Tag Archives: France

30 Days of Rosé | #01 | Kermit Lynch | Chinon Rosé | Charles Joguet

Kermit Lynch | Chinon Rosé | Charles Joguet | Beverage Warehouse, VT

 

We’re delighted to kickoff a new delicious promotion… 30 days of Rosé!

Every single day for at least the next month, we will be featuring a craveable Rosé in stock as they flow into the Beverage Warehouse.

We LOVE Rosé and can’t wait for the majority of our pre-orders to arrive and open the floodgates of these liquid delights!

The first one is a rare beauty, stay tuned and thirsty!

#01 | Kermit Lynch | Chinon Rosé | Charles Joguet | 2016 | 750ml | $16.99

Only a few cases of Joguet Rosé made it into Vermont so claim your bottle of deliciousness while you can!

From kermitlynch.com:

     We have imported the Joguet rosé since the 1970s, but it still flies under the radar, overshadowed by the apparent sexiness of basically any rosé that comes from the south of France. Refreshment is needed in the north, too, far from the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean. They have rivers in the Loire, so grab a bottle of Chinon for the next time you plan a picnic next to a stream. Smoked trout, paté, or a Loire chèvre with a crusty baguette will pair quite nicely with this juicy Cab Franc rosé. –Clark Z. Terry

 

Chinon Rosé “Charles Joguet”

  • Juice is obtained by saignée, with attention paid to gentle extraction
  • Long, slow fermentations at cooler temperatures in stainless steel
  • The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation – a choice made to keep the freshness of the grapes

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

  • Vintage 2016
  • Bottle Size:  750mL
  • Blend:  Cabernet Franc
  • Appellation:  Chinon
  • Country:  France
  • Region:  Loire
  • Vineyard:  30 years average
  • Soil:  Sliceous alluvial sand
  • Winemaker:  Kevin Fontaine
  • Farming:  Organic
  • Alcohol:  13%

 

Charles Joguet

The wines of Chinon have long been celebrated. French humanist and native son, François Rabelais, sang their praises as far back as the sixteenth century. However, the distinction with which the appellation is regarded today is due in part to the legacy left by a more contemporary icon: Charles Joguet. This young painter and sculptor abandoned a budding art career to assume direction of the family domaine in 1957. He soon began to question the common practice of selling grapes to negociants, as his own family had done for years.

The Joguets owned prime vineyard land in between the Loire and Vienne Rivers, with some of their finest found on the left bank of the Vienne, just outside Chinon, in Sazilly. These very lieux-dits had been recognized for their character and defined before the Renaissance—some even date back to the Middle Ages. Variations in the soils of these alluvial plains were substantial enough to realize that he was sitting on what would be considered in other regions as premier cru and grand cru vineyards. To sell the grapes off or to vinify these individualized plots together would have been madness. Separate terroirs, he believed, necessitate separate vinifications. Over the course of his tenure, Charles took the risks necessary to master the single-vineyard bottling with an artistry that A.O.C. Chinon had never before seen. In so doing, he realized the true potential of the land.

Charles has since retired. Today, the young, eager, and talented Kevin Fontaine oversees the vineyards and the cellars. He and his team farm thirty-six hectares of Cabernet Franc. Closely adhering to the tradition of Charles, the domaine bottles nine different cuvées, handling each one as a unique terroir and microclimate with individualized care and attention.  That ethic trickles into the cellars as well, where careful deliberation and experimentation bring about gradual change.

The wines are divided into two lines: precocious cuvées and those for long-aging. Precocious cuvées, like the “Cuvée Terroir” and “Les Petites Roches” (Little Rocks), are made to be consumed young. If premier crus were permitted in Chinon, Les Varennes du Grand Clos would certainly be considered one of them. Clos du Chêne Vert and Clos de la Dioterie are perhaps their greatest wines—certainly of grand cru quality—with excellent aging potential. Those who are convinced that the best Cabernet Franc grows in Bordeaux may quickly transfer their allegiance to the Loire upon tasting these classic, appellation-defining Chinons. The purity of fruit, the exceptional delineation of aromas and flavors, the soulful reflection of terroirs, and the extraordinary seductiveness of the texture make the wines from Joguet second to none.

 

Domaine Rethore Davy Pinot Gris | Le Chapitre 2015

le-chapitre-rethore-davy-pinot-gris

Domaine Rethore Davy Pinot Gris – Le Chapitre 2015

Pinot Gris is an excellent wine varietal that enjoys a steady increase in popularity as more people are introduced to what this versatile grape can do.  Referred to in Italy as Pinot Grigio, and domestically labeled as such by some of the larger international wine companies regardless of origin, Pinot Gris has been winning over palates with it’s versatility and affordability.  From bright, young, and refreshing to sweet and viscous dessert wine, an array of wine styles can be made from Pinot Gris.

loire-valley-map

Our most popular French Pinot Gris right now is the 2015 le Chapitre from Rethore Davy(Loire Valley).  at only $12.99 a bottle, this Pinot Gris is an outstanding value, we encourage you to try it the next time you reach for a Pinot Grigio, but want something different but slightly familiar!

Tasting / Paring Notes:  Crisp, bright, and lively but not overly acidic.  Light lemon and hint of pink grapefruit flesh flavors.  More mid-palate roundess on this French Pinot Gris than probably most Italian Pinot Grigio you’ve had.  Clean finish that is just long enough – doesn’t instantly dissipate but doesn’t linger. Pairs well with grilled lemon chicken / swordfish, light pasta dishes, steamed mussels… awesome with ceviche and grilled octopus!

– Jason

 

Domaine-Rethore-Davy

Industry Info:

  • Producer:  Domaine Rethore
  • Country:  France
  • Region:  Loire
  • Varietal:   Pinot Gris
  • Vintage:  2015
  • $12.99

Domaine Rethore Davy –

This is a family story, that of two brothers Martine and Christopher RETHORE, and their cousin Jean-Michel DAVY , united by a passion for wine, they decided to join forces to put their superb terroir and their “know-how” in the production of wine. Planted in 2004 on only 3.5 acres in the growing region of St-Remy en Mauge.

2014 Le Chapitre Pinot Gris – 100% Pinot Gris – this small production is all hand harvested and sustainable with no malolactic fermentation, fine and filtered for clarity. 6 months bottle aging. Crisp, fresh and mouthwatering. Gently spiced flavors of ripe pear, white peach and lychee with a touch of lemon and ginger. Pleasantly intense aromas and nicely balanced with floral overtones and a generous lingering freshness. 3500 cases

Eric Chavalier Chardonnay

Joy abounds whenever a Kermit Lynch pre-order of wine arrives at the Bevie!

chevalier-chardonnayEric Chavalier Chardonnay is a gorgeous expression of French Chardonnay – not too oaky or too sweet, it is a Chardonnay for non-Chardonnay drinkers and Chardonnay lovers alike.

This Chardonnay exudes spring with a little bit of floralness and a touch of creaminess.  Drink by itself or with basil pesto pasta, fresh cheese, or lemon chicken… this well rounded and delicious French white is one of the best white wines you can buy for under $20.

Chevalier Chardonnay is NOT a regular stock item, we can only get a couple times a year so toss an extra bottle in the fridge and delight yourself and your guests with this classic French vin the next time you need a white wine!

eric-chevalier-chardonnay

Eric Chavalier Chardonnay – $13.99 sale!

From kermitlynch.com:

GENERAL INFORMATION –

  • Country:  France
  • Region:  Loire
  • Appellation(s):  Vin de Pays du Val de Loire, Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu
  • Producer:  Éric Chevalier
  • Founded:  Four generations old
  • Annual Production:  22,000 cases
  • Farming:  Lutte Raisonnée

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION –

  • Grapes are slowly and gently crushed by pneumatic press
  • Juice is transferred underground into glass-lined cuves
  • Natural fermentation by indigenous yeasts
  • Wines age on the lees for 8-10 months, and lees are stirred regularly
  • Wines are never racked or filtered

Éric Chevalier –

kermit-lynch Éric Chevalier is a rising star in the Nantais of the Loire Valley. For ten years, he sourced fruit for a large négociant in the Touraine.  In 2005, he decided to return to his hometown of Saint-Philbert de Grandlieu, just southwest of Nantes, and ended up taking over the family domaine, Domaine de l’Aujardière, the next year. His father, a talented vigneron who did not bottle much of his wines and was well-known as a high-quality source of bulk wine, had stopped working the vineyards and the vines were either going to have to be pulled up and replanted, or sold.  Éric was anything but enthusiastic. Little by little his passion grew, and today he is proud to be the fourth generation to farm the domaine. He is also proud to be bottling more and more of the family’s production himself. Éric sustainably farms twenty-five hectares of vines, producing wines of great character and finesse. He found his future in his family’s past.

The Nantais is a maritime climate, and the vineyards are not far from the Atlantic Ocean. Consequently, there is an interesting variety of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, as this area once was ocean floor. Of the twenty-five hectares he farms, a large percentage of his production is dedicated to the production of Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu, mostly from old vines in the superb lieu-dit of La Butte). The soils here are comprised primarily of serpentinite and quartz, with the exception of his ancient granite parcel known as La Noë. The other half of his crop (Chardonnay, Fié Gris, and Pinot Noir, among others) goes towards the production of Vin de Pays du Val du Loire, and the soils are rich in granite, sand, and silt. Of these “country” wines, the most notable is Éric’s Fié Gris. This grape, pulled out of vineyards for many years to be replaced with the more profitable Sauvignon Blanc, is indigenous to the Loire. Also known as Sauvignon Rose or Sauvignon Gris, Éric’s vines are one of the few remaining strongholds of this elegant and luscious varietal. It makes an impression, with almost an Alsatian exoticism.