The Market at Pavilions
FINE WINES | LOCAL FOODS | IMPORTED SPECIALTIES

Friday April 8, 2011
5:00pm-7:00pm
$10 Tasting Fee

Thierry Guérin Pouilly-Fuissé La Roche 2009
Mâconnais, Burgundy, France

Regular price $27.99
Friday tasting price minus 15%

Wine Notes

Sumptuous buttery spicy nose with a hint of almonds. Soft full fruit flavours with buttery nutty depth and good acidity.

Thierry Guérin

Vergisson has been famous for centuries for worship and sacrifice, sometimes human, from the cliffs overlooking the vineyards, which were renowned then as they are today for their excellent quality and potential. Thierry Guérin has worked in these vineyards for many years, learning his skills from his father. He has 8 ha of vineyards in two appellations around the village of Vergisson in the Mâconnais, situated on the massive limestone outcrop of Roche de Solutré, at about 300m above sea level, facing south. It is planted with chardonnay vines between 30 and 50 years old, which produce impressively high quality fruit.

Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon La Voute St Vincent 2009
Beaujolais, Burgundy, France

Regular price $24.99
Friday tasting price minus 15%

Wine Notes

Desvignes Morgon La Voute Saint-Vincent is deep ruby-purple in color, medium in body, with soft, round tannins. It offers a beautiful nose and palate of cherries, raspberries, earth and spice. With well balanced fruit, acidity and tannins, the wine shows ripe red berries on the long finish. Enjoy Desvignes Morgon La Voute Saint-Vincent over the next 4-6 years with roast chicken, grilled salmon, burgers, pasta and Thanksgiving turkey.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 91 points

Louis Claude Desvignes

2009 is a gorgeous expression of Gamay from the supreme 2009 vintage in Beaujolais. The family of Louis and Claude Desvignes has been making wine in the Morgon appellation of Beaujolais for 8 generations since 1712. The family is aptly named as Desvignes means “from the vines!” We met Louis-Benoit Desvignes to taste his new 2009 wines in March 2011 and were stunned by the beauty of this Morgon. La Voute Saint-Vincent comes from 60-year-old parcels in the Douby sector in the north of Morgon near Fleurie. While Morgon is considered the most ageworthy of the Crus Beaujolais, La Voute Saint-Vincent is softer and more approachable-and absolutely irresistible now!.

Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Côte de Brouilly 2009
Beaujolais, Burgundy, France

Regular price $25.99
Friday tasting price minus 15%

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 91 points

The Brun 2009 Cote de Brouilly allies lushness of texture to liveliness, lift, and refreshment, and ripeness of blackberry and mulberry with a stone-licking undertone as well as invigorating piquancy and tartness that remind me of chomping down on the berry seeds. Notes of black tea, sage, and mineral salts add further complexity. The 2008 version of this wine, incidentally, turned out better than it had appeared to me (right after bottling) when I tasted it for issue 184, but this 2009 is in another, glorious class, making it a superb value! Enjoy it over the next 3-4 years. David Schildknecht.

Vincent Girardin Moulin-à-Vent Domaine de la Tour du Bief Clos de la Tour 2009
Beaujolais, Burgundy, France

Regular price $27.99
Friday tasting price minus 15%

Wine Spectator 93 points

Moulin-à-Vent

For those of you that have been following the rollout of the exciting 2009 Beaujolais, you might remember one of the highlights was the first ever releases from Thibault Liger-Belair’s new acquisition in Moulin-a-Vent. We mention that to talk about what we think is another of the true high notes in this exceptional vintage. Not surprisingly, this is another case of a Burgundian in Beaujolais, in this case none other than Vincent Girardin taking over the well known Domaine Tour du Bief that had been for many years a supplier for the Georges Duboeuf stable. Girardin researched the property for over three years, checking the soils, the vines (some of them 80 years old), etc. The negotiations for the property took nearly a year and were completed in September, 2010. But during the process, Girardin managed to corner about 40% of the production of the 2009 vintage for himself (the rest already contracted to negociants including 10% to Duboeuf). As of 2010, Girardin will control the entire production of this 20 hectare estate.

Girardin’s stated aim is to make Beaujolais that “competed with wines from the villages of the Cote d’Or as they did in the last century.” He couldn’t have picked a better vintage to start, and these really do have the class and polish of a good Burgundy (Girardin refers to it as ‘Pinotent’). No reviews yet that we have seen, but we can tell you that the wines rank among our favorites within the stylish parade of 2009 Beaujolais that has passed through these doors. Really classy, expressive red and black fruits here, and they should be just fine for current enjoyment while aging nicely for up to 4-5 years. We’ve been waiting for this one since we had an advance taste some months ago. Bottled unfiltered and unfined, it is truly one of Beaujolais’ still-undiscovered gems in the marketplace.

Clos de la Tour encompasses parcels that are directly around the estate and have what Girardin describes as one of the most singular soils of the appellation. Under the granitic rock, there is a layer of limestone and clay that contributes to a rounder, fleshier character to the wine. Lovely maroon hue, the nose shows blueberry, gentle minerality and a note of violets. High pitched, juicy, plush fruit up front, deep minerality and structure kick in next followed by a long, authoritative finish of urgent berry, stone and a little pepper.