The Salon took place in the early 19th century splendour of the Palais Brongniart which used to house la Bourse de Paris (Paris Stock Exchange). Like the last RVF Salon in Brussels, I was somewhat disappointed by the line-up of exhibitors. Too many well-known Bordeaux châteaux, big Burgundian and Rhône négociants and Champagne houses. And amongst a lot of unfamiliar names there were not enough of the smaller artisan growers recognised as appellation leaders, such as Vissoux, Richaud and Larredya Camin who were amongst the few of that stature present. In particular there was a poor line-up from my beloved Loire valley, e.g. no Jacky Blot who always used to be at Brussels, and only one producer from the South-West.
An interesting feature was a number of ateliers (workshops) on more focussed subjects, such as Ch.Palmer, La Mission Haut-Brion, Cristal Roederer, Méo-Camuzet, Côte-Rôtie, Joseph Drouhin, which I decided not to attend because of the high cost €100-180 and absence of really mature vintages on the tasting list, but with hindsight I regret that.
Because I rapidly get palate as well as back and foot fatigue at events like this, I chose in advance a relatively small number of stands at which to taste but added a couple because they were neighbours of the pre-chosen stands and failed to find one, Champagne Drappier, in the complicated layout of the halls.
Champagne Jacquesson
The first and the best of the wines tasted during the afternoon. They were all crisp and exceptionally elegant with ascending degrees of vinosity, richness and depth but were never heavy. They were:
- Cuvée No 738 Chardonnay 60% based on 2010
- Cuvée No 734DT Chardonnay 54% based on 2006
- Dizy 2005
- Avize 2005
The last two are remarkable champagnes but at €140/bottle…….!!
Domaine Marcel Richaud, Cairanne, S.Rhône
This has been one of my favourite S.Rhône estates for many years, producing wines of an elegance unusual in the region. This time they didn’t quite live up to my expectations; on some of them I thought there was a slightly “off” note reminiscent of cabbage. The presenter, I think Richaud’s daughter, told me that the wines were neither filtered nor fined and saw little sulphur. This makes them delicate and I was about to ask if the conditions of the tasting and the great heat of the previous day (up to c.35°C in Paris) had not disturbed the wines when she put on a jacket and disappeared, perhaps to profit from the shopping opportunities in the big city
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- Côtes du Rhône Villages (CDVR) white 2014 – q. low acidity, rich fruit and deliciously spicy
- CDR Terre de Galets 2013 – always a favourite for its spicy elegance – on form
- CDVR Cairanne 2014 – more savoury, darker w some coarseness (bottle shock?) and “off” note
- CDVR Cairanne Estrambord 2011 55% Mourvèdre – lots of rich substance and structure, needs time
- CDVR Cairanne Ébrescade 2012 – rich, spicy, softer, fruitier and more ready than previous
- Rasteau 2013 – lots of substance but again an “off” note
I had been intending to order a mixed case here but went away without doing so. I’ll think about it in the autumn.
Camin Larredya, Jurançon, Sud-Ouest
Jurançon in the Pyrenees foothills produces IMO underrated great whites of exceptionally original character, both dry and sweet, from Gros & Petit Manseng and Courbu grapes. This is one of the outstanding estates there, whose excellent wines I had already met in Belgium.
- La Part Davant 2014 (dry) – promising freshness, pineapple, round undertow but still raw
- La Virada 2013 (dry) – much more expressive, complex and integrated
- Costat Darrer 2014 (sweet) – rich white fruit, pineapple, fresh, complex, long
- Au Capcèu 2013 (sweet) – seems botrytised (never in Jurançon!), deliciously rich, good acid
These are delicious sweeties but I have stopped buying such wines because I have too many and open only about 3 bottles/year of moelleux/auslese upwards. I told M.Grussaute this and asked why they did not produce demi-sec. This seems to strike a chord with him as he recognises that it would fill a gap in which they could perform very well and increase demand, but the balance of opinion in the appellation does not want it.
Domaine du Vissoux, Beaujolais
Their range is as good as ever. I tasted –
- Beaujolais blanc ’14 – rich and quite smooth
- Beaujolais C. Trad. VV ’14 – still a bit subdued, round fruit
- Brouilly Pierreux ’13 – more expressive and finer fruit, delicious
- Moulin-à-Vent ’14 – meaty and savoury already accessible but improvement potential
- Fleurie Poncié ’14 – expressive w slightly smoky touch at this stage
As I was discussing the wines with Vissoux’s young rather bimbo looking presenter, a more mature and equally charming lady (Joëlle de Lescure owner of the estate at the next stand) joined in the discussion with more pertinent comments, so I moved over to taste her range as well and thus made the welcome acquaintance of an unfamiliar estate, namely-
Domaine de la Bouronière, Fleurie
Very nice wines here
- Beaujolais-V blanc Terrasses de la Bourdonière ’14 – more mineral and fresher than Vissoux’s
- Fleurie ’13 – Fresh floral delicious
- Fleurie Prestige ’11 – 50% barrel (not new) aged – more structured and important, subtle aromas but ‘13 closer to my heart
- Fleurie ’10 Attractive round mature fruit with less substance than ’11 and freshness than ‘13
Prices better than Vissoux’s.
Domaine Agathe Bursin, Westhalten, Alsace
Another estate not previously of my radar screen. Enthusiastic and charming vigneronne and good wines.
- Pinot Noir Strangenberg ’13 – this was surprisingly coloured, rich and structured compared with the rather weedy Alsatian PN of a generation ago showing spiciness and pretty Pinot fruit
- Riesling Zinnkoepflé GC ’13 – somewhat sec tendre seeming IMO (but only 3g/l RS), rich aromatics and fruit, good acidity, minerals
- Gewurz Zinnkoepflé GC ’13 – much sweeter as well as less acid w fine typically spicy fruit but I never know how to serve these wines much as I like them at a tasting
- Riesling Zinnoepflé GC VT ’11 – q sweet, floral, fine, rich, q long, enough acidity for balance
Domaine du Closel, Savennières, Anjou, Loire valley
Although I was lucky with my bottles of their Clos du Papillon ’02, I’ve had quite a few disappointments with IMO unduly oxidised Savennières at about 10 y and I tried to discuss this with them. They recognised the problem but their suggestion to re-cork suspect bottles is not very practical for the average bottle owner.
- La Jalousie ’13 – fresh, pretty and slightly honeyed
- La Caillardières ’13 – a step up in freshness and minerality
- Clos du Papillon ’11 – more complexity, quite evolved and did I detect an “off” note?
Domaine Chanson Père & Fils, Beaune
Owned by Bollinger and very reliable wines which I have already met in Belgium. The two whites showed a typical Côte d’Or burnished creaminess but without exaggerated oakiness so that they were already enjoyable. The three reds were not ready to drink and showed a lot of tannic structure but at least two seemed very promising.
- Meursault ’13 – quite rich with backbone
- Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Les Chenevottes ’13 – more finesse and minerals, livelier acidity
- Santenay Beauregard 1er cru ’12 – cherry/kirsch aromas but tannin dominated palate. I wasn’t sure that there was enough fruit for eventual balance.
- Corton GC ’12 – closed aromatically but lots of substance with tannins seeming less prominent than on previous; promising
- Beaune Clos des Fèves 1er cru ’12 – already more expressive, fruity and spicy than previous but still quite tannic ; promising
By this time with about 35 wines tasted, the Salon was becoming very crowded with increasing difficulty in getting to the spittoons so I decided to call it a day. The well-nown caviste, Caves Legrand, is quite close to the Palais Brongniart , so I looked in there. There is an excellent selection of wines but at not very accessible prices; the staff are friendly but only one seemed knowledgeable enough to steer me away from a white Irouléguy, which we agreed was probably over mature for me. I bought a red and a white Corsican; a region about which I am woefully ignorant.
After strolling round le Palais Royal and lingering at a couple of pleasant cafés, I made my way to the English bookshop, W.H. Smith, in la Rue de Rivoli. Other than Amazon orders, I haven’t seen a new English book for many months. Alas, I was disappointed by the stock; too much trashy fiction and not enough biography and history. Most British medium sized towns and even Waterstones in Brussels can do better.
Nevertheless a great day which reminded me of three happy years spent in Paris in the ‘60s.
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