Featured Producer
Domaine Maume
Bertrand is the current Maume-in-charge at the tiny Domaine Maume. He has been involved in making the wines here since the mid nineties. Domaine Maume’s wines are deep, profound Pinot Noir experiences. They are wines of mystery – constantly changing and evolving, both in barrel and in bottle, like the Burgundies of the past. They are bottled from barrel by gravity without any pumping, fining or filtration. The secret to Maume’s success is his rigid adherence to selection massale cuttings in his replanting of the family’s vineyards. By isolating vines with the healthiest grapes, they replant only the best. Most of their vines are quite old, too, averaging 50 years of age across all parcels. Maume does not believe in using new clones but is a strong believer in the diversity of old Pinot stock.Maume’s premier cru bottling is a real gem. It is a blend of two parcels, Cherbaudes and La Perrière, that are right in the saddle of grand cru country – below Mazis-Chambertin and Clos de Bèze, next to Chapelle-Chambertin. There are only a few barrels. “En Pallud” is a particularly well-suited lieu-dit just south of the village on the slope, below the premier cru Les Corbeaux and at the same elevation and exposure as the grand crus. The Maumes have a sizeable parcel here of 65 year-old vines. Etelois is also on the grand cru slope, just below Griotte-Chambertin. Champeaux is a higher elevation premier cru parcel that was one of the first vineyards worked by the monks of Cluny. Lavaux St. Jacques is a great premier cru site situated on the Combe de Lavaux, a valley that runs east to west and whose air currents help dry the vineyards of Gevrey after rains. This is a wine with a remarkable texture, finesse, and length. The Maume wines have a well-deserved reputation for long-term cellaring potential. A 1980 Lavaux St. Jacques tasted in 2009 was perfectly mature. A 1979 Mazis tasted in 2008 seemed capable of going on forever at its peak of perfection. A great bottle from Maume takes you about as deep into the Burgundian soul as you can get.
Champalou
Catherine and Didier Champalou both came from vigneron families, yet their mutual sense of independence prompted the couple to brave it on their own right after completing viticultural school in Saumur. Since starting the domaine in 1983, they have not only grown their business, but their label is one of the most highly-acclaimed in the appellation. Vouvray is home to the noble Chenin Blanc, more commonly known as Pineau de la Loire in their part of the world. As widespread as Pineau is, both soil and climate play key roles in the diversity of its incarnations, and a Chenin from California gives one no hint of what the grape is capable of in the right soil.Farther inland along the Loire, in the region of the Touraine, Vouvray enjoys a warm, continental climate during the summers. Slowly dropping temperatures in autumn make for a long ripening season. Microclimates with high humidity can also bring about the beloved noble rot. The gravel and chalk in the vineyards also play a role absorbing the sun’s rays, lending increased ripeness to this part of the Touraine. The Pineau of Vouvray can be pétillant (sparkling), sec (dry and crisp), demi-sec (off-dry) or in a botrytized state called moelleux. Catherine and Didier make all four styles.
The Champalou family farms twenty-one hectares of vineyards on clay, limestone, and siliceous soils. They embrace sustainable farming while also integrating the use of the lunar calendar more traditionally associated with organic viticulture. The soils in their vineyards are rich, deep, and aerated though regular plowing. Cover crops are planted in between vineyard rows to help with excess water absorption and to encourage microbiotic activity in the soil. The Champalou house style produces wines of great elegance and tenderness, highly aromatic with impeccable balance. No one comes close to copying their distinct style.
Didier and Catherine’s daughter, Céline, has recently joined the domaine after spending her internships in New Zealand, South Africa, Languedoc, Corsica, and Canada. Daughter Virginie lives in London, and is also in the wine business. There is no question that the tradition and quality for which this domaine is known will continue for many years to come.
Podere Sante Marie
Luisa and Marino Colleoni’s native village of Bergamo is famous for its proud ramparts and medieval palaces, but to them it just couldn’t compare to the legendary natural beauty of Tuscany. The couple purchased an old property outside Montalcino known to the locals as Le Sante Marie and moved there in 1993. The following year during an evening walk in the glow of the setting sun, they spotted a bunch of grapes peeking out through the uppermost leaves of an old tree. The undergrowth was so thick that they couldn’t get to the vine, but their interest was piqued, and the next summer they got to work clearing away the scrub. When they finally finished, a neatly planted vineyard lay before them. Though many of the neglected vines had dried out, several were still intact, so they summoned the local inspector and had the vineyard certified to grow grapes for Brunello. Willingly plunging down the path that had unexpectedly opened before them, they replanted the vineyard in 1998 and produced their first wine from the 2000 harvest.Although the discovery of the vines was entirely coincidental, it seems today that the Colleonis were born to work the land. Luisa and Marino embraced organic viticulture from the start, and they are constantly searching for even more natural methods. For instance, introducing a natural predator of yellow spider mites proved just as effective against the pest as the organic insecticide used by their neighbors during a recent infestation; and they are researching the introduction of a certain spider that eats the roots of oidium in order to reduce (and eventually eliminate) the use of sulfur to protect the vines.
The northern exposure, high altitude, and marl soil (that is littered with huge seashell fossils) that characterize this property all combine to give an extremely elegant and fine Brunello that really sets itself apart from the majority of Brunellos in Montalcino. For all their seductive characteristics, these wines do not lack the characteristic muscle and concentration of Sangiovese from this part of the world. All of Marino's wines are capable of long aging, but can be enjoyed upon release especially by giving them several hours to breath in bottle or in a decanter.
Domaine Maestracci
High in the foothills of Monte Grossu mountain, inland from Calvi, lies the granite plateau of Reginu, an area long known for U Vinu di E Prove – the wine of the Prove, as the micro-climate is known. The particularity of the plateau is the exposition to hot and dry daytime temperatures with high altitude cool nights, all within a short distance from the sea and regular maritime winds. The plateau has been continuously used for vine and olive growing for centuries, and was once the site of a major olive pressing operation that supplied a large part of France with its olive oil. In 1945, when the owner of the olive oil mill packed up and moved his operation to colonial Algeria is search of bigger land and greater profits, Roger Maestracci saw a golden opportunity and moved in. The departing olive oil baron had left behind a massive concrete structure with walls so thick the air inside stayed cool year round. Originally used to house the mill and the pressed oil, Roger adapted the structure for old wooden casks and concrete tanks and set about replanting vines on the property. Within a few years the domaine had established a firm reputation in the area and when it came time for Roger to retire in the early 1980’s he passed along the reigns of the domaine to his son-in-law, Michel Raoust, who still runs the domaine today. Given the particularity of the terroir and the diverse influence of the temperature variations and granite soils, Michel allows the red an extended time to age and mellow before release, at least two years in large oak casks, while the white is bottled young to maintain the freshness and iodized ocean breeze of the terroir. The wines Michel makes are quintessential Mediterranean food wines.
Domaine du Salvard
Domaine du Salvard has been a working domaine since 1898, through five hardworking generations of the Delaille family. Today, all forty-two hectares of vineyards are farmed by the capable brother team of Emmanuel and Thierry Delaille, with help from their father Gilbert. To our delight, they have carried on the traditions established by their ancestors, producing a true, classic Cheverny that is both simple and elegant. Unlike others in the appellation who still vinify the widely-planted and forgettable Romorantin varietal, the Delaille brothers have focused their attention on growing fresh, lively Sauvignon Blanc, deeply rooted in the sand, clay, and limestone plains of northeastern Touraine. Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Cot constitute their red grape holdings, creating youthful reds with great aromatics. Gilbert and his sons have also made their own contributions to the heritage of the domaine, including the introduction of sustainable farming practices into the vineyards, as well as temperature-controlled vinification equipment to the winery.Until finally achieving A.O.C. status in 1993, Cheverny was widely regarded as one of the best V.D.Q.S. (Vin de Qualité Superieur) of the Loire. However, some argue that this A.O.C.-in-waiting designation was a political maneuver by the I.N.A.O. to keep Cheverny’s delicious, sprightly Sauvignon Blanc out of competition with the other more famous appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Kermit was the first to discover the charm and value of Cheverny back in 1978 when he imported the Domaine Jean Gueritte. He took on the Cheverny of Domaine du Salvard in 1992, a year before the status change in the appellation. We continue to tout the domaine’s wine as one of the greatest values for Sauvignon Blanc perfection.
Domaine Roulot
The death of Guy Roulot in 1982 took many by surprise. This legendary producer of some of the finest Meursaults, if not some of the world’s finest white wines, had taken his family’s small production domaine to stardom. Guy’s marriage to Geneviève Coche and his own hard work added more prime parcels to the family’s holdings, which he vinified and bottled separately – a novelty for a domaine which had been distilling, rather than vinifying, their grapes just a generation before. As a result, Domaine Roulot has become the master of the lieu-dit, not to mention the five premier cru parcels they farm in Meursault and Monthelie. Guy’s sudden death left the family in transition, as his son, Jean-Marc was in Paris pursuing a career in acting. A series of three winemakers aided in the changeover until 1989, when Jean-Marc was at last ready to take on the direction of the estate.Since then, Jean-Marc’s progress has brought even more notice to a domaine that has already enjoyed such a great reputation. The wines of Domaine Roulot are now among the most sought after wines in all of Burgundy. Jean-Marc has been successful in fine-tuning the domaine’s particular, stand-out style. While Domaine Roulot had once pioneered the single-vineyard bottlings of Meursault, they were now influencing other domaines to follow suit, thereby raising the stakes in this exalted appellation. What sets the domaine even further apart is Jean-Marc’s commitment to a bright, chiseled, thoroughbred style of Meursault, while many other wines of this village tend towards richness and concentration. Jean-Marc’s wines certainly express a certain depth and sumptuousness thanks to the appellation’s terroir, however his wines also show focus and restraint. Their elegance and amazing precision lend themselves to long aging in the cellars. Jean-Marc and his wife Alix de Montille (daughter of famous Volnay producer, Hubert de Montille) love cooking, and they believe the strong mineral backbone of the wines and their fresh acidity marries well with food. This is why one is more likely to find their wines in restaurants rather than in wine shops.
Lambert de Seyssel
Seyssel may be unknown to many oenophiles today, but the vineyards of this small appellation are regularly mentioned in documents dating back to at least the 11th century, and with the development of sparkling wine production methods in the 19th century a new Seyssel mousseux was created that quickly gained great popularity. Even Queen Victoria is said to have enjoyed the region’s sparkling wines during spa stays in neighboring towns. The “Royal Seyssel” label (originally called “Royal Carte Bleue”), launched in 1901 by the Varichon and Clerc families, was considered for many years to be the best sparkling Seyssel on the market. But when the operation was purchased in the 1990s by a large Burgundian négociant, quality suffered badly, and in 2007 the owners finally closed the local winery, keeping only the rights to the name ‘Varichon et Clerc’ in order to shift the name recognition in the market to their other sparkling wines. Dismayed to see what their great local wine had come to, Seysselans Gérard and Catherine Lambert teamed up with Olivier Varichon, great-grandson of the founder, to buy back the Royal Seyssel label and recreate the light, floral wine that was once so renowned.The sparkling wines of Seyssel indulge in the same méthode traditionnelle production techniques used for Champagne, and Lambert de Seyssel takes it one step further by aging the Royal Seyssel for at least three years before disgorging it, giving the wine more complex, distinguished aromas and a fine perlage than the competition, which ages only the legal minimum of nine months. The house style is also quite dry (low dosage) in order to preserve the character of the grape varieties.
Punta Crena
The tiny village of Varigotti sits on the Mediterranean, just a few rows of houses and restaurants on a pristine beach, with its back against steep hills. Climb up into the hills and you will discover neatly terraced vineyards on the slopes and in hidden clearings further up on the peaks. The Ruffino family has been tending these vineyards for over 500 years, hardly changing a thing as they pass their knowledge and wisdom from one generation to the next. Today the estate is run by four siblings: Tommaso, the eldest, is the winemaker; Paolo is the salesman; Anna handles logistics; and Nicola helps out in the vineyards and winery. Their mother, Libera, was a strong businesswoman who revolutionized sales by dealing directly with clients rather than working with the merchants who controlled the market at the time; but today she stays in the background, happily cooking for the constant flow of guests and tending the home-grown vegetable stand in the courtyard as her numerous grandchildren scamper around her. These unpretentious people are firmly rooted in Varigotti, and the wines they craft are infused with local tradition and character.Ask Paolo if the family follows organic methods in the vineyards and he’ll laugh. We’re not “organic,” he says as if you had asked about some crazy new technology. We just do everything the same way our ancestors have for hundreds of years. They even build their stone terraces by hand, using the method established here three thousand years ago. The vineyards of Punta Crena (which is named for a large promontory jutting into the sea at the edge of the village) are all within 1200 meters of the water and enjoy sea breezes that help keep the grapes healthy and happy. The Ruffinos are proud to work almost exclusively with local varietals, but they don’t have much company. Mataòssu, which once reigned supreme in this zone, was gradually ripped out because it has such a difficult vegetative balance; Crovino gives such low yields that no one else will grow it. As a result, several of Punta Crena’s wines are one of a kind: the Mataòssu and Cruvin are entirely unique (two other producers make wines labeled Mataòssu, but in fact their vines are the related Lumassina), and the Barbarossa is the only one produced in Italy (a local grape of Emilia-Romagna has the same name but is unrelated). They believe that their only job after the harvest is simply to avoid ruining their lovely fruit as it turns to wine. These are light, fun wines with no pretension. Every bottling from this estate marries beautifully with the local cuisine of fresh vegetables, fritto misto, and anchovies prepared every way imaginable, and we at KLWM are constantly finding more pairings where they taste just as good.
Cantine Valpane
The Fojadelli family proudly displayed the awards bestowed on their Barbera: gold medals at tastings in Dijon and Bordeaux in 1898, silver the same year in Hamburg and the next in Rome. Their stately villa at Valpane overlooked one of the most enviable vineyard sites in the Monferrato, a perfect amphitheater that had been planted with vines since at least the 1700s. One day a young man came to the estate and enthusiastically described his dream to buy Valpane and pursue his passion for winegrowing on this exceptional plot of land. The elderly Fojadelli brusquely refused at first, but a housekeeper saw the young man’s desolation as his hopes were crushed and convinced the owner to give him a chance. Pietro Giuseppe Arditi began working the land in 1900 under a sharecropping agreement, and after his passion and dedication to his work had earned Fojadelli’s confidence, he purchased the estate in 1902. Over the years he planted more vines and raised his family at Valpane. His eldest daughter, Lydia, was a brilliant student with a bright future in mathematics, but her mother needed help around the house so, like many girls of her generation, she was pulled out of school at an early age. But instead of cooking and tending to her elderly grandmother, Lydia followed her father out to the vineyards, where she quickly became fascinated by his craft. Before long, she was working alongside him and showing a keen business sense in dealing with clients. As Pietro grew older she gradually took over the estate, continuing to make the same structured, aromatic wines for which Valpane was already known. Today Lydia’s nephew, named Pietro for his grandfather, runs the estate. He is bursting with pride in his vineyards and the distinguished history of Valpane, but he never takes credit personally for his wonderful wines. “People tell me I’m a great winemaker,” he says, “but the wines of Valpane have been winning awards for well over a century, so it can’t be my doing. I’m just careful not to ruin what the land gives us!”Although the names Asti and Alba may be more widely recognized today, Pietro explains that the Monferrato provides more faithful expressions of Barbera. This is due in part to the warmer climate and longer hours of sunlight here, which allow the grapes to ripen completely and unfurl the full personality of the variety. The Monferrato is also still relatively untamed, and the forests and fields here benefit the area’s vineyards by providing a natural source of variety. At Valpane these factors combine to provide meaty Barberas that nevertheless offer plenty of lively fruit. Pietro then lets them sit in large oak botti and cement tanks for several years, depending on the cuvée, and releases them only when they are ready.
Christophe Buisson
Christophe Buisson is a young, passionate vigneron with all the skills for success. From his home base in Saint-Romain, the little known and thus underappreciated (and undervalued) appellation in the hills behind Meursault, Christophe has been honing his craft for the last decade. The appellation of Saint-Romain is ampitheatre-like, with the best sites located on stony slopes beneath a striking outcropping of limestone cliffs. You access the village after traversing Auxey-Duresses on the way to the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. Christophe owns land in some of the best sites in Saint-Romain, Sous le Château and La Perrière, sites that would likely be premier cru in a village such as Chassagne-Montrachet.Christophe’s beliefs, meticulous work in the vineyards, fermentation in cement cuves, élevage in medium age barrels, minimal racking and pumping, and a gentle bottling with no filtration or fining for the reds, all combine to give wines of impressive depth and complexity. He manages to achieve sufficient natural ripeness every year and shuns chaptalization, and his wines show impressive concentration year in and year out. His are deeply colored reds with ample fruit and great texture and layered whites with ripeness and intense minerality juxtaposed for just the right balance. They are very user friendly Burgundies, capturing the immediate pleasure of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Buisson’s wines are always imminently drinkable upon release with generous aromas and flavors and while they do age well in a good cellar, these are wines to drink over the short to medium term.
From the Blog
International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women in Wine
by Katya Karagadayeva and Anthony Lynch
Growing up in the Soviet Union, International Women’s Day was a lovely holiday, a day when I got to stay home and receive gifts. Traditionally, men (or boys) honor their mothers, wives, girlfriends, and female colleagues and schoolmates, with flowers and small gifts. Nowadays, I appreciate IWD not merely as a sweet tribute to these memories, but as an opportunity to celebrate and be inspired by women and their achievements.
At Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant we’ve been very fortunate to work with many extraordinary, talented women. We would love to give them flowers today, but a better way to pay respect would be to tell you a little more about them. Spotlighting three “women in wine” is Anthony Lynch:
No celebration of women in wine would be complete without mentioning Lulu Peyraud. While her late husband Lucien is undeniably the face behind the wines of Tempier—and to a certain extent, the Bandol appellation itself—Lulu’s role at the domaine over the decades has proven to be of equal significance. Known for her delectable renditions of classic Provençal dishes, the ever-so-sprightly Lulu—now 96 years old—will always come to symbolize the joyous, welcoming spirit that is synonymous with Domaine Tempier. The legendary banquets she organized will be remembered by many a lucky guest at the Domaine, but it is Lulu’s open-armed generosity and contagious laughter that truly make this wonderful Marseillaise the First Lady of Bandol.
© Gail Skoff
Our next featured wine woman hails not from Provence but another fabled, picturesque wine country: Tuscany, home of the grand Brunello di Montalcino. At the Castello di Argiano, Elisa Sesti has taken after her father Giuseppe and is now responsible for managing the winemaking at the estate in addition to sales and marketing. While it remains a family effort, Elisa represents the driving force behind production as well as promotion of the brand via travel throughout Italy and abroad. Somehow, she still finds time to entertain guests at the estate, and can often be found sharing a bottle of crisp Sangiovese rosato with friends over an antipasto featuring ingredients cultivated in the Sesti garden. It is only logical that we raise a glass to this warm and caring woman to celebrate not just her role in the wine world, but also as a wonderful individual.
Elisa may be an exception to the rule in the wine world, as the vigneron profession is one still largely dominated by men. Nonetheless, more and more women can be found working the vineyards and running the cellars as of late. In the hills north of Venice, Cinzia Sommariva has taken charge of her family’s 35 hectares of Glera (the grape variety used in Prosecco), and the results speak for themselves. Her visionary leadership and flawless execution give a Prosecco of real class and character. Cinzia herself, consistently displaying confidence and assertive demeanor with no lack of charm, is the ideal spokesperson for this most elegant and uplifting of libations.
Growing up in the Soviet Union, International Women’s Day was a lovely holiday, a day when I got to stay home and receive gifts. Traditionally, men (or boys) honor their mothers, wives, girlfriends, and female colleagues and schoolmates, with flowers and small gifts. Nowadays, I appreciate IWD not merely as a sweet tribute to these memories, but as an opportunity to celebrate and be inspired by women and their achievements.
At Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant we’ve been very fortunate to work with many extraordinary, talented women. We would love to give them flowers today, but a better way to pay respect would be to tell you a little more about them. Spotlighting three “women in wine” is Anthony Lynch:
No celebration of women in wine would be complete without mentioning Lulu Peyraud. While her late husband Lucien is undeniably the face behind the wines of Tempier—and to a certain extent, the Bandol appellation itself—Lulu’s role at the domaine over the decades has proven to be of equal significance. Known for her delectable renditions of classic Provençal dishes, the ever-so-sprightly Lulu—now 96 years old—will always come to symbolize the joyous, welcoming spirit that is synonymous with Domaine Tempier. The legendary banquets she organized will be remembered by many a lucky guest at the Domaine, but it is Lulu’s open-armed generosity and contagious laughter that truly make this wonderful Marseillaise the First Lady of Bandol.
© Gail Skoff
Our next featured wine woman hails not from Provence but another fabled, picturesque wine country: Tuscany, home of the grand Brunello di Montalcino. At the Castello di Argiano, Elisa Sesti has taken after her father Giuseppe and is now responsible for managing the winemaking at the estate in addition to sales and marketing. While it remains a family effort, Elisa represents the driving force behind production as well as promotion of the brand via travel throughout Italy and abroad. Somehow, she still finds time to entertain guests at the estate, and can often be found sharing a bottle of crisp Sangiovese rosato with friends over an antipasto featuring ingredients cultivated in the Sesti garden. It is only logical that we raise a glass to this warm and caring woman to celebrate not just her role in the wine world, but also as a wonderful individual.
Elisa may be an exception to the rule in the wine world, as the vigneron profession is one still largely dominated by men. Nonetheless, more and more women can be found working the vineyards and running the cellars as of late. In the hills north of Venice, Cinzia Sommariva has taken charge of her family’s 35 hectares of Glera (the grape variety used in Prosecco), and the results speak for themselves. Her visionary leadership and flawless execution give a Prosecco of real class and character. Cinzia herself, consistently displaying confidence and assertive demeanor with no lack of charm, is the ideal spokesperson for this most elegant and uplifting of libations.