schiller-wine: Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Bourgogne, at the Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes, with Chef Mark Courseille, USA/ France

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Bourgogne, at the Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes, with Chef Mark Courseille, USA/ France

Nicolas Rossignol, Owner and Winemaker at Domaine Rossignol in the Bourgogne, was in town (Washington DC) and I had the pleasure to wine and dine with him at the Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes, with Chef Mark Courseille, USA/ France

The evening was orchestrated by Laurant Lala, from Elite Wines, Importer and Distributor of the wines of Domaine Rossignol and the General Manager of Le Café Descartes, Max Jacquet.

Pictures. Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Bourgogne, at the Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes, with Chef Mark Courseille, USA/ France

The last Bourgogne winemaker dinner at the Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes was with Alice Rion and Louis Hamman, Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion, Vosne Romanée. We have visited them several times in the Bourgogne with ombiasy WineTours.

See:
Winemaker Dinner with Alice Rion and Louis Hamman, Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion, Vosne Romanée, Bourgogne, at the French Embassy/ Restaurant Le Café Descartes in Washington DC, USA/ France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion in Vosne Romanée, Côte de Nuits - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion in Vosne-Romanée: Wine Tasting in the Cellar with Bernard Rion and Alice Rion – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Nicolas Rossignol, I also know quite well. But we have never visited him at his estate. Instead we have met in Washington DC several times. This was the third winemaker dinner with Nicolas. But we agreed next time ombiasy WineTours goes to the Bourgogne, a tour and tasting at Domaine Nicolas Rossignol is a must.

See:
Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Bourgogne, at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia
Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Domaine Rossignol in the Bourgogne, at La Bergerie in Alexandria, Virginia

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Bourgogne, at the Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes, with Chef Mark Courseille, USA/ France

Invitation

We are very excited to present you this Cocktail Reception and 5 courses dinner presented by Nicolas Rossignol, Owner and Wine Maker of Nicolas Rossignol Vineyard and prepared by Executive Chef Mark Courseille!

Reception:
Gougères
Truffle Charcoal
Foie Gras Toast
Tripoz Crémant de Bourgogne NV

1st Course:
Lobster Bisque
Bourgogne Rouge, 2015

2nd Course:
Escargot Choux, Meurette Sauce
Beaune 1er Cru, 2014

3rd Course:
Roasted Venison Loin, Parsnip Purée, Petits Légumes, Sauce Grand Veneur
Volnay 1er Cru Ronceret, 2008

4th Course:
Artisanal Cheese Platter: Bijou, Epoisse, Délice de Bourgogne
Pommard 1er Cru Les Epenots, 2013

5th Course:
Red Wine Poached Pear Carpaccio, Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream, Cacao Reduction
Savigny les Beaune 1er cru, 2016

US$ 174.90 including tax and tips.

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Bourgogne, at the Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes, with Chef Mark Courseille, USA/ France

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol

Nicolas Rossignol is one of the best examples of a new generation of Burgundy wine makers whose great wines lie in the future rather than the past, entering the fray in 1994. Born in 1974, he represents the 5th generation of vine growers on the soils of Volnay. After completing his technical formation at the enology school in Beaune, Nicolas put his knowledge into practice, staging at Domaine Joseph Voillot in Volnay, Domaine Louis Latour in Ardeche and Domaine Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Anxious to learn other farming and winemaking techniques, he went to work in South Africa at Domaine Boschendal Stellenbosch in 1995, followed by Château Cardonne, owned by Château Lafite-Rothchild in Bordeaux.

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Bourgogne, at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia

Upon his return home to his family’s Domaine (Rossignol-Jeanniard) Nicolas began vinifying in 1994. However, it was not long before he started his own Estate. In 1997, he acquired approximately 7.5 acres spread over the communes of Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Aloxe-Corton and Pernand- Vergelesses. In 1998, he increased his vineyard holdings by about 3.5 acres.

Today, Nicolas makes wine from his own 17 acre estate, as well as from his fathers's vineyards.

Pinot File: Nicolas Rossignol is one of the best examples of the new generation of winemakers in Burgundy. The wines go through a long fermentation (4 weeks, during which 1 to 2 weeks of cold pre-fermentation). He uses moderate amounts of new oak. The wines are bottled without fining or filtering.

Christopher Massie on Wine: The wine-making style Nicolas prefers can be best described as “sophisticated” – to borrow a term from Allen Meadows of Burghound, who describes these wines precisely as such. Towards producing wines of classic proportions, offering intense levels of the purist fruit as well as silky tannins and laser-focused transparency, he utilizes whole clusters during fermentation. Nicolas prefers the sweetness this method imparts to the finished wines (ala Jayer), but also stresses that this method must be avoided in vintages where the stems are not ripe.

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Nicolas Rossignol, Domaine Rossignol in the Bourgogne, at La Bergerie in Alexandria, Virginia

Bergman’s Bourgogne: Nicolas Rossignol has a firm grip on Volnay and Pommard, the two villages just south of Beaune. There are few cellars in Burgundy where you can taste seven Volnay premier crus and eight Pommard premier crus. In addition to these there is also a handful of village wines from both villages. Instead of blending the small parcels and just label it Volnay premier cru Nicolas Rossignol prefers to bottle everything separately.

But Nicolas Rossignol's wine portfolio is not only about Volnay and Pommard. It is practically all red, but on top of all the Pommards and Volnays there are wines from Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton.

The Dinner at Embassy of France in Washington DC/ Le Café Descartes

Reception

Gougères
Truffle Charcoal
Foie Gras Toast
Tripoz Crémant de Bourgogne NV US$ 29.99 plus tax

1st Course :

Lobster Bisque
Bourgogne Rouge, 2015 US$ 49.99 plus tax

2nd Course:

Escargot Choux, Meurette Sauce
Beaune 1er Cru, 2014 US$99.99 plus tax

3rd Course:

Roasted Venison Loin, Parsnip Purée, Petits Légumes, Sauce Grand Veneur
Volnay 1er Cru Ronceret, 2008 US$ 144.99 plus tax

4th Course :

Artisanal Cheese Platter: Bijou, Epoisse, Délice de Bourgogne
Pommard 1er Cru Les Epenots, 2013 US$ 174.99 plus tax

5th Course :

Red Wine Poached Pear Carpaccio, Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream, Cacao Reduction
Savigny les Beaune 1er cru, 2016 US$89.99 plus tax

Bye-bye

Thanks for a great evening:

Nicolas Rossignol, Owner and Winemaker at Domaine Rossignol in the Bourgogne

Chef and Owner Mark Courseille of Le Café Descartes/ Embassy of France in Washington DC

General Manager and Owner Max Jacquet of Le Café Descartes/ Embassy of France in Washington DC

Laurant Lala of Elite Wines, Importer and Distributor of the wines of Domaine Rossignol

Pictures: Bye-bye

Importer and Distributor: Elite Wines

In 2002, Laurent Michel Givry, a native of Toulouse, France and a veteran of the wine industry, started Elite Wines with small, eclectic, and yet good valued wines from France and Spain. Right from the beginning, he was very successful with his concept. Today, the portfolio includes a large number of French and Spanish wines as well as Australian, New Zealand, Argentine, Chilean, German and American wines.

Picture: Christian Schiller, Laurent Gevry and Laurent Lala of Elite Wines, and Annette Schiller of ombiasyPR and WineTours, at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington DC. See: Winemakers John Forrest from Forrest Estate and Anna Seifried from Seifried Estate at the Embassy of New Zealand in Washington DC, USA

2020 Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Join us on the 2020 Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours, October 8 to 18. We will visit Nicolas Rossignol and taste his wines at his estate in Burgundy. See also: Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History, France