Champagne Burgundy and Bordeaux Happy Hour Wine Tasting with Special Guest Valerie Antoine from Palm Bay Imports Thursday, October 3, 2024 - 6 PM
“In a perfect world, everyone would have a glass of Champagne every evening.”
- Willie Gluckstern, a wine expert from New York
We have created a perfect world here at Wine Watch! We drink Champagne every night!!
Ok I will admit that Champagne is my favorite wine but Burgundy and Bordeaux are not far behind in terms of my favorite wines from France or anywhere in the world for that matter.
So, when the folks at Palm Bay asked if I was interested in hosting a Happy Hour wine tasting with the US Burgundy and Bordeaux Director for their company and gave me this list of wines…the answer was an easy one. Yes – I DO!
We have a great selection of wines for this tasting including two grand cru reds and one of the top wines from Pomerol along with some older vintages. The fee for this tasting is $125 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9473 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux
with Special Guest Valerie Antoine- US Director Palm Bay Int. Burgundies & Bordeaux
Thursday, October 3rd
6pm
Champagne Andre Jacquart Vertus 1 er Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra brut
Price: $68.75 Sale $60.50
Andre Jacquart is a grower champagne in the truest sense. For four generations, the parents and grandparents of André Jacquart only produced Champagne grapes. In 1958 André Jacquart introduced a new spirit in the family, producing his own estate-bottled Champagne in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru. Since 2004, Champagne André Jacquart has been located in Vertus Premier Cru with their Champagnes exclusively coming from the terroir of Vertus and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Major work was undertaken and the fifth generation, represented by Marie Doyard (the granddaughter of André Jacquart) stepped in to run the business and inspire it with her own philosophy of vinification in oak barrels, long ageing periods, and low or no dosage. Interestingly, Marie’s paternal grandfather, Maurice Doyard, was instrumental in the creation of the AOC Champagne and the delimitation of its vineyard areas. Champagne André Jacquart prides itself on its forward-looking ethos and pioneering spirit, focusing primarily on respect for the terroir and high quality. In line with its strategy, the estate was certified HVE 3 for its sustainable winegrowing practices in 2019.
Brilliant pale gold, with a tight bead and persistent mousse. The chardonnay provides green pear, apple, and toasted bread on the nose, with distinct wet stone minerality. Lush, creamy mousse upon entry, rich, full, and crisp, with warm toasty elements. Explosive aged chardonnay elements, intense minerality, and great depth of flavor. Length and persistence of Burgundian-style chardonnay on the finish.
2022 Domaine Jolly Chablis
Price: $32.75 Sale $28.82
With four generations of experience, Domaine Jolly is known for producing traditional, mineral-driven Chablis wines. The Domaine is located in Maligny, just a few miles north of Burgundy’s famous Chablis village. The winery is managed by Denis Jolly, whose main focus is creating wines that are a true expression of the Kimmeridgean & Portlandian terroirs. Domaine Jolly consists of 42 acres of Petit Chablis, Chablis and Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume. Chardonnay is the only varietal grown on the estate which produces wines from three vineyard appellations: Petit Chablis consists of 11 acres with an average vine age of 3 to 30 years, Chablis consists of 33 acres with an average vine age of 3 to 60 years, and Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume consists of 1.5 acres with an average vine age of 40 years old.
This wine is a beautiful pale yellow color tinged with green. Lovely citrus aromas lead way to fruit-forward flavors of fresh pear with a rounded mouthfeel.
2017 Domaine Bertagna Vougeot Rouge 1er Cru Les Cras
Price: $141.00 Sale $124.08
With 18 wonderfully diverse appellations across the region, 12 of which are Premier and Grand crus, Bertagna is among the top ranking Domaines in Burgundy. A desire for perfection and emphasis on quality, coupled with significant investments in technology and vineyard management, result in some of the region’s most compelling wines. Domaine Bertagna is perhaps best known for its elegant, silky red wines, but it also produces one of the world’s rarest white wines – Vougeot 1er Cru Blanc “Les Cras” from the Côtes de Nuits. Bertagna comprises 20 hectares, most of which are planted to Pinot Noir; the remaining area is planted to Chardonnay and split between Vougeot 1er Cru Les Cras, Vougeot Le Village and a parcel of Corton-Charlemagne. Their wines include five Grands Crus, seven Premiers Crus, and three Village wines, stretching from Chambertin to Corton. The historic Domaine Bertagna once belonged to the Cistercian monks, famous for founding the Clos de Vougeot in the 13th century. The estate’s cellars and vineyards are located in the heart of the village nearby the Château and its ancient Chapter House.
Aromas of mint, eucalyptus, and cocoa beans. The palate is racy with complex tannins that lead to a rich structure combining strength and elegance.
2017 Domaine Antonin Guyon Corton Bressandes Grand Cru
Price: $147.50 Sale $129.80
When Antonin Guyon started out in the 1960s, he had but a few small parcels of land in Gevrey and Meursault—not an uncommon footing to have in the fragmented tapestry of Burgundy. But today, thanks in part to his forward-thinking sons Dominique and Michel, the domaine has evolved into one of the most prestigious in the Côte d’Or, with day-to-day operations helmed by Dominique and his daughter, Hombeline. Based in Savigny-lès-Beaune, the family’s vineyard properties stretch around the hill of Corton, north to Gevrey, south to Meursault, west to the Hautes Côtes de Nuits and east to Chorey-lès-Beaune. Their wines represent 15 different appellations, including an exceptional range of Premier and Grands Crus and covering many renowned cru villages, giving Domaine Antonin Guyon the depth of a traditional négociant, with estate-produced wines that represent a variety of quality tiers and price points.
Ruby-purple robe. Intense aromas of black cherry. Very rich in the mouth with delicate expression of dark berry fruits. The texture is pure and elegant, with very fine tannins and a beautiful structure.
2017 Domaine Antonin Guyon Clos du Roy Grand Cru
Price: $161.00 Sale $141.68
Ruby red in color, with aromas of black cherry and raspberry. Very rich, concentrated and harmonious in the mouth. Elegant and pure, with very fine tannins and beautiful structure, this wine can be kept for up to 20 years.
2014 Chateau La Grave Pomerol
Price: $62.00 Sale $54.56
(92 Points) Lovely, with a caressing feel that lets alluring notes of raspberry, boysenberry and red currant preserves glide through, picking up red licorice, black tea and singed allspice accents along the way. The long, refined finish has a beautiful iron echo. Best from 2020 through 2035. Wine Spectator
2018 Chateau Hosanna Pomerol
Price: $268.50 Sale $236.28
(99 Points) A real powerhouse of a Pomerol, the 2018 Château Hosanna checks in as a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, all from a tiny, 11-acre parcel of blue clay and more red, gravelly soils in the heart of the appellation. This site has good neighbors, with Vieux Château Certan (and Certan de May) to the south, Lafleur just to the north, Petrus to the east, and La Fleur-Petrus to the west. Gorgeous blackcurrants, plum, chocolate, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and graphite are just some of the nuances here, and this beauty is full-bodied, has a wonderfully textured, opulent mouthfeel, silky tannins, and one heavenly finish. It's up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, and that includes both banks. This straight-up stunning Pomerol will be drinkable with just 4-5 years of bottle age yet cruise for 30-40 years! Jeb Dunnuck
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Tuna Sashimi Pizza with Italian Sturgeon Caviar
Crispy Wonton with Salmon and Hoisin Sauce
Beef Sliders with Mushroom Gruyere Special Sauce
Truffle Steak Fries with Fresh shaved Parm
The Fee for this Tasting is $125 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Some of the other wines from the Palm Bay portfolio available at Wine Watch
2019 Château de La Coste Margaux
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $39.60
Château de La Coste is the second wine of Château Paveil de Luze. Château Paveil de Luze is one of the oldest properties in the Médoc. The vineyard dates from the 17th century and is run by the Barons de Luze Family since 1862. Today, Marguerite and Catherine de Luze represent the sixth generation and continue to elaborate fine and delicate wines. Château de la Coste's vineyards are in the northern part of the Margaux appellation. Margaux boasts 21 châteaux with classified growth status and is known to produce elegant, delicate, and fragrant wines. This excellence is a result of the soil quality, the unique weather conditions, and natural drainage which exists in the vineyards. Many say Margaux is the most feminine appellation in all of Bordeaux.
Château de La Coste is made using young vines and selected fruit from Château Paveil de Luze itself. The vineyard is a 32ha single plot located in the heart of the prestigious Margaux appellation. The vines are grown in gravely soil and subsoil. Average vine age is 30 years.
The wine has a brilliant, ruby color with purple reflections and aromas of black fruits and cassis with hints of cinnamon and sandalwood. This wine is soft, satisfying and elegant with a lush, ripe berry taste. Offering a harmonious blend of flavors, it is best matched with roasted red meats such as grilled steak, roasted pork and lamb shank. The velvety flavors of the wine shine through when paired with mushroom risotto and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto as well as a variety of cheeses such as hard cheddar or Comte.
2018 Chateau Odilon Peyre Lebade Haut Medoc
Price: $35.25 Your Price: $31.02
In 1979 this property was acquired by Baron Edmond de Rothschild who already owned the neighboring estates: Châteaux Clarke and Malmaison. Château Odilon is now part of the estates led by Benjamin de Rothschild, the son of Baron Edmond. Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite has been taking care of the distribution since 1993. Previously named Château Peyre-Lebade based on its geographical location, the estate has been renamed Château Odilon, in honor of painter Odilon Redon who spent his childhood and most of its active life on the property. His most famous paintings have been inspired by the bucolic landscapes of the Médoc, scattered with moor and marshlands.
Château Odilon is in the Listrac-Médoc appellation, in the middle of the limestone plateau, away from the Gironde estuary. The property thus benefits from a relatively sheltered environment. The clay-limestone soil enables a remarkable resistance to periods of dry weather. The terroir has proven to be particularly well-suited to Merlot, in a region where Cabernet Sauvignon traditionally predominantes. As a result, Château Odilon has a very distinctive character for a Médoc wine. 2018 will no doubt be one of Bordeaux’s great vintages, despite some particularly capricious weather: an exceptionally rainy winter and spring resulted in an unprecedented threat of mildew, the likes of which had not been seen in living memory. May and July then brought devastating hailstorms that destroyed up to 80% of some vineyards. Fortunately, the situation improved dramatically over the summer, which was the hottest since 2003. Conditions were ideal for the grapes to ripen: the contrast between warm, sunny days and cool nights resulted in good aromatic concentration and an excellent balance of sugar and acidity.
Very beautiful deep garnet color. The wine has an expressive nose marked by ripe, fresh fruits. Fine, slightly vanilla, notes of wood complete the bouquet after aeration. On the palate it is very elegant, where the coated tannins are tempered by a beautiful acidity. The whole is elegant, long, intense and gives way to a fruity and tasty finish.
2019 Domaines Barons de Rothschild Les Legendes Saint Emilion
Price: $40.50 Your Price: $35.64
The Rothschild family has been producing wine in Bordeaux since 1868 and know this beautiful landscape and understand the unique traits of the vines from each appellation. The family was inspired to create a new wine series, where each wine would be the epitome of the appellation it came from. Their motivation was simple: to ensure wine lovers everywhere could dive into Bordeaux and taste the originality of each appellation. And so, the Les Légendes range was born. The production of Les Légendes is supervised by oenologist Diane Flamand and has benefited from Diane’s ambition to create long-term partnerships with vineyard growers around each appellation. Diane creates wines following the same approach as the Rothschild family: passion, discipline, humility, excellence, and harmony. Generations of local knowledge have taught our grape growers the secrets of the landscape that create the most outstanding Bordeaux. Nestled between the Garonne and the Dordogne River lies the Entre-Deux-Mers. This hilly region boasts a variety of soils, giving a great diversity of terroirs that are perfectly suited to our grapes.
Saint Emilion is nestled on the right bank of the Dordogne, 25 miles east of Bordeaux. It presents a great diverstiy of soils due to erosion, between a fossil-rich limestone bedrock, sandy-gravelly hilltops, clay limestone, and sand on clay. The vintage had a cool spring, scorching heat in the summer, and dry weather throughout the year prevented the development of diseases. However, cold, rainy weather in June disrupted flowering, and water stress, which varied depending on the area and the terroir. The berries were therefore small, resulting in lower than usual yields. Fortunately, there was some rain after September 22nd, which relaunched the ripening process and enabled the red grape varieties to reach a good level of maturity.
Dark garnet color, brilliant. Very aromatic nose, mixing notes of roasting (toasted, grilled), sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) with aromas of ripe fruit. The palate is tense with a long and spicy finish.
2021 Domaine Antonin Guyon Gevrey Chambertin La Justice
Price: $93.50 Your Price: $82.28
When Antonin Guyon started out in the 1960s, he had but a few small parcels of land in Gevrey and Meursault—not an uncommon footing to have in the fragmented tapestry of Burgundy. But today, thanks in part to his forward-thinking sons Dominique and Michel, the domaine has evolved into one of the most prestigious in the Côte d’Or, with day-to-day operations helmed by Dominique and his daughter, Hombeline. Based in Savigny-lès-Beaune, the family’s vineyard properties stretch around the hill of Corton, north to Gevrey, south to Meursault, west to the Hautes Côtes de Nuits and east to Chorey-lès-Beaune. Their wines represent 15 different appellations, including an exceptional range of Premier and Grands Crus and covering many renowned cru villages, giving Domaine Antonin Guyon the depth of a traditional négociant, with estate-produced wines that represent a variety of quality tiers and price points.
Gevrey-Chambertin is a large wine-producing village in the northern Côte de Nuits. The soils here are primarily clay and limestone based, with significant mineral deposits. La Justice vineyard site sits just below the village of Gevrey and is considered the best lieu-dit in Gevrey- Chambertin.
Ruby red in color with aromas of morello cherries. Very round and well-balanced, with subtle woody tannins and a silky texture. This racy wine can be kept for 10 years.
2017 Domaine Antonin Guyon Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru
Price: $307.25 Your Price: $270.38
When Antonin Guyon started out in the 1960s, he had but a few small parcels of land in Gevrey and Meursault—not an uncommon footing to have in the fragmented tapestry of Burgundy. But today, thanks in part to his forward-thinking sons Dominique and Michel, the domaine has evolved into one of the most prestigious in the Côte d’Or, with day-to-day operations helmed by Dominique and his daughter, Hombeline. Based in Savigny-lès-Beaune, the family’s vineyard properties stretch around the hill of Corton, north to Gevrey, south to Meursault, west to the Hautes Côtes de Nuits and east to Chorey-lès-Beaune. Their wines represent 15 different appellations, including an exceptional range of Premier and Grands Crus and covering many renowned cru villages, giving Domaine Antonin Guyon the depth of a traditional négociant, with estate-produced wines that represent a variety of quality tiers and price points.
The vineyards of Charmes Chambertin are among the most famous of the eight Grand Crus of Gevrey Chambertin, covering 8.65 acres of soil that is primarily limestone and clay.
Ruby robe with morello cherry aroma. This wine is very rich with soft tannins and a lot of finesse.
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