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Posts Tagged ‘D.D. Rice’
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Intriguing French Wines from Languedoc’s Laboratory
The 2009 Cuvée Roucaillat, from the Languedoc, is an original and playful French wine from an equally original and playful French wine region. The Languedoc is an enormous area that dominates the Mediterranean coastline of France to the southeast, and abuts Provence to the east and the Rhône to the north. Historically the region has seen more than its fair share of intrigue: from the fiercely independent Duchy of Aquitaine, whose fluctuating boundaries were a constant source of angst for the French crown, to the Crusades launched by Pope Innocent III to tame the Cathars, whose heresy was centered in the Languedoc, and the official Inquisition that followed....
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The holidays are here, and with them come all sorts of festive combinations of delicacies and special French wines to enhance the spirit of the season. In the mood for merry? I’d recommend a glass of wintertime decadence in the form of Banyuls, which is very similar to the well-known and adored port wine but produced à la française. Banyuls comes from Roussillon, which is close to the Spanish border, in an area sometimes referred to as French Catalonia.
Banyuls has port’s deep ruby color but is slightly lower in alcohol and infinitely lower in price. It can be enjoyed as an aperitif as well as...
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Among French wines, Chablis is and always will be an undisputed classic. Celebrated and admired for its cool-climate austerity and distinctive flinty notes, it is a pure chardonnay experience. But what really brings out the cult followers of Chablis, who worship the stuff, are the 10-year-old grands crus that evolve dramatically in the bottle and, over time, show a rare elegance. Why do you think the Don Drapers of the world pilfered the name to market lesser New World white wines? The real thing sounds almost as good as it tastes.
More recently in Chablis, some modernist producers have begun to push the envelope by experimenting with oak treatment in ways that their forebearers wouldn’t have dreamed of. The new-school philosophy...
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How well do you know your French wines? Bordeaux loyalists can rattle off the first and second growths (think Châteaux Lafite, Latour, Cos d’Estournel and Gruaud Larose) as effortlessly as counting to dix-neuf, but try them on the third, fourth and fifth growths of Châteaux Palmer, Duhart-Milon and Pontet-Canet, and things get a bit shakier for most. Château la Lagune is a standout in the murky third-growth class. It is one of the most consistently age worthy, elegant and enjoyable of the classified growths and is tops in the Haut-Médoc. Moulin de la Lagune is Château la Lagune’s second vin, made from the grapes not selected for the grand vin (often from younger vines). The second vins are desirable because they represent the product of a classified estate without the premium label. It is an opportunity for customers to enjoy many of the estate’s best attributes at a not-so-grand...
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Domaine Roulot produces some of the most sought-after French wines exhibiting the quintessential qualities of the exalted appellation Meursault. Jean-Marc Roulot’s style is bright and chiseled, especially for his premier crus, each one an illumination of the differences between the specific vineyards.
His entry-level Bourgogne blanc, a pale light gold color, is fermented in wooden vats, then aged in oak barrels and finally stainless steel prior to bottling. The élevage, or “bringing up,” of the wine occurs in the estate’s labyrinthine underground cellars, where the wines do not see the light of day for at least 18 months. It is here through the interplay of subterranean conditions and indigenous yeasts that a special alchemy begins to...
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French Wines: Asking More of Your Book Club Wine
Pinot gris is technically the French wine equivalent of pinot grigio, which is widely enjoyed as a cocktail wine among the book club set from Seattle to Saint-Tropez. For many social groups, entertaining sans pinot grigio as a white wine option would be social suicide. I’ve experienced this loyalty firsthand and can attest to the testy tenacity of its beholders. The defining characteristics of the most popular pinot grigios tend toward what makes them “fit in” with the crowd as opposed to what makes them stand out in the crowd. They are generally uncomplicated wines, quaffable without requiring much thought, and to be served in the coldest state possible. They really are perfect for most book clubs if you think about it. ...
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Earlier this season we suggested some wine and food pairings based on what we were seeing in Paris restaurants. The sun is shining, and we are all trying to eat lighter fare so we can squeeze into those swimsuits. But duck, pork, steak, burgers and foie gras remain on the menus in Paris no matter the time of year—it’s all a matter of finding a more seasonal way to enjoy them....
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The French wine cognoscenti have long been searching out and enjoying the pleasures of lively and refreshing rosés. For those of you who want to remain loyal to the pink persuasion but are ready for something a bit more unique, you’ll need to think outside the pink box, which for French rosés means somewhere other than the vineyards of Tavel or Provence. Where exactly? Marsannay, bien sûr!
The 2011 Domaine Collotte Marsannay rosé from the Côte de Nuits, in northern Bourgogne, is an absolute standout. Made from 100 percent pinot noir, Domaine Collotte captures many of the most desirable rosé characteristics: the frisky freshness of youth and the bone-dry finish that make you want to drink the wine for lunch and dinner on even the warmest of summer...
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With the change of seasons in the City of Light, there’s also a change of flavors on the menus of Paris restaurants. Here’s a sampling of the ingredients du jour and what you can drink with them at home for your own Parisian...
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French Wine: La Maison du Graves Blanc
Seeking the right French wine can be a lot like house hunting. Will you go for something bright and charming that looks great from the outside? Or perhaps something warm and comfortable that provides a sense of well-being?
If the 2010 Château Graville-Lacoste Graves Blanc were a house to be considered, the tour of la maison might go something like this: pretty peach and grapefruit aromas provide the delightful first impression. Think of this as the wine equivalent of excellent curbside appeal, the sort of immediate charm that invites a closer look. ...
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