Friday, December 8, 2023

Tasting Current (in the Tasting Room) and Older Vintages (in the Cellar) at Champagne Legras & Haas in Chouilly, Côte des Blancs, with Jérôme Legras - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours









From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, July 02 - Thursday, July 13, 2023. The tour started in Lyon and ended in Paris. 

In the Champagne, we had the following visits.

Champagne Menu du Jour Lunch at Restaurant Chez Bellou in Gyé-sur-Seine, Champagne - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Champagne Jean Josselin in Gyé-sur-Seine, Côte des Bar, Champagne, with Jean Pierre Josselin and Export Manager Sharona Tsubota - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours 

An Afternoon at the L'Avenue de Champagne (The Champagne Avenue) in Epernay - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting Current (in the Tasting Room) and Older Vintages (in the Cellar) at Champagne Legras & Haas in Chouilly, Côte des Blancs, with Jérôme Legras - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Champagne Maison Gamet in Mardeuil, Vallée de la Marne, with Philippe, Fabienne and Marianne Gamet

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Champagne Alfred Gratien in Èpernay

French/ Thai Fusion Dinner at Restaurant Cook’In in Épernay (Bib Gourmant Michelin), with Chef Guillaume and Uma (Service).

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Champagne Ruinart, Reims, with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Caves 

Champagne Legras & Haas in Chouilly, Côte des Blancs

At Champagne Legras & Haas in Chouilly, Côte des Blancs, Jérôme Legras was our host. We first tasted  current vintages in the tasting room and then went down into the old cellar and tasted older vintages there. 
 
Champagne Legras & Haas is available in the USA through Demeine Estate. 

Legras & Haas is a classic family-owned smaller grower Champagne house in the heart of the Champagne region in Chouilly, a Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs. They have 95 acres -many in very presitigious grand cru sites under vine. The Legras family has deep roots in Chouilly. For six generations they farmed their land and sold the grapes to the big Champagne houses. It was only in 1991 that François Legras decided to produce his own Champagne after he met Brigitte Haas who had come from the Alsace. Together the couple built one of the great grower Champagne houses that pays attention to soil preservation, artisanal techniques and focuses on specific terroirs to produce an array of truly distinctive Champagnes of quality.

Today Champagne Legras & Haas is run by their children, brothers Rémi, Olivier and Jérôme. Working as a family is still central to their Champagne making. All blending decisions are made together as a family.

Legras & Haas  - Demeine Estate

François Legras was born into a family with four centuries of grape growing experience in Chouilly and by age 16 was learning the skills of vine-grower and cellar-master from his father. François went on to marry Brigitte Legras, née Haas, and Champagne Legras & Haas was established in 1991. Today it is run by their three sons, Olivier, Rémi and Jérôme.

Chouilly is the northern-most Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs, whose coveted vineyards produce the finest Champagnes. The Legras-Haas family cultivates 18 hectares of vines, comprised of 35 parcels, throughout the village of Chouilly, which offers an extraordinary diversity of chardonnay styles. The family owns additional vineyard properties in Vitry (southeast of the Côte des Blancs) and Les Riceys in the Côte des Bar. In total the family farms almost 37 hectares in these outstanding terroirs.

All the Legras & Haas Blanc de Blancs wines, from the non-vintage Brut to the vintage single-vineyard Les Sillons, are 100% estate-grown. For their compelling and lauded blends tier, including Intuition Brut, Brut Rosé and Exigence, the family uses both estate fruit and grapes purchased from long-time partners in Aÿ and Leuvrigny. The Legras family act as stewards of their vines, respecting and maintaining the ecosystem so  they may deliver dynamic wines that are aromatic, graceful and approachable in their youth and retain poise and freshness while developing complexity and depth with age.

Weingut Huber has about 600 barrique barrels and replaces about 150 barrels each year.

Winemaker Dinner with Chef/ King of Spices Ingo Holland and Sebastian Fürst (Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken), Julian Huber (Weingut Bernhard Huber, Baden) and Jérôme Legras (Champagne Legras & Haas) 
 
We established contact with Jérôme Legras a few years ago at a Winemaker Dinner with Chef/ King of Spices Ingo Holland and Sebastian Fürst (Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken), Julian Huber (Weingut Bernhard Huber, Baden) and Jérôme Legras (Champagne Legras & Haas).
 


 
Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Chef/ King of Spices Ingo Holland and Sebastian Fürst (Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken), Julian Huber (Weingut Bernhard Huber, Baden) and Jérôme Legras (Champagne Legras & Haas)

Tasting Current (in the Tasting Room) and Older Vintages (in the Cellar) at Champagne Legras & Haas in Chouilly, Côte des Blancs, with Jérôme Legras

Arriving


Seated Tasting









Tasting in the Cellar








Bye-bye





From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours (Released and Forthcoming Postings)

ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

Announcement: Burgundy and Champagne 2023: 12-day Total Immersion - From Lyon to Paris by ombiasy WineTours 

Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History, France 

David Miller: From Lyon to Paris, Burgundy and Champagne Tour by ombiasy WineTours, July 02 - Thursday, July 13, 2023

Summary: From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours 

Dinner at Restaurant Le Grand Café des Négociants and Walking Tour in Lyon - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Chermette in Saint-Vérand, Beaujolais, with Martine and Jean-Etienne Chermette - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Menu du Jour Lunch in Beaujolais at L’Atelier du Cuisinier in Villié-Morgon - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château de Jacques, in Romanèche-Thorins, Beaujolais, with Genevieve Bonifacio, Responsable Commerciale - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Château de Pizay in Belleville-en-Beaujolais - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

In the Most Prestigious AOC in the Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Ferret in Fuissé, Poully-Fuissé, Mâconnais, with the Outgoing DG/ Winemaker Audrey Braccini and Incoming DG/ Winemaker Clément Robinet - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Menu du Jour Lunch at Restaurant Le Millésime in Davayé, Mâconnais - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Domaine Céline & Laurent Tripoz, Mâconnais, with Céline & Laurent Tripoz - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Menand in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Fabienne Menand - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne

Dinner at Restaurant La Table du Square in Beaune - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Walk in the Vineyard, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jessiaume in Santenay, Côte de Beaune, with DG/ Winemaker William Waterkeyn - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Vineyards Walk around Meursault with Karoline Knoth, Author of "Castles and Châteaux in Meursault" - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Menu du Jour Lunch at Restaurant L’Agastache in Volnay, with Caroline (Service) and Nunzio Iacono (Kitchen), Michelin and Gault Millau Listed - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Tour of Château de Rully by Owner Count Raoul de Ternay, with Tasting of Domaine Rully Wines - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Le Relais de Saulx in Beaune, with the Couple Charles Danet, Chef, and Agnès Peyre, Service, 12/ 20 Points Gault Millau - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

At Maison Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet: Vineyard Walk and a Talk with Olivier Leflaive - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine-pairing Lunch at La Table d’Olivier with Icon Olivier Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Château de Pommard in Pommard, Côte de Beaune - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Menu du Jour Lunch and Wine Tasting with Sommelier Emmanuel Thibout at Restaurant Le Vintage, Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Louis Jadot in Beaune with Thibaud Marquis, US Representative of Louis Jadot - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Bus Tour Through the Vineyards of Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, with Melissa Rion and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rion, Vosne-Romanée - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine-pairing Lunch at Domaine Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of the Ancient Cellars and Tasting at Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine and Music at "De Bach à Bacchus Festival de Meursault", with Karoline Knoth - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Hospices de Beaune and its Wines, Guided Tour - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Menu du Jour Lunch at Restaurant Au Creux de Vougeot - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of Château du Clos de Vougeot - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France

Dinner at Restaurant Hostellerie des Clos in Chablis - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting from Tank, Barrel and Bottle at Domaine Servin in Chablis, with Marc Cameron and François Servin
- From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Le Maufoux, Domaine William Fevre, Chablis - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Tour at Fontenay Abbey (Bernard de Clairveau), Montbard - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Champagne – An Introduction, France

French Champagne Houses and German Roots

Champagne Menu du Jour Lunch at Restaurant Chez Bellou in Gyé-sur-Seine, Champagne - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Champagne Jean Josselin in Gyé-sur-Seine, Côte des Bar, Champagne, with Jean Pierre Josselin and Export Manager Sharona Tsubota - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours 

An Afternoon at the L'Avenue de Champagne (The Champagne Avenue) in Epernay - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting Current (in the Tasting Room) and Older Vintages (in the Cellar) at Champagne Legras & Haas in Chouilly, Côte des Blancs, with Jérôme Legras

Tasting at Champagne Maison Gamet in Mardeuil, Vallée de la Marne, with Philippe, Fabienne and Marianne Gamet

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Champagne Alfred Gratien in Èpernay

French/ Thai Fusion Dinner at Restaurant Cook’In in Épernay (Bib Gourmant Michelin), with Chef Guillaume and Uma (Service).

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Champagne Ruinart, Reims, with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Caves 
 
 
Lunch at La Coupole, Montparnasse, Paris


 

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Climbers: Weingut Schloss Johannisberg (Rheingau) and Weingut Rings (Pfalz) Join Group of 5/ 5 Stars Winemakers in the Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2024

 

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Andreas Rings at Weingut Rings (VDP) in Freinsheim, Pfalz - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours Riesling

Picture: Annette Schiller and Stefan Doctor, Director of Weingut Schloss Johannisberg, at the Weinbörse in Mainz. See: Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling


Pictures: Tour and Tasting at Schloss Johannisberg, Rheingau, with Christian Witte, Domaine Director – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

The Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2024 was released recently, presenting Vinum's choice of Germany’s best 1,000 wine producers and reviewing more than 10,500 wines on 1,080 pages. 

5 out of 5 stars („world class“) was awarded to 20 estates. There are two new ones on the list: Schloss Johannisberg and Rings. Congratualtions!

In addition, there are 32 estates with 4.5 stars, and 76 estates with 4 stars.

Postings

This posting is the fifth in a series of postings related to the Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2024:

Germany's 20 Top Winemakers (With 5/5 Stars) - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024

Climbers: Weingut Schloss Johannisberg (Rheingau) and Weingut Rings (Pfalz) Join Group of 5/ 5 Stars Winemakers in the Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2024

Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2024 Awards - The Nominations

Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2024 Awards: Dörte + Meike Näkel, Weingut Meyer Näkel (Winemaker of the Year), Andy + Steffen Rings, Weingut Rings (Rising Star of the Year), Martin Prüm, Weingut Martin Prüm (Discovery of the Year)

Best Wines of the Year - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2024 

Ahr: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Baden:  The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Franken: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Hessische Bergstrasse: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Mittelrhein: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Mosel: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Nahe:  The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Pfalz:  The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Rheingau: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Rheinhessen:  The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Saale Unstrut: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Sachsen:  The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Württemberg: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024

Climbers to 5/5 Stars: Weingut Schloss Johannisberg and Weingut Rings

There are now 20 winemakers in the group of 5/5 stars in the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024. See: Germany's 20 Top Winemakers (With 5/5 Stars) - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2024 

Two of them are new in the group, Weingut Schloss Johannisberg and Weingut Rings.

Weingut Rings 
Owner: Steffen und Andreas Rings
Cellarmaster: Steffen und Andreas Rings
VDP Member Since 2015
Wine Area: 42,00 acres
Grape Varieties: 25% Riesling, 25% Spätburgunder, 10% Weißburgunder
Geology: Kalkstein, Buntsandstein, Löss, Lehm, Sandiger Kies
Growing Area: Pfalz
Champagne Production: Sekterzeuger
Memberships: Wine in Moderation
Eco Certifications: EU-Bio-Zertifizierung
 


Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Andreas Rings at Weingut Rings (VDP) in Freinsheim, Pfalz - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Andreas Rings - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours 

Weingut Schloss Johannisberg

Owner: Fürst von Metternich Winneburg’sche Domäne GbR
Gutsverwalter: Stefan Doktor und Marcel Szopa
Cellarmaster: Gerd Ritter
Wine Area: 49,90 acres
Grape Variety: 100% Riesling
Geology:Taunusquarzit mit Lehm-Lössauflage, absolute Südausrichtung, Hangneigung bis 45%
Growing Areas: Rheingau and Hessische Bergstrasse
Features: Restaurant, Wine tavern / estate bar, Wine tasting, Guided tours of the company / cellar, Event location, Barrier free access
Sparkling Wine / Sekt: Sekterzeuger

Pictures: Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Picture: Annette Schiller and Stefan Doctor, Director of Weingut Schloss Johannisberg, at the Weinbörse in Mainz. See: Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling




Pictures: Tour and Tasting at Schloss Johannisberg, Rheingau, with Christian Witte, Domaine Director – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

schiller-wine: Related Postings 

ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

Summery: Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours 

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Tement, Steiermark, with Sommelier Andy Bodor and Manfred and Heidi Tement - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours   

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis - From Lyon to Paris: Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List

The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021

The American Wine Society National Conference 2022 in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State - Seen through Christian Schiller`s Camera Lens

Tasting Top Virginia Wines in Frankfurt, Germany: Virginia Governor's Cup Case 2017

A Journey through Bourgogne with Louis Jadot - Tasting at the Washington Wine and Cheese Seminar Presented by Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, and Thibaud Marquis, Louis Jadot

Maison Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône: Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Tour - Rhône Valley Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Cellar Master Jean Christoph - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France

2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA 

Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France

Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany 

The End of the "Grosslage" in Germany - Seminar about the new German Wine Law of 2022 at the 2022 American Wine Society National Conference in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State, led by Annette Schiller

All Sorts of Sparklers: How do the Bubbles get into that Bottle? - Tasting at the American Wine Society (NoVa Chapter) led by Annette Schiller 

Germany's Weingut Künstler #2 on James Suckling's List of the Top 100 Wines of the World (2022)

The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Tasting at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), presented by Annette Schiller  

"Wein-Oktoberfest" of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) at the German Embassy in Washington DC, USA 

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists