Domaine et Saveurs Burgundy event at WWWB with owner Jeanne Marie Deschamps

We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.

Carl Jung

Domaine et Saveurs Burgundy event at WWWB
with owner Jeanne Marie Deschamps
Friday, October 12, 2018
7:30 PM

Guy Charlemagne Millesime Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2005
Price: $85.25       Sale $75.02

The vineyards are about 42 years old, everything is handpicked at Maison Guy Charlemagne. 87% is Chardonnay, the rest is Pinot Noir.  Located in the village of Mesnil-sur-Oger, growers since 1892, they only harvest and vinify their own parcels. The main part of the vineyard is located on the Côte-des-Blancs, between Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger.  The top value of the domaine : By doing special cuvées like the Mesnillésime for which the wine as been raised in oak barrel, a zero dosage Brut and a Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, this Maison is a reference !

Domaine Sylvain-Langoureau Saint-Aubin 1er Cru "En Remilly" 2016
Price: $50.00       Sale $44.00

Domaine Pernot-Belicard Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru "Champ Gain" 2015
Price: $85.00       Sale $74.80

Chateau de la Maltroye Chassagne Montrachet "Clos de la Maltroye" Monopole 2016
Price: $101.50    Sale $89.32

Domaine Guy Amiot Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Caillerets" 2016
Price: $115.00    Sale $101.20

Domaine Guy Amiot in Chassagne-Montrachet possesses a line up of crus that are enviable. Founder Arsène Amiot started acquiring parcels in Chassagne including several premier crus and a few rows of Le Montrachet. Under his direction, Domaine Amiot became one of the first to begin estate-bottling their production. Their work springs from a long tradition begun in the 1920s under the direction of founder Arsène Amiot. Arsène started acquiring parcels in Chassagne in the 1920s, including Vergers, Clos Saint Jean, Caillerets, and Dent de Chien (which would later become le Montrachet), and under his direction Domaine Amiot became one of the first domaines in Burgundy to bottle their own wines. 
Arsène’s son Pierre took over in the 30s, adding more parcels such as Maltroie, Champgains, “Les Chaumes,” Macherelles and Chaumées, and their parcel in Puligny-Montrachet, Les Demoiselles. By the time Guy Amiot (who the current domaine is named after), took over in 1985, the domaine had built up very impressive holdings and had passed the knowledge of how to best care for the vines down from generation to generation. There was a continuity of work in the vineyards that led to solid consistency in the wines. In 1993, Guy’s son Thierry Amiot took over and has been both respecting the tradition and striving for improvement ever since.    

Domaine Stephan Magnien Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru"Les Sentiers" 2016
Price: $110.00    Sale $96.80

Chambolle takes its name from the bubbling appearance of the Grône stream. In 1878 the name of its best cru Musigny, was appended to the village name. This A.O.C. is for red wine only and covers a total area of 182 hectares. Sentiers (paths) simply indicates the presence of trails and paths. Three path intersections can be found on the perimeter of the climat.

Domaine Gallois Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Gaulots" 2013
Price: $97.00       Sale $85.36

“Goulot” designates the narrow “neck” or prolongation of a combe or valley.  The clay-limestone soil is very pebbly, with little vegetable matter.  The vines are situated on the edge of the forest at an elevation of 380m, the highest in the village and very steeply sloped.  It was planted in 1974 and annual production represents around 900 bottles.  Yield is always quite low and it is not rare for grapes in the rows bordering on the woods to be eaten by the nearby wild game. In 2016, electrified fencing was installed to protect the crop.  The quality and condition of grapes are always very satisfying.  Character of the wine acidity is always present with well-integrated tannins and the wine is of subtle vivacity. Sometimes it has gentle aromas of violet, mushroom or truffle but small red fruits dominate.

Domaine Rene Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Champeaux" 2014
Price: $95.00       Sale $83.60

The  cellars  are  in  the  village  of  Gevrey-Chambertin.  Vineyard  holdings  include  the  lieu-dit  of Clos  Prieur,  only  a  stone's  throw  from  Grand  Cru  Mazis-Chambertin,  plus  the  excellent  1ers Crus  of  Lavaux-St-Jacques  and  Combe  aux  Moines.  These  are  well-situated  on  the  steep east-facing slope of the Combe de Lavaux, sitting either side of the famous Clos-Saint-Jacques.  Each  vineyard  displays  different  variations  on  the  basic  theme  of  limestone  and  clay  marls.  Combe  aux  Moines  is  rocky  and  stony;  Lavaux-St-Jacques  has  a  similar  white  marl  to  that found in Le Chambertin; Griottes has a particularly thin topsoil, with chalk and pebbles.

Domaine Parent Pommard 1er Cru "Les Epenots" 2015
Price: $149.00    Sale $131.12

(92-94 points) The 2015 Pommard 1er Cru Les Epenots has an enticing bouquet with hints of kirsch infiltrating the vibrant Morello cherry and crushed strawberry fruit, a hint of blood orange in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with caressing tannin, well-judged acidity, a little confit fruit towards the finish and a lovely subtle tang of marmalade on the aftertaste. This will be a delicious Pommard from Anne Parent that should age with style. Superb. (NM) (12/2016) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Domaine Meo-Camuzet Clos de Vougeot 2014
Price: $303.75    Sale $267.30

(95 points) Impressive for the fruit purity, this red exudes black currant, cherry, raspberry and floral aromas and flavors. Well-balanced and firm, with a chalky sensation on the lingering finish. Shows fine potential. Best from 2022 through 2043 (3/2017) Wine Spectator

Menu
Selection of charcuterie and cheese
Salmon torchon served with house made fresh dill mayo and with minted couscous
Deconstructed beef short rib bourguignon
Puff pastry with epoisses drizzled with warm cherry pie drizzle

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $150 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or –email andy@winewatch.com.

A bit about our Jeanne Marie:
Jeanne Marie is the Madame de Champs who created the exporting house, Domaine et Saveurs Collection, consisting of a slew of very fine estates, mostly but not exclusively in Burgundy. Through the years she has been a constant presence at tastings and stays off the radar as far as print. So, I thought it was time to change that a little.

Years ago when I wanted to visit two terrific domaines in Burgundy, Domaine Bart in Marsannay and Domaine Lafouge in Auxey, I asked David Lillie of Chambers Street Wines, who to contact. He smiled a strange smile, and said, “Ah, Jeanne Marie!” (I am still trying to get out of him what David meant.--but this just in from him. " I don't know if this is a male/female difference, but I would say that she has less "ego" involved with her selections that most. If you don't like one of her producers, OK that's not your style. How do old, skinny, balding retailers differ from young, skinny jean, beany-wearing retailers?")

Jeanne Marie de Champs, grew up with her three brothers in the farmlands of the Loire, not far from the vines of Sancerre. She studied business in Paris. She knew wine was in her future and planned for it, tasting along with Stephen Spurrier. After marrying, as it happens a Burgundian négoce, she headed down to Burgundy where she started her exporting company, Domaines et Saveurs Collection in 1994.

She never sought vigneron through a dogma but through instinct. Examples of those she worked and works with?  Bernard Michelot, André Cournut, Monsieur L Gouroux, Mr Porcheret at Hospices de Beaune, Paul Pernot, Francois Lamarche, Guy Amiot, S. Pitiot, Jean Meo, R.Rapet, more recently P. Frick in Alsace. P.Savoye in Beaujolais, Piat in Bordeaux  as well as the organic and biodynamic Chateau Couronneau. She learned from them all, especially having had the experience of magical tastings with J. Lardière. For Jeanne Marie, gravitates towards those who eye wine more naturally. Indicative of what she looks for is having rejected wines made according to the Accad -mania.*

Being a woman never posed any difficulties for her.  From my standpoint, she has height going for her, with about a foot or more over me. Height does make a difference in the way the world perceives you. She also believes that being brought up in a male environment--three brothers,  many male cousins and male colleagues--she had to be a tom boy, learn how to fight and to play with men. “If some winemakers spent time with me because I was a woman, it might be so,” she wrote to me. She also added that she was not afraid to pull on boots and go into the vines during rain. Nothing like not being afraid of the mud to demonstrate one's seriousness.

Still, she says there are international differences. “In France being a woman might be more challenging than America. China, and some countries which have not yet fully accepted women having an opinion and expressing it because of their know-how it's still an issue.  But it will be changing soon. But," she added, "no matter where we are, women have to be better than good.

She admits she might have benefitted from those who came befor her. “Not too long ago a woman in a wine cellar in Burgundy was a woman on a boat. It brought bad luck. But women like  Martine Saunier and Becky Wasserman have opened the doors for that change.You have now a women wine maker association on each region of France (Anne Parent, was the starting point in Burgundy). You have father who gave their responsabilities to their daughters sometimes not because they had no son, but because they believe in them ;Veronique Drouhin, Claire Naudin, Nathalie Lamarche, Elodie Michelot, CL. Jobard, B. Dubois.

 Jeanne Marie leaves us with this advice:  "Always taste through every wine no matter how tired you are! ” She learned this after a while back, organizing a newspaper tasting. She was so tired she didn’t taste 108. Of course that one was corked. It still bugs her. Finally, she says, "Be happy, be passionate, listen and respect the experiences of growers. This is not industrial work. Wine as a final product is like like a Lego between terroir, vineyard work, weather, decision at harvest, risk of wine-making, risk during the élevage. It’s all connected by timing.”

 “Sorry Alice,” she wrote to me,  “I am sure I am conventional, (no Jeanne Marie, you are not!)  but we have to find a equilibrium between our work which could be day (selling/ tasting) and night,( dinner, receptions… and family) and our children. 2 jobs? That’s nothing, multi-tasking is also our woman’s nature!

** Guy Accad was a controversial consultant who worked in the late eighties and nineties and was quite the fashion at the time. As Jeanne Marie said, his system pushed ripeness, and long-cold soaks for extraction and color. "The system worked fine in warm and dry years like 1989 and 1990 but in years like 1991, it was a disaster."

Meo Camuzet

Méo-Camuzet is one of the most celebrated domaines of the Côte d’Or, located in the heart of prestigious Vosne-Romanée. The domaine boasts fourteen hectares of land in some of the most spectacular appellations and crus of Burgundy. The vineyard land in Burgundy is highly parceled out among families, which makes it rare for anyone to have enough vines to be able to bottle one grand cru, let alone the six that the Méos have. The early beginnings of the domaine left it in the hands of métayeurs, or share-croppers. The last twenty years have brought substantial changes that have fostered a new chapter for the Méo family.

Founder Étienne Camuzet was not only a passionate vigneron, but a full-time politician, and spent most of his time in Paris, representing the Côte d’Or. In order to keep his land in use, he offered it to capable share-croppers to farm. By the time his daughter had inherited the estate, she found herself with no successors, so the estate was passed down to her closest relative, Jean Méo. Jean was also deeply involved in national politics—he served as a member of Charles DeGaulle’s cabinet. Consequently, he, too, had to direct the domaine from afar. In the early 1980s, as many of the métayeurs were starting to retire, it became clear that the domaine needed a new direction. Jean’s son, Jean-Nicolas had also spent most of his life in Paris. By 1985, it was his turn to take the helm. In lieu of continuing to rent out their highly-pedigreed vineyards, he made the bold decision to slowly start reclaiming the land for the domaine’s own bottlings. He called upon the resident expert, one of Burgundy’s greatest winemakers of all time, Henri Jayer, for guidance. Henri had spent over forty years farming parcels from Méo-Camuzet under his own label, while enjoying celebrity status in the Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant portfolio. For three years, he mentored Jean-Nicolas during the transition and finally decided to retire in 1988. Though Jayer passed away in 2006, his legacy endures to this day.

Jean-Nicolas has since directed the cellar and sales. He has put the vineyards in the capable hands of Christian Faurois, son of one of domaine’s métayeurs, who has dedicated himself to these vineyards since 1973.

Domaine Méo-Camuzet bottles four astounding grands crus (Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Corton Clos Rognet, and Échezeaux, with two more Cortons on the way), ten premier crus (from the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, and Fixin), several village wines, one Bourgogne Rouge, and only one white. Jean-Nicolas aims for balance and purity of fruit, which he accomplishes with terrific success. Though delicate and fine, even in their youth, the paradoxical concentration and intensity of these wines make them ideal for long cellar aging. These rare, stunning achievements are a Burgundy lover’s dream.

2009 Meo Camuzet Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Price: $350.00    Sale Price: $260.00           Quantity in Stock: 1

2006 Domaine Meo Camuzet Echezeaux Les Rouges da Bas
Price: $340.00    Sale Price: $260.00           Quantity in Stock: 2

2009 Domaine Meo Camuzet Clos De Vougeot Pres Le Cellier
Price: $350.00    Sale Price: $260.00           Quantity in Stock: 1

2009 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots 750ml
Price: $169.00    Your Price: $148.72          Quantity in Stock: 10

2009 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers 750ml
Price: $169.00    Your Price: $148.72          Quantity in Stock: 11

Domaine Parent

The Parent family can trace their roots back to Etienne Parent, who in 1787 became Thomas Jefferson's wine advisor for Burgundy. The Parent family have been a permanent fixture in Pommard ever since, with the 6th generation, sisters Anne and Catherine now in charge, and their brother Francois working with his wife at their Domaine Anne Francoise Gros.

Since 1998, Anne has modified her approach to the wines. With 100% destemming, handpicking and three sorting tables, the story here is a little like that at Domaine Lamarche, where in recent years the quality has escalated. Anne views it thus: Pommard has two distinctive characters that can be grouped into the North and the South. The Pommards from the north of the appellation being like a man that plays Golf and drives an Aston Martin, those made from grapes grown in the south being like one that likes rugby and drives a Porsche.

2015 Domaine Parent Bourgogne Rouge
Price: $41.50    Your Price: $36.52               Quantity in Stock: 15

2015 Domaine Parent Corton Blanc Grand Cru
Price: $205.50    Your Price: $180.84          Quantity in Stock: 12

2015 Domaine Parent Corton Renardes Grand Cru
Price: $188.00    Your Price: $165.44          Quantity in Stock: 12

2015 Domaine Parent Beaune Les Epenottes 1er Cru
Price: $94.25    Your Price: $82.94               Quantity in Stock: 12

2015 Domaine Parent Pommard Les Epenots 1er Cru
Price: $167.50    Your Price: $147.40          Quantity in Stock: 11

2013 Domaine Parent Corton Renardes Grand Cru
Price: $162.00    Your Price: $142.56          Quantity in Stock: 1

2013 Domaine Parent Pommard Les Chaponnieres 1er Cru
Price: $112.50    Your Price: $99.00             Quantity in Stock: 5

2013 Domaine Parent Pommard Les Chanlins 1er Cru
Price: $96.00    Your Price: $84.48               Quantity in Stock: 4

2013 Domaine Parent Pommard Les Argillieres 1er Cru
Price: $96.00    Your Price: $84.48               Quantity in Stock: 1

1983 Domaine Parent Le Clos Micault Pommard Premier Cru
Price: $100.00    Your Price: $88.00             Quantity in Stock: 10

Champagne  Guy Charlemagne

2002 Guy Charlemagne Bland De Blancs Mesnillesime Grand Cru Brut Champagne
Price: $150.00    Your Price: $132.00          Quantity in Stock: 6

A Grand Champagne with character from the Côte des Blancs terroir, specifically from Le Mesnil sur Oger (limestone parcels averaging 60 years of age). This champagne produced from first press of Le Mesnil sur Oger Grand Cru juices, highlights the exact characteristic of our village. Jewel of the Charlemagne house, this vintage wine combines both authenticity and the search for perfect quality. Elegantly presented with exceptional labelling, this Mesnillésime cuvée is produced with rigorous vinification, partially in oak barrels without malolactic fermentation, and a very light dosage of 4 grams per liter. Matured for 6 years in our chalk underground cellars, this cuvée highlights the excellence of our production. Chardonnay, the only grape here, shows what balance, harmony and purity can mean. A rare champagne for unforgettable moments.

Pale yellow with green hues. Persistant mousse with very fine bubbles. Powerful yet elegant nose dominated by acacia honey eventually shows notes of candied lemon, smoke and a blend of pepper. Unctuous, lightly oaked and complex on the palate, Candied fruit and citrus aromas pave the way to a fresh, vanilla finish. ...