Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  4/26/2011 (link)

  (Lambert et Lepoittevin-Dubost (Bloy) Bergerac Rosé) UPDATE: Alcohol Levels and Labels If food labels were this inaccurate, wouldn’t there be a mass public outcry? Isn’t wine a form of food? For over a decade, I’ve been the battering ram for domestic wine industry pundits that just want me to shut my trap - simply because I’ve found it important to speak out and tell the truth about wine additives, chemicals and alcohol levels in wine (not just in domestic wine but in all wine). For some reason, the domestic wine trade has taken this personally even though my mission has nothing to do with denigration – that’s completely missing the point. This is about consumer advocacy and awareness – if there’s nothing to hide, then why get so huffy? So, for those of us that still don’t believe the majority of our Napa Cabernet, Mendoza Malbec or Chateauneuf listed at 14.5% is actually 15.5% or even 16%+, please read the following article and laboratory study. The proof isn’t in this missive, it’s in the laboratory analysis: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/24/FD311J4I7H.DTL&type=wine Hopefully, this article will be read and digested by a widespread audience that will begin to put pressure on producers to label their wine accurately – for the benefit or the consumer, not for their own excise tax benefits (lower listed alcohol levels pay less tax - surprise, surprise). Until then, take wine labels and listed alcohol levels with a grain of salt as most of them have nothing to do with what is actually in the bottle. - Jon Rimmerman ************************** 2010 “Bordeaux” Dear Friends, On a more cheery note... This wine is good – so good in fact that it’s worth the protracted effort to bring to the United States. Thanks to a growing season that continues to gain notoriety with each passing day, Lambert et Lepoittevin-Dubost have a gem of a 2010 “Bordeaux” on their hands and it’s not even Bordeaux. It’s not even a red wine – it’s a rosé. Perched on the hillsides just outside the bounds of St. Emilion, this Bergerac property produced a windfall of 2010 wine that has them sitting on a treasure trove. With the good fortune of vineyards that are actually closer to Ausone than to the city of Bergerac (due to a bend in the Dordogne river and subsequent appellation borders, this land is designated as Bergerac instead of St. Emilion), Lambert et Lepoittevin-Dubost may be the next big thing you’ve never heard of. That’s a good thing for you as prices are half of what they would be if their property was given St. Emilion status (or if anyone in the US knew who they were). For now, let’s take advantage. Known for their outstanding rosé, Lambert et Lepoittevin-Dubost save some of their best grapes for this wine (in a similar vein to how they treat rosé in Provence). Vinified in cement and bottled expressly for you (yesterday) from their estate-picked, fresh-pressed, dark, fragrant, tannic and juice-filled 2010 grapes, this is not your father’s simple little light colored pink wine – completely the opposite. The 2010 is bright red/pink with an aromatic panoply of Satsuma orange, earth, mineral/rock and a tinge of clove. The acidity is just about perfect and this mouth-filling and delicious wine can be slurped as nothing more than a summer imbibement or it can be pondered as a more complex and cerebral example. Long on the plate, this rosé leaves an impression of Bordelaise substance and fresh fruit that pairs with more than a summer Sunday afternoon – it has enough depth and no-oak structure to be enjoyed with the evening meal as an accompaniment to poultry or even ocean fish. All descriptions aside, your will not go to waste with the enjoyment of this “through the looking glass” precursor to 2010 in Bordeaux. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a sneak peak at a special vintage that has the wine-world on the edge of their seat. This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: 2010 Lambert et Lepoittevin-Dubost (Bloy) Bergerac Rosé - FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 12/person until we run out. To order: nicki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to depart from Aquitaine – it will arrive in the late spring (please check OARS for local pick-up after June 15th). It will ship during the Fall shipping season and should be an absolutely perfect match for Thanksgiving. Drink 2011-2013+. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA