La Vigne du Perron

Bugey!!!

quoi?

Villebois!!

Je ne comprends pas?

Lost? Pretty much.

We are in the area of Bugey and the village is Villebois. To be a little more specific we are here 150km south of Arbois, Jura and 60km northeast of Lyon. I know – you still haven’t got a clue were we are. We are in France – okay, and I have tasted 3 wines so far from La Vigne du Perron.

2010 Les Etapes

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Terroir: Silt and limestone scree

Yields: 28HL/Ha

Method: semi-carbonic maceration 12 days, tapered wooden vats

Aging: 12 months in 5-6 year old Burgundy barrels

Production: 1.500 bottles per year.

Other: Natural wine

Glass: Zalto Burgundy

First impression was a recognizable scent of what I would describe as typical for Pinot Noir, when crafted in the name of natural wine. But quickly the wine turns and you realize we are not in our local “backyard” anymore and the terroir is quite different. To give you an idea what we are dealing with - is a much more cooler tempered wine, which has very fragile breezes of raspberry skin, wet animal fur and a refined spice window. These spices are transported to the palate and overall brakes as white pepper scents, which initially made me fear the fruit would suffer in purity. This is however not the case as the wine is simply so breathtaking fresh, frisky and blessed with poised bite. In such a wrapping, the spices merely act as a complexity supplement. Beautiful wine.

2010 Les Ermitures

Blend: 100% Gamay

Terroir: Granite

Yields: 15 HL/HA

Method: semi-carbonic maceration 10 days, tapered wooden vats.

Aging: 12 months in 5-6 year old Burgundy barrels

Production: 1.500 bottles per year.

Other: Natural wine

Glass: Zalto Burgundy

Actually the same thing happened here. First scents.....ahaaaa!!!. Gamay, got it!!!...some of the usual suspects on the aromatic wheel, but just 5-10 minutes later, it turns. The transformation is quite amazing and I was about to witness one of the most refined Gamay wines I have ever tasted. It’s one of those annoying wines, which smells of something you think you know and you might even have that note right on the tip of your tongue. But then you begin to doubt, because it’s so unusual to see such an aromatic profile for Gamay. Anyway – this is my best attempt to describe the wine.

A really fresh wine filled with delicate, pure sweet new fruit and aromas which shapes like; pumpkin, green olives, figs, rubber, cumin (very subdued) and lacquer. The fruit is like a really closely tied knot and it provides so much tallness to the wine. The taste is so fine, with a cool, frisky and vibrant curl, which gives you a life confirmative journey. There are also darker phrasings underneath the palate, which feels like brushing of minerality and refined spices. Spectacular Gamay wine.

2010 Ars Antiqua (Pétillant Natural – let’s call them pet.nat. in future)

Blend: 60% Roussette (altesse), 40% Chardonnay

Terroir: Silt and limestone scree

Yields: 15 HL/HA (Rousette) and 30 HL/HA (Chardonnay)

Method: Direct pressing

Aging: Rousette, in vats fibreglass and for Chardonnay; Burgundy barrels.

Production: 2.000 bottles per year.

Other: Natural wine

Glass: Spiegelau Adina (Water Goblet)

This is different – very different in the sense of I imagined a pet.nat. with immediate appeal from fresh new fruit. To some extend it delivers just that – but it bends the wheel different to what I am used to and over the 3 days I tasted this wine, I found myself more in doubt than really convinced. It has very high pitches of flower water and lemon peel, which goes of towards zest from grape fruit. It’s however more complex than just a simple pet.nat., with a baseline of grassy tones, spices and soil bite. The acidity is high and I like high, but it becomes shrill, like the note of grape fruit from the nose. On day two I found some signs of subtleness, but it’s only when served really chilled. Upon reflection, which I found interesting was it’s ability to stay focused and clear on day 3 and with such a profile I couldn’t help to think whether it’s actually a pet.nat, which can age 1-2 years more?

Don’t forget “L’Artiste”

2006, David Léclapart “L’Artiste”

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Dosage: 0 g/l

Other: L’Artiste is made from 30-50 year old vines and aged half in enameled steel and half in barrel

Glass: Spiegelau Adina Red wine (Water Goblet)

It’s common there is a sort of ranking order in a producer’s portfolio - from an entry-level wine to a cuvée prestige. With David Léclapart the spotlight is usually on “L’Apôtre”, which is definitely appropriate – yet I have discovered – especially with the 2004 vintage, that “L’Artiste” is a Champagne which shouldn’t be forgotten.

I have already had a sneak preview on this 2006 version of “L’Artiste”, in April this year @ Terres et vins de Champagne. I was seriously impressed and my expectations were high as poured my first glass.

Deadly young – yet majestic intense already from the opening bell. There is an uncompromising raw style to this Champagne, as it floats like an eruption of soil liquid. It’s extremely energetic to witness and the soil components have a warm intense slate feeling, bringing its purity to a mind-blowing level.

It’s not a coincidence, I haven’t yet touched upon the aromatic notes of this Champagne, as I am in fact more intrigued with it’s overall character. It happens, that it’s one of those specimens, which doesn’t just let you pick a note here and there on the aromatic wheel and voilá - we have an almost finished tasting note. This is one of those wines, which has it’s own dimension and such equations, are always love for me.

But for sure, we have tight, slim and utterly pure pear juice, flowers and lots of grassy notes. The taste offers a sensational electrical treat with a slim, crystal clear taste. On the finish line it’s bites back with this raw soil attack.

The last two glasses showed signs of a more reserved Champagne, which very well could prove to be the entrance of a nearby shy phase.

Overall – spectacular Champagne, with lots of cellar potential.

Rosé – simplicity and deliciousness

2010 Vignes du Maynes (Julien Guillot) Macon-Cruzille Rosé

Blend: Not sure, think mostly Pinot, plus some Gamay

Location: Burgundy - Mâcon-Cruzille

Other: Julien Guillot has been bio since 1997 and his red wines hardly see any sulphur

Glass: Zalto Universal

This is the fourth time I taste this rosé. Three of the times, the scene was set in glories sunny weather in June and July. Here in October – windy and cold, I felt there was need to do a planned choreography. I thought the trick could be food and served a dish with cold smoked salmon with beetroot pickled in blackberry vinegar, sweet onions and horseradish cream. I worked utterly great.

This rosé deals with two things, which I kind of like in wine. One is simplicity (you have heard that one before), which might not catch your interest, if you browse for BIG, SERIOUS and COMPLEX wines. However, thing is (and this is the other thing I like in wine) when you mix delicious drinking pleasure, I don’t really care about complexity on a Tuesday evening. Yet!! - Though it is a bit contradictory, there are elements of complexity in this wine, as it warms up in the glass.

The notes of the nose are turning towards; rosehip, cranberry, iron and some smoke. They are served in an exquisite weightless design and with a touch of pure salty fragrance to the red fruits, it fits my rosé preference just perfectly. Taste is really subtle, which is enhanced with an elastic structure and a divine finish where the smoky tones breezes in. This breeze turns the wine slightly drier but the elastic structure keeps it really interesting and I have never taste a rosé with such a character. As the wine warms up in the glass, the cranberry takes a step forward and on the palate you feel the red wine tones humming a bit more tannic undertones, even though they never take control.

Great rosé…which makes me realize how much I miss summer, despite the fall is such a colour treat to the eye…ahhh well….life goes on….did I mention it’s really fair priced…. (20€ I think)

2007 Jérôme Prévost “Fac-Simile rosé”

100% Pinot Meunier

Terroir: Sand and calcareous elements (source Champagneguide.net)

Dosage: 0 g/l

Method: Assemblage Production: 2.800 bottles

Other: The 2007 are the debut release of this Rosé

Glass: Spiegelau Adina “Red wine”

I just clicked back to my first TN on this wine in Dec-2009 where I wrote ”It’s also starting to show some darker fruits patterns, rising from a slightly oxidation. This makes me speculate, that within a relative short time frame, lets say 1½ years or so, this will be a completely different Champagne.” (You can see the complete TN from Dec-2009 here)

Let’s have a look and see if I was right or not?

If this bottle is representative, (Prévost has the tendency to show quite a bit of bottle variation) my predictions were correct. It’s quite evolved and the oxidation patters are fully alive. The oak also shines trough, with a lot of seductive appeal and sweet cookies tones, which adds to baseline of this oxidized style. Yet!!...I have to say the fruity notes started rather salty, with ravishing oozing perfumes of apricot, rhubarb and strawberry. If you take out the salty element – I couldn’t help to compare it a little bit with Anselme Selosse rosé (Jérôme is a former student of Selosse). With air the Champagne looses the salty elements and reveals highly appealing notes of caramel and orange blossoms. The latter notes might have damaged the intellectual and tallness of the Champagne, but I have to say its just such an outrageous good laidback drinking Champagne. The taste was all the way really awarding and with zero dosage, it never gets too much.

Good stuff and I would start drinking this Champagne from now +4 years.

2005 Bernard Van Berg “La Rose”

(Amazing October light – almost no post-production done to the image)

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Location: Burgundy, Meursault

Production: Very small, think around 4-500 bottles.

Other: You can find more information here

Glass: Zalto Burgundy

You might remember I have tasted 2 other wines from Bernard Van Berg and maybe you remember his 2007 Rosé (TN here), which I absolutely adored. As you can see, the front labels are identical; it’s only the back label, which will tell you which vineyard it’s made from. To make a bit more confusion – the vineyard of “La Rose” is sometimes made in either red or rosé.

Luxurious is a descriptor I would use with caution when positively describing a wine, as it can quickly catch a somewhat tacky feel to it. Yet this wine IS really luxurious and I can guarantee you there is nothing negative about this wine.

It opens with gorgeous fruity appeal with cherries and raspberry perfumes, wrapped in a gently plum feeling. I normally don’t like the association to plums, as it’s the path to alcohol, but this is not the case here. In fact the plums works together with its herbal patters and they are equal subtle toned and forms into a deeper foundation of it’s complexity spectrum. The taste is unbelievable adorable – elastic structure, sexy, luxurious and with such a graceful feeling. You might raise an eyebrow towards this fruity and luxurious style making it a fraction polished. However, when the drinking pleasure is this awarding I have to surrender.

Fantastic wine.

A bottle of Champagne and a small talk on energy.

1999 Deutz, ”Cuvée William Deutz Rosé”

Blend: 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay

Dosage: No idea – feels like 5-7 g/l

Vinification: Steel

Glass(es): Several – Spiegelau Adina Wine Goblet was the final choice.

One of my absolute favourite wine writers is Terry Thiese. His little book “Reading between the vines” should be on every wine lovers shelf.

One of the chapters circulates around “Aspects of Flavour: The ones that matters most”

Clarity

Distinctiveness

Grace

Balance

Deliciousness

Complexity

Modesty

Persistence

Paradox

I can only dream of writing a milligram of a percentage as good as Terry, but my list would include: Energy.

Energy is a wines vitality and life. It drives from every aspect of the wines personality, all the way from the intensity of the fruit core to the electrical feel of structure to the vibrancy of the acidity and feel of soil energy on the palate. For sure energy is an amalgamation of many things and are inclusive with most of Terry’s principals.

I have become obsessed with energy, as once you have been kissed you are hooked.

It’s a paradox having just presented you with Alexandre Jouveaux 2009 “Préty” which is a wine filled with energy. Deutz is the opposite; lack of energy.

Sulphur is often an energy killer – but in the case of Deutz here – it’s not a sulphur issue. The wines opens fair with some strawberry and apricot perfumes. These two notes have a good salted touch, which I actually tend to like when it comes to Rosé Champagnes, as it feeds the complexity and elegance. However these notes are not pure, as there is an impure herbal note, which is killing both attraction and vitality. When that occurs, the wine gets trapped and takes the gap between wine & taster further apart. Slowly, you loose interest in such a wine and it’s like the raw material doesn’t show at all – or maybe it’s just not good enough? With Alexandre Jouveaux it’s instant contact with the raw material and this equation makes you feel alive and that’s what wine is all about. The taste of Deutz is also a problem, as the mousse has a foaming structure and with a loose ’99-vintage-acidity, it’s a two times disaster.

I have seen tasting notes on this Champagne, suggesting a young breed with cellar potential – sorry, but I don’t believe in it - it’s not made from the right material in the first place.

2009 Alexandre Jouveaux ”Préty”

(Wild wine)

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Where: Macon, Uchizy

Age of wines: 75-80 years

Vineyard: South exposure – 0,54ha

Production: 1.250 bottles per year

Other: Dangerous badass Natural Wine with hardly any sulphur

Glass: Zalto Burgundy

What I mostly like about the wines from Alexandre Jouveaux is their imperfection. I would imagine a lot of tasters would find his wines too wild, demanding, unruly, particular and even volatile in their acidity. His wines even have yeast sediments floating around in bottom of the bottle.

To me they are truly some of the most energetic wines I have ever come across and it’s their heartbeat, which I am drawn to, as they challenge and push my own perception on wine. It’s wine like his, which make a difference and reminds me why I am Mad About Wine.

Sometimes the aromatic profile of this wines actually reminds me of Champagne and even the acidity it at the same high pitched level as vins clairs.

His 2009’s have taken some time to come around, as I have found some of them pitched with some schnapps burning on the last meters. However you have to be aware of their contact with air changes them dramatically in the glass.

Préty starts with an insane purity of flower water, green apples, wheat flour, yeast and a bit of smoke. However it’s floral tones are pretty high toned and it’s just on the verge of twisting your arm and even for me becoming a bit strident. I decided to decant for one hour

Huge benefit and knowing this, I would decant it something like 5 hours next time. What happens – and especially with warmth (you can raise it to 16 degrees with no problem at all) – feels like the yeast and wheat flour tones put themselves on top of the wine and bringing the pitch of the floral tones some notches down. The taste is extremely electrical, filled with tons of soil energy and a nerve wrecking acidity.

Frightening, genuine, demanding and one hell of a good wine.