Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru lithograph from 1855
Note the birds in the lower section which correspond to the sites directly above
With so much thinking about the vineyards, I’ve buried my head in book after book. I had told myself that I wouldn’t open the Lavalle book unless it was for something important since the binding is nearly gone. I have recently decided to have either a new binding, such as what the Danguy et Aubertin 1892 has, or some sort of leather book holder.
As I was saying, I was to not open the book unless it was for good reason. Well, I’m finally having a website setup by a professional. And, we’ve been looking at some of these old photos in the books to be inspired. I decided it was about time to scan the lithograph of Gevrey-Chambertin from the original Lavalle book so I could stare at it longer without worrying about opening and closing the book. What is interesting in the litho is the method of identifying the vineyards. Small birds are to be found at the bottom of the page with the vineyard name next to it. If you follow in a straight line just above the bird below, you will find a bird in the depiction as well in the proper vineyard. Interesting, yet simple concept. Anyhow, please enjoy the litho.
Cheers
A few vineyard photos from today
‘How are the vineyards looking?’
I decided to take a few shots from the different vineyards sites Maison Ilan sources from. This is important not only for entertainment, but also to track the vineyards progress.
Berries are filling in, with the caps completely pushed off.
Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru 'Les Chaffots'
Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 'Aux Charmes'
Le Chambertin Grand Cru
Enjoy the pics!
Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru ‘Les Chaffots’: A few recent photos
Looking down the hill of Les Chaffots towards Clos Saint Denis
Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru ‘Les Chaffots’ is the only premier cru vineyard that I currently source from. It’s location is quite interesting as it is just above Clos Saint Denis and just above and to the left of Clos de la Roche, both Grand Crus. Part of the current Clos Saint Denis was actually at one time Les Chaffots. At just over 25-30 years for the vine age, these vines are also the youngest that I currently source from. The terrain here is the most littered with limestone of the three as well. The quality of fruit here speaks for itself when tasting the wines. I’m very excited to continue working with this fruit. Just two weeks ago, we visited the vineyard and I took a few shots.
Enjoy!
Painting, gardening and just a bit of winemaking
Well, the winemaking side of things are taking care of themselves. The malos are moving well. Le Chambertin, which was the last to be picked and the last to start and finish primary has been doing very well on the malo and is almost finished. The malo on the two other cuvées have been bubbling away but haven’t budged numerically speaking. No worries either way, as long as they are healthy and tasting as they should.
*Note that the Morey Saint Denis is Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru ‘Les Chaffots’ (a much longer name)
Besides checking the wine through analysis, I’ve been busy with a bunch of things. Setting up the cable, phone service, tearing into the massive garden in our courtyard (which will double as the are for processing fruit during harvest), and painting have been major tasks. They’ve all been fun though. Really, I’m serious. Going from an empty house in Burgundy to changing over a garage to a cuverie, filling up a very old cave with your wine, getting your refrigerator together along with beds is major. Everything I tinker on just makes me so happy and my wife and daughter seem to be enjoying my handywork…though my painting can use a lot of practice. 
Today, it’s raining, so there will be a small break in the paint workshop. I still have a lot of painting to do. Hopefully the rain will let up tomorrow so I can get back to work. There is a fair amount of 1950′s green on the walls which I am in a hurry to whiten up.
The garden is coming along as well. There were weeds much taller than me, at around 7 feet tall. All of these were ripped out by hand as I didn’t have the proper tools to fit the timing of my increasing impatience. I also cleared out a nice strawberry patch as it had decided to run wild throughout the garden. Sad to see them go, but I’ll plant more soon. Next, I bought some trees. Clementine Mandarins, Lemon, Pear, Cherries and a few herbs. Today a friend and I were set to roto-till the garden and plant some grass (between painting, of course) but the rain pushed the plans until another day.
Thankfully through all of this my wife has been watching Isabella, our daughter while I ran around getting things done. Isabella even helped pick some weeds with me, dandelion by dandelion. She’s much more precise than I am. Hopefully she is free during harvest.
Cheers
Life in Burgundy
How long have I been wanting to write this entry? Words cannot do justice to the way this feels. Saying ‘let’s go home’ and meaning Nuits-Saint-Georges in a real bell ringer and something that has actually kept me up at night thinking about. Before leaving to Burgundy from Northern California, I often thought about what this would feel like. I’m not quite sure that it matches up with how I thought it may be. Its all a bit more….real.
So, how is life in France? Things are going well. I’m sitting here and thinking about the calmness of it all. There is indeed a different pace to it all out here that really meshes with my personality. Not my California personality, my new French personality which is much more patient, into nature and a glass of wine at lunch.
Yesterday, I spoke with a friend who asked me to ask my wife if things felt comfortable in France, if things felt ‘right’. The response from my wife made me realize further that we made the right decision. Sure, the wine is tasting great -why shouldn’t it – but the goal is to be happy, right? And, hearing that my wife is happy just means the world to me. To see my daughter smiling as she rides the carousel in Beaune really means a lot to me. I want both, you know. The dream and the practical life. Greedy? Sure. But, I am quite thankful to have it this way. I know it is a blessing, and I intend to make the most out of it.
Moving forward, life in Burgundy has been much much more than just drinking wine, cheeses, beautiful landscapes and great food. Well, maybe just a bit more. As it turns out, there isn’t too much difference in life in Burgundy (so far) versus life in California. For example, there are movie theaters, McDonald’s (can’t eat it in either place for too long), bad drivers, too many tourists (not me!), nothing on cable, poor cell phone coverage, expensive gas (gazoil) and there are so many places that are within a two hours drive or train ride.
Alright, honestly, things may be a bit different. The movie theater in Nuits has just one movie playing. If something is playing, you better go quickly. There is usually just one showing a day. Sex and the City just replaced Prince of Persia and I’m not too thrilled about that at all. Next, shopping carts here are crazy. They have no locked back wheels so each wheel spins completely. Sounds like its not a big deal until you try to steer one. Next, everything is closed on Sundays, or whenever the owner doesn’t wish to have a shop open. This is fun when you drive an hour to go somewhere and the place is closed. Don’t complain, this is France! Next, speed cameras on the freeway bite into some of the fun which I had when I was younger and more Californian.
Not all is lost, wifi is fast, food can be cheap, television can be free (aside from bonus subscriptions), people care about saying hello, the air is fresh, there are always sales at the supermarket, meats, cheeses and pastries are to be found everywhere and life here is much easier for families. There are countless things that have stood out as reasons why I know things will continue to go well here in Burgundy. All in all. I am just happy that my family is happy and that the wines are steadily advancing. Playing out the realities of one’s dreams can never be too hard on your spirits. This is something that occurred to me while I was struggling to pull up a massive tree in my garden last weekend. The work towards something you believe in can never be in vain. Knowing this puts a great deal of things into perspective for me.
Well, with my wifi now up and running I will be sure to post more updates.
Cheers!
Arriving home, in Burgundy
Pulling up to our home in Nuits-Saint-Georges, we spoke about what we wanted to get done first in the house. Beds, fridge, stove….electricity needs to be put back on – turned off while away. Well, these are the things that logical people think about, my wife is a logical person – thankfully one of us is.
Well, I just kept thinking of oak and fermentations. The smell of it really. I couldn’t wait to smell the cave. When I left after moving the barrels from Saint Aubin the cave smelled of…cave. Just days before, my cave had been filled with nothing but broken bricks, pebbles and dirt.
Opening up the cave doors in the pitch dark night was really an experience. I used my phone for light. Upon opening a cool draft coming from the cave brought a smile to my face. It had been seriously hot that day and having a cool cave was quite welcome.
Walking in I noticed the smells. Beautiful! The cave now smells like home. Things were still tidy, but I’m sure I’ll have much to tinker with. I later remarked to my wife that it now smells like a real winery. She actually looked surprised and replied that it is a real winery. I’m not sure how to describe that moment, but I can tell I will remember it for the rest of my life.
Cheers!
Anxious much?
Right. Six more days to go, and we will be in a plane heading towards our new home in France. New as in new to us. In fact, the house is several hundreds of years old. And, the wine has been resting there since January, moved in during a few weeks of snowfall. In just a few short hours, our container arrives in front of our place in Novato, California. After just a few short days of filling, it will be picked back up on Monday and sent off to France. Fast forward 4-6 weeks (still can’t believe it takes that long) and our furniture and other belongings will be in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Oh, forgot one thing. The 20 foot container arrives in La Havre port and I will most likely pick up the contents with the help of a friend using two moving trucks. There are other options, but this should be interesting if not a pain in the ass that may turn into a good story I can tell when I am much older.
Crazy. And, with the amount of time remaining in California seeming to disappear I have started to do a California bucket list. Last night: sushi and pinot noir. Watching an IMAX film is on there as well. Hopefully a suitable movie (read: Not Freddy) will come up so we can experience IMAX again before leaving. There are a few other things, we like Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. I’ll be going to NikeTown to buy some nice basketball shoes (for a change) since I intend to play a bunch of basketball in France with my friend Jean-François Rateau who is more – ahem – mature than me and much more fit, sadly. Anyhow, what has occurred to me is that my California bucket list is pretty short. I’ve done a lot here, had a lot of fun. Yet not much comes up as things I just need to do one last time, or as something I have yet to do here. Alright, I will admit, I did plan to take Christian, my wife (closet Cab lover) to Napa for the third time. Oops, with just weekend left, can’t do that one.
Well, at this point, I can’t really guess at to how much all of our lives will be affected and I am quite enjoying the suspense.
UPDATE: The container needs to be exchanged. Seems someone moved a car in the container and the car had a bad oil leak. The oil is roughly 4 feet across and the fumes are blowing like crazy!
This should be fun.
Cheers!
Is time flying again?
Time flies right? Well, for me it has dragged terribly at certain times. The days before first heading to Burgundy, waiting to hear back on fruit sources, and most recently I would have said waiting to move to France. As it turns out, I have seen yet another stage which truly shows my inaccuracy as time has indeed flown by…even if it did so quietly.
The last month or so has been a quiet busy. There was no rushing about, no constant checking my watch or worrying about days disappearing. I looked on towards May, it felt so distant. Now, we are in the thick of it. Boxes have been crammed full (‘yes, honey…I packed them carefully’) and shoved away into oblivion. Did I really tell someone not two weeks ago that moving isn’t all that bad? I really should keep more of my thoughts to myself. Meanwhile, the juggling act continues. Infant daughter in one hand, packing tape in the other, things have managed to fall – or get crammed – into their proper place.
With time running out, I have embraced my (not so) hidden excitement. It truly is an odd thing starting a winery on the other side of the globe and simply leaving, only returning to check in with topping up here and there. Having a friend who is an oenologist working at an analysis lab is quite valuable in this situation. Rest assured, the wines have been well looked after. Back to my last thought. It is quite a feeling to leave something you have worked so hard on. As it is, it has probably been best this way. I am the type that goes to the cave to eat lunch by the barrel to ease my obsessions. It doesn’t work by the way. Once the wine is in barrel, you wait…and check, and wait some more until you can’t stand it…and then you wait until you almost forget the wine is actually meant to be placed into a bottle and enjoyed.
Well, having endured the months of flying to and from France while having the wines cozy beneath our vacant house in Nuits-Saint-Geoerges, we are finally about to move permanently from California. No exclamation point needed. I’m a bit too tired to make use of it anyhow. With just under two weeks remaining we are trying to say farewell to family and friends and really making it a point to enjoy what little time we have left in the US. Bitter sweet? Nah, wouldn’t go that far. But it certainly is quite the feeling to leave behind everything that you know.
Well, back to work….
Cheers!
Excuse my French
With our date of departure quickly approaching, I’ve been trying to set aside more time for studying French. I have to admit that the language is getting easier and more interesting as things move along. Just 14 months ago, I knew only ‘bonjour’ and a bit of the usual ramblings someone makes when imitating the French language. Funny thing, I think all of that fake French imitating I did actually paid off in improving my accent. Who knows. Anyhow, since a few of my friends are more interested in my taking on French as opposed to the ‘whole wine thing’ I’ve decided to share a few of the things I did to improve my French. The first thing to remember is to not excuse your French along the way!
I started with Pimsleur audio cds which I rented from the library. I also bought a few French text books. While I knew almost nothing of the lessons which accompanied them, it was interesting to see what someone else would see while sitting in an actual room, taking a proper course of study. Next, I went to livemocha.com. This site is excellent! There is a strong community of people around the world that are both learning as you are, and a good many that are generous enough to offer free help in their native language…the one you are learning. I found that there course outline of word/picture association was quite similar to Rosetta Stone. I didn’t wish to spend for RS so LiveMocha was a big help.
At this time, I noticed that I could hear a pattern in French, a rhythm if you will. When you notice this for yourself, it is easier to keep up with the sounds which are forming words when someone is speaking. Also, if you practice this rhythm yourself, native speakers will be able to understand you better. I have found that when a non-native speaker is speaking French it isn’t just accent which can through off communication. If your rhythm is off, it can be quite difficult for the other person to understand you. With this in mind, I subscribed to TV5 Monde, a French Cable station through Comcast Cable. Seeing the body language and specific gesturing which went into French was endlessly helpful. After this, I bought a few more French books, French for Dummies, etc. Also, I bought an Instant Immersion book and set of audio cds which allowed me to learn by reading while having something to listen to as well.
After this, I subscribed to Netflix to watch a bunch of French movies. I would toggle the subtitles off/on to see how much I could pick up without the subtitles on, rewinding and having the subtitles on to check to see if I was simply full of it. Most of the time, yup, I was full of it, and completely wrong. But, who was to know? I just found out Why I was wrong and went about getting better. Hearing all of these different voices in French allowed me to be able to understand a good many styles of speaking French as well as affording me the ability to be able to switch gears when someone spoke differently than myself. Shortly after, I bought a bunch of old French wine books so I could speak ‘wine French’. Tools, methods, observations, etc are easier to speak about when you are using the specific words for that context.
Finally, Rosetta Stone. Worth the money? Sure. But, I would suggest that this software is best used along with some of the other material to make sure you have a solid foundation for spelling, grammar, etc. Throughout learning, I was never shy about using 110% of the French I knew. Meaning, I would guess at some words I would assume would follow the pattern. In a lot of situations, it worked wonderfully. Others…not so much. But, people were always very friendly helping me along with a smile and the proper way to get my words out in the right order. Many times, the person I was speaking with would ask me how to say something in English (asking in French) and the word was written exactly the same and only pronounced just a bit differently than we would say it in English.
All in all, it is amazing at times when it occurs to me just how much French is in English and indeed how much English is in French.
Alright then, back to studying for me.
Cheers!
2010 pre-Harvest walkthrough
Lately I have been thinking about 2010′s Harvest. What to expect, what is confirmed, what is needed to be ready, what changes will be made and how to do things more efficiently. Looking at 2009′s Harvest, so many things just went right. When the growing season is slow and non-eventful it is quite easy to juggle things. And, who knows, if I kept things as I did in 2009, things may still just work out great again. Though the way I see it, feeling confident is one thing, being prepared is far better.
A few changes will begin to take place in 2010. We will of course make the wines in Nuits-Saint-Georges, where we will live. The fruit sources from 2009 will stay under our control. Le Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin and Morey Saint Denis – Les Chaffots will be with us for a good many vintages to come. Think decades.
Also, I am officially on the hunt for some Chambolle-Musigny and some Vosne-Romanée fruit (1er Cru) along with more Gevrey-Chambertin (either 1er Cru or Grand Cru). Don’t get too excited….many others are as well. Still, wish me luck. The garage…I mean cuverie will be set up with mostly to exclusively wooden fermenters. Also, barrels are being set up for this year, all 1 year used oak, same cooper, same forest, same toast level, hopefully same impact on the wines creating an level starting point to show the individuality of each site. That’s right, I won’t be buying any new wood this year. As for leveling the playing field, I felt this option better than 100% new oak across the line. 1 year used oak still has a surprising amount of oak influence (taste, texture, grip, etc). I am also looking at changing the way I buy fruit from weight purchases (actually we use the amount of grapes in kg to produce 1 barrel of grapes) to hopefully buying fruit by maximum hectare yield. This allows me to drop fruit to my preferences while ensuring the owner that they will receive top dollar for their vineyards production.
Well, back to work.
Cheers
2009 Futures Release and Concept Label
Hello,
things have been really busy the last few days…in a very good way. On March 2nd, I launched the 2009 Futures Release and the amount of support for both incoming orders and new mailing list members has really been unbelievable. This is all seriously humbling. As much as I would like to come up for a gasp of fresh air, I know its best to keep my head down and continue working. This is just the beginning after all!
As a side note, I have received a few emails about the label design. So, here is a bit of a sneak peek at the label for Le Chambertin. The other bottlings will not have photos.
Hope you enjoy it!
Cheers!
A few updates – malos, labels and 2009 Futures…and moving
Its been quite some time since I last posted. In fact, this is the first February posting.
While away from Burgundy, I have a good friend, Charles, topping up the wines as well as running analysis. He is works with an analysis company in Beaune. Thankfully, my malos have yet to start, as I had hoped. My thinking is that a wine with a much longer malo will have more depth and ‘completeness’ as compared to one with a quick malo. My cold cave is doing a knockout job in keeping things arrested.
I have been doing a lot of work putting together the labels. In the scheme of things, this shouldn’t be something to dwell upon. No one tastes the label. However, I understand all too well the importance of brand identity and all that comes along with it. At the same time, I generally think that after a certain amount of time working and reworking something, you in fact begin to tear away at the positive attributes as well as losing some intangible ‘magic’. With this in mind, the label will be finished out soon.
2009 Maison Ilan Futures will be offered soon! With a small production of below 290 cases, and wine being sold in other countries, the amount I am releasing through Futures will be around 30% of the production to only those on the Mailing List. The plan is to eventually sell as much wine as possible going direct to consumer to save costs and passing this along to Mailing List clients, while not selling to stores or other distribution channels.
Last thing. We are looking at April-July for our move to our house in Burgundy! Soon we will be saying goodbye to California.
Thank you again to everyone for the support!
Cheers,
Ray
The perspective of age
A winemaker friend of mine likes to mention the perspective of age. The use of the phrase ‘traditional winemaking’, for example, takes on much more meaning – and depth – when the window of time considered stretches back several hundreds or even a thousand years. ‘Old methods’, ‘ancient techniques’, etc. When we speak about these terms, often the window takes into account a rolling 50 years, 100 years, possibly more. Its important for me to keep a wider window of time in mind for my personal perspective of things.
With that in mind, I have been quite curious about the age of things around me. In the U.S., here in Burgundy, etcetra. Buildings, common objects (often discarded from a different time), wine making techniques/methods, agreed upon theories thought to be knowledge that have since changed, at times reverting back to a previous chain of how things were done many years ago.
The perspective of age and the objects from a different time are of great interest to me. In fact, this has had a large influence on how I view Burgundy and France in general. It’s a romantic notion, sure. However, in Burgundy, I find a chain of methods, of technique which pull back into a concept of ‘tradition’ that intrigues me immensly.
I have wondered recently about the age of the cave below the house since first viewing it. As I mentioned in another post, there is a door inside the cave sealing off the barrel room. There are no markings inside the cave to hint at the age of the cave. I do know that existing homes in the area have caves which well outdate the house. When a house was rebuilt, the cave would still be left intact.
The wooden door is the youngest item in the cave. I figured it went back maybe to the 1930′s. There was a key which is well rusted (yet functioning) that I wanted replaced. The locksmiths commonly can replace keys dating back to the 1800′s, often consulting a catalogue with 1:1 scale illustrations for reordering. As it turns out, the key is atleast 200 years old, possibly as old as 250. Long story short, the dimensions of the key aren’t in the catalogue (the key is too old) and in the event that it had been, the replacements run upwards of 100€. I think I’ll keep my old key and look for a way to restore it rather than find a replacement.
I know this story is a departure from other posts. However, I thought it may provide an ounce of interest.
Cheers!
At home in Nuits-Saint-Georges
We’ve been in Burgundy now for four days and things have been going exceptionally well. My wife Christian took quite well to the house, our new surroundings and thank God she loved the wine I made!
I would be remiss in not mentioning how happy I am that things are finally settled with the house, cuverie and cave. Throughout the year, I experienced disappointment after disappointment when it came to getting the location figured out. Unsigned contracts by owners who changed their minds, slow administrative processes, impossible requests from customs to make certain locations work, etcetra. I stayed focused and humble and it has paid off with dividends. Getting the keys this week has been quite momentous. For me, the dream has effectively been realized. Now the real work may begin.
Living in a new country is a strange thing. More specifically, going home to your house in a new country is a strange thing. It’s all very…comfortable. I had to admit that I am taken aback by just how comfortable it all is.
Walking down the street in Nuits, I’ve reintroduced myself to charcutrie owners, bakers, cafe owners, etcetra to let them know they have a new neighbor. It is important to let our neighbors know that we aren’t simply passing through. People have been very kind in expressing a warm welcome for us.
Coming from California and seeing snow outside our windows in Nuits this morning was beautiful. Thankfully, we have a nice amount of shops, stores and other points of interest close to us as well. There are a few changes to the house that are on the books once the weather heats up. For the moment, I cannot help but feel confident and excited about what will unfold next…
Cheers
Happy New Year’s! (year in photos)
Just an hour and a half away from New Year’s 2010 and I wanted to express a sincere ‘thank you’ to everyone that has been supportive in making 2009 such an amazing year for my family and the winery, Maison Ilan. Without support, who knows where this winery would be.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year’s and look forward to keeping in touch in 2010.
Please enjoy some of our photos from a very special year for us, 2009.
Cheers!
Burgundy Book: Les Grand Crus de Bourgogne, vus de ciel
I just wanted to put up some info on a coffee table book that I have enjoyed quite a bit. This book, Les Grand Cru de Bourgogne, vus de ciel (seen from the sky) is of course filled with beautiful photographs of Burgundy and some nice summaries along with a few dashes of history thrown in. What I like is that it puts a different visual to Burgundy than is the norm. Typically, you see that horizontal map of the Cote d’Or, trying to imagine the terrain and topography differences. This book adds vibrant life to the beautiful layout of Burgundy which I think is rewarding for anyone interested in Burgundy or vineyards in general. Sure, you can get an idea from google Earth. However, the photos in this book are far more detailed as they were taken from helicopters.
Enjoy…
Cheers
Topping up 09′s
As a few have noticed from reading this blog, I’ve tried to use older (hopefully beneficial)methods when I happen upon them. Keeping this in mind, the method I use for topping up is one of my favorite as it is so relaxing and simple. The slow pouring using a filling wand has never really been a strong suit of mine. What I now use is a flower waterer. Filling up the waterer is easy, gaining access from the bottom of the stainless steel tank with my topping up wine. Just a few precise pours, and it is all done. It’s amazing how much control you get from them, and I find it incredibly relaxing topping up in this manner.
Planning for the move to Nuits-Saint-Georges
On a cold day such as this one in California, I can’t help but think about Burgundy. The wine. The weather. The food. It just keeps going in and out of my thoughts. With such a big change coming up with the move(s), I’ve tried to pull back my excitement and let some time pass. As with most things, time has decided against this plan.
With just a few weeks until we are back in Burgundy, moving the wine (Full wine barrels!) to Nuits-Saint-Georges I have been focusing on a technical issue. Put simply, my full barrels of wine need to be placed below the house in the vaulted cave. The punchline? The only access to the cave is going down 10 stairs. This may seem like such a small detail, however, the prospect of dropping a full barrel of wine gives me the instant hollowing sensation in my stomach.
Traditionally, wine barrels were able to be moved down stairs using a rope and hook system which was anchored by two huge holes bored into the top of the stairs in the entry of a cave. There used to be a name for people that provided this service. It seems clear that others have figured out that no matter who is manning the rope system, its a potentially financially painful situation. Keeping this in mind, I’ve decided to take a different approach.
I will place an empty barrel in the cave and siphon (using gravity)a full barrel at the top of the stairs, in the cave entrance. Moving an empty barrel down to replace the now full barrel in the cave as the next to be filled. This seems to be the most practical way of doing this. Next harvest, I will simply fill the barrels in the cave using gravity and bypass the whole barrel siphoning step. I will also be filling the cave with gravel over the existing dirt. Should be fun.
Cave entrance (note holes)
Cave (larger than shown)
Bottle Storage Section of Cave
Cave. A bit rough currently. I will be adding gravel in January.
Cycle of planning continues
With my first harvest in Burgundy behind me, I’m currently looking ahead to 2010. As well as things went in 2009, there are many areas for improvement, mistakes to learn from, and shifts which are in the development stage.
Starting in January 2010, the facility in Nuits Saint George will be ready for holding my 2009 barrels. I’ll begin preparation of the cuverie area for harvest 2010 in January as well.
As for barrels, I’m planning on using a bit less new oak. For 2009, around 30% of my oak was new. I will be dropping my target number to 15% (possibly 0%) moving forward, while allowing for small changes based upon production numbers and vintage profiles. Obviously, a 2.5 barrel production wine such as Le Chambertin will be impossible to fit in this box.
The plan is to purchase a small amount of new barrels each year, and placing other old barrels which were purchased used out of commission when possible. Eventually, all of the used barrels in use would have been purchased new by Maison Ilan at some point. This is a big deal when used barrels are purchased without knowing 100% the full history of the barrel.
Also, I will be moving toward using all open top wooden fermenters. The stainless steel tanks will be phased out. My thoughts are based on the goal of having uniform fermentation vessels. The possible benefits (aromatics, longer fermentation times, less heat retention) to using this more traditional vessel outweigh the ease of use benefits of stainless steel, for my intended uses.
I’ve been thinking about winery choices quite a bit lately. With such a terroir based region, I have been trying to furthering the intention of treating each lot the same. The goal is to have the difference of the terroir be highlighted, instead of differences in oak selection such as oak age, cooperage, toast levels, pigeage regime, maceration targets, etc. With the differences in production numbers, having percentage of new oak used is (and has been) the difficult issue. The only ways to match the numbers is to go 100% or 0% (the latter is a strong option) new oak on everything across the board. I can’t see either as feasible at present.
In January, I plan to do make a choice on who to use as my sole Cooper (producer of barrels). I am leaning towards François Freres at the moment, however I am considering staying with Chassin.
My sorting table will again consist of a huge piece of laminate-topped wood. I am also on the hunt for an old wooden vertical press similar to the model I used for 2009.
More updates to follow.
Thanks again for viewing.
Cheers!
Much to learn in the cuverie
While in California, I had one of friends topping up my barrels. Due to some residual gas from primary, the barrels gave off the impression of malolactic fermentation starting up. This was last month. I made a post about it, glad that things were moving along. My preference was for a slow malolactic, but with so many other’s wines taking off, I believed mine were following suit.
2009 is proving to be an interesting year. Sure, I’ve read the hype from what people are tasting of the vintage. One of the generalities of the vintage are rapid malos, a good of them complete at present.
Tasting my own wines, I was fooled. Residual gas was present when pulling the bung off, and the taste seemed right.
Knowing the importance of wine health, I decided to get a analysis to be sure. Results in hand, I can say that not only has the malolactic fermentation not finished, it has yet to begin! While being correct in thinking the malo was comete would mean that I could rest easy knowing that all was finished, it is actually my preference to have this result that I was in fact wrong. A longer fermentation is my preference. And as it turns out many other who took samples in for analysis were also met with this great news after thinking there wines were following in the lines of the others having the malo finished.
What I take from this is to never hesitate in confirming your instincts with facts, never assume about your wines based on what others are reporting and when in doubt…ask.
I will stick with my decision to let the wine take it’s time. From looking at the analysis provided by the guys at Bouchard Analysis in Beaune, the wine is looking healthy while it sleeps.
That’s all for now…
Cheers
Patience in the cuverie
Out of all the traits which I aspire to, patience has been the most difficult for me to achieve. I’m naturally impatient, enjoying the thrill of tinkering and seeing results in real time. Slowly but surely, I’m being forced to come to grips with the truth of it all. I simply have to be more patient and trust what is in the barrel.
I have to confess that after taking in the grapes this year and working through the vinifications, I have felt a bit, well, left out. Seeing the appellations on the barrels, I keep thinking about how they ‘should’ and may taste when the elevage is finished. It’s a tortuous feeling. And all you can do is wait.
Since early on, the profile of the fermenting juice tasted different each day. The same was true after the primary fermentation was finished. All too often, having tasted the wine every other day, sometimes feeling unsure one moment and the next confident. Once in barrel, I’ve tried to lay off, backing away and letting the wines be what they will be.
That’s all for tonight…
Cheers
Back to the roots
Following up to some ideas I had before arriving in Burgundy, I will be back in the vineyards in 2010, during Our winery’s down time. There is a great benefit to being a negociant in Burgundy. Less intensive capital needs, ability to pick and choose fruit, etc. However, I believe that there is a connection to the vines when you work within them that somehow aligns both fruit and man that can be somehow lost by simply staying within the walls of a cuverie without stepping out and getting your hands in the soil.
A few days ago I posed the question to my source in Morey Saint Denis if I could spend some time in the Les Chaffots 1er Cru vineyard and others to experience first hand what this vineyard feels like on a more intimate level. I’m not talking about a one hour photo op here. I will be just another hand working the vines. As connected as I feel with my wines, I know there is a benefit to be found in knowing your sources personally. Hopefully this will prove to be valuable experience for when I have my own vineyards here as well…
Cheers
An outside view to the Hospice de Beaune
People were in the streets watching the auction until quite late at night. I had no idea what to expect. But this is really an important time of celebration for a good many people. The streets were filled with carnival food like fare…French style of course. Cheeses, sausage, chicken, pizzas, tarts, hot dogs, kebabs, and pretty much all the food that is there during the Saturday market. The covered market was filled with auction goers and the crowd looking into the large windows was massive.
I did not visit inside as I had no intention of purchasing lots, and also arriving in Beaune just yesterday at noon. Peeking into the large windows to view the auction was easy if you didn’t mind being huddled in with the growing collection of onlookers scrambling to look over one another to get the best views of the lot monitor, the aution caller or the bid board. Meanwhile, at the foot of the Hotel Dieu, and throughout Place Carnot speakers were positioned in a way that all points around the area centre could hear the lot names and the bids as they were announced by the host.
The food was great. I spent more time going vendor to vendor sampling everything I could get my hands on while bumping into many friends caught taking in the local fare as well. The light shows were a hit as well. The church was lit up with a light show accenting each detail and curve while the walls of te Hotel Dieu played lightshows with angels with harps and other designs. From the outside walls of the centre, huge shows were plays with wine themes displaying views of cellars and ancient designs unique to Burgundy. It was a site seeing everyone there, frozen in interest, fighting the cold to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of this event. It was much more an inviting event than I expected.
Beaune us such a beautiful city, especially by night. From coming to the city, fresh from the train, (before that the 3 airplanes I took) it was well refreshing to just relax while just taking everything in.
I also did a bit of work. Well, I went to the winery to check in on the wines, which are moving right along. What a way to end my first night back.
Cheers!
Off to Burgundy
After being back in California for just 3 weeks I am leaving to go back to Burgundy tomorrow. I have a 7:45a flight into Paris.
Things have been nice being back in California. Seeing my family, playing with my daughter. Its unexplainable how much I missed my wife and daughter. The thing is, the winemaking isn’t quite over and it’s time to get back to business.
I’ve had a good friend, one of my grape brokers topping up my barrels since I was away. The wines were located in a temporary above ground facility in Saint Aubin while I set up my own facility. This upcoming week, I will be moving the wines to my facility in the center of Nuits Saint Georges. No more winery partners sharing space, just Maison Ilan. The facility also has a nice house attached where we will live starting next year.
Being so far from the wines has made me a bit nervous, impatient and now quite excited to get back to see them.
For now, it’s back to packing. I should make it to Burgundy just in time for the Hospice de Beaune vente de vin this Sunday.
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers
