Zinfandel for a change

105 years old baby Zinfandel in No CA

Dear Friends,

Those who have followed me while I was blogging at French Wine A Day might recall those 2 posts I did in 2005 and especially in June 2006 after my visit in the No CA wine country. At that time, I had been so impressed by the quality of the wines, and especially coming from old Zinfandel vines, that I had seriously considered moving there...But a few months later, Rouge-Bleu vines came to me and started our great wine venture. 

Well... last Holidays, I had the chance to come back to this area and visit with many wonderful and so welcoming producers such as :
Joseph Swan, Pellegrini, Wind Gap, Unti, Mauritson, Carlisle and Dashe.Tasting and sharing the knowledge for this real endogenous CA grape (Zinfandel since we can now assume that it has muted) has been a true pleasure and has reminded me that Europe is definitely not the only place able to produce fine - elegant wines. And walking inside this block of 105 years old vines made me felt like I was almost...home :

Well, we are now back in Provence with our dear old babies for another exiting vintage venture. We will start pruning the vines soon and bottle in two weeks the 2009 rosé which is already to drink and quite expressive in aromas.

Next March (03/08 to 03/22), I will be back to the US for many visits and fun tasting. I will be working soon with event dates and will let you know as they are set.

A bit of "business" now : Most of our importers have now brought the Dentelle red 2008. It is fresh and spicy style, a bit lighter than the 2007 and should do very well with light meats and curries. if you would like to get some, don't hesitate to drop an email to our importers to see where is the nearest retailer in your State. And if they don't answer you, don't hesitate to let me know, I will be happy to do the follow up.
Talking about distribution, I just found out with pleasure that a very nice Portland OR restaurant (Serratto) is pouring Rouge-Bleu and Banneret (my Uncle's from Chateauneuf du Pape) as "Flight of the month". The little kid Dentelle red 08 gets to play in the same courtyard as its big brother from Chateauneuf du Pape and that is a true honor.

At last, it is now time for me to wish you our best for 2010

Cheers,

Jean-Marc
Domaine Rouge-Bleu

Comments

[Pat Cargill]

Bonne Annee, Jean-Marc et famille! Look forward to the new wines and will be happy if your 2010 tour takes you to North Carolina, as you previously mentioned. Best wishes for a happy, healthy new year and continued success avec Domaine Rouge-Bleu. Regards, Pat Cargill

[Barbara Pickens]

Bonne Annee aux toutes! Cannot wait to taste the new Rose(2009) Hope our distributor will remember to send ours before it gets too hot in Texas! I also hope your 2010 tour will take you to North Carolina as we are about 2 1/2 hrs from Ashville, which is a beautiful mountain city. The weather is much cooler and there are a number of resorts and wine shops who would be glad to handle your wines. The Grove Park Inn is our favorite and Biltmore Estates! Hope all is well at Rouge-Bleu and that you will have a prosperous and healthy New Year!
Barbara and Jim Pickens

[Debbie in Santa Monica]

Bon Jour et Bonne Anne! I have just finished reading "Families of the Vine" by Michael Sanders and thanks to his great narrative details about vineyards and making wine, I feel I have a true appreciation now of just how difficult it is to make an exceptional wine and what a difference the old plants really make. Richard and I are going to rush out to purchase the Dentelle as we so enjoyed your Rouge-Bleu. We also look forward to seeing you again when you return to the US in March.