Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  5/21/2009 (link)

  (Le Feu BELLUARD) Le Feu Dear Friends, Speaking of Belluard, the sparkling wine offer a few days ago was one of the most popular of the year so far (I apologize for the small allocation we had to divvy up but very little was available - we tried to be a fair as possible with everyone). To offset the grumbling, they've "found" a small parcel of their top cuvee, the 2007 Le Feu. To be honest, I'm not in any hurry to part with this (from a personal standpoint), as it is one of my favorite wines, year in and year out. The Le Feu is their grand cru example from 100% Gringet grown exclusively on red clay soil vs. the assemblage of the Terroir de Mont Blanc (Les Alps) - considering the region and varietal, it is one of the finest white wines in the world. Vinified in a combination of cement and oeufs that allow the lees to rotate with a minimum amount of disturbance to the wine - this is purity personified. No oak, no manipulation simply the result of a classic vintage. What can I say? The 2007 is a majestic example of dry white wine that will rank as a reference for the Savoie for years to come. The best is yet ahead for this wine (my guess is 3-5 years from now) but its incredible freshness and stalactite purity makes the mouth water from the first sip. Layers of meyer lemon, mountain spring water and herbs dance with peppercorns and wild flowers in this serious, structured example that has such a long and compact finish it takes the breath away. There's an enticing smoky essence of toasted mustard seed and coriander (there is no wood of any kind used - ever) with other tantalizing light tinges of spice thrown in for good measure. A new twist is opened at every turn and this vintage of Le Feu has the famous "blue fruit" that Belluard is synonymous with - literally the carved stone of the mountain. Dense and but full of the yin/yang of acidity and weight that makes a great example of Huet sec so appealing, this wine is (in the worlds of a famous exporter) "all on the stones" - I couldn't agree more. The 2007 Le Feu is a wine I could drink everyday and it gives something back with every bottle opened (which is why I mentioned above I was in no hurry to part with this allocation). I urge you to look up other TN's from past vintages but the 2007 is, well, 2007 - one to the great classic vintages for white varietals in recent memory. What really sets this wine apart for me is the price-point - while not inexpensive, it is still at a reasonable enough tariff that it doesn't need to be horded or held in a trophy case - it can still be enjoyed with simple cuisine (instead of a special occasion) and that's what Belluard would wish for. If it means anything, this wine has received 10/10 (or 5/5 if you use that scale) from just about everyone I've talked with in the Savoie - it is not only revered but is considered quite underpriced for the quality level. If you are a fan of Huet Le Haut Lieu sec, Le Mont sec or the 2007 Bernard Apremont Vielles Vignes we offered earlier in the year, this wine is a standout (even in that company) and it's basically unavailable for export out of Europe. The single finest wine produced in the Savoie? Some good news: Due to a lower exchange rate I was able to shave almost $5/bottle off the price of the 2007 vs the 2006 - not a bad vintage to obtain for less. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the cellars at Domaine Belluard (we cannot get another shipment until the 2008 vintage next winter - only 30 cases (in total) were available of this wine for export: 2007 Domain Belluard Mont Blanc "Le Feu" (Savoie) It will ship during the Fall shipping season. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR3499