Good article about Lapierre which gets into technical aspects of his wine-making.
His warnings haven’t changed with respect to advocating cold storage.
Nice article Frank, thanks for the link.
RT
Opened the first bottle of Marcel Lapierre 2007 Morgon, Cuvée Marcel Lapierre last night (the bottle is marked “MMVII”).
A bit tight on opening, let it sit about 90 min before drinking. Lovely translucent ruby color. This Lapierre is definitely darker flavored, more intense and has more mineral notes than the '02 Morgon (not C. Marcel) that I had a few years ago. That said, it has the characteristic lightness, nimbleness and elegance of this vintner. Clean definition, well-centered and nicely balanced, but perhaps still a bit veiled. A pleasure in the mouth. Good length. Drinking very well, but I expect that it will develop with a few more years cellaring.
NB Lapierre is being imported by KL now, so it is much more available than in the past. Caveat: if you want to cellar it, be sure to keep it cool (people recommend 57 deg). The low sulfuring makes it very delicate.
I believe Terres Dorées and Jean- Paul Brun are one in the same.
Right. I know that and will have to edit to make that more obvious.
sent from my iPhone
OK, am I wrong or is this backwards?
the main work of the yeasts is carried out inside the berries. The addition of carbon dioxide to the vat (carbonic maceration), as demonstrated by Jules Chauvet**, protects the juice from oxidization and from the bacteria present in the air (one can thus dispense with So2) and accentuates the Gamay’s fruity flavours.
Didn’t Chauvet teach the Gang of Four/Five NOT to use carbonic maceration? And isn’t the non-use of sulfur part of just letting the wine alone along with the “ni ni” treatment (neither filtered nor fined)??
Here is the origin of the quote, which otherwise seems like a good article.
Frank my understanding from recent misc. research on the topic: Carbonic Maceration involves fermentation inside the berries. The grapes are purposefully left whole and enough CO2 is auto-generated in the sealed non-wood fermentation vats to protect the grapes from oxidation. If not, some CO2 is added. This is about as natural as it gets. Chauvet reportedly believed in Carbonic Maceration and instructed the Gang to harvest the grapes cool, i.e.: 50 - 60F (many now refrigerate to that temp) which slows the fermentation and allows the native yeasts to develop and outcompete the bacteria. Lapierre sets a max temp of 86F for the fermentation and his maceration is typically 8 - 12 days…longer if the grapes are exceptional. Some pigeage at the end. Apparently the vessels are hard to clean. Old fashion vertical wood press (or so it was 5 or so years ago), no additional filtration. 10 - 12 months in big used wood casks. Malolactic fermenation is reportedly very straightforward due to the relatively low acidity facilitated by the carbonic maceration. Ed Behr of “The Art of Eating” deserves acknowledgement for his excellent research and reporting on this info.
RT
Here is the reply:
My question regarded the Cuvée Marcel, which I bought in NYC:
Bonjour
Si vous avez achetez ce vin a new york , il contient un peu de soufre , vous devez neanmoins le garder en dessous de 18 ) tant que cela est posiible .
MATHIEU LAPIERRE
Translation: If you bought this wine in new york, it contains a bit of sulfur, but you should nevertheless store it below 18C (= 64F) as much as possible.
From Alice Feiring – “Eric” is Eric Texier:
Jules Chauvet is considered the big daddy of the modern vin naturel movement for his work on making wine without sulfur. He started in the Beaujolais, most notably working with Marcel Lapierre. His ideology has somehow evolved into wines made with no sulfur at all. To get there, he did use organic grapes, advocated native yeast only and achieved his wine through cold carbonic macerations, all of which have become hallmarks of today’s extremely popular, insider, hip, esoteric and argumentative wine movement.
However, even though I thought Chauvet was the culprit, that is now up for grabs. Eric who has read the works of Chauvet extensively said. "Chauvet never advocated making wine without any sulfur. And he only advocated cold carbonic maceration with gamay on granite soils. The semi-carbonic maceration was to Chauvet the best way to express granitic terroirs from the Beaujolais. From only the Beaujolais. He even wrote that applying it to grenache was heresy!!! Neauport, on the other hand, was advocating the cold carbonic maceration for all terroirs and all grapes.’
http://www.alicefeiring.com/feiringsquad/looking-for-natural-wines/eric_texier_on.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
From “Wine Digger”
So we started talking about Jules Chauvet’s theory on sulfur, which was to not use it during fermentations. To him, SO2 is a way of selecting yeasts and he wouldn’t allow it during alcaholic fermentations, so as not to lose any complexity coming from that process. Also, cold carbonic maceration was another way of selecting yeasts, that’s why he was NOT using it. Nor is lapierre, or any of the gang of five (in the beaujolais). Jules Chauvet’s version of carbonic maceration was a very basic one: the berries at the bottom of the tank were crushed by the weight of those above and fermentation started in a closed tank. Simple, natural even…
http://winedigger.blogspot.com/2009/11/discussing-jules-chauvet.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is perfect timing, as others have said. Personally, I only recently got over my late 80’s/early 90’s perception of Beaujolais (please, please no Cru White Zin). Fortunately I was able to tasted a Foillard CdP at a Kermit Lynch tasting at WineX this winter - brilliant stuff and only $28! My eyes were opened.
A few weeks ago I had a 2008 Thevenet that was similarly excellent, so this exploration couldn’t be more appropriate. I’ve recently picked up a few of the producers mentioned, so although I have lazy and dysfunctional with tasting note habits, I’ll do my best to contribute.
I am really hoping we can open a few eyes next week.
The Foillard you are talking about looks like my current avatar but with gold lettering, right? I have ordered some of that and am really looking forward to trying it.
Hmm, maybe not, this is Cuvée Corcelette, I am trying to decode “CdP” – not Chateauneuf?
Thanks Frank, it all sounds kind of consistent. Chauvet was reportedly opposed to having sulfur interfering with the natural yeast fermentation process. Not sure of his opinions about pre-bottling preservation or any of his elevage practices.
Berries crushing under their own weight in the fermenter sounds right and not too unexpected. Although I wonder if that would be by design, a small percentage?
RT
PS - Quite a bit written in French about Chauvet’s work.
Lapierre uses some sulfur, see http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?p=2888979#post2888979" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; post #11
(also noted in my post above)
CDP in Beaujolais usually refers to Cote de Py.
FYI, I did a small side by side tasting of some nice Bojos a while back and wrote it up here:
Random Ramblings on Food and Wine: The Battle of the Bojos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
In general, it does seem like the 2008s are coming around nicely now after being quite tight at first.
Thanks Michel. Now I wants me some “sex bomb”!!
Frank,
Thanks for the background info and graphics.
Yup, the 2008 Foillard label has gold font and a red wax capsule.
CdP=Cote du Py. Sorry for the shorthand.
I find it simutaneously gratifying and cause for concearn that Beaujolais is gaining wider respect.
I frequently tell myself I need to buy less red burgundy and more cru beaujolais. I think Im going to start listening.
I cant remember the producer off the top of my head but I bought a 2002 morgan for $10 the other day that was drinking like a nicely-aged Cote d’Or 1er.
I have long been a fan of top-notch Cru Beaujolais - and have become fascinated with some of the no-sulfur producers and the pure, natural wines they are bottling. Lapierre has always stood out for me - will always remember a bottle of the then just-released '07 Morgon with a great meal in Paris at Chez l’Ami Jean…
We’ve just started importing a great Puilly-Fuissé producer, Chateau des Rontets, who also happens to have a half-hectare of Saint-Amour - which they farm organically and produce with no SO2. Really delicious juice. We just brought in the last of the '07. Unfortunately, there will be no '08 or '09, as hail wiped out their little parcel of Saint-Amour both years…
Santé -
Scott Paul Wright
Here is a note on Jean-Paul Brun’s visit to Belgium about 18 months ago. He is my second favourite Beaujolais producer after Pierre-Marie Chermette of Vissoux.
Jean-Paul Brun – Terres Dorées
Brun is a stolid, no nonsense and no frills person who is less loquacious that most wine growers but what he says makes sense and is informed with quiet humour. The name, Terres Dorées, is derived from the colour of local soil and stone in his Southern Beaujolais area; apparently a lot of the local buildings are quite striking having been built in this golden yellow stone.
I have read comments that Brun’s wines, while excellent, do not seem to have Beaujolais typicity. They are certainly fuller of structure and flavour than the wines of the ubiquitous Georges Duboeuf but I don’t think that, blind, I would opt for any other region than Beaujolais. They are chunkier and less smooth than the wines which I recently tasted and admired from Chermette’s Domaine du Vissoux. All of them, except perhaps Cuvée Première, need more time to show at their best and are a long way from “drink before the next vintage” which many French journalists have been conditioned to believe for Beaujolais.
Beaujolais blanc 2007 (€ 9,20), made from Chardonnay, shows floral and meaty aromas, mouth-filling generosity and an unusual after-taste a touch reminiscent of glue, which Brun says is derived from the Terres Dorées terroir; 15/20. Beaujolais Cuvée Première 2007 (€ 6,70) from young vines shows prune and liqueur aromas and gluggable round fruit with grip; 15/20. Beaujolais L’Ancien 2007 (€ 8,90) from old vines is more subdued but also deeper and more complex in its aromas and the palate is more structured and intense with as yet unresolved acidity and tannins; potentially 15.5/20. Fleurie 2007 (€ 12,90) is another step up showing complex prune aromas, minerals, excellent mouth-fill and tannins; 15.5/20 with + potential. Côte de Brouilly 2006 (€ 10,40) is rounder and fruitier than the previous but still with noticeable tannins; 15.5/20 with + potential. Morgon 2007 (€ 10,90) is more discreet and closed but impressive matter; 15/20 now with ++ potential. Finally a pink sparkler, FRV 100 (€ 9,50), shows seductive fruit with cherry and strawberry notes, generosity and a marked creamy sweetness offset by good freshness; 15.5/20. (Brun is making a Pinot Noir cuvée, very unusual in the region, which was not however shown here.)
I bought some bottles of white, Côtes de Brouilly and Morgon which have all gone down the hatch many months ago. The Côtes de Brouilly’s aromatics became strangely dumb perhaps due to synthetic closures, the Morgon was really delicious in a mineral vein as was the white whose gluey after-taste receded into a nice element of complexity.
Hi Tim
Evidently Brun is part of “a small but growing number” of Beaujolais producers who are moving away from the methods of Jules Chauvet and the “Gang of Four” (carbonic maceration) toward “what they call the Burgundy method.” This makes some sense to me when the highest praise for the best Beaujolais seems to be to compare it favorably with Burgundy. Why not vinify the grapes in the same way, with de-stemming etc. Asimov Article It seems to me that this would help explain the differences you saw in Brun’s wines.
I am discouraged about what you said about Brun’s Côtes de Brouilly, having bought a few bottles. The smell of a wine is very important to me and I really don’t want to find it lacking. Well, we will see. Thanks very much for the report, and thanks for posting it here.