Some of you might already know the name of Pellehaut as it’s the third time that one of their wines is in a VitiBox. Once again, the Béraut brothers demonstrate their great ability to mix quality and creativity. Ampéloméryx is indeed a very uncommon blend of pinot noir, syrah and cabernet sauvignon. The result is a fresh wine with remarkably fine tanins and very nice aromas of raspberry and chlorophyll. 

 A beautiful ruby dress..

Chicken leavers salad
Roasted ham
Vacherin cheese
Strawberry pie

 Blends are not the only original touch of the Béraut brothers approach. Indeed, they are also advocates of mixed farming. Therefore, at Pellehaut, you’ll not only find vines but also various cereals (mainly corn and wheat) and cows ! The cows are fed with the cereals and give manure that is used to organically grow the vines. Everything makes perfect sense ! 

This wine is a true lesson of seduction. Per Dona (« for the woman » in Catalan) displays a purple red robe, releases aromas reminiscent of strawberry and cocoa and its tannins are soft as silk. Château Dona Baissas managed to put all the charms of a wine in the same bottle ; I am a spellbound man ! 

 A beautiful purplish dress with thick tears..

Beef carpaccio with strawberries
Lamb tajine
Ossau-Iraty
Raspberry crumble

 At 200 meters above sea level, facing the Mediterranean Sea and facing south, the vineyard dominates Roussillon. The parcels are sloping and the soil is rich in brown schists. The schist, a flaky and fractured rock, allows the grapevines to infiltrate up to 7 - 8 meters into the ground to get the rainwater and minerals it needs to be fully developed. 

“ I love the fresh charm of this wine. It’s an explosion of fruits in your mouth that will delight your tastes. I won’t hide you that I have already bought many bottles for my friends. I have to congratulate with the Klur family for his remarkable work and I am looking forward hearing your impressions on this bottle. Chef Georges Victor Schmitt proposes a delicious dish to be paired with Le Voyou de Katz.”

 Nice white gold colour with light green reflections.

Panned Foie gras with white grapes
Tapioca with escargot and Burbot (Recipe of chef Georges Victor Schmitt)

Fresh Munster cheese

Apple Cake

 The Klurs are an old dynasty of winemakers, like often happens in Alsace. Grapevine culture and winegrowing find their origins in the 17th century and it’s a family business. Clément and Francine Klur are also very committed to the biological and biodynamic agriculture and in the ecology. 

« You probably have some difficulties to pronounce the name of this cuvee, don’t you? Ampeloméryx is a word that refers to a prehistoric mammal that had the habit to chew grapevine. But don’t worry, this cuvee has no animal taste! This is a nice cuvee with a beautiful crystalline robe containing white gold reflections. Appreciate its fresh mouth and its pink grapefruit hints. »

 A beautiful crystalline robe with white gold reflections.

Toasts with lump roe
Cod fillet with lemon

Goat cheese

Clementine salad

 Located on the slope of the Château de Pellehaut at an altitude of over 180m, the vineyard benefits from a nice sunlight. This climatic factor enables grapes to be more mature, with more sugar and less acidity. This makes the wine smoother. 

Do you know Savennières? Well, I am pleased to introduce you to this appellation with one of its best ambassadors, Château La Franchaie. This very pleasant wine, with mineral and saltyflavours, also has very small oxidative aromasthat give a subtle taste of nuts and dried fruits. This wine is very well balanced between unctuosity and alcohol, and personally I love it ! 

 Intense light yellow with hints of white gold..

Mussels
Fried fish
Fresh goat cheese
Roast apples

 Savennières is a small appellation that lies south of Angers on the right bank of the Loire. The Château itself is located near Possonnière in the hills of the appellation. The ground is made of schist. This laminated and fractured soil gives vine roots the opportunity to penetrate seven or eight feet deep, where rainwater naturally flows and where it can find the best nutriments. Moreover, this kind of soil keeps a lot of warmth from the sun, which protects the vines during winter. 

Bordeaux is mostly famous thanks to the wines elaborated in Médoc on the left bank of the Gironde River. The dominant variety there is cabernet sauvignon. On the right bank, merlot is the main variety so the wines are known to be fruitier and less tannic. This one has spent 6 months aging in oak barrels: do you feel the aromas of wood and vanilla? 

 Purple colour with colored tears..

Paté
Flank steak with shallot
Un Rocamadour cheese
Vanilla Éclairs

 Along the Gironde River, the Chateau Lacaussade Saint-Martin is located on a poor ground made of a limestone vein, specific to the terroir which name is Blayais. As you might already know, the vines are fond of poor grounds. Indeed, the vine has to suffer from water stress in order to give concentrated fruits. 

Mercurey is not any appellation in Burgundy. Indeed, it is the biggest appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise sub-region and it is known for the intensity of red berries aromas the terroir gives to pinot noir there. This batch is particularly remarkable as it blends the aromas typical of Mercurey with refined woody notes that bring more complexity and smoky aromas. A great wine ! 

 A beautiful ruby dress..

Rillettes
Beef stew
Epoisses cheese
Blackcurrant ice cream

 The vineyards in Mercurey benefit from a special terroir as it lies on a hilly relief that alternates gentle and steep slopes. This kind of relief has a huge advantage: it allows winemakers to harvest grapes that were grown under different exposures to the sun and with different levels of water stress so as to elaborate wine with a lot of complexity. 

This roussanne is concentrated pleasure ! The light greenish gold robe let guess that the wine is explosive. And indeed, it is ! Its nose displays nice aromas of tree fruits (mainly apricot), and on the palate, we feel again these flavours of apricots along with almonds. It’s fruity and refreshing : a perfect wine for summer lunches ! You can obviously pair if with white fish, but it will also be amazing served with a fresh tomatoe tart for example. 

 A limpid greenish gold dress..

Ham and Olive cake
Trout with almonds
Chabichou cheese
Vanilla eclair

 The 60 hectares of La Bastide Saint Dominique are planted on a soil of red clay and round pebbles. These pebbles, typical of the southern Rhône Valley, give roussanne a lot of warmth, which is good as this lazy variety can produce too acid wines if it did not get enough heat. In this case, the grapes just got what they need to give a flattering wine with a right level of freshness. 

Turn the glass and have a look ; you can now watch thick tears slowly rolling down on the sides. What does it mean ? Probably that this wine has a thick texture. And indeed, on the palate, you’ll feel it along with strong flavours of blackberry and liquorice, typical of 2015 vintage in southern Rhône Valley. It’s doubtlessly a deep and powerful wine that should be paired with a slice of beef ! 

 A beautiful Garnet dress with viscous tears..

Charcuterie board
Flank steak
Langres cheese
Chocolate muffin

 Clos Bellane’s vines face the East. Sun rises on the East and set on the West. It means that for Clos Bellane’s vines, mornings are longer than afternoons. Therefore, grapes gets concentrated in sugar (that turns into alcohol) thanks to photosynthes is during the morning and ripens in the warm air of afternoon. This is the reason why this wine is quite concentrated in alcohol but at the same time still fresh and well balanced. 

An artist wine by the well-known and well gifted Jean-Marc Biet ! The nose is subtle, displays delicate flowers aromas and opens to small red berries flavours. In the mouth, a salty taste gives soul to the wine. This is a superb Loire Valley wine, fresh and elegant, of great finesse, charming and easy to drink in all circumstances. A single bottle might not be enough. 

 A beautiful ruby dress..

Rabbit terrine with cranberries
Veal paupiettes
Neufchâtel cheese
Roasted figs

 Located between Tours and Bourges, Jean-Marc Biet’s estate is located on the south and south-east slopes of the Cher River. A well exposed and balances terroir thanks to its soil composed of clay that offers freshness to the grapes, and limestone that brings subtlety and minerality. 

Created in 1755 in Cahors, Maison Rigal had developed a unique know-how with the Malbec grape. Vinified in red or rosé, Rigal knows how to express the best of this grape from the South- West of France. This wine “Comte de Tauzac” takes part of the long tradition of Cahors’ wines but with a modern profile of tasting. 

 A garnet robe with thick tears..

Roquefort cheese pie
Roasted duck breast filet
Morbier cheese
Coffee éclair

 When you taste it, focus on the finish’s flavours : there is a saline persistence with smoky aromas. These aromas are the expression of the soil composed of pebbles and gravels. This composition of soil allows the vines to grow deeper roots and it provides minerality and powerful flavours to the wine. 

A unique wine by many ways. To begin, it’s one of the first (if not the first) wine from 2018 vintage you’ll taste (at least from Europe). Second, the blend is pretty rare at it’s not often that muscat and sauvignon are blended. However, this innovative idea is a match: sauvignon’s acidity balances well muscat’s sugar. Moreover, all bottles are different: a new printing process was used to make there would not be twice the same label. 

 A straw yellow robe with thick tears..

Foie gras and fig chutney
Shrimp risotto
Bleu d'Auvergne
Pineapple salad

 Located just at the south of Montpellier, l’Inedit’s vines have been grown by the Jeanjean family for decades on a red clay soil. Clay is a cold matter that brings a lot of water to the roots in an area that regularly suffers from draught. It is an ideal mix to elaborate great white wines.  

The Egregore is one of the exceptional wines of the Bernard Magrez, the French wine magnate. I suggest you the vintage 2010 for his generous matter and his very long keeping potential. This cuvée Egregore is considered as a step to perfection… 

 A lovely colour with garnet reflections

Mushrooms mille feuille
Grilled rib steak with thyme and rosemary

Saint Nectaire cheese
Coffee pastry;

The vineyard grows in the lieu-dit of Guerit, close to the village of Tauriac. The grape of the Egregore come from the slopes exposed to the plain sun of the Chateau Guerry. The soil is composed of clay and sand. The Château Guerry is the oldest wine of Bordeaux and it exists since three century.

« I’ve traveled a lot in Savoy these days, and I really wanted to find a nice roussette to taste, and I found this beautiful cuvée of Philippe Grisard. The roussette is a white grape variety very interesting for wine tasting because it has a nice acidity, a floral bouquet, and tannins, that is rare for white wines. »

 Fine greenish gold colours with light green reflec- tions. The disk is thin, shiny and limpid.

Salad from Savoy
Tomato tart and perch fillet with olive oil, and its pesto sauce.

Tomme de Savoie Cheese

Yoghurt cake

 The Domaine Grisard extends for 15 hectares in the Combe de Savoie, between Chambéry and Albertville. Vineyards are located on mountains slopes in the natural park of Bauges. The muddy limestone slopes have draining capacity. This helps the production of wine with a high acidity level. 

«The Grignan les Adhémars AOP (AOP = Appellation d’Origine Protégée, equivalent to PDO, Protected Designation of Origin) was created in 2010, so it is very young! That is probably the first time you will taste a wine from this AOP. I really wanted to make you discover a wine produced by Laurent Bes, and that was not easy as Laurent only produces few bottles. But we finally got some bottles for our subscribers. »

 Light garnet robe.

Goat cheese tart
Grilled lamb

Tomme cheese

Roasted apricots with honey

 Vineyards that produce the Grignan les Adhémars AOP benefit from southern and northern influences of the Côtes du Rhone region. Vineyards are spread on the hills of Valaurie, an unusual soil made of flintstones. This kind of soil absorbs the heat of the sun during the day and distributes it during the night. Flintstones are important in the development of aromas. 

Full-bodied and heady, this wine is rather manly. That’s how the wines from Vacqueyras are! I really enjoyed the fact that its texture is so smooth and that it lasts for so long in the mouth after you swallowed it. You will remember these flavours for a pretty long time! 

 Deep ruby red colour, colourful tears..

Brioche sausage roll
Cassoulet
Banon cheese
Chocolate éclairs

 The vines are planted on quite a poor soil, made of clay and limestone mixed with pebbles. When it comes to vines, a poor soil is not necessarily a problem because it stresses the vines that therefore grow its roots deeper into the ground to find nutrients. And a vine that has to work more produces better grapes! 

This wine is perfect for a charcuterie board shared with friends on a summer night. This nice wine from Gaillac, made according to the principles of sustainable agriculture, displays complex aromas of cinnamon, gingerbread and red berries. On the palate, its creamy texture and its soft tannins show that it is a refined yet powerful wine.  

 Garnet colour in the thick tears. .

Saucisson
Bayonne ham
Saint-Albray cheese
Poached prunes with rum

 The Domaine de la Chanade is located on the plateau Cordais, north of the Gaillac appellation. The vines are planted on southern exposed hillsides. Thus, the grapes spend more time in the sunlight which ensures a high level of concentration in sugars. This is why the wines of Domaine de la Chanade are so rich! 

This Côtes-du-Rhône’s purple flashy colour suggests that the wine will be fresh and lively. On the palate, the wine is indeed lively and comes along with soft melted tannins that enhance the explosive aromas of flowers and red berries. Just after swallowing, pay attention to the remarkable length of that wine and take the time to appreciate the nice spicy aftertaste. If you enjoy refined wines, this bottle is for you ! 

 A beautiful purplish red and shiny dress..

Chicken liver salad
Grilled steak
Saint-Félicien cheese
Red wine poached pears

 Domaine de l’Olivier is made of 48 hectares of old vines planted on hillsides. The old vines especially enjoy these slopes and their southern exposure. Moreover, the soil is made of clay which gives more complexity to the wine. However, old vines exposed south could give wines that lack of freshness, which is not the case thanks to the strong wind that constantly blows on the grapes. 

Based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Ogier is a major winery of the southern Rhône Valley. Through the years, they developed strong connections with the best winegrowers in the area. Therefore, they are able to get the best grapes ! You might remember we already presented the white version of Artesis. I am very glad to present you this month Artesis red which displays nice aromas of blackcurrant and garrigue. The softness on the palate is particularly flattering.  

 A limpid garnet dress..

Ham bruschettas
Spaghetti bolognese
Tomme cheese
Strawberry salad

 Grapes used in order to elaborate Artesis 2015 were selected on two main parcels: one is located in the Aigues Valley where the soil is made from sandstone and limestone, and the other on the rocky plateau of Plan de Dieu and its big pebbles. These soils gave different level of maturity to grapes, and blending those allowed the winemaking team to reach the perfect balance between ripeness and freshness.