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 Beaujolais, we visited 3 producers: Domaine Chermette in Saint-Vérand, Château de Jacques in Romanèche-Thorins and Château de Pizay in Belleville-en-Beaujolai.
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
At Château de Jacques, we enjoyed a cellar tour and tasting with Genevieve Bonifacio, Responsable Commerciale.
Château de Jacques is part of the Kobrandt (Louis Jadot) portfolio and widely available in the US.
Château de Jacques in Romanèche-Thorins, Beaujolais
There is
no better way to describe the Beaujolais and Château de Jacques than
quoting Cyril Chirouze, Managing Director of the wine estate: “Once a
place to rest along the pilgrims' route of Santiago de Compostela,
Château des Jacques was purchased by Maison Louis Jadot in 1996.
Although the domain has, historically, always had close ties to
Burgundy, the links between Beaujolais and the wider Burgundian region
have not always been all that well defined. This is a reminder that, due
to its size – 45,000 acres in total - Beaujolais has its own
distinctive identity.
One thing that makes Beaujolais totally unique is its soils, based mainly on pink granite, a crystalline bedrock that was formed 350 million years ago. Beaujolais also derives its uniqueness from its grape, Gamay Noir, progeny of the Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc grapes. Variously accused of a range of evils ("most harmful to human beings according to Philippe le Hardi, Duke of Burgundy, in his edict of 1395) and its easily caricatured fruit profile, Gamay is nevertheless the only plant that thrives on these infertile soils, and the wines it creates have always been numbered among the great red wines of Burgundy.
Kobrand: Château des Jacques
The Renowned Estate
The historic Château des Jacques estate, located in the village of Romanèche-Thorins in the Moulin-à-Vent appellation, is widely recognized as the most prestigious estate in Beaujolais. It was purchased by Louis Jadot in 1996, at which time Maison Louis Jadot became the first Burgundy house to own a major Beaujolais vineyard. In 2001, Louis Jadot bought another well-located vineyard in Morgon. In 2008, both vineyards, which were under the same management, were regrouped under one identity: the Château des Jacques Estates.
Raising the Bar in Beaujolais
Château des Jacques’ practices have been attributed with revolutionizing the winemaking of Beaujolais. They have notably raised the bar, applying Burgundian methods of winemaking that were once traditional in the region. These include long macerations of one month, with pump-overs, to extract color, aroma and tannins from the fruit, as opposed to the regional norm of 10- to 12-day macerations. Wild yeasts are used for fermentation, and this is extended longer than is typical in Beaujolais. Aging in oak barrels is also unusual for the area; Château des Jacques’ wines are barrel aged for 10 months to lend complexity to the wines. The chateau’s barrel cellar proves that its Beaujolais wines have always been vinified like wine from the Côte D’Or. These processes create wines that can take decades of bottle aging.
Two Renowned Crus
Estate-grown fruit is cultivated on 196 acres in the Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon crus. Wines are produced at three appellation levels. Château wines, or regional wines, are a priority, and are supplemented with Clos and Grands Clos (both single-vineyard) wines using the process known as réplis to elevate the quality above that expected of regional wines. Clos wines are single-vineyard wines, while Grands Clos vineyards are the essence of the appellation and produce unique wines that can be seen as an echo of the Grand Cru status in the Côte d’Or.
Arriving
Cellar Tour
Tasting
We tasted 10 wines.
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
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 WineToursCellar Tour and Tasting at Château de Jacques in Romanèche-Thorins, Beaujolais, with Genevieve Bonifacio, Responsable Commerciale
Dinner at Restaurant Château de Pizay in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, with Chef de Cuisine Eric Chauffour, 12/ 20 Points Gault Millau
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
Tasting at Domaine Céline & Laurent Tripoz, Mâconnais, with Céline & Laurent Tripoz
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Menand in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Fabienne Menand
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne
Dinner at Restaurant La Table du Square in Beaune.
Walk in the Vineyard, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jessiaume in Santenay, Côte de Beaune, with DG/ Winemaker William Waterkeyn
Vineyard Walk in Meursault with Karoline Knoth - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Vineyards Walk around Meursault with Karoline Knoth, Author of "Castles and Châteaux in Meursault"
Menu
du Jour Lunch at Restaurant L’Agastache in Volnay, with Caroline
(Service) and Nunzio Iacono (Kitchen), 12.5/ 20 Points Gault Millau
Tour of Château de Rully and Tasting of Domaine du Château de Rully Wines, with Count Raoul de Ternay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Tour of Château de Rully by Current Owner Count Raoul de Ternay, with Tasting of Domaine Rully Wines
Dinner at Restaurant Le Relais de Saulx in Beaune, with the Couple Charles Danet, Chef, and Agnès Peyre, Service, 12/ 20 Points Gault Millau
Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour, with Olivier and Patrick Leflaive - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Lunch and Wine Tasting at La Table de Olivier in Puligny Montrachet with Olivier Leflaive – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Guided Walk in the Grand Cru Montrachet Vineyards, an Hour with Icon Olivier Leflaive and Wine-pairing Lunch at Restaurant La Table d’Olivier Leflaive of Maison Olivier Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune
Tasting at Château de Pommard in Pommard, Côte de Beaune.
Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits St. Georges - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits
Menu du Jour Lunch with Wine Tasting with Sommelier Emmanuel Thibout at Restaurant Le Vintage, Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Louis Jadot in Beaune with Thibaud Marquis, US Reprsentative of Louis Jadot
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion in Vosne Romanée, Côte de Nuits - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 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
Wine-pairing lunch at Domaine Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits
Visit and Tasting: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour of the Ancient Cellars and Tasting at Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune
Wine and Music at "From Bach to Bacchus in Meursault", with Karoline Knoth
Visit: Hospices de Beaune – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Hospices de Beaune and its Wines - Guided Tour
Menu du Jour Lunch at Restaurant Au Creux de Vougeot
Visit of Château du Clos de Vougeot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour of Château du Clos de Vougeot
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France
Dinner at Restaurant Hostellerie des Clos in Chablis
Tasting from Tank, Barrel and Bottle at Domaine Servin in Chablis, with Marc Cameron and François Servin
Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis
Guided Tour at Fontenay Abbey (Bernard de Clairveau), Montbard
Champagne – An Introduction, France
French Champagne Houses and German Roots
Champagne Menu du Jour Lunch at Restaurant Chez Bellou in Gyé-sur-Seine, Champagne
Visit and Tasting at Champagne Jean Josselin, a Grower Champagne House in Gyé sur Seine – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France
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
Tour of l'Avenue de Champagne in Epernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours
Hanging out at the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, Champagne
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).
