Tag: French Wines

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This weekend, Best of France which is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to “promote the image of France abroad, through major events which highlight the expertise and “Savoir-Faire” of France”, held their 2015 festival in New York City. It was to promote Franco-American friendship and to showcase French art, culture, fashion, technology, gastronomy and of course, wine.

The last time this event was held in New York was a couple of years ago when it was called “Taste of France” and took place under the big tents at Bryant Park. This year the Grand Wine Tastings in which over 100 French wines from the leading French wine regions were poured, were held on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon in the AXA Equitable Center at 787 7th Avenue near Times Square in Manhattan. I attended the Saturday evening session. As to be expected, excellent bread and cheeses (and cookies) were served to accompany the wines.

Champagne

NV Drappier Rosé Brut “Nature Zero Dozage”. Light red, crisp and earthy.

NV J.L. Vergnon Blanc de Blancs “Conversation”. Crisp with citrus notes.

2005 Pascal Doquet Blanc de Blancs “Le Mont Aime”.  With doughy and yeasty notes.

Burgundy

2012 Domaine Guillot-Broux “Genievrieres”. Organic, gold in color with butter-scotch on the nose, tight and crisp with some funkiness at the end.

2012 Domaine Thierry & Pascal Matrot Meursault. Gold with ripe tropical fruits on the nose, chewy for a white wine with some salinity on the long finish.

2012 Joseph Drouhin Pugliny-Montrachet “Folatieres”. Light gold with ripe pineapple on the nose, full ripe tropical fruit, balanced with good acidity.

2012 Domaine Michel Juillot Mercurey “Clos des Barraults”. Light red in color, closed nose of black cherry.

2012 Domaine Petitot Cotes de Nuits Villages. Bright red with smoke and minerals on the nose, bright red cherry fruit and a hit of tannin at the end.

2012 Domaine Lecheneaut Morey St. Denis. Bright medium red in color with barnyard on the nose, tight with oyster, saline notes on the finish.

2010 Domaine Aurelien Verdet Chambolle Musigny. Brick to light red in color with warm black cherry on the nose, silky black fruit on the long and balanced finish.

Bordeaux

2012 Malartic Lagraviere Grave Blanc. Light gold with ripe kiwi on the nose, nice fruit and crispness on the long finish, very drinkable.

2005 Chateau Sudiraut Sauternes. Beautiful wine.

2007 Branaire Ducru St. Julien. Dark red, bell pepper, dried leaf on the nose, dense and tight with a firm finish.

2008 Duluc de Branaire Ducru St. Julien. Dark red with an amber robe with cooked red berry on the nose, chunky, dried leaf on the fruit with moderate acids.

2012 La Croix de Beaucaillou St. Julien. Dark red with dusty dark berry and mint on the nose, silky with crisp acidity.

2010 Chateau d’Armaihac Pauillac. Dark red to black with a warm nose of crushed nuts, dusty fruit with some earth on the firm, long finish.

2008 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Pauillac. Black in color with a perfume of red licorice, chunky, minty fruit.

2007 Chateau Palmer Margaux. Dark red, warm black cherry on the nose, tight silky tannin on the finish.

2004 Chateau d’Issan Margaux. Dark red with some funky barnyard on the nose, dense and firm.

2011 Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere St. Emilion. Dark red, smoky black cherry on the nose, silky black licorice on the great balance.

2005 Chateau Gazin Pomerol. Black in color with a piney nose with tons of chunky fruit.

Rhone

2012 Domain Ogier Condrieu “La Combe de Malleval”. Yellow in color with a nose of sweet peaches, full body of canned peaches with moderate to low tannins.

2010 Chateau du Trignon Vacqueyras. Medium red, black cherry on the nose, silky black licorice fruit, firm and balanced.

Languedoc

2011 La Fond del’Olivier Carignan “Vieilles Vignes”. From Carignan that are over a hundred years old, black in color with slate and black fruit on the nose, dense, chunky and chewy, like a good baguette, nice glass.

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This past Sunday the French Institute Alliance Française, (FIAF), held their 15th annual Bastille Day block party “celebrating the best of France”. FIAF’s mission is to create and offer New Yorker’s innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the diversity and richness of French cultures.

The block party was held on East 60th Street from Fifth to Lexington Avenues from Noon to 5pm. With plenty of food stalls plus music from Martinique’s Arpège Choir a French-American electro swing group, singer songwriter Benjamin Swax, DJ Stark, the Hungry March Band and can-can dancers. In addition there were free screenings of award-winning French children’s films. Of course there were food and wine tastings. The tastings were held at the FIAF building at 22 East 60th Street in Manhattan.

Champagne & Chocolate Tasting

Always nice to start the day of tastings with excellent sparklers. The event was held in the Le Skyroom with a view of E60th Street. Six Champagne, desserts and mini pastries by Le Cirque and fine chocolates by Neuhaus, Valrhona and Chocolat Moderne

Champagnes:

NV La Caravelle Brut Cuvèe Niña

NV Ruinart Blanc de Blanc

NV Pommery Brut Royal

NV Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label

NV Moët Imperial

NV Piper-Heidsieck Brut

Wine, Cheese, Cocktails and Beer Tasting

This event took place in the Tinker Auditorium. Summer cocktails made with the anise-flavored Ricard, cheeses from President specialty, whites, reds and rosés from Bordeaux as well as beer from Kronenboug.

Some of what I sampled included:

2014 Rosé de Chevalier (Pessac-Leognan)

2013 Chateau Fage (Graves de Vayres)

2012 Chateau Au Grand Paris (Bordeaux)

2009 Chateau Duc De Broglie (Cotes de Bourg)

2009 Chateau Coudreau (Lalande de Pomerol)

1995 Chateau Rouget (Pomerol)

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Bastille Day is July 14 but in New York it was celebrated the previous day on Sunday, July 13. Sunday was also the day of the final game of the World Cup so there were plenty of reasons to have a celebration. The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) held their annual three block street fair and festival on East 6oth Street between Lexington Ave. and 5th Ave.,”celebrating the best of France”. Of course, it was a French celebration so that included wine tastings. They had a “Grands Vins Tour de France” tasting at FIAF’s Le Skyroom and the Wine, Cheese, Cocktails and Beer tastings at FIAF’s Tinker Auditorium, both in FIAF’s flagship building on 22 East 60th Street. They were consumer events.

The “Grand Vins Tour de France” consisted of five tables of wine which were provided by Metrowine, Millesima wine shop, Aix, Ayala, Bernard Magrez, Chateau D’Esclans, Chateau La Gordonne, Dreyfus Ashby & Co., Joseph Drouhin, La Caravalle, Le Colonial, Piper-Heidsieck, Pommery, Veuve Cliquot, Wins of Alsace and Xavier Flouret.

 

Champagne Table

Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV. My starter wine, always like to start a tasting with a glass of sparkling.

Rosé Table

2013 Xavier Flouret “Nationale 7” (Provence). Pale red with wildflower with strawberry cotton candy on the nose and tight cherry fruit with nice acidity.

2013 Chateau La Gordonne (Provence). Pale red with floral and light strawberry notes on the nose with some earth on the fruit.

2013 Chateau Sainte Marguerite “G.R.” Cru Classé (Provence). Pale copper color with bubble-gum and turned-dirt notes on the nose.

White Wine Table

2011 Trimbach Pinot Blanc (Alsace). Light yellow, floral on the nose with oily fruit and low acids.

2012 Domaine Weinbach Riesling “Réserve Personnelle” (Alsace). Light yellow with greenish tints with spicy cinnamon on the nose and dry and spicy fruit, good balance.

Red Wine Table

1999 Domaine G. Moulinier “Les Terrasses Grillees” (Languedoc). Black in color with an amber robe, sour dirt on the nose and was smoky and toasty.

2009 Chateau De la Selve “Serre de Berty” (Coteaux de l’Ardeche). Biodynamic and organic, black in color with a red robe with mint and barnyard on the nose, concentrated and chewy with crushed rocks on the long finish.

2000 Domaine Camus Bruchon Savigny-les-Beaune “Aux Grands Liars” (Burgundy). Dark amber with a brown robe with sour plums on the nose and ripe black cherry on the medium fruit.

Bordeaux Table

2011 Chateau LaTour Martillac (Pessac-Leognan). Dark red to black with spicy black plum on the nose, concentrated and tight with toasty oak on the finish.

2009 Chateau La Fleur Peyrabon (Pauillac). Black in color with smoky dark berries on the nose, chewy with firm tannin and acids with slate and mint on the long finish.

2003 Chateau Fombrauge (St.-Emilion). Black with a brown robe with dried leaf, mint and slate on the fruit with a big hit of fuzzy tannin on the finish.

2006 Chateau Quinault “L’Enclos” (St.-Emilion). Dark red with a light brown robe with ripe, cooked fruit on the nose, very tight with mouth coating tannin at the end.

2009 Chateau Plince (Pomeral). Black in color with rosemary and black cherry on the nose, concentrated and chunky with nice mouth-feel on the long finish.