french wine a day

Véraison

Dear wine lovers,

Véraison* (Download Veraison.jpg) is the technical word used to indicate the color change of the grape berries. In the olden days, before science helped to determine the right time to harvest**, people would count 40 days after véraison to pick the grapes. Also, it is said that the first one who would bring back to the village such a berry would get a kiss from the girl of his choice. Truth is that véraison happens most of the time in early August and that at this time period farmers have given all the care to the grapes and that it is now time for a rest before harvest arrives. So it is possible that the feast notion indicates the end of the hard work in the vines under the hot summer sun.

In Chateauneuf-du-Pape, véraison is an annual event that takes place the first week-end of August. A lot of medieval shows (Download mj_chateauneuf.jpg) involving the Pope are being played in the narrow streets (Download cellar_door_cnp.jpg) of this beautiful village. This year's feast brought together many more wine producers than usual, maybe because those vineyards that used to say that they had nothing to sell had actually some forgotten stocks... The problem is that those people who are not used to being in direct contact with the final buyer gave a very bad image of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Touring the stands, I met with two "big names" who let me taste white 2002 that were almost undrinkable and when I asked them what they have in stock, they would answer that actually they have 2003 but they won't let the public taste it because they were afraid that people would taste it too much and, I guess, they wanted to use their remaining bad 2002... Too bad, not only will they miss sales with this approach but they will damage their image and that of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Besides this setback, I actually had the chance to taste some very good wines. At this time the "great" 2003 have been released and even if it is said that it is a good vintage, don't always give away your soul to "God" Robert P.***. 2003 was hot but not that easy since a lot of grapes stopped maturing under the burning heat. I also tasted some pretty good 2002 that was supposed to be so bad by the same Robert...

Here are the vineyards I liked :

- Domaine Berthet-Rayne red 2003. Fruity, elegant with some liquorice

- Château Grand Tinel white 2003. Already very floral and some much more to expect

- Domaine de l'Arnesque red 2001. Evolved to tobacco and leather flavors and with a lot potential to give in the future.

- And obviously our family's Domaine du Banneret (Download Tasting.avi - heavy file which needs high speed connexion and will take you about 1 mn to download but it really worth the wait) red 2003 and even 2002 with its unique complexity given by the 13 grapes blended and all the devotion we put into it.

See you next year for véraison in Chateaneuf-du-Pape !

Cheers,

Jean-Marc Espinasse

Any comments, edits are very welcome at contact@french-wine-a-day.com

*Listen to "Véraison" : Download Veraison.mp3   

**Harvest = Vendange

***The famous American lawyer who found out that judging wine was much more profitable

To see Chateauneuf-du-Pape area on a French wine map (use enlarge icon to see it better) :  Download chateauneuf_du_pape.jpg

Cassis

Dear wine lovers,

For those who would like to understand better the word terroir, Cassis* is the perfect example.

Nestled between Marseille and Bandol, this little port is very close to the outstanding and unique sea-creeks**(Download cassis_calanques.jpg) that you have to visit if you travel in the area.

Its very chalky soil combined with deep slopes north oriented under the famous "Cap Canaille" (Download cassis_vines.jpg) makes a very tiny and unique area, influenced by sea winds and actually protected from the Mistral, where white vines behave marvelously.

Cassis was actually the first French area to get a controlled appellation in 1936. Marsanne and Clairette are most of the time as the base of the blend, topped sometimes with Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon and Bourboulenc.

Cassis produces light red wines, completely different from the ones of his famous Bandol neighbor and this fact alone explains this very terroir notion. Rosés are nice but I think they lack fruits. Whites are the ones you want to have and the blend with all the grapes will give you the flower and complex flavors with Roussane, Clairette and Bourboulenc added to the freshness of Ugni Blanc and Sauvignon.

Cassis is the perfect aperitif wine to drink with the local tapenade*** on grilled toast. It will surely continue to regale your palate with saltwater fish and seafood like the famous Cassis sea urchins (Download cassis_urchins.jpg).

Clos Val Bruyere and Domaine du Paternel are the ones that I prefer most. Recently, I also discovered Domaine de la Couronne de Charlemagne which is also very nice and before all, very fairly priced. In effect, Cassis' production is so small that it is almost sold locally at high prices.

So, next time you travel near Marseille, don't forget to go to Cassis to enjoy seeing and tasting all its natural beauties.

Cheers,

Jean-Marc Espinasse

Any comments, edits are very welcome at contact@french-wine-a-day.com

*Listen to "Cassis" : Download Cassis.mp3

**Sea-creek = Calanque

***Tapenade = Crushed olives. See for Recipe

To see Cassis area on a French wine map (use enlarge icon to see it better) : Download Cassis.jpg