Friday, March 30, 2018

Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Rhône Valley, Presented his Portfolio at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA

Pictures: Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Rhône Valley, Presented his Portfolio at at the French Embassy in Washington DC

Jean-Luc Colombo was in town (Washington DC) and I had the chance to participate in a tasting with Jean-Luc at the French Embassy in Washington DC, at the invitation of Patrick Lachaussée, Premier Councel.

Following the tasting, there was a Gala Dinner at the French Embassy - Goût de France/ Good France - with 220 guests. The dinner was prepared by 13 Washington DC star chefs. Goût de France/Good France is an annual fund-raising event organized by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held worldwide to celebrate French gourmet cooking.

Jean Luc Colombo was the guest of honor at the 2018 Washington DC Goût de France/ Good France dinner.

Picture: Invitation

Dear All,

I would like to share with you this invitation to participate in an exceptional and exclusive wine tasting of some fine vintages from the Rhone Valley, in the presence of the world-acclaimed winemaker, Jean-Luc Colombo.

Jean-Luc Colombo is a man of warmth, energy, and passion with an insatiable appetite for the good things in life. His dedication to fine food and wine took root early and came from his mother, a talented chef in Marseille. The long and joyful hours spent as a small boy assisting her in the kitchen later made him an excellent cook too. Jean-Luc’s subsequent decision to graduate as an oenologist and create wines which would match his mother’s cuisine was inevitable!

With his wife Anne, also an oenologist, he created the “Centre of Oenology of Côtes du Rhône” in Cornas in 1984, and has ever since been a consulting winemaker for some of the best “Domaines” in the Rhône Valley, Provence and Bordeaux.

Jean-Luc’s fulfillment of a childhood dream came with the purchase of his first vineyard, a small plot of old vines planted on a granite hillside overlooking the village of Cornas. The 1987 release of Jean-Luc’s first vintage of Cornas “Les Ruchets” was a great success and became the first in a long series of vintages of what is universally regarded as Colombo’s iconic wine. Throughout the years following his rise, Jean-Luc has remained true to his passion for winemaking and constant to his guiding principle, that is respect for nature and the unique qualities of each and every terroir.

As world-acclaimed winemaker, Jean-Luc is also well-known for his conviviality, generosity and to ably defend the rich cultural heritage of French gastronomy. Jean-Luc and Anne have given their love for good food and good wine to their daughter Laure who Joined the family domaine in 2010. Laure serves as viticulturist, oenologist and world traveler. She is full of life and brings delicacy, sensitivity, freshness and authenticity !

We are looking forward to seeing you as this exceptional and exclusive wine tasting.

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Jean-Luc Colombo at the French Embassy in Washington DC

Palm Bay International/ Jean-Luc Colombo 

The wines of Jean-Luc Colombo are imported into the USA by Palm Bay International.

Palm Bay International: What happens when you combine a creative, adventurous spirit with an unbridled passion for wines of quality and character? For lovers of fine wines from France's Rhône Valley, the answer is simple: Jean-Luc Colombo.

1984: A devotee of the Syrah grape, Jean-Luc was convinced that the northern Rhône appellation of Cornas offered enormous potential for producing stellar quality Syrah. Following his conviction, he opened his own wine laboratory in Cornas and developed a thriving reputation as a wine consultant, breathing new life into the then-obscure wines of Cornas.

JLC Vineyard: Shortly after, Colombo began purchasing his own vineyards first in Cornas then throughout the Rhône Valley and Languedoc - leading to the establishment in 1994 of Vins Jean-Luc Colombo. In 2003, Colombo enhanced his ventures by returning to his roots near Marseille and purchasing vineyards to produce the now highly-successful Cape Bleue Rosé.

Jean-Luc Colombo is one of the most progressive and influential winemakers of his generation and is nicknamed “The Winemaking Wizard of the Rhone.”

Based in The Rhône Valley: In addition to running Vins Jean-Luc Colombo, Colombo continues his consulting practice, advising approximately 100 producers throughout the Rhône Valley, Switzerland and southern France. His wife, Anne, who is closely involved in the production of the Cornas wines, manages the consulting practice.

In 2010, Laure Colombo, Anne and Jean-Luc's daughter, joined the family business. An avid world traveler, Laure studied viticulture in Bordeaux and also holds a Masters degree in Oenology from Montpellier University. She now works alongside her parents and is already making a name for herself as one of the Rhône's rising stars.

"Jean-Luc Colombo has become one of the stars of Cornas. Well-known as an oenologist for dozens of Rhone Valley clients, Colombo has had a positive influence in the Rhone, undoubtedly improving the quality of many estate's wines. As for his own wines, there are usually three cuvees of Cornas. In ascending order of quality they are: Les Terres Brulees, Les Ruchets (from a specific vineyard), and La Louvee (formerly known as cuvee JLC) ." (Wine Advocate)

"One of the most influential figure in Rhone wine making in the last 20 years has been the Bordeaux-trained enologue Jean Luc Colombo, who advises many a grower on his wine making and has built up his own Estate at Cornas. Colombo's wines demonstrated what he preaches: they are impeccably vinified, richly fruity and heavily oaked wines without rough edges." (James Turnbull)

"Top 100 Wineries of the Year 2008" (Wine & Spirits Magazine)

"A Cornas wine comparable to the best grand crus" (Le Monde)

"Jean-Luc Colombo shakes up the Rhone Valley. A Cornas wine which is among the best wines." (Le Figaro)

"With his eloquence, his appetite for life, and his incredible ability to realize countless ideas, Jean-Luc Colombo is one of the most endearing characters of the French wineries" (Bettane et Dessauve)

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Jean-Luc Colombo at the French Embassy in Washington DC

Wine Spectator/ Winemaker Talk: Jean-Luc Colombo
Posted: April 26, 2007

Wine Spectator: Winemaker Jean-Luc Colombo, 50, jokes that he's a bit of a Rhône outcast since he relies on modern techniques in one of France's most traditional wine regions. At the same time, it's hard to imagine where the Rhône would be without him, since Colombo was among the first to travel outside the area and not only aggressively market his own wines, but also tell the story of the entire region. Colombo grew up in a family of cooks, so he knew about food and wine early on, but at first he chose to be a pharmacist instead. It was a short-lived career move; he purchased his parcels of vines in the 247-acre Cornas region in 1986. From that humble start, he now makes his small-production, sought-after Cornas cuvées (Terres Brûlées, Les Ruchets and La Louvée), as well as a range of other wines, mostly from purchased grapes, reaching all the way down the valley to a $9 Côtes du Rhône.

Colombo has even begun to make wines from the Côte Bleue, near Marseilles, from old and neglected vines he found in a national park. The project is near to his heart since it brings him back closer to where he grew up. In addition, Colombo remains in high demand as a consultant, in and out of the Rhône Valley. But wherever he works, his focus remains squarely on making wines that work well with food. He took a quick break between tastings and consulting appointments to talk about his inspirations and his own influence on Rhône winemaking.

Pictures: Maps of the Rhône Valley, the Northern Rhône Valley and Cornas

Wine Spectator: How did you first get interested in winemaking?

Jean-Luc Colombo: I was first interested in the taste of wine. My mother was a chef--I grew up in a kitchen environment, with a grandmother and a mother who were great promoters of the culinary tradition of Marseille. Not all winemakers have a passion for food, but because everyone in the family was a chef, all we talked about was food. Then, I really discovered enology during my pharmaceutical studies. I got a pharmacy license, and decided to open a lab. The lab was [similar] to winemaking.

WS: What makes Cornas so different from the rest of the Rhône Valley?

JLC: Cornas is part of the Northern Rhône hillsides, which is where Syrah comes from, and where Syrah gives its greatest expression. At the same time, the hills of Cornas benefit from Mediterranean influences, which bring a lot of character to the wine.

WS: And your wines from Côte Bleue?

JLC: That's very different from Cornas. Cornas is the best landscape and soils for Syrah--it's very porous. So we can have a good Syrah with a lot of aromas of flowers like lilac and iris. With the fruit it's black currant or licorice. But the Côte Bleue is more for Mourvèdre and Syrah because the land is chalk. It's also a peninsula--almost like an island. You have the huge Lake of Berre, maybe a 30-mile circle, and then south is the sea. It's almost like Long Island. When you're there it's always cool. Not cold, not hot. So the Côte Bleue is a very good terroir to grow Syrah and Mourvèdre. The taste of the grape is never too mature--it's always 13.5 percent alcohol. We never get 15 percent. There is no residual sugar, and we don't use irrigation, because we have the humidity on the leaves.

WS: You've joked sometimes that you're the most hated and loved winemaker in the Rhône. Why?

JLC: Well, when I arrived in the Northern Rhône, techniques were very old-fashioned, and I shook some habits (I use new oak, destemming, green harvest). Obviously, this did not please a few narrow-minded winemakers. Conversely, I did get credit because I contributed to improving today's wine quality and also because I myself invested a great deal to promote the wines of the area.

WS: Who have been some of your greatest influences?

JLC: When I discovered enology I read Le Gout du Vin, by the great Bordeaux enologist Emile Peynaud. In the early years of my career, I also got to meet Michel Rolland, who showed me the importance of the role of the consultant, when most enologists were only interested in analysis.

Pictures: Jean-Luc Colombo, Patrick Lachaussée, Premier Councel at the French Embassy in Washington DC, and the Goût de France Washington DC Star Chefs Bertrand Chemel – 2941; Mark Courseille – Café Descartes; Alvin Dela Cruz – Westend Bistro; Xavier Deshayes – Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center; Mark Furstenberg – Bread Furst; Sébastien Giannini – St. Régis Hotel; Jon Krinn – Clarity; Frederic Loraschi – Frederic Loraschi Chocolate; Cédric Maupillier – Convivial; Claudio Pirollo – Et Voilà!; Nicholas Stefanelli – Masseria; Robert Wiedmaier – Marcel's, Brasserie Beck, Siren

WS: What would you say is the main difference between someone like you and Rolland?

JLC: We share common ideas, but we have always worked in different wine regions, either different by size or notoriety. I'm very close to the thinking of Michel Rolland--I work like him, he works like me--and we are very close. He's a good friend.

But maybe the difference is I think more about the food [that goes with the wine]. The food 40 years ago and 20 years ago and five years ago is different. But the wine [has always been] the same. I love the fruit of the grape. When you eat the grape in September, the taste is of blueberry, blackberry and strawberry, and I like to find the taste of the grape in the wine, in the glass. I try to have the fruit in the bottle, in that glass of wine.

WS: How do you get that?

JLC: We need to be very clean. Clean cellar, clean barrel. You need to wash your hands, wash the baskets. Simple, but in fact, it's very difficult to be clean.

WS: What are some of your favorite things to cook and eat with your wines?

JLC: Very simple things. Like a truffle with a T-bone and marrow. Maybe not in summer … but very good in winter or autumn. Cornas is also much better with venison. And of course, Lièvre à la Royale, which is stuffed and braised rabbit. There is a very famous recipe--it's cooked for a long, long, long time, maybe 18 hours. The stuffing is truffle, foie gras, a lot of spice and good fleur de sel. Usually the hare is like a big sausage. You cut the hare in slices. It's the best! In the U.S. it's very difficult to find, but one chef who cooks it very well is Didier Virot at Aix. It's wonderful. It's a food to dream, because it takes so long to make.

WS: What is your favorite non-European wine?

JLC: Ridge, by winemaker Paul Draper. Usually you have to like the wine and drink it and you get pleasure, and that's it. The winemaking is good when you get pleasure in the glass. But when you know the guy--and we enjoy sharing food and wine with him--or the philosophy of the person, it is much better. I like him very much because he's very knowledgeable and he knows food and wine.

The Wines we Tasted

2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Côtes du Rhône Blanc, Les Abeilles

80% Clairette, 20% Roussanne
winer-searcher average price in US$: 13


2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Côtes du Rhône Blanc, La Redonne

70% Viognier, 30% Roussanne

2015 Jean-Luc Colombo, Condrieu, Amour de Dieu

100% Viognier
winer-searcher average price in US$: 45

2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Saint Péray, La Belle de Mai

60% Roussanne, 40% Marsanne

2017 Jean-Luc Colombo, Rosé, Cape Bleue, IGP Vins de Méditerrannée

Syrah Mouvédre Blend


2017 Jean-Luc Colombo, Rosé, La Dame de Rouet, AOC Coteaux d'aix en Provence

40% Syrah, 40% Cinsault, 20% Grenache

2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Les Abeilles

60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mouvedre


2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Les Collines des Laure

100% Syrah
80% from Cornas and the remainder from Saint-Joseph and Crozes Hermitage


2015 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Terres Brûlées

100% Syrah

2015 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Les Ruchets
2010 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Les Ruchets
2006 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Les Ruchets

100% Syrah
This is Jean-Luc Colombo's signature wine
winer-searcher average price in US$: 79

2015 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, La Louvée
2012 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, La Louvée

100% Syrah
Aged 22 months in new and used oak 
0.8 hectares
winer-searcher average price in US$: 87


2015 Jean Luc Colombo, Cornas, Vallon d'Aigle

100% Syrah
A micro blend with only 4 barrels produced, this is the Qissential expression of Jean-Luc's savoir faire in Cornas
Aged 22 months in new and used oak
0.3 hectares
winer-searcher average price in US$: 228

schiller-wine: Related Postings

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Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

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Invitation: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franconia, Germany, at BToo in Washington DC, USA - Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 6:30 pm

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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

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Tour and Tasting at the Historic Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Picture: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken.

Juliusspital is Germany’s second largest winery with 180 hectares under vines in the most renowned sites of Franken, and one of the always top rated wineries. The appeal of the wines lies in their fascinating diversity. This winery is part of the charitable foundation Juliusspital, which was founded more than 430 years ago by the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, and still today comprises among other institutions a hospital, a hospice, and care facilities for the elderly and the poor. In order to equip the foundation with the necessary financial means Julius Echter founded, among other business entities, a winery to guarantee steady income. The beautiful historical cellars with the old traditional wooden casks are still in use for fermentation and aging.

Franken

Franken, located in the northern part of Bavaria, is boasting a long tradition and some fine terroirs (mostly shell limestone and Keuper, a kind of marl). Its two leading grape varieties are Riesling and Silvaner. Typically, Franken wine comes in the distinctive, dumpily-rounded Franken “Bocksbeutel” wine bottle. The bottle’s unusual shape dates back to at least the 16th century. The Bocksbeutel may only be used for Franken wines. In Germany, it is a sign of excellence, while in the US, many consumers link this kind of bottle shape to lower quality wine.

Juliusspital Foundation

Weingut Juliusspital is Germany’s second largest winery with 177 hectares under vines in the most renowned sites of Franken, and one of the always top rated wineries. Weingut Juliusspital is a member of the VDP – the association of about 200 German elite winemakers.

Weingut Juliusspital is a very special winery in that it is owned by and part of the charitable Juliusspital Foundation, which was founded in 1576 by the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn.

At the center of the Juliusspital Foundation are a hospital, an assisted living home for elderly people and a hospice. This has been so for more than 400 years. Today, the buildings of the Juliusspital Foundation comprise many modern buildings but also very impressive and well maintained historical buildings.

As to the latter, the Fürstenbau, a palatial building, designed by the architect Antonio Petrini built in the Barock style with its historical cellar vaults, its garden pavilion and the fountain statues of Jacob van der Auvera, make the Juliusspital a unique monument of art and culture at the heart of the city of Würzburg. The historical cellars, which we had the opportunity to visit, with the old traditional wooden casks, are still in use for fermentation and aging.

Pictures: Juliusspital Foundation

Pictures: Fürstenbau

Weingut Juliusspital

Since its establishment, the profits of the Weingut Juliusspital have contributed to the financing of the social services of the Juliusspital Foundation. In addition to the vineyard land, the Juliusspital Foundation also owns farm land and forests.

Vineyards: 177 ha (437 acres) all over Franken
Annual production: 1.4 million bottles - all screwcap
Average yield: 63 hl per ha (25 hl per acre)
10% export
60% Bocksbeutel bottles
Grape Varieties: 40 % Silvaner, 25 % Riesling, 6 % Müller-Thurgau

Pictures: In the Cellar

Vineyards and Soil Types

Muschelkalk (shelly limestone): Wines from our sites in Würzburg, Randersacker, Thüngersheim, Volkach and Escherndorf are influenced by medium and upper Muschelkalk. They are elegant, have a fine fruity taste and intense minerality.

Keuper: The deep, dark, fine-grained gypsum Keuper soil around Iphofen and Rödelsee produces a well-defined wine with a herbaceous character and long cellar life.

Red Sandstone: Near Bürgstadt on the Lower Main, the soils are shallow and stony. They are characterised as “fervid”. Fruity, elegant red wines with a pleasant tannin level are produced from the vines grown here.

The top sitesof Weingut Juliusspital are: Würzburger Stein, Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg, Volkacher Karthäuser, Randersackerer Pfülben, Rödelseer Küchenmeister and Escherndorfer Lump.

10 percent of the Weingut Juliusspital vineyards are organic.

Tasting

The tour ended with a tasting in one of the rooms of the cellar.

Pictures: Tasting

Here are the wines we tasted:

2016 Juliusspital Riesling trocken VDP.Gutswein
2016 Würzburger Müller-Thurgau trocken VDP.Ortswein
2016 Würzburger Abtsleite Silvaner trocken VDP.Erste Lage
2016 Ihöfer Kronsberg Silvaner trocken VDP.Erste Lage
2016 Würzburger Stein Silvaner trocken VDP.Erste Lage
2015 Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg Silvaner trocken VDP.Grosse Lage GG
2015 Volkacher Karthäuser Weisser Burgunder trocken VDP.Grosse Lage GG

Lunch at the Juliusspital Tavern

Following the tour and tasting, we walked over to the Juliusspital wine tavern and had lunch there.

Pictures: Lunch at the Juliusspital Wine Tavern

Postings: Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History (Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History

Wine Tasting Lunch at Weingut Frölich-Hake in Naumburg-Rossbach, Saale-Unstrut, Germany, with Sandra Hake – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region: Tour and Wine Tasting with Marcus Pawis – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Weingut Uwe Lützkendorf, with Uwe Lützkendorf, in Bad Kösen, Saale-Unstrut – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany

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Visit of Weingut Klaus Zimmerling: The Wines of Klaus Zimmerling and the Art of his Wife Malgorzata Chodakoska - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine and Opera in Dresden: Mozart at Semper Opera and the Best Wines of Sachsen at Wine Bar Weinzentrale in Dresden-Neustadt, with Owner/ Sommelier Jens Pietzonka – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Dresden is the New Unlikely Place for Fine Barolo Wine: Weingut Martin Schwarz – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour and Dinner at Weingut Schloss Proschwitz - Prinz zur Lippe in Zadel, Sachsen, with Georg Prinz zur Lippe - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany

Vinyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Horst Sauer in Eschendorf, Franken, with Horst Sauer - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt in Castell, Franken, with General Manager and Winemaker Björn Probst - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken: Not only a Gifted Winemaker but also a Gifted Chef - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour and Tasting at the Historic Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Würzburg

Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Fürst Hohenlohe Öhringen in Öhringen–Verrenberg, Württemberg, with General Manager and Winemaker Joachim Brand - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wachstetter in Pfaffenhofen, Württemberg, with Rainer Wachtstetter – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at the 1 Star Michelin Restaurant Gutsschenke Schlosshotel Monrepos, with Chef Ben Benasr - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos, with Andrea Ritz, Wine Queen of Württemberg (2016/17) - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour, Tasting and Dinner with Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder, Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder in Schozach, Württemberg - Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Ruinart Dinner with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, at Brasserie Beck, Washington DC, with Partner-Chef Brian McBride, USA

Pictures: Ruinart Dinner with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, at Brasserie Beck, Washington DC, with Partner-Chef Brian McBride, USA

Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, was in town (Washington DC) and presented his sparklers at a winemaker dinner at Brasserie Beck. Partner-Chef Brian McBride composed a delicious dinner. The dinner was hosted by zachysDC.

Maison Ruinart

Ruinart is the oldest established Champagne House, exclusively producing Champagne since 1729. Founded by Nicolas Ruinart in Reims/ Champagne, Maison Rinart is today owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.

An entrepreneur, Nicolas Ruinart realized the ambitions of his uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart: to make Ruinart an authentic Champagne House. In the period immediately following the 1728 edict of Louis XV, which authorized the transport of wine in bottles, the house was established. Prior to this edict, wine could only be transported in barrels, which made it impossible to send Champagne to distant markets, and confined consumption primarily to its area of production.

Nicolas Ruinart founded the House of Ruinart on September 1, 1729. The first delivery of “wine with bubbles” went out in January, 1730. At first the sparkling wine was a business gift for cloth purchasers, as Dom Ruinart’s brother was a cloth merchant, but 6 years later Maison Ruinart terminated its cloth selling activities due to success in the Champagne business. Since then, the Maison has kept the standards of excellence of its founders.

Pictures: Ruinart Dinner with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, at Brasserie Beck, Washington DC, with Partner-Chef Brian McBride, USA

Founded in 1729, but in 1946 Maison Ruinart was on the verge of disappearing. The two World Wars had not been kind. They owned a mere 17 hectares of vineyard, had a meager 800 cases of wine in their cellars, and just two customers, both in Paris – the grand restaurant, Maxime’s, and an up-scale cathouse, Le Sphinx. Rebuilding was slow, and the Ruinart family, lacking resources, concentrated on the domestic market where today it’s a respected brand. It also ranks somewhere in the mid-teens in world sales, but is barely known in America.

Now owned by the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, it has been overshadowed by company's larger names: Dom Pérignon, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. This is not necessarily an oversight – with it’s distinctive style and small production it’s not suited to the high profile marketing efforts deployed by the marquis names, “Five years ago we were barely in the US market” Frédéric Panaïotis explained during the dinner.

Not wanting to be too dependent on the French market, they have recently launched an expansion of their American presence. A discrete expansion. No supermarkets or nightclubs, and they’re steering well clear of Vegas. What they’re aiming for is placement in select restaurants and specialty wine shops, the sort of outlets that afford exposure to discerning consumers with sophisticated, developed palates who pay more attention to what’s in the bottle than on the label.

Pictures: Christian Schiller with Owner-Chef Robert Wiedmaier at Brasserie Beck

Ruinart's cellars, acquired in 1768, are amongst the largest in the region, and are Gallo-Roman in origin. Like most Champagne cellars, they are the product of ancient chalk mining, and extend 38 metres below the ground and are 8 km long. The chalk helps to keep the cellars at a constant 11 degrees Celsius. The chalk pits were classified as a historic monument in 1931.

There’s a dominance of Chardonnay in the house style, elegance outweighing power. Ruinart’s prestige cuvée range is Dom Ruinart, which includes a Blanc de Blanc made from Grand Cru Chardonnay and a Rosé. The Ruinart bottle is inspired by the first champagne bottles of the 18th century.

Champagne produces about 300 million bottles of Champagne each year. Ruinart 2.5 million; Bollinger 2.5 million; Dom Perignon 5 millio; Krug 500,000 bottles; Laurent Perrier 7 million; Louis Roederer 3.2 million; Moet & Chandon 26 million; Taittinger 5 million; Veuve Clicquot 10 million.

Frédéric Panaïotis

Frédéric Panaïotis was borne and grew up in Reims/ Champagne. He graduated from ENSA Montpellier and INSEAD. Frédéric Panaïotis worked at Scharffenberger Cellars in California and for 12 years at Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. He joined Ruinart in 2007 as Chef de Caves.

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Frédéric Panaïotis

Interview of Frédéric Panaïotis with Adam Lechmere
Posted Tuesday, 28-Apr-2015

How did you get into wine?

I was raised in Champagne – my grandparents had vineyards. I picked grapes to earn a bit of money, and loved to see the way the wine was made, but I had no intention of going into the wine business. Until I was 18 I wanted to be a vet. I loved animals, and I wanted to be a very specific vet, in a zoo, to work with tigers, lions, elephants – all the big animals.

You were serious about that as a career?

Yes, but it was difficult to study as a vet in France and my teacher told me I should do biology as a backup, so I went to the Institut National Agronomique in Paris. Then I had to make a choice, so I was debating between fish farming and genetics and then, at Christmas 1984 or 85, when I was 21, my uncle opened a bottle of 1976 Richebourg from Gros. That was my first "wow" wine. It was amazing. So I went back to school in Paris and found there was a winemaking course, and I thought: "That's what I want to do." Not only for the products, but for the people as well. I knew that was the environment I wanted to be in.

So the wine that got you started was a Burgundy. When did you decide you wanted to make Champagne?

Never! I wanted to get away from my region. My dream was to be in Bordeaux or some place in the sun. I went to work in California [at Scharffenberger], in Minervois, and in the Rhône Valley, but eventually I ended up back in Champagne, which I don't regret at all.

Pictures: Ruinart Dinner with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, at Brasserie Beck, Washington DC, with Partner-Chef Brian McBride, USA

What do you find most rewarding about making Champagne?

In terms of winemaking, the complexity of the process is very interesting. Understanding the second fermentation phase, the anticipation. Every year is so different, yet we have to make 95 per cent of the wines the same as the year before. I find that challenge very exciting. And I also like the fact that you are less important than the house. If I ask you who made the 2002 you would have no idea, and I know that in 2030 my name will be forgotten. The winemaker just has to maintain the consistency of the style. And that's it.

But – mentioning no names – there are some showmen in Champagne?

Of course. We have to travel, and talk about the wines. But my colleagues are no different to me. I can guarantee they all consider themselves secondary to the house. Look at Richard Geoffroy [the celebrated chef de cave of Ruinart's sister house Dom Pérignon]. He absolutely embodies the style. He even looks like a monk – you couldn't get any closer to Dom Pérignon than that.

Ruinart has always been the most modest of Champagne houses, hasn't it?

That's both true and not true. In France, it was the Champagne everyone has heard of – in a poll last year of 1600 people, they asked what is their ideal Champagne. Ruinart was number one by far. It was named spontaneously by 57 percent of people, before [Veuve] Clicquot, and then Roederer.

And abroad?

Historically, Ruinart was really damaged in the First World War, then the Depression and the Second World War. When Bertrand Mure took over [in 1947] he had no money, no stock, a few vineyards and no cash, so he looked to France to revive the market. Export was less than 30 percent of sales until a few years ago, while most Champagne houses are 90 percent export.

What about the US market?

It's responding very well – it's about three per cent of sales so there is a lot of room to grow, but we don't want to be in Costco or the big chains. We want to be with the right accounts in the right states. Some cities respond better than others – Las Vegas, for example, isn't doing well. Despite the fact they have the highest number of Master Sommeliers in the world, the average knowledge of consumers is not very high. Americans are not very adventurous so they will go for Dom Pérignon or Clicquot before Ruinart.

Can you talk a bit about recent vintages in Champagne – which are the best and worst?

There are no great vintages, only great bottles. Seriously – in Champagne we are worried about global warming, but it's helped us in a way. That, plus our knowledge of the vineyard, and the knowledge of winemaking. We used to be able to have a vintage three years out of 10, but now it's more like one year in 10 that you can't make a vintage. Maybe it's lowered the value of the idea of vintage.

Pictures: Ruinart Dinner with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, at Brasserie Beck, Washington DC, with Partner-Chef Brian McBride, USA

Ruinart was the odd one out in 2012. Most houses considered it excellent but you didn't. Why was that?

2012 remains a mystery to me. The Chardonnay grapes were the best I have ever seen in my life; mature, healthy, great yield, everything was perfect. But when we tasted in October I thought there was something wrong with my nose, as the wine wasn't expressing anything. We were very disappointed by it. Everyone said what a fantastic vintage it was, and I thought I must have messed up something. So we didn't make anything that year.

Is there anywhere else you could make sparkling wine as well as in Champagne?

There are cool-climate regions where you can make sparkling wine as good as most Champagnes, but with the great regions of the world there is often a level where you can't compete. You can find excellent sparkling wine but there is no wine to match the quality of the prestige cuvée.

Is that terroir or winemaking expertise?

It's terroir: soil and climate, and collective knowledge. It's not the technique – you can have the best winemaker in the world but if you haven't got the land you can't make great wine. It's the grasp of the land and how to interpret it. That takes many years and it can't be replicated.

Do you think you're going to stay in Champagne for the rest of your career?

When you join a company like Ruinart you stay there. I told my boss, if you want me to stay I will stay – I'll stay until 2029 and drink those 1929 bottles. If I have to move, I've thought about making my own wine, not necessarily Champagne, but in a place where it’s easy to sell – the hardest part is selling, not making. I don't want to kill the romance but I'm pragmatic.

When you're not making wine, what do you do to relax?

I'm a free diving instructor – I haven't been exercising recently but, a few years ago, I could stay down for five minutes. A lot of it is in here [taps head]. You have to be super-relaxed and zen. I don't compete at the top level – they go down 100 meters and I can do 36m. That's not bad. It's the depth of the Crayères [the famous chalk cellars] at Ruinart.

Ruinart Dinner with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart

Canapé

Buckweat Blini, Crème Fraîche, Trout Roe

NV Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs


First Course

Pan Seared Maine Scallops
Red & Yellow Pepper Coulis
Aged Sherry Shallot Essence

NV Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs Magnum


Second Course

Pan Seared Duck Breast
Caramelized Onions, Soubise
Wild Rice Cake, Tarragon Essence

NV Ruinart Rosé


Third Course

Ossau Iraty, Sheep's Milk
Mâche & Green Apple Salad

2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 


Chef Brian McBride

Zachy's/ Ruinart Dinner

Zachy's: Earlier this week, we joined Ruinart’s Chef de Cave, Frederic Panaiotis, to taste through the current releases of Blanc de Blancs, Brut Rosé, and 2006 Dom Ruinart Brut. As we’ve come to expect with Ruinart, each bottle demonstrated the characteristic obsession with vivacity and purity that is the hallmark of this remarkable house. And while all the wines were extraordinary, the 2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs stole the show, and top critics around the world are in agreement:

97+ Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: “The 2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut is simply fabulous. In most vintages, Dom Ruinart is a big, ample Champagne that shows the structure of the Montagne de Reims Chardonnay in the blend. The 2006 has plenty of textural resonance and richness, and yet I am also struck by its tension. Both bottles I tasted point to a Dom Ruinart that is quite a bit more polished and sophisticated than it often is at this stage”

95 Points, James Suckling: “Exquisite, precise and powerful, with plenty of upfront appeal. This has a toasty edge to the nose with brioche and lemon citrus. The palate delivers a smoothly finished texture and sizzling acid finish. A bright, driving 2006. Drink now.”

And the non-vintage wines are not to be overlooked either. With an emphasis on mineral-driven Chardonnay, Ruinart’s NV wines balance brightness and purity with structured, chalky complexity. They remain some of the greatest values and most interesting wines in big house Champagne. “Stylised and uncompromising.... Not for mainstream palates, perhaps, but should satisfy most ardent fizzophiles.” (Richard Hemming, MW)

Don’t miss out on this chance to stock up on some of the greatest Champagnes for spring!

2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut - Sale price: $149.99

97 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A statuesque Champagne, firm and finely knit, with a beautiful array of baked white peach, almond biscotti, pastry cream and crystallized honey flavors riding the silky mousse. A rich and smoky note of toasted brioche echoes on the chiseled finish. Drink now through 2031." 11/17


Ruinart - Blanc de Blancs Brut (375ml) - Sale price: $52.99

92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A finely knit Champagne, this is driven by smoky minerality and layered with a subtle mix of lemon curd, biscuit, Acacia blossom and white peach puree. Long and vibrant on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2020. 5,232 cases imported." 10/16

Ruinart - Blanc de Blancs Brut - Sale price: $64.99

92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A finely knit Champagne, this is driven by smoky minerality and layered with a subtle mix of lemon curd, biscuit, Acacia blossom and white peach puree. Long and vibrant on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2020. 5,232 cases imported." 10/16


Ruinart - Blanc de Blancs Brut (1.5L) - Sale price: $172.99

92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A finely knit Champagne, this is driven by smoky minerality and layered with a subtle mix of lemon curd, biscuit, Acacia blossom and white peach puree. Long and vibrant on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2020. 5,232 cases imported." 10/16


Ruinart - Brut Rosé Champagne (375ml) - Sale price: $49.99

92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A fresh and focused rosé Champagne, with a satiny mousse and a subtle streak of smoke underscoring the well-knit flavors of white raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, pastry cream and candied orange zest. Drink now through 2021." 11/17

Ruinart - Brut Rosé Champagne - Sale price: $68.99

92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A fresh and focused rosé Champagne, with a satiny mousse and a subtle streak of smoke underscoring the well-knit flavors of white raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, pastry cream and candied orange zest. Drink now through 2021." 11/17


Ruinart - Brut Rosé Champagne (1.5L) - Sale price: $187.99

92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A fresh and focused rosé Champagne, with a satiny mousse and a subtle streak of smoke underscoring the well-knit flavors of white raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, pastry cream and candied orange zest. Drink now through 2021." 11/17

Brasserie Beck/ Gayot

Brasserie Beck Restaurant Review: Beautiful people cluster at the door, at the bar, and on every available inch of floor space, drinking, nibbling, chatting, and possibly waiting for their seating. What’s the draw? Robert Wiedmaier’s cooking, a delightful and beguiling composite of Belgian and French flavors served forth with American sparkle. The second of his DC restaurants, Brasserie Beck offers topnotch DC dining from the fresh mussels poached in a broth accented with wine, curry, garlic and fennel. You’ll want plenty of the fresh, hot bread for soaking up the poaching broth---either that or a straw. We also suggest the braised pork belly, a wedge of creamy pork roasted until tender and melty. But for starters, nothing tops the roulade of duck confit, a supremely rich offering of braised duck leg meat stirred with pâté and crisped just before serving. Entrées hit all the high marks, from coq au vin and grilled beef steak with green peppercorns to roasted rabbit loin and crispy skate wing, plus a seafood bonanza platter with lobster, oysters, clams and shrimp. But our favorite will always be the choucroute “en croute,” a dish of flaky pastry, pork, sauerkraut and seasonings baked until just fragrant, and ready to devour. Wiedmaier is renowned for his desserts, but none can trump his caramel-rich pear tarte Tatin, a triumph of sweetness over calories. On the other hand, wouldn’t a wedge of caramel cheesecake satisfy the inner glutton? And to top it all, check out the 100 or so Belgian beers on hand.

Pictures: Brasserie Beck

Partner-Chef Brian McBride

Brian McBride, a Newark native, landed his first job as a chef at the Empress Room at the Hyatt in Cambridge, then at the cutting edge of the hot trend that became known as Asian Fusion. After a while, his career with Hyatt brought him to London. A brief break from Hyatt for 3 years found him working in Cuernavaca, Mexico at Las Mañanitas, a Relais & Châteaux property, creating authentic Mexican cuisine. Returning to the Hyatt, he opened The Park Hyatt Washington, DC in 1986 - and stayed on for 26 years, the last 20 of which he served as executive chef, overseeing food service throughout the hotel. He created the celebrated Blue Duck Tavern that took Washington by storm.

Picture: Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, at Brasserie Beck, Washington DC, with Partner-Chef Brian McBride, USA

For over the course of all those years, he formed a close bond with fellow chef Robert Wiedmaier, whose career paralleled his own in the Washington hotel world before Wiedmaier opened Marcel's, the #1 restaurant in town, according to Zagat. The friendly rivalry between Marcel's and Blue Duck Tavern for top spot melted away in 2011, when Brian McBride joined Robert Wiedmaier as Partner-Chef.

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