France for a MONTH

I can't believe the trip to France is almost here (flying this Saturday, praying that the volcanic ash cloud does not affect my flight). It seems like yesterday that my friend Mike and I first dreamed of this trip (well over a year ago).  A month in France: Paris, Burgundy, Rhone, Provence, Bordeaux and possibly a trip to Normandy to visit a friend's family for the night.  There are a lot of things running through my head.  I have read extensively about french culture and it all sounds so interesting and enticing.  From the five week vacations, the love of food and wine, to the love for life in general!  I have been to France before but I was just a young punk!  I know that after this experience I will not be the same person, I wonder if, when I get back, that I yearn to be back in France.  It just seems the complete opposite to American culture which is driving me nuts lately, where is our country?  It seems possessed by drones and zombies.  I just feel annoyed with this country, the culture, and especially the politics.  It seems the country is completely on the wrong track, more government intervention, more rules, more idiots in D.C., more bureaucracy, more big, giant, incompetent big brother.  I cannot wait to get out of this country for some air, before I drown.  You hear all sorts of interesting things in our media or from people about what they think of France, all of it, I don't believe.  I basically have given up on believing anything the media or "officials" say.  Okay, before I go off on a tangent let's get back to the trip.

Thirty wineries in three weeks, our stop in Paris is more about Paris than tasting wine, you could say its a primer for the rest of the trip.  Here are the wineries we are visiting.

First stop, Burgundy
William Fevre, Michel Laroche L'Obediencerie, Louis Michel et Fils, Domaine Daniel Etienne Defaix, Domaine Daniel Rion, Domaine Henri Rebourseau, Domaine Michel Gros, Domaine Trapet Pere and Fils, Maison Joseph Drouhin, Louis Latour, Louis Jadot.

Rhone/Provence
Jean-Luc Colombo, Alain Graillot, M. Chapoutier, Domaine Tempier, Chateau la Nerthe, Domaine Rouge Bleu, Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, Clos des Papes, Domaine du Cayron, Chateau de Saint Cosme, Domaine la Garrigue, Domaine de Durban.

Bordeaux
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Chateau Haut-Goujon, Chateau Figeac, Chateau Lynch-Bages, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion, Château La Louvière, Chateau Certan.

Wooooooo!

A lot of things are happening and have happened, I have this constant feeling of sheer happiness, borderline euphoria about the prospects for the future.  First looking back, from my first harvest with Rochioli, to the amazing people I met at the Culinary Institute of America, people I will be be in touch with for the rest of my life.  To the future, the trip to France of course, harvest again, and the launching of my company (more details on this as the details become details haha).  After trying last year and coming up short, my friend Mike, who started this whole thing with a simple question, "if I get into the wine industry will you join me?" I said "but of course," has finally gotten a harvest internship, and thus the journey begins with the ultimate goal of starting and launching a winery like no other.  To think this all started with being laid off, the best thing that ever happened to me!  It certainly didn't feel that way when it happened!

Off to France!

 

2006 Vincent Girardin, Vosne-Romanee Vieilles Vignes, Red Burgundy

Vincent Girardin is a pretty reliable producer in Burgundy, I was surprised by this wine specifically with regard to the fact that it seems to be dying a slow death or should I say fast.  While I know it is a Village wine (Burgundy has three levels of "quality," Village, Premier, and Grand Cru) I was expecting much more from a great producer, in a not so great year.  We will get into the wine in a few seconds.  It is worth talking a little about how Burgundy is classified.

I said "quality" above because in Burgundy you can have Villages that are better than Premier Cru's, and Premier Cru's that are better than Grand Cru's.  It's all in how the producer works his plot of land, which on average is very very small.  One owner will own say one row of vines while the vines behind his are likely owned by another producer, all within the same vineyard or field.  Therefore, within Burgundy you have a lot of producers, some better than others.  Instead of the producers being classified (like the Medoc of Bordeaux, it was the Chateau, typically one owner and large, that was ranked into first, second, third growth etc) the vineyards themselves are classified.

2006 Vincent Girardin, Vosne-Romanee, Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy
consumed May 14, 2011, Retail $39.99

On to the wine, it had a certain smokey haze in a deep garnet-ruby color.  The first thing I noticed was that the wine seemed to be evolving with a noticeable oxidized nose, smelling like sherry.  Behind this was a faint grab bag of tart cherry, raspberry, floral, violets, damp earth, cedar that seemed to disappear after about ten minutes of being open that is when the sherry like qualities took over and what seemed to be a pretty descent nose was gone.  On the palate, the tart cherry and cedar came through followed up by an abrupt finish. The wine showed a racing acidity with a tannic structure that gave the wine a strong backbone.  I am sure this wine was a great "value" wine three years ago (depending on what you consider to be value, as it was 40 bucks!).  At age five it seems to be just about finished.

Does this change my view of Vincent Girardin? Not at all.  I have had some excellent wines from this producer.  Maybe an off vintage and an introductory wine from his vast portfolio that wasn't meant to be aged five+ years?

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