Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  9/28/2010 (link)

  (1.5lt DUPEUBLE NOUVEAU Beaujolais) UPDATE: Local Pick Up/Shipping A few times per year we close for local pick up due to the impending shipping season and bulge at the warehouse – this year’s closing is Friday October 1st – Friday October 8th (we will still be open for pick up Wednesday and Thursday of this week and then again on Saturday October 9th). If you’ve already scheduled a pick up in the system (during the closed period), Sarah will contact you to make other arrangements. The good news for out of towners is that the Fall Shipping season is about to begin...stay tuned for an UPDATE next week on expected shipping times. Thank you - Garagiste ************************* Nouveau Dear Friends, The 2009 vintage saw the resurgence of Beaujolais Nouveau – it was the perfect vintage to (re)introduce this much maligned category to our side of the pond. What was once the marketing creation of Georges Duboeuf has gone through a myriad of ups and downs over the years but a passionate new generation of boutique-level producers has taken Nouveau to heights never dreamed of by Georges when his motivation was not necessarily wine production of the highest quality. Today’s high-level Nouveau stresses quality first – the wines are the premier pressing of the vintage, bottled quickly and sent to our shores just in time for Thanksgiving. They are an early peek at the vintage in Beaujolais but also (in many cases) at Burgundy in general. We offered both of the wines below last year (the 2009’s) and both were quite popular - the 2009 Depeuble was even reviewed in the WA a few weeks ago (when was the last time you remember a Nouveau making the grade for a review?) Here we go... 2010 Vissoux Beaujolais Nouveau “Vieilles Vignes” - (this is not the “Pierre Chermette” Nouveau) This wine is credited with jump-starting the neo revolution in Nouveau. Most of the cuvee is from from very old vines in Saint Verand (up to 85+ years old, just to the west of Saint Amour cru) and, contrary to the “formula” for Nouveau, the Chermette family refused to chaptilize the wine and added nothing but grapes back in its first incarnation - 1988 - a heretic exercise in the 1980’s but the sommelier’s of Paris quickly took note – hoisting the wine as the very best in Beaujolais. Fast forward 20 years and what you see is what you get – the wine is still made with the original principles (that have become commonplace thanks to their efforts) with a purity that defines the debut of each vintage. Thankfully, for an entire new generation of Gamay producers, the local authorities allowed Chermette’s non-doctored trail-blazing concoction 20 years ago or there’s a strong argument the region may not have come out of its shell so quickly. Vissoux’s VV is now the blueprint for fine Nouveau – no chaptilization (added sugar), no manipulation, no enzymes or other – the Nouveau mirrors the winery’s regular and cru-level bottlings just as it should be. There is always a serious nature to the frivolity of this cuvee and I expect the 2010 to be nothing less than the classic style Chermette is so proud of (the final grapes are being picked as I write this). Many new examples of Nouveau have come after Vissoux but the Vieilles Vignes remains the standard and is still one of the best – it is from some of the oldest vines used in all of Nouveau – vines that most would save for a luxury bottling. At Vissoux, the Vieilles Vignes Nouveau is a luxury bottling. 2010 Dupeuble Beaujolais Nouveau 1.5lt - If the Vissoux VV is the old-guard then Dupeuble is the new...in party-sized limited magnum format. This special set of magnums is from the crème-de-la-crème of Nouveau material they have in 2010...should be an interesting conversation starter... VERY RARE Harvest report from today 9/28/10 (at Depeuble): “The essence of this vintage is a return to classic Beaujolais conditions. A long, cooler growing season, with what in old times used to be the normal balance of sun, rain, wind, some warmer days and some cooler nights. We began harvesting on September 20, and the grapes at the start of harvest were coming in at 12% potential alcohol (not many growers in the Beaujolais can say the same), with lightly colored yet highly aromatic juice. There is still a week left of harvest and the grapes from later ripening parcels are starting to bring in now are just under 13% and surprisingly dark with juice that promises to add a deeper quality to the blend. This is looking to be the kind of Beaujolais we grew up on- more lively and fun and without any overripe excess that some growers showed on more recent vintages (such as 2005 and 2009). There is good acidity and we are expecting the Nouveau to be be open and perfumed.” Please give us your maximum number up to 12 x Vissoux and 6 x Depeuble 1.5lt’s and we will allocate accordingly To order either of the above: niki@garagistewine.com Both wines will be delivered in November – please check OARS for local pick up the week of the 22nd (Thanksgiving week). This parcel will ship in the Spring (both wines should be in excellent condition next spring/summer). 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 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.