2007 Domaine Labet Chardonnay Fleur de Marne La Bardette

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  4/17/2011, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (LA BARDETTE Domaine Labet Jura) Weekend Dear Friends, A few worthy examples are set to arrive in the next week or so – all have intrinsic value as unique entrants and/or excellent buys for what they are. All will ship this spring: 2004 Castello di Volpaia “Balifico” (Tuscany) - (LIMIT 6/person) Compare at +; from a great vintage, this is noble example of what can be done with Cabernet (at elevation) in Tuscany – it reminds me of the Medoc in a vintage like 2001 with a plum and humidor character that emerges with air – should reward mid/long-term cellaring – decant for 1-2 hours if you drink in 2011 otherwise I would wait until 2012-2014 or so - JR: 2006 Faiveley Nuits Saint Georges “Aux Vignerondes” 1er - EXTREMELY LIMITED at this price Nothing like a few years in bottle to help this wine along – is not a misprint; compare at in Europe, + in the US. 2007 Domaine Labet “La Bardette” Côtes du Jura - (LIMIT 3/person) This is the Domaine bottling not the bottling; I’ve been enjoying this wine for the last few months and it has really come alive with an electric/artisanal Chardonnay quality that cuts and coats the palate. A wonderful wine with a myriad of nuances. If you’re a fan of Bourdy blanc, try this - JR 2009 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon “Les Charmes” (Beaujolais)- (LIMIT 3/person) This is a re-order request item – we don’t have a large quantity in-bound so please adhere to the 3/person limit 2009 Mica Vino Verde (Portugal) - (LIMIT 3/person) Another re-order request item – also very little in-bound To order any of the above: nicki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to arrive in a few weeks (please check OARS for local pick-up after May 1st). All will ship during the Spring shipping season (weather permitting). 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 Italy6252 Burg2199 Burg2198 SOFR8927 Port4588

• By Jon Rimmerman
  2/23/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (LA BARDETTE Domaine Labet) La Bardette - The New Frontier Dear Friends, This may be a bit esoteric for a typical Tuesday morning but it's our only chance at this wine - one of the more profound examples of its type. Julien Labet (not to be confused with the dozen other Labet's in the Jura or Burgundy such as Pierre) is one of the young, dedicated producers that has a chance to redefine the notion most of us have about Burgundian varietals and French wine in general. While Jean-Francois Bourdy brilliantly represents the classic, time-tested master of the Jura craft, Julien Labet has no road to follow - only his superb terroir and the vintage to guide him. If the current results are any indication, this producer is going to be around a very long time. After tasting thousands of wines each year (a good majority of which are at the upper end) the nose knows when something special is about to grace the palate. One whiff of Labet's 2007 La Bardette ushers in anticipation of the highest order. For those of you still trying to wrap your arms around the modern-day Cotes du Jura style, the white wines can have Savagnin (an indigenous varietal that forms the backbone of Vin Jaune) and also Chardonnay. Most "Cotes du Jura" whites are now 90-100% Chardonnay...but this is not the Cotes du Beaune and the Jura producers would be sufficiently annoyed if the comparison were made. While only a few dozen miles east of Chevalier-Montrachet, this is indeed the Jura, home to Europe's longest-lived wines. Yes, I said longest-lived. Sorry Puligny, Chassagne or Meursault...you're not even close. Produced with a distinct regional winemaking style that combines desirable oxidative elements with very old, cool-climate vineyards, the vinous output from the Jura is unlike anything else in in Europe. It is a region with arguably the most terroir-reflective wines in France and many of the examples are singular in their style. Burgundy may produce wine with more supple, varietal fruit (due to the topping of barrels and bëtonnage) but the Jura is unmatched in its penetrating and contemplative explosion of minerality scratched from solid rock - all squeezed into a bottle. Here, most vintners toy with the traditional practice of allowing their barrels to oxidate slightly (by not topping up and creating a potion kept sous-voile - under the veil of a yeast cap that forms to keep most oxygen out) but the young, progressive vintners do not make this the sole focus of the wine - Labet among them. What sets the young Jura winemakers apart is the desire to capture their unique terroir by traditional means but also to express a freshness that their forefathers may have eschewed (Stephane Tissot as well - as a side note, there was much confusion about the Tissot sparkling wine from last week and my description of "oxidative" versus "fresh" wine - in the Jura, oxidative elements are prized and sought after, they are not a flaw - any possible oxidative notes in Tissot's Sparkling wine would be considered a good thing, not a negative. I received a large number of inquiries from around the country asking about my distinction of the Triage cuvee as the "freshest" versus other cuvees - the term did not mean another cuvee was inferior - quite the contrary - any of the other disgorgements or varying dosage cuvees that show oxidation can be incredibly complex - just a different expression. In addition, this specific L09 cuvee was just released last year and there is only one bottling of the Brut - any landed reviews in the US that refer to L09 prior to last summer are incorrectly noted and do not refer to this wine, they are for an older disgorgement). Now back to Labet... When I first smelled and tasted the 2007 La Bardette (with one of France's finest palates), it made both of us get up from the table, take a walk around the room and refocus our attention on the profound example at hand - it's that good. From 70 year old Chardonnay grown between 600-1000 ft - this wine is like pulverized fossils and calcium carbonate caught in the most elaborate intertwined dance with elegant and feminine citric fruit. Produced with traditional older barrels but also given a touch of bëtonnage and topping up, the lean, cold-toned Chardonnay is energized and the finished wine is a tonic of lemon/lime and evergreen with a personality that fuses an element of Preuses and En Remilly with Mt. Blanc. With beautiful acidity that buffers a very long palate impression, this fabulous expression is exceedingly complicated (and educational) - with 1-2 hours of air, chalk dust and tangerine make an appearance as well. A wine that refreshes and challenges the taster while eagerly giving way to the anticipation of the experience once again. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a game-changing example of the highest order. ONE MINISCULE SHIPMENT directly from Labet (only a few hundred bottles for the US market): 2007 Julien Labet (Domaine Labet) Cotes du Jura "La Bardette" (Fleur de Marne) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR7209