The new classification for Saint-Émilion was announced on Friday September 7th by the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine). There were four wines promoted to the top level — Premier Grand Cru Classé – three of which are made by Stéphane Derenoncourt: Château Larcis Ducasse, Château Canon la Gaffelière and La Mondotte. As a result of this re-classification, Stéphane is responsible for seven out of the eighteen Premier Grand Cru Classé wines. This impressive achievement underscores why many – including we at Montesquieu Wines – believe that no one knows the Right Bank quite like Stéphane.

One of Stéphane’s most famous wines, La Mondotte, skipped the Grand Cru Classé category entirely, jumping from AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru to Premier Grand Cru Classé, which is a rare feat. For those familiar with the famous garagiste wines such as La Mondotte and Valandraud (also promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé), these promotions were well-deserved and not entirely unexpected. La Mondotte has been considered among the greatest Bordeaux chateaux for years, a collector’s gem and fetching prices that one would expect from the top level.

The Magical Village of Saint-Émilion

However, this move emphasizes the dynamic nature of Saint-Émilion and how producers are not inclined to rest on their laurels. Saint-Émilion has always been unique, not only in its terroir and history, but in the standards of the appellation.

In 1955, exactly a century after the wines of the Médoc were classified, the Syndicat Viticole of Saint-Émilion with the approval of INOA released an official classification for the wines of Saint-Émilion. The classification groups the best wines into two categories: Premier Grand Cru Classé and Grand Cru Classé.

Unlike members of the Médoc and Graves Classification of 1855, Saint-Émilion revises their rankings every ten years. Franck Binard, director of the Saint-Émilion Wine Council, in an interview with Decanter Magazine, shared the positive influence of the system: “The quality we see now is a result of improved standards. It shows the force of the classification – that winemakers are encouraged to do their very best, and that Saint-Émilion is a modern appellation where nothing is set in stone – anything is possible for those who work hard.”

This system has not been without controversy. When properties that had been demoted in the 2006 Classification sued, the classification was annulled by the courts, and then partially reinstated. After all of the legal wrangling, the 2012 classification was finally announced after many changes to the system, including parameters for blind tastings and inspections.

In an attempt to avoid conflicts of interest, the INAO outsourced the tastings and inspections to independent groups which means the Saint-Émilion Wine Syndicate and Bordeaux wine trade are no longer involved. There are seven members of the new commission from Burgundy, the Rhône Valley, Champagne, the Loire Valley and Provence.

The estates are now graded on a scale of 20 on four criteria: tasting, reputation, characteristics of the vineyard and infrastructure, and finally viticulture and winemaking. Additionally, the number of châteaux which can be classified are no longer fixed, and producers can be downgraded, upgraded or remain the same.

For the first time in its history, two châteaux have been upgraded to the highest echelon of Premier Grand Cru Classé A joining Château Ausone and Château Cheval Blanc – Château Angélus and Château Pavie. 16 properties, including Château Jean Faure which is made by Stéphane Derenoncourt, received the status of Grand Cru Classé for the first time.

Château Magdeleine was omitted from the list as it will be merged with Château Bélair-Monange.

The classification now comprises 18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 64 Grands Crus Classés. Promoted properties are in bold, and wines made by Stéphane Derenoncourt are indicated by *SD.

Premiers Grands Crus Classés
Château Angélus (A)
Château Ausone (A)
Château Beauséjour (héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse) *SD
Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot
Château Bélair-Monange
Château Canon
Château Canon la Gaffelière *SD
Château Cheval Blanc (A)
Château Figeac
Clos Fourtet *SD
Château la Gaffelière *SD
Château Larcis Ducasse *SD
La Mondotte *SD
Château Pavie (A)
Château Pavie Macquin *SD
Château Troplong Mondot
Château Trottevieille
Château Valandraud

Grands Crus Classés
Château l’Arrosée
Château Balestard la Tonnelle
Château Barde-Haut
Château Bellefont-Belcier
Château Bellevue
Château Berliquet
Château Cadet-Bon
Château Capdemourlin
Château le Chatelet
Château Chauvin
Château Clos de Sarpe
Château la Clotte
Château la Commanderie
Château Corbin
Château Côte de Baleau
Château la Couspaude
Château Dassault
Château Destieux
Château la Dominique
Château Faugères
Château Faurie de Souchard
Château de Ferrand
Château Fleur Cardinale
Château La Fleur Morange
Château Fombrauge
Château Fonplégade
Château Fonroque
Château Franc Mayne
Château Grand Corbin
Château Grand Corbin-Despagne
Château Grand Mayne
Château les Grandes Murailles
Château Grand-Pontet
Château Guadet
Château Haut-Sarpe
Clos des Jacobins
Couvent des Jacobins
Château Jean Faure *SD
Château Laniote
Château Larmande
Château Laroque
Château Laroze
Clos la Madeleine
Château la Marzelle
Château Monbousquet
Château Moulin du Cadet
Clos de l’Oratoire
Château Pavie Decesse
Château Peby Faugères
Château Petit Faurie de Soutard
Château de Pressac
Château le Prieuré
Château Quinault l’Enclos
Château Ripeau
Château Rochebelle
Château Saint-Georges-Cote-Pavie
Clos Saint-Martin
Château Sansonnet
Château la Serre
Château Soutard
Château Tertre Daugay (Quintus)
Château la Tour Figeac
Château Villemaurine
Château Yon-Figeac

La Mondotte, in the east of the Saint-Emilion plateau

]]> http://www.montesquieuwinelovers.com/stephane-derenoncourt-shines-even-brighter-with-new-2012-saint-emilion-classification/feed/ 0 http://www.montesquieuwinelovers.com/the-evolution-of-syrah-the-cool-climate-shift/ http://www.montesquieuwinelovers.com/the-evolution-of-syrah-the-cool-climate-shift/#comments Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:22:09 +0000 Lisa Duff Khajavi http://www.montesquieuwinelovers.com/?p=5839

Cool-Climate Syrah

Syrah is not known as a shy varietal. It is known for its strength, thick skin, and the ability to thrive almost anywhere, and as such is commonly referred to as the “growers varietal”. With this in mind, it is not surprising that Syrah has become increasingly popular, and is now estimated to be the seventh most widely planted varietal in the world.

Part of Syrah being adaptable to grow most anywhere yields the characteristic of producing wines that vary widely according to the climate, terroir and viticultural practices of the particular vineyard. It has been said that the varietal has experienced an “identity crisis” amongst consumers because of this wide variation, plus the unfortunate flooding of the market with generic Syrah with little character.

Additionally when Syrah in the United States was beginning to take off, many American critics were awarding their highest scores to very powerfully extracted wines, including Australian Shiraz with this over-the-top profile that was popular at the time. Many American Syrah producers, seeking approval of the critics, emulated this jammy, intense style.

Many feel what happened was the loss of character at higher ripeness levels which became more important than sense of place, or distinctiveness. Over time, with growers gaining more and more experience with various vineyard locations and climates, we have seen an emerging trend in the industry toward cool-climate Syrah.

We could say in some sense this movement is a return to cool-climate Syrah, as many of the early American Syrah pioneers were inspired by the Rhône classics (particularly the Northern Rhône) and were the first to plant Syrah in cool-climates. Now the industry is seeing more domestic Syrah sites on the very edge of where the varietal will ripen, similar to iconic Côte-Rôtie sites in the Northern Rhône.

Alexandre Rochette Biodynamic Vineyard

This struggle seems to be key for Syrah to realize its full expression. With the cooler climate, the longer growing season allows the grapes more time to ripen, mature and fully develop. This pattern avoids the big spikes in sugar, allowing the phenolic (tannins) ripeness to come in fully, resulting in more mature flavors and beautiful balance. In this case a smaller percentage of new oak may be utilized without sacrificing any structure or ability to age, and with the great benefit of not masking the potentially ethereal expression of the varietal by using too much oak.

Cool-climate Syrah is described as being more restrained and sophisticated, going beyond the traditional fruit and oak vocabulary to reveal dramatic and savory aromatics and flavors, including classical floral notes of lavender or violet, black pepper, white pepper, meaty or smoky bacon flavors, green olive, leather and tobacco. Overall, it is a much more elegant style, and one that can be very different, especially if one’s experience with Syrah hasn’t included wines of the Northern Rhône. Another major attribute of well made cool-climate Syrah is the freshness and energy, a lively precision that elevates the wine.

Now all this being said, it is important to clarify that there is no single correct way or type of location to make Syrah. It depends on the personal preference of the growers, winemakers, and ultimately the wine lovers enjoying the wines. As part of our mission to bring the best wines to our clients, we embrace a very wide variety of styles, regions, and traditions to help wine lovers have a rich and diverse experience.

However we are excited about the trend toward cooler-climate Syrah, as it is a style we know and love well! We believe a better understanding of this style will help educate and broaden the experience of wine lovers, and we expect to see more exciting Syrah from cool-climates on the wine scene!  In many cases we are well ahead of trends, and as such in our diverse international portfolio of Montesquieu wines, we have carried quite a few excellent examples of cool-climate Syrah over the years.

Through our partnership with Stéphane Derenoncourt, with wines he makes especially for Montesquieu clients, and our Derenoncourt California project, his favorite properties are cool climate, high-elevation sites with just the right soil composition, ample sun exposure and very low yields.

An excellent example of Stéphane’s specific site selection and artistry with cool climate Syrah is our 2009 Montesquieu Sonoma Valley , from 50 year old dry-farmed vines co-tended by Stéphane and legendary grower and kindred spirit Phil Coturri. Also our 2007 Derenoncourt California Coombsville Syrah is a wonderful example from the Caldwell Vineyard well above the fog line. In the following video Stéphane describes the 2007 Derenoncourt California and the origin of working with this cool climate site in Coombsville, as well as his impression of the 2007 vintage.

Other cool-climate stunners include pinnacle examples from the Northern Rhône by Stéphane and Greg Viennois —the Alexandre Rochette Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas and St. Joseph. And high up in the dramatic foothills of the Andes in Argentina, the 2006 Don Zofanor Syrah from Lujan de Cuyo and the 2007 Rio Mendoza Syrah Reserva.

For more information about the interesting history of Syrah, please read on!

A Brief Overview of Syrah
Recent DNA typing studies indicate that Syrah originated in France as the offspring of two rather obscure varieties: Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. Dureza is a dark-skinned grape from the Ardèche region in France. There are very few plantings of this varietal, however in Montpellier where the preservation of such varieties is a specialty, there are plantings of Dureza.

Mondeuse Blanche is a white grape variety from the Savoy region and is still found in very small amounts there. Thus far, there are no records of either of these varietals being cultivated far from these regions. Since Ardèche and Savoy are very close to the northern Rhône, researchers have concluded that Syrah originated there.

The Rhône Valley boasts a long and interesting history of Syrah, with its rise to fame in modern times in the renowned wines of the Northern Rhône— Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas followed by the wines of St. Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. The most revered Syrah in the wine world are those of the northern Rhône, hailing from cooler climates, yet with ample hillside sun, with very distinct characteristics and the ability to age for decades. To read in more detail about this wonderful region—one of our favorites—see our blog post entitled Getting to Know the Northern Rhône With Montesquieu Winery: The Original Syrah.

Alexandre Rochette Hermitage

In the Southern Rhône, with its warmer climate and fleshier style, Syrah is a popular component of the region’s wines, adding weight and structure to the blends in the likes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Côtes du Rhône and other southern appellations. Even though France already has the most acreage of Syrah in the world, increases in plantings of Syrah are occurring in various regions, including the Languedoc-Rousillon.

Syrah is known as Shiraz in Australia, where it is the most commonly planted red varietal there, accounting for forty percent of the red wine production. In 1985 there were only 100 acres of Syrah in California, and now it is the most widely planted Rhône varietal here, with an estimated 14,000 acres now and more on the way. There have been increases in the number of wines made with Syrah and increases in recent plantings in other regions around the world including Washington, Oregon, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Switzerland and more.

DOC Vineyards along the Douro River

The Douro Valley in Portugal is rich in history, romance and stunning scenery, and is home to one of the most distinctive wines in the wine world—Port. This fortified wine is revered for its ability to age as well as having an unequaled range of flavor and style profiles, which makes Port a valuable addition to any well-rounded wine cellar. Every wine tells a story, and the story of Port is quite unique!

The History of Douro and Port
Declared a World Heritage Site in 2001, archaeological finds date winemaking in the Douro back to Roman times. However the development of fortified Port wine occurred during the second half of the 17th century. In 1678 Britain declared war on France and blockaded French ports, and in doing so created a wine shortage in England. In 1703 Britain and Portugal signed the Methuen Treaty that established the supply of cloth from England in exchange for Port wine, among other things.

Stimulated by the increased demand and higher prices, the production picked up and British wine trade boomed in the Douro region. Port started out initially not sweet but a full-bodied dry red wine known as “blackstrap” in 17th century London. The addition of “aguardente” (a Portuguese sort of brandy) was after fermentation to the barrels in order to stabilize the wine for shipment to England.

No one knows the exact circumstances of how the fortified Port we know today was created for the first time. One story is told of a wine merchant in Liverpool who sent his sons to Portugal in 1678 to find a wine source. They reportedly found a monastery in Lamego where the abbot was adding brandy to the wine during rather than after fermentation thereby producing a sweeter port-type wine. The style took off, as the richer, sweeter style found a great following.

Many of the British wine trade established branches of their companies in Oporto, with shippers building warehouses or “Port lodges” in nearby Vila Nova de Gaia to blend, age and store the wines. Resin-lined goat skins were replaced by wooden barrels which were transported down-river on shallow wooden “barcos rabelos” sailboats. Each port lodge still owns a barco rabelo, kept for nostalgia and for the annual mid-summer Barco Rabelo race that takes place around the lively Eve of Sao Joao celebrations (Sao Joao is Saint John, the patron saint of Porto).  If you are thinking of traveling to Portugal, this would be a fabulous time to visit!

Traditional Barcos Rabelos with iron bridge by Eiffel's pupil in the background, Oporto

Regional Information
In 1756 a royal charter defined the production region for Port wine in Douro, becoming the world’s third region to have a formal demarcation, preceded only by Chianti in 1716 and Tokaj-Hegylia in Hungary in 1730. The Douro has Portugal’s highest classification as a Denominacao de Origem Controlada (DOC), and although known primarily for Port production, the area produces non-fortified wines as well.

Around 50 miles east of the city of Oporto are the three Douro sub-regions of Cima Corgo, Baixa Corgo and Douro Superior. The vineyards are dramatic and ultra-scenic, terraced on steep granite and schist-ladened hillsides overlooking the Douro River.

The westernmost Baxio Corgo is the smallest region and due to its proximity to the Atlantic ocean it gets the most rainfall. As a result is the most fertile and abundant tending to produce the lighter wines like ruby and tawny ports. This area is responsible for almost 50% of all Port made.

Up river is the Cima Corgo (Cima means top, or summit) surrounding the town of Pinhão. Here, where rainfall is significantly less – about 28 inches a year – is where most of the high quality tawny, LBV, and Vintage port is made. Surrounding the town of Pinhão, are most of the famous wine growing properties or quintas. This region accounts for around 36% of the Port produced.

The last region is the largest of the three sub-regions, the Douro Superior which extends to the Spanish border. Here is the most arid and the least developed. Only about 13% of all port is produced here. This is a region to watch, as it will be interesting to see how it progresses.

Varietals
A large number of grape varieties are grown in the Douro region, most of them local Portuguese grapes. The top varieties for Port are the Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Barocca, Tinta Roriz (also known as Tempranillo), Tinta Cao and Tinta Amarela. For white Port Gouveio (which is likely Verdelho), Malvasia Fina and Viosinho are the main varietals. The vines roots grow very deep down through the schist fissures to find water in natural reservoirs, and are usually harvested between September 15th and October 15th.

Touriga Francesca

Styles of Port
According to the Institute of Douro and Port Wines (IVDP) Port can be divided into two major categories (Ruby or Tawny) according to the manner by which they are aged (bottle-aged or cask-aged).

Ruby Style: These are all bottle-aged indicating a shorter time aging in cask or tank and then the majority of maturing in the bottle. The winemaker generally aims to maintain the fruit and strength of a young wine. This is the type of wine that you will find in the following categories:

Basic Ruby Port: This simple, young, non-vintage style is aged in wood for about two to three years before release. If labeled Reserve or Special Reserve, the wine has usually aged about six years.

Vintage Character Port: Premium Ruby blended from higher-quality wines of several vintages and matured in wood for about five years.

Crusted or Crusting Port: The best non-vintage Ruby Port, a blend of high quality vintages from two or more years, aged up to four years in cask and at least three years in bottle. Like Vintage Port, it throws a deposit or crust, hence the name.

Late-Bottled Vintage Port (LBV): Made in lighter years from a single year, bottled four to six years in wood after harvest. Designed to be full-bodied like a vintage port style but tends to be somewhat lighter and consumed much earlier because of the late bottling process.

Single-Quinta Port: From a single-vineyard and can be either a classic Vintage Port or a a special release from an undeclared vintage. Generally these are as accessible as LBV because after bottling, these are stored until more or less ready to drink. Single-Quinta Ports are aged longer after bottling than LBVs.

Vintage Port: By law must be bottled within two years of the vintage, from the best grapes of a single harvest. This is a very dense and heady style, and without the extended cask-aging to integrate tannins, ten to twenty years of aging is recommended before Vintage Port is ready to enjoy. Vintage Port should always be decanted because of the formation of sediment.

Tawny Style: These are cask-aged indicating aging in wooden casks or barrels then bottled relatively shortly before release at the point they are ready to be enjoyed. These tend to be slightly less sweet with a lighter, nuttier style and color—hence the name of Tawny for the amber tone that frames the wine. A great style as they are more versatile with food, and usually have a fine and silky feel. This type of wine you will find in the following categories:

Basic Tawny: The most versatile of the Tawny styles, which are blends aged usually at least three years in wood, up to many years depending on the aim of the winemaker. Tawnies have a very fine texture and style that can be served as an aperitif, during and after dinner with a much wider range of cuisine than other Ports.

Aged Tawny: (10, 20, 30 and 40 years old) Blends that are racked over a period of ten, twenty or more years where the oldest 30 to 40 year old Tawnies will show a character somewhat like liqueur. A voluptuous style with an added range of nuances such as coffee, spices and caramel due to the extended cask aging.

Single-Quinta Tawny Port: From a single quinta (estate) vineyard, and can be a blend with an indicated age or Vintage-dated.

Colheita Port: Cask-aged Tawny Port from a single-vintage, which is sometimes confused with Vintage Port because of the vintage year being indicated. The style would never be confused with a Vintage Port because Vintage Port is plump and deep in fruit, the Colheita more refined and silky from the minimum of seven years of barrel aging with a completely different style and range of flavors.

Aside from these styles, there is a very small amount of white and rosé Port produced, commonly used as a mixer in cocktails or alone as an aperitif. These are made dry, off-dry and sweet and they are recommended to be served slightly chilled. There are very few uncommon age-distinguished or vintage white Ports, which when aged can take on a color that is similar to the lightest Tawny.

Photo by Michael Melford

Serving Port
Both wood aged and bottle aged port wines are most often served at cool room temperature (64° to 68°F). Tawny and Aged Tawny Port may also be served slightly chilled in warmer weather.

Vintage port should always be decanted, so for pointers see our blog post on how to decant here.

The ideal Port glass is slightly smaller than a typical white wine glass and holds about 5 or 6 ounces with a tulip or tapered shape that is neither too narrow nor too wide. As with other wines, do not fill the glass more than 1/3 full.

Depending on the style of Port and your personal tastes, there are many food pairing options—from classic to innovative and many in-between. For some pairing ideas, see here.

When you enjoy authentic DOC Port from Portugal, you are experiencing one of the world’s classic and unequaled wines!  Cheers!

Sip your spirits and cure your cold, but I will take Port that will cure all things, even a bad character. For thee was never a Port drinker who lacked friends to speak for him.
William Makepeace Thackery, English novelist, (1811-1863)

Pierre Bernault with his windmills

Anyone who knows much about winemaking knows that the romantic stereotype of life in the vines is just that – a stereotype. Winemaking can be romantic, of course; but it can also be risky and fraught with uncertainty. After all, Mother Nature has a long history of being a fickle master.

Consider Pierre Bernault, owner of an ancient chateau and plot of vines in Montagne Saint Emilion where he and Stéphane Derenoncourt craft Montesquieu Winery’s Moulin du Paradis blend: “You can lose an entire year’s income by surprise in the course of three weeks because of weather,” says Pierre. “But I like to take risks.”

Good thing, because in 2008, Pierre lost 66% of the year’s wine production in three minutes. A vicious hailstorm descended upon his estate without warning, destroying the majority of his fruit. Like a trained missile, the hail hit only Pierre’s property, leaving his neighbors’ adjacent vines untouched.

This penchant for risk is what caused Pierre to leave a successful career with Microsoft and buy and restore an ancient winemaking chateau in Bordeaux. It’s why he went straight to the top when assembling his team, retaining as consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt – one of the world’s greatest winemakers – who turns down ten times as many projects as he takes on. And it’s why he’s able to resist the urge to manipulate and manufacture his wines in the cellar, content to let nature be nature.

He may have taken a hit with the hailstorm of 2008, but taste the Moulin du Paradis, his blend of Merlot and Cab Franc from some of his estate’s best vines, and you know immediately that his gamble has paid off. While he lost quantity, the fruit that remained came through with immense concentration and complexity. In the end, he played the hand that nature dealt him, and he played to win.

Especially in a challenging growing season like 2008, the Moulin du Paradis is a revelation. Vibrant, pure and precise, the wine has a generous and supple core of bright red and black fruit buttressed with ripe tannins and layers of cured tobacco, flowers and exotic spices. It’s luscious and long, refreshing and complex, intense and aromatic.

The Paradis vineyard in front of Pierre's chateau

Pierre and Stéphane selected the best fruit from two prized parcels for this cuvée, which they crafted exclusively for Montesquieu Winery clients. The Paradis (“paradise”) vineyard is aptly named, sitting as it does right in front of the elegant gated entrance to Pierre’s small chateau.

The other parcel is a winding drive up the hill from the chateau, to the highest spot in the entire Montagne Saint Emilion appellation. This makes it one of the highest vineyards in Bordeaux. Although the 300-foot elevation of the vineyard is hardly Himalayan in height, you feel you’re at the top of the world when you’re up there. Vistas extend in most directions as far as the eye can see. “There’s Pomerol,” Pierre told us on our last visit, pointing at a distant patchwork of vineyards that makes up the famous appellation that boasts Pétrus and Lafleur among its star chateaux. Next to Pomerol we could see the rolling hills of St. Emilion, home to epic properties like Cheval Blanc and Pavie Macquin.

Pierre surveys the vista from his vineyard atop Montagne Saint Emilion

Of course the most distinctive visual feature of this particular vineyard is not the vistas, impressive though they are – it’s the beautiful, old windmills (“moulins”) that tower over the vines like guardian angels. These picturesque and powerful structures lend a historical gravitas to the locale and give the undeniable impression that here is someplace truly special on earth.

It’s hard to describe how exhilarating it is to visit, especially with a guide like Pierre. Up there, the wind is stiffer, the air crisper. The vineyard seems to possess an irrepressible connection with nature, as if it were an organic extension of its forested environment. You experience a sense of adventure and excitement that is sometimes lacking in many of Bordeaux’s stately, manicured vineyards. It’s the kind of thing that would intrigue a risk-taker like Pierre.

When you meet Pierre, though, you’re hard-pressed to find any trace of a thrill-seeker’s bravado about him. With his warm and welcoming presence, his generous laugh, and his soft, measured speech (his accented English emerges with a dash of British sophistication), Pierre is hardly a riverboat gambler. But he is full of passion for his estate and for his craft, and this energetic commitment springs forth at every turn.

During our visit, we could see his dedication to quality and history in vivid color before us. When searching for an estate to buy, he looked steadily for 18 months, visiting over 25 estates before finally deciding on this one. The chateau and cellar were built in 1851, and they were in serious disrepair (none of the buildings even had foundations!). But Pierre could see their past glory in his mind’s eye, and he set about restoring the property – modernizing the winemaking facilities while retaining their historic authenticity.

Pierre led us into the cellar’s small vinification room, showing us the vintage vats and press that he and Stephane still use for production. They’re over 80 years old, but the he refurbished the inside of the tanks so as to ensure cleanliness and quality without sacrificing historicity. Under Stéphane’s guidance, Pierre ferments each block separately, so as to draw out each parcel’s unique character and optimize the precision and distinctiveness of the ultimate blend.

Pierre shows our winemaker Helene Mingot his 80 year old tanks

Pierre also shares Stéphane’s characteristic humility, personally and philosophically. Both men adopt a non-interventionalist approach in the cellar, allowing the terroir to speak for itself: “I am not [an] enologist,” Pierre told us. “I do not add anything to my wine. I do nothing.” This means no fining or filtration or enzymes. It also means long hours working the grapes, picking and sorting by hand. Indeed, Pierre says that “90% of my work and money is spent in the vineyards. When you’re successful in the vineyards, you have nothing to do in the cellar.”

Well, not quite nothing. Taking a “minimalist” approach that respects terroir and nature actually requires heightened levels of attention and care in the cellar. Pierre and Stéphane adapt every decision to the particular demands of each vintage, parcel and grape variety. The fermentation treatment of each tank is different, because they treat wine like a living thing – something to be listened to and cultivated, not manipulated and “made.”

The beneficiary of all this effort is the wine itself, which speaks with a clarity of origin and purpose that’s astounding, even while still maturing in oak. Our barrel sample tastings with Pierre in the cellar’s stone ageing room showed a velvety Merlot with lingering aromas of dried flowers; a silky Cab Franc full of tobacco and spice; and finally the two blended together, offering the best of both varietals.

Tasting the Moulin du Paradis from barrel

“This is the magic of blending,” said Pierre. “The whole becomes so much better than the sum of its parts – more complex, more profound.”

Pierre paused, allowing his nose to linger over his glass of Moulin du Paradis, and then turned to us with a twinkle in his eye: “I don’t know about a windmill, but you get a little piece of paradise in each taste.”

Valpolicella Classico

It has been said that there is hardly an inch of Italy that isn’t suitable for growing grapes for wine production. As a result, Italy has the most diverse array of individual wine styles, micro-climates and indigenous grape varieties in the wine world!

One of the most distinctive and treasured of all Italian wines—and one that we at Montesquieu Winery believe has a particularly interesting history—is the Amarone della Valpolicella from the Veneto region in the province of Verona. Valpolicella has been producing wines since ancient times, and even its name reflects a longstanding relationship with wine— “Val polis cellae” means “the valley of many cellars”.

History of Amarone
Amarone’s precursor, Recioto, known since Roman times as Retico, used to be the pride and joy of local wine-makers who considered it to be their very best wine. The name Recioto is thought to come from a local dialect for the Italian word for ear which is orrechie, which in the local dialect is recie. The grapes used for the wine were supposedly only the top corners of the bunches or the “ears” of the clusters, which is the part of the bunch that gets the most sun and are the ripest and most mature.

The grapes for Recioto were taken aside and dried before being pressed and fermented. The high sugar content in the concentrated and raisined grapes made it more difficult for the yeasts to fully ferment all the sugar to alcohol. The result was a sweet red, which has evolved, yet is still a sweet style now known as Recioto della Valpolicella. Unlike traditional Amarone, Recioto della Valpolicella can also be used to produce a sparkling wine, Recioto della Valpolicella Spumante.

It is widely held that the invention of Amarone was a forunate accident, with one popular story telling of a local producer leaving a barrel of Recioto unattended too long. The yeasts were able to ferment most of the sugar to alcohol yielding a tasty dry wine. The name Recioto Amaro was given, Amaro meaning bitter, to distinguish it from the sweet Recioto. Eventually the full name of Recioto della Valpolicella Amarone was used and now finally Amarone della Valpolicella.

In the 1950s, Amarone della Valpolicella finally entered the marketplace and the method of production was perfected in the following decades resulting in the dry, rich, and luxurious wine known today. This strikingly powerful and complex wine has become very important in the wine world, recognized for its distinctive character and ability to age. Amarone is now considered, along with Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino, as one of the Italy’s three greatest reds.

Production
The production of this intense wine is labor-intensive, requiring an astounding 23 pounds of fruit to make just one bottle of Amarone compared with only 2 ¼ pounds to make one bottle of Valpolicella! Grapes are harvested ripe, usually between late September and early October, selecting only the best bunches of looser clusters carefully chosen. The traditional method was to dry the grapes on straw mats called graticci, relying on prevailing breezes to help keep the grapes free of moisture. Now more commonly the grapes are placed on special crates in drying chambers under strict temperature and humidity controlled conditions to keep the grapes in optimal shape as they raisinate.

This grape-drying process is known as appassimento which is one of the defining and most delicate phases in the production of Amarone, lasting from 100 to 120 days during which the grapes lose between 30% – 50% of their original weight. The grapes become shriveled, which concentrates the remaining sugars and flavors which yields an unmistakable and singular style. Wines produced using the appassimento process are known as passito wines.

Following drying, usually around the end of January or the beginning of February, the grapes are crushed and go through a dry, low temperature fermentation process which can last 30 to 50 days. The reduced water content can slow down the fermentation process, which requires constant vigilant monitoring. After fermentation, the wine is then aged in barriques made from either French, Slovenian or Slavonian oak. The resultant wine is usually high in alcohol levels, typically 14 to 17%.

Regional Information
The hilly area of Valpolicella is east of Lake Garda and north of Verona, bordered to the north by the Monti Lessini foothills, and to the west by Bardolino DOC. The heart of Valpolicella is Classico region—which is the original area with the steepest slopes, oldest vines, superior soil and ideal vineyard conditions. The important villages of Sant’Ambrogio, San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane, Marano and Negrar comprise the Classico region.

The wines produced here are renowned for their higher quality, with more stringent rules in respect to yields and aging techniques. The blend of varietals is typically composed of primarily Corvina or Covinone with smaller percentages of Molinara and Rondinella. The Classico zone also encompasses Recioto della Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso.

The soils are predominantly calcareous and date back to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The climate is generally mild and temperate with rainfall of around 35-43 inches per year. Valpolicella consists of a repetition of low ridges and short valleys, each with their own stream.  Each of the valleys has its own particular microclimate which contributes to the diversity of characters found in Amarone as well as all of the wines of the region.

The classified Valpolicella wines are: Valpolicella DOC, Valpolicella Ripasso DOC, Recioto della Valpolicella Spumante DOCG, and Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG.

The grape variety requirements for all denominations are:

• 45% – 95% Corvina, where Corvinone can be substituted for up to half of the Corvina
• 5% – 30% Rondinella
• 5% – 10% Molinara
• up to 15% of any nonaromatic local red grapes, with a maximum of 10% of any one variety
• up to 10% of other allowed red grape varieties

Other local varieties that are commonly used include: Corvinone, Oseleta, Croatina, and Dindarella. Non-indigenous grapes >5% or less can be added to the blend including: Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Teroldego. Older indigenous varieties are being researched to examine the effects of blending with these varietals.  These include Castelrotto, Bressa, Spigamonte, Turchetta, and Corbina, among others.

Amarone gained its DOC status in 1968 and after many years of producers and winemakers going back and forth trying to agree on requirements, DOCG status was finally awarded last year. The Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG takes effect with the 2010 harvest.

Aged and strong cheeses pair beautifully with Amarone

Pairing
Since Amarone is a statuesque, high-alcohol wine with rich flavors, some care must be taken when pairing it with food. Stay away from spicy dishes, as well as delicate or subtle dishes. Amarone is ideal with robust meat dishes such as braised or stewed lamb, beef, or short ribs. A hearty pasta dish with a meat or mushroom sauce is also a good choice or traditional Veronese risotto made with Amarone. One of the most classic and delicious pairings is Osso Bucco, or braised veal shank with the marrow. For a delicious recipe that incorporates Amarone into the recipe see here. If pairing with cheese, choose strongly flavored or aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Cimbro, Monte Veronese Ubriaco, Pecorino Vecchio, Gouda, and blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort or Danish blue. Delicious!

Amarone is a truly distinctive addition to any cellar, with a devout following of wine lovers all around the world. Take your time and decant when you experience this wine, and enjoy one of the wine world’s most unique treasures, one of Montesquieu‘s favorite wines!

Cooperative President Jean-François Préau and Chef de Cave Hervé Dantan with Fonda Hopkins

Forgive us if we feel a bit like Ponce de Léon.

Over the past few years, we’ve been searching high and low for just the right opportunity to craft exclusively for our clients a Grand Cru Champagne that we can call our own.  The winegrowers had to be of the highest level, showering each vine with attention and care; the chef-de-cave had to share our terroir-driven winemaking values; the cellar had to be first-rate; the property had to be capable of producing the very best fruit; and the wines had to be thoroughly delicious.

It took a long time – and countless tastings and visits – but we finally found what we were looking for.  And although it’s not quite the Fountain of Youth, it’s one heck of a Champagne!

It all started on my first visit to a true Champagne cave – something I’ll never forget.  My traveling companions, our fearless leader Fonda Hopkins and our intrepid winemaker Hélène Mingot, were not nearly as green as I.  They knew the Champagne region well, having logged many miles over the years searching for just the right sparklers to source for our clients.  But although I have tasted many different Champagnes in my day, I’d never before been there in person.

The stunning Grand Cru vineyards in Mailly

We were driving from tastings in Paris to Reims, the capital of Champagne, and we headed to a cooperative of winegrowers located in the tiny Grand Cru village of Mailly.  This was our first stop in the region – my first-ever stop in Champagne – so perhaps it was inevitable that I would be pretty impressed with what I saw there.

But impressing Fonda and Hélène was not inevitable – not in the least.  As seasoned wine buyers who demand nothing less than excellence, they’ve seen it all in Champagne, from the best to the worst.  Over time, they’ve honed their instincts for separating the wheat from the chaff, for discerning authenticity and quality from fluff and marketing.  It would take more than a beautiful cave and a fancy presentation to get their attention.

But impressed they were.  Upon arriving, we quickly learned that there’s a lot more to this cooperative than a cool facility (although the cellar is amazing). We had heard great things about them from some industry friends in the know, and the recommendation proved prescient.  The 25 Mailly winegrowing families that still form the cooperative today all joined forces in 1929 under the leadership of one of the most respected growers in the village, Gabriel Simon (1898-1982).  They knew they had great terroir on their hands – all of the vineyards are designated Grand Cru – and decided that pooling their resources and working collaboratively made more sense than going it alone, especially in those depressed economic times.

As the cooperative became more and more successful, the temptation to expand their 70 hectare holdings to other land was intense.  But Gabriel Simon was a man of vision and principle, and he helped convince his fellow growers to continue focusing on quality rather than succumbing to the siren song of quantity.  As a result, the cooperative only uses its estate grapes, all of which are grown on its Grand Cru parcels – making it the only house in all of Champagne to use nothing but Grand Cru grapes.

Gabriel Simon weighing the estate's grapes in 1954

The value of their land holdings can hardly be overstated.  Champagne isn’t like some regions, where it seems that everywhere you go you bump into a “Grand Cru” property.  Champagne has 320 different cru villages, but only 17 of them are designated Grand Cru, the highest level of quality.  Even then, not all Grand Cru Champagnes are created equal, of course.  But we could see as we toured the property that this cooperative’s land was a cut above, even in the hallowed Grand Cru category.  The terroir is stunning, with ideal chalky soils and perfect sun exposure.  Because all of these grapes are from the same property, the wines can express more fully the distinctiveness of its terroir in the final wines (most Grand Cru Champagne cuvées are a blend from multiple Grand Cru villages).  And since all of the vines are literally in the backyard of the winery, the harvested grapes don’t need to travel far before being sorted and crushed – which is critical (and all too rare) in the production of top quality, fresh Champagne.

Once their grapes are harvested, they treat them right by vinifying many of the plots separately in their 26 sixty-hectoliter vats devoted to this purpose.  This costly, time-draining approach is unusual in Champagne, and it draws out the unique character of each parcel.  A small percentage of the base wine is even fermented in wood barrels from Chateau Margaux, which adds depth and roundness.  And the best cuvees age for up to five years in the dank, dark cellar as the Champagne deepens in flavor and complexity.

And what a cellar it is!  It’s important in this business to remember that beautiful facilities do not necessarily equate to beautiful wines.  But in this case, the stunning cave certifies the personal nature of this cooperative and reflects the winegrowers’ diligence and care.  Why?  Because they built the seven-story underground cave themselves – by hand.  The original winegrowers began digging the cave in the winter of 1929 using only hand tools.  For the next thirty-six years, they continued to dig each winter until the cave was finally finished in 1965.  The result is seventy-seven steps, over a kilometer of low-slung, narrow, arched tunnels, and seven underground levels – all carved out of the chalky subsoil and stone that makes Champagne so distinctive.

Limestone/chalk caves -- dug by hand!

It was quickly becoming clear to us that we had found our muse – the perfect partners for creating a Grand Cru Champagne worthy of the Montesquieu name – and once we tasted their range of wines brimming with cut, clarity and personality, we knew this was it.  So we partnered with these winegrowers to make a special wine to call our own out of some of the property’s very best parcels.  We crafted it in a rare extra brut style so as to allow the brilliant fruit and terroir to express itself fully without being obscured by dosage.

And we decided together with the winegrowers there that the wine should have a name worthy of a tête-de-cuvée – none other than Gabriel Simon himself.  Mr. Simon began the cooperative in 1929 and continued as its president for over 55 years until his death in 1982.  He loved this land like his own family, actually referring to the cooperative as the “daughter” he never had.

Tasting the final wine, we think it’s a fitting choice.  We think Gabriel Simon would be proud of what his land produced – a Champagne that is the pinnacle of what Grand Cru terroir can express, whose freshness, depth, minerality, complexity and unforgettable beauty reflects the devotion of the winegrowers who gave it birth.

The sublime Grand Cru Gabriel Simon by Montesquieu

Stéphane and Manu

During En Primeurs this April in Bordeaux we had the pleasure of attending the exclusive preview of Stéphane’s new wine shop in Saint-Émilion, aptly named “ Terres Millésimées”. Terres means land, which can also mean terroir, and Millésimées means vintage or year. He had been wanting to do this for years, an idea that grew out of constantly being asked by friends, colleagues and fellow wine lovers how to find the wines of his eclectic consultancies, as well as other wines he loves and recommends.

As inspired projects go, ones that involve great passion, Terres Millésimées grew into an ambition to be more than a wine shop, a place where wine lovers can gather, both locals and tourists alike, to experience selections from “d’ici et d’ailleurs”—meaning “from here and elsewhere”—wines “des terroirs et des hommes” or “wines of the land and of man”.

Oysters, the perfect pairing for Dehours Champagne

The official opening was June 9 with another gathering to celebrate, complete with a sumptuous buffet which included fresh oysters and other delights, served with the perfect match—Dehours Champagne from magnums.

This venture is really quite a novelty, with over 700 different selections across a multitude of vintages, and is the first of its kind in the area offering wines not only from Bordeaux but from all over the world. Selections from France include wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, the Rhône and the Loire Valley among others, as well as selections from Spain, Italy, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and of course California, featuring Derenoncourt California wines prominently.

One of France’s most revered palates, Emmanuel Emonot (known as Manu), former sommelier at Bernard Loiseau’s eponymous Michelin 3-star restaurant, is a partner and on hand offering advice as well as hosting regular wine tasting courses. We have had the pleasure during our regular trips to Bordeaux to share fine meals and wines together with Stéphane and Manu, including those at Lard Et Bouchon in Saint-Émilion, Manu’s former wine bar and restaurant now under new ownership.

The location in Saint-Émilion is fitting, as it holds a special place in Stéphane‘s heart. It is here he had his first love affair with terroir at Château Pavie-Macquin, and many of his early consultancies are in Bordeaux, as well as his nearby home estate of Domaine de l’A in the Côtes de Castillon.

The shop itself is an aesthetic beauty with great character, right in the heart of the ancient village with its cobblestone streets and limestone buildings. The décor is an exquisite blend of classic and contemporary, with antique and modern furnishings complementing the space.

As Stéphane is one of the world’s foremost experts on terroir, it wasn’t surprising to see examples in the shop of soils and rocks representing various regions. Seeing all the wines in Terres Millésimée from amazingly diverse regions—many which Stéphane had a direct hand in making—was a reminder how fortunate we are to have him as an integral part of our team assisting to make and source Montesquieu wines. His vast experience, the scope and passionate, sensitive application of his expertise is truly impressive!

If you are planning a trip to Bordeaux, we highly recommend not to miss this gem. Congratulations Stéphane, and cheers to you and Christine on your new venture!

Montesquieu wine broker Jonathan Hetz with Livia Fontana, happy among the vines!

One of the most rewarding aspects of working directly with small producers to source the very best wines for our clients is the privilege of getting to know the winemakers, the talent and conduits of inspiration behind great wines. One of our favorites of all time is Livia Fontana—who we have worked with since 1997—a sixth generation winemaker and matriarch of the 180 year-old Cascina Fontanin in the heart of Barolo country.

Picture yourself perched high on a majestic hillside, overlooking lush steep vineyards to the point where the ancient villages of Barolo, La Morra and Monforte meet below. It is here, atop the famous tiny commune (population 637) of Castiglione Falletto, that Livia and her two sons Michele and Lorenzo tend to every detail of making wines at the family’s estate —from working in the vineyard to bottling and labeling and everything in between!

Stunning steep terroir, Fontana vines over Barolo

The family’s vineyard holdings include 20 acres devoted to Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Arneis, including some plantings in the famous Villero, Mariondino and Bussia sites which are among the region’s finest and most historical. Livia is completely devoted, and it shows, with her wines displaying intense expression of character along with seamless finesse.

Everyone simply adores her wines—Livia has quite the passionate following. Have you ever wondered what it is about certain wines that makes them so special? Many would argue this quality is a matter of terroir, a wine with a sense of place due to particular, soil, climate, and topography. We would agree, but expand the definition to include the interaction, techniques and vision of the people involved who are making key decisions in the vineyard and the cellar.

Livia in her Cascina Fontanin cellar

We have been fortunate to experience first hand what gives Livia’s wines that “special something”. During one of our visits in 2008 to Cascina Fontanin we became even more impressed with this small family operation, how passionate and totally involved they all are. It didn’t take long to see that Livia and her sons put their heart and soul into all they do!

It is not hard to see why. Livia was raised here, growing up running through the vines as a child, knowing each turn of the vineyards, the slope, the soil, every corner. Imagine her hearing stories over family meals, going back generations. The knowledge being told an re-told, lived and re-lived as the seasons and vintages passed, intimately experiencing the harvest and winemaking with family and the tight-knit community. It is no wonder that Livia blossomed in this environment—her desire and affinity for winemaking, paired with complete immersion, it naturally became integral to the very fiber of her being.

Jonathan gets up close and personal in the vineyard

This ‘steeping’ in familial wine culture is perfectly illustrated by the story of her segue officially into the family business. Although Livia had helped with various duties for quite some time, in 1995 Livia assisted her father, Ettore, for the first time making the wines. In 1996 he went to Switzerland for meetings and even though the trip was only three days, the weather was very hot in Barolo and Livia made the decision in her father’s absence to pick the Dolcetto and begin fermentation. When he returned, he found the Dolcetto well on its way and in excellent condition—fresh and balanced, a particularly lovely wine. Ettore decided right then to hand over the reigns of the winemaking completely to Livia, confident that not only was she very talented, but ready to take on all the winemaking, including the Barbera and the flagship Barolo as well.

Father and daughter worked side-by-side for fifteen years, her focus on the winemaking and his on the vineyard, until very recently. Sadly Ettore passed away earlier this year, and will be greatly missed. Thankfully his passion and knowledge lives on through his daughter and grandsons as they carry on with the treasured Fontana family traditions.

Livia’s youngest son Lorenzo is outgoing and perfectly suited for the commercial side of the business, so as soon as he finished school in 2008, he assumed responsibilities for overseeing marketing and the tasting room. Livia’s oldest son Michele has shown the same drive and talent as his mother, and has been Livia’s “right hand” in the vineyard and cellar since 2003.

Our winemaker Hélène Mingot, who is also an integral member of our buying team, is a huge fan. She is completely impressed with the Fontana operation, sharing, “Livia is so incredibly knowledgeable, so meticulous in her approach. She knows every detail in the vineyard and cellar. Her wealth of experience through six generations shining through what is some of the finest terroir in the world is a magical combination.”

Hélène went on to explain that even though the family deeply honors tradition, they are constantly evolving, embracing new technology with a balanced approach. Livia collaborates with enologist Donato Lanati, Professor of Oenology and Viticulture at the University of Turin, to bring out the best of every vintage. “His research is famous, he is a the very top of his field. Livia’s choice to work with Donato is excellent,” Hélène enthused.

Livia serves up her delicious Tagliatelli, fantastic with Fontana wines!

Our team was graciously hosted by Livia, and although she speaks some English, she arranged for a translator to ensure we had the most meaningful visit possible. The translator was a friend from the Cantina Comunale di Castiglione Faletto, a prominent association of local winemakers and growers. Turns out Livia is the head of this organization, and as an important and respected community member she is frequently relied upon for advice because of her vast expertise and long family history in the region.

Fontana Barolo, great wine, charming company!

We had a wonderful tour of the vineyards and winery, followed by an amazing lunch, with dish after dish of homemade delights made and served by Livia herself, including her special Tagliatelli. Many of her wines were served—including older vintages of ethereal Barolos (wow are they built to last!) followed by younger wines, even those not yet released on hand-written labels. The final touch to our grand day was a thrilling hot air balloon ride over the entire region—breathtaking!

Aerial view over Barolo by hot air balloon

Montesquieu wine brokers Jonathan Hetz and Amanda Martin recall their time with Livia and family fondly, sharing how warm she is, and completely hands on. “She was so gracious,” said Jonathan. “She took the time to show us every detail in the vineyards and cellar, and even cooked for us herself. Our lunch went on for hours!” Amanda had the chance to meet Livia for our winemakers dinner in Miami at Il Mulino the year before her visit to Piedmont, adding, “She’s incredible, so sweet and welcoming, and the perfect example of what we exemplify as a company. You can see heart and soul in everything this small family operation does together, and they do it all!”

Hélène—whose husband is Italian and also speaks the language, shared, “Livia is hooked like I am. It’s in her blood. She told me how much she loves winemaking, that every year she continues to learn and how each vintage is an exciting creation, so alive!”

It’s no wonder we enjoy Livia’s wines so much! We look forward to following the evolution of this family labor of love and sharing their wines and stories with you. For Livia and her sons, the future is very bright indeed, with their hearts deeply rooted to family and history in one of the world’s most amazing wine regions.  Cheers from all of us at Montesquieu Winery!

Intimate Asado Dinner with Federico Benegas-Lynch & Don Zofanor

History. Tradition. Family. You’ve probably noticed that these words get thrown around a lot in the wine industry. These days, everyone seems to be claiming that they’re family-owned and family-run, that they are tapping into a tradition as old as the sun, that they use historical vineyard techniques or winemaking methods or what have you.

It’s easy to tune out this sort of rhetoric as marketing-based background noise. And as merchants who are barraged by wineries who want us to introduce them to our clients, we at Montesquieu Wines know how critical it is to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. To truly determine whether there’s real history and tradition in play, and whether it matters to the quality of the wine, we have to do more than just scratch the surface. We have to dig deeper, to pull back the veil to see whether these buzz words reflect something real and unique, or whether they’re merely a marketer’s fancy.

The best way to do that, of course, is to visit the property in person, if you can. Go to the vineyards, inspect the winery, taste the wine in its place of origin. Are the vines really old and gnarled? Are they tended naturally and by hand, as claimed, with no trace of chemicals or machine work? Do the grapes taste fresh and vibrant off the vine? What kinds of tanks do they use, and how do they use them? Is the facility clean and pristine? Is the winery a tourist showpiece or a place with real history?

And most of all – who’s there to greet you? Is it a salesperson or hospitality manager? Or is it the owner, the winemaker, someone who pours his or her heart and soul into the winery’s work? What stories do they tell? Are they personal stories, family stories, tales full of history and tradition? And can you feel their passion for the vines as they talk?

Our Gracious Host Federico with Fonda

Do this enough, and you’ll get pretty good at sniffing out empty rhetoric – and you’ll know the real thing when you see it.

Let me give you an example. A small group of Montesquieu wine brokers were in Argentina along with our buying team this past April, visiting with our favorite producers and investigating new opportunities. (For more about our trip, including our harvest experience at Michel Rolland’s winery, look here and here.) One Tuesday afternoon, on our way from the Uco Valley to Mendoza proper, we stopped at a winery (which shall remain nameless) that wanted to do a project with us. When they reached out to us initially, they had said all the right things, but we were there to find out for ourselves.

Good thing, too.  We were hosted by their director of sales (the owner was nowhere to be found).  The tour was nice, and our guide was informative – but there was a problem, the kind of thing you only learn if you’re there in person. It was the middle of harvest, and as we walked by the grape receiving area, we saw stacks of bins full of grapes sitting in the scorching sun, while the workers took a lunch break.  We would never let this happen to our grapes at such a critical moment when they are most vulnerable. When harvesting in Napa, we work through until the grapes are entirely in, or we store them in a cold locker to preserve freshness.  The skins of a grape give it most of its tannin and acid – indeed most of its character – and letting these brittle berries bake in the sun, off-the-vine, is the worst thing for them.  It can cause the skin to crack and shrivel, violating the integrity of the wine and robbing it of vitality.

As our tour continued, the more we looked, the more we noticed how huge the operation was, how they were pumping out large quantities of wine without the care and attention we expect, how their techniques were oriented more toward volume and style and the market rather than seeking to express terroir.  We tasted through their wines, and there was nothing wrong with them per se. But in a word, the operation was commercial, not artistic, and we could tell that many of the decisions in the vineyard and cellar were driven by sales and financials, not by an abiding passion for the life of the vine.

We had another appointment later that day in Mendoza, and the difference could not have been more stark. Federico Benegas-Lynch, of Don Zofanor fame, is the owner and genius behind this estate begun by his great-grandfather. Along with his right-hand-man Andres, Federico spent all evening with us, walking us through his vineyards, tasting the grapes off the vine, showing us his ancient stone cellar and impeccable winery facility, talking of his passion for Mendoza, telling us stories from his family history, and sharing a long traditional Argentine meal with us.

But it didn’t take all night to realize what we were experiencing. After moments with him, we knew: this is the real deal.

Maybe it was when he took us to his cherished 110-year old Cabernet Franc vines (yes, you read that right: 110 years old!), and the juicy, rich, fresh, ready-to-pick grapes tasted unlike any other Cab Franc grapes we’d had.

Or maybe it was observing how he frequently stood in the vineyards in silence, breathing in the dusk air, gazing over the vines to the Andes Mountains in the background. In those moments, it was if he was alone out there, in his own world, just Federico and his beloved terroir. His passion was palpable, and contagious.

Or maybe it was when he showed us the winery records book begun by his grandfather, in which the first handwritten entry was dated 1918 – and then told us about how his great-grandfather settled in Mendoza in 1883 when it was only a cattle center and hand-carried cuttings from Bordeaux, helping to launch the Mendoza wine industry.

You can’t fake this stuff. And the quality of wine that results from true tradition, history, and artistic passion is unmistakable. We experienced that over the course of our dinner together, as he poured some of his best cuvées for us – wines with distinctive personalities that were elegant, full of character and life, each more fascinating than the one before. The meal – a traditional Argentine asado with various cuts of fresh meat roasting on a massive fire just behind our 40-foot long wooden table – went late into the night. We talked, laughed, and cried (literally!), while reflecting on our shared love for great wine and the human stories behind it.

So this is what we seek for all of our Montesquieu wines. Authenticity. Personality. Passion. And yes – real history, tradition and family. The kind that Federico and his wines have in spades.

We’re thrilled to be able to share with our clients the fruit of our growing relationship with Federico by way of the 2007 Don Zofanor Meritage. This traditional Bordeaux-like blend of Cabernet, Cab Franc and Merlot is inspired by Federico’s great-grandfather, who aspired to follow the example of the world’s most famous growing region in building the Mendoza wine industry. It’s an homage to this vision and to the tradition and values he has passed down through the generations, culminating in Federico’s passionate work.

The splendor of St. Emilion viewed from one of its crown jewels, Pavie Macquin

“Is this the hanging tree?” I asked.

I stood on a grassy path flanked by vines on both sides, staring up at a tall tree with large branches spreading wide.  Oak? Elm? I wasn’t sure, and it didn’t really matter.  All that mattered was whether this was THE tree, the one that – according to legend – the townsfolk of St. Emilion used for executing criminals many years ago.

We had broken free from our tight tasting schedule in order to take up this quest.   That Tuesday, our first day of 2010 tastings at Primeurs, we did Cheval Blanc and the Rolland Collection at Le Bon Pasteur, followed by Michel Rolland’s consultancies at Chateau Soutard and then Stéphane Derenoncourt’s consultancies at Chateau La Gaffelière.   Wednesday brought a full morning of tasting biodynamic wines at Ch. Fonroque followed by a cross-river haul to take in the wines of St. Julien, St. Estephe and Pauillac at Ch. Branaire Ducru, and then a dash to Ch. Lascombes to sample Margaux before the day’s tastings closed.  We began Thursday morning early with the St. Emilion tasting at Ch. La Couspaude before heading back to the Left Bank for Graves and Pessac-Leognan – both rouge and blanc – at Ch. Malartic-Lagravière, and then back again to La Gaffelière to finish tasting Stéphane’s wines and chat with some of our producer friends there.

If you’re counting at home, that’s over 500 wines tasted in three days, not counting bottles we enjoyed during our dinners or at the late-night producer parties we attended. This kind of professionalized indulgence is par for the course during Primeurs week, but still, by Thursday afternoon we needed a break that didn’t include swirling, sniffing or sipping.“No, that’s not it. I thought it might be, but now that we’re here it doesn’t seem right,” Fonda said, scanning the horizon. “The hanging tree is clearly visible from inside the city of St. Emilion, so I think it must be the one over on that ridge.”   She pointed to another tree across a block of vines that stood at the very edge of the plateau, its branches stretched starkly against the afternoon sky.

It was Fonda’s idea that we should embark on this expedition. A little adventure would do us some good, she reasoned – clear our minds, lighten our spirits, cleanse our palates even.

It was a good idea. Not only did it give us a break from the tasting grind (a thoroughly delightful grind, but a grind nonetheless), it got us out into the beautiful vineyards surrounding the medieval hilltop city, those rolling hills of vines that make St. Emilion one of the most picturesque places in the world.

Pavie Macquin’s ancient, beautiful cellar is unmistakeable

But the clincher was this: these weren’t just any vineyards we’d be roaming. The hanging tree stood on the estate of the great Chateau Pavie Macquin.

Ahh, Pavie Macquin. *Sigh.* Give me a moment while my heart skips a beat or two, allow me a minute to regain my composure.

You have to understand – for me, only Cheval Blanc rivals Pavie Macquin for the title of Favorite Winery on the Right Bank, and the race is probably too close to call. I’m not alone in that judgment: Fonda feels the same way. Our other travel companions Hélène and Tony are likewise enamored with the wine. And Stéphane, who began his winemaking career at Pavie Macquin almost twenty years ago and still makes the wine there, affectionately calls the property “my baby.”

While the allure and quality of many other top names in Bordeaux come and go depending on the vintage, year in and year out Pavie Macquin manages to maintain the kind of depth, complexity, and freshness that makes it one of the greatest ever expressions of Merlot. This is thanks to the heady combination of Stéphane’s sensitivity and devotion as a vigneron, and the property’s spectacular terroir. We’re talking old vines planted in some of the best limestone/clay soils in the region on one of the appellation’s highest plateaus. Slope, exposure, subsoil, density, microclimate – all near-perfect, all geared toward creating the most sublime expression of St. Emilion terroir that nature can muster.

I had tasted Pavie Macquin many times from a number of vintages young and old, out of both barrel and bottle, in Bordeaux and at home. I knew all the facts and figures. I had tasting notes galore. But I had never done the most important thing – I had never stood among the vines or walked upon the ground that was responsible for this cherished wine. Now was the time: we were off to find the hanging tree – a whimsical excuse for a sacred pilgrimage to the mecca of St. Emilion.

We loaded into our rented Mini Cooper convertible, me behind the wheel, Hélène to my right, and Fonda and Tony perched behind us with rumps on the rear hood, feet on the back seats and hair whipping in the wind. Our traveling mascot Mycat came along too, even though Tony was threatening to use up one of the toy cat’s nine lives by hanging it on the tree – you know, just to see if the limbs were still sturdy after all these years.

What a sight we must have been – our tiny topless vehicle overstuffed like a clown car, puttering up and down the steep, narrow cobblestone streets of St. Emilion and then, once we emerged from the city, zooming around the sloping countryside curves a hair too quickly for my mother’s taste.

The temperature was perfect – 75 degrees, the bright sun to keep us warm and a light breeze to keep us cool.

There was only one problem: We knew where we were going – but we didn’t know how to get there.

We didn’t have a map or directions of any kind, but Fonda and Hélène had been to the tree before on a previous Bordeaux trip, so I assumed finding it again would a breeze. Not so. It had been several years since their previous visit to the tree, and Pavie Macquin’s cellarmaster had guided them there on that occasion.

The old “lick-your-finger-and-see-which-way-the-wind-is-blowing” method wasn’t working very well, at least initially. So we had to make our way via trial and error. This took a while, as we zipped up one bumpy road that dead-ended into a block of vines, then another that led to a farmhouse, then a third that took us back to where we began.

But I must confess, casting about here and there was far more fun than if we’d known the way. At one point, we found ourselves off-roading on a vine-lined path we thought would lead us to Pavie Macquin. Instead, it led us to a grizzled local man, armed with a rather vicious-sounding dog, who seemed none too pleased to find us on his property. Rather than face our foe, we practiced a time-honored survival technique: frantic retreat. I’m proud to report that I can handle a stick shift as effectively in reverse as I can in third gear – at least when my life is at stake.

Of course we eventually found Pavie Macquin. Once you’re there, you wouldn’t confuse it with anywhere else in the world. It’s unmistakable: those thick gnarled stumpy vines, so perfectly tended yet wild and free; the green grass growing between the vine rows; the stunning views of the surrounding countryside – vineyards as far as the eye can see – and the spire of the St. Emilion cathedral at the top of the ancient city across the valley; the old, rustic stone farmhouse that houses the cellar behind its famous red door; and, of course, the silhouette of those majestic trees edging the property.

Most of all, there’s a beauty to that place which, once you’ve experienced it, settles into your soul in a way that’s kind of hard to explain, except perhaps by analogy. There are other places that have this sort of effect on a person – the Swiss Alps, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Falls. Once you’ve seen them – once you’ve breathed in the icy mountain air, or gazed across the vast canyon into the setting sun, or felt the cool spray of the tumbling water – you carry that particular sensation of beauty with you always.

It’s even better with wine. Because when you’ve been to a vineyard whose wine you love, you can see, smell and taste the product of what you’ve experienced – the spirit of the place, captured in a bottle. Thanks to my time in the vines of St. Emilion, whenever I drink Pavie Macquin – or any good Right Bank wine, especially one made under Stéphane’s care – my mind is filled with the memory of feeling the rough old gnarled vines, of scooping the top soil into my hands, of surveying the pitch of the vineyard sloping down to the valley below with a panorama of St. Emilion in the distance. The beauty in my memory rubs off on the wine itself, enlivening my experience with it, as I am taken back to that moment walking among those vines, searching for that hanging tree.

We did finally make it to the real hanging tree, of course. And as expected, we engaged in some historical pageantry during which Mycat gamely took one for the team (I’m happy to report that he seems to be enjoying his new second life much more than his first). Doing so was meant to be a bit of fun (or a bit of sadism, depending on your affection for toys), nothing more. Yet somehow, enacting an old-fashioned hangin’ gave our experience even more meaning. It sounds silly, I suppose. But for us it was a picture of the history of this place, a reminder that for centuries, while eras and governments came and went, while people lived and – literally – died on this plateau, the vines of St. Emilion gave forth their bounty, harvest after harvest producing wine that has gladdened the heart of generations.

Fonda and Hélène survey the hanging tree with the city of St. Emilion in the background

As we left the tree, I hiked back to our car with wistful reluctance. Like all of us, I drink a great many wines whose vineyards I never get a chance to visit. That’s life. But now, having experienced the vineyards of St. Emilion, and having witnessed how it affects my enjoyment of wine from that region, I am reminded of how critical it is to get as close as possible to the source of the wines I love to drink, so that I can love drinking them all the more.

I can’t go to every vineyard myself, but with a little bit of effort, I can do the next best thing: I can seek out the reflections of the wine’s winemaker, who works the land day in and day out. And I can borrow memory from those who have been to the region themselves, searching for their own hanging tree.

Pay no mind to the rope on the left