family run, having passed down from father to son for over ten generations.

In 1997 to celebrate their Bicentenary, they published a commemorative book and were admitted into the exclusive club of the Hénokiens. This club only admits companies that are leaders in their respective fields, remain family owned, have a history of 200 years' experience and still bares the name of the founder.

There are only approximately 30 of these companies in the world. 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.