Chateau La Tour Figeac

The history of Chateau La Tour Figeac begisn with Figeac, one of the two grand chateaux in St-Emilion, with the other being Cheval-Blanc. It started when the Ducasse family acquired a portion of the property in 1832, and a portion was again sold to a gentleman called Corbiere, who acquired a 37 hectare plot in 1879.

Two years later he divided it into two, half keeping for himself, which is La Tour Figeac, and the rest selling off, which became La-Tour-du-Pin-Figeac. Approximately one hundred years later, in 1973 it was sold by then proprietor Francois Rapin to the Rettenmaiers, a family from Heilbronn in Germany, with the heir Maximilian started managing the estate since 1994.

He was assisted by a technical director named Christine Derenoncourt, from the same family of the famous oenologist Stephane, as well as Francois Bouchet on biodynamics matters. Today Christine stepped back as a consultant, with the cellar now in charge by Caroline Guillier.

The vineyards comprise 14.5 hectares, about one-quarter closest to Cheval Blanc and possessing the valuable gravel terroir which gives the region of Graves-St-Emilion its name. As one moves across the vineyard there is increasing proportion of sand and loam.

The vines are predominantly Merlot which accounts for 60% and the rest being Cabernet Franc, with average vine age of 35 years. The vines are planted at 6500 vines per hectare, benefit from some recently installed drainage. The vines are grown using biodynamic way, with no chemical pesticide or treatments of any sort, and only biodynamically raised manure.

Yields are typically held at 40 hl/ha by pruning, bunch-thinning and green-harvesting. The grapes are harvested by hand, and there is a mix of pumping over and punching down to submerge the cap in the wood vats, for maceration and increase extraction. The wine is then fed into oak barrels which may be 100% new in some vintages, to rest for up to 18 months for the grand vin Chateau La Tour Figeac, of about 3300 cases.

The second wine L’Esquisse de La Tour Figeac would see 12 months in oak, with production about 1250 cases. The former is generally dominated by Merlot of about 60-80% of the blend, whereas the latter is more variable on vintage. No fining is done, although the wine may be filtered before bottling if deemed necessary.

I have recently tasted the 2008 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium ruby color, with garnet rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium intensity aromas of black fruit of plum and dark cherries, dried fruit of prune, kernel notes of chocolate, pungent spice of licorice, oak notes of cedar, hints of maturity notes of game. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium tannin which is ripe and well-integrated, with medium alcohol. The wine has medium (+) body and medium intensity of black fruit such as plum, blackberry and dark cherries, oak notes of cedar, some herbal notes of mint, kernel notes of coffee. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Good quality St-Emilion showing some typical characters of the region, this wine has a reasonable intensity on the nose, with decent complexity though not particularly interesting. On the palate its tannin is ripe and integrated, plummy but got a bit of herbal notes maybe showing the less than ideal vintage, with a reasonable length on the finish. It is ready to drink now and not supposed to be further aged. 

Wineshark Home Cooking - 37. Pork Loin Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pork loin - 1 lb 8 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Flour - 1 oz
• Egg - 1
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Green peppercorn - 2 tbsp
• French mustard - 1 tsp
• Dry white wine - 2 tbsp
• Whipping cream - 8 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Corn starch - 1/2 tsp
• Water - 1 tsp
• Spring onion - 1 tbsp

Procedures:

1. Cut the pork loin in thin slices. Marinate with salt and pepper.

2. Coat with flour then egg, and pan fry till golden brown on both sides. Keep warm.

3. Use butter to saute the green peppercorn, using the spoon to crush.

4. Add French mustard and then white wine, then add whipping cream.

5. Season with salt and cook for a short while, then add the corn starch with water. Finally add the diced spring onion.

6. Put the sauce on the pork loin.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 36. Pasta Coriander Pecan Pesto

Ingredients (for 4):

• Chopped fresh coriander - 1/2 cup
• Coriander roots and stems - 1 tbsp
• Fresh basil leaves - 1/3 cup
• Pint nut toasted - 1 tbsp
• Chopped pecans toasted - 1/3 cup
• Grated Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
• Olive oil - 125 ml
• Garlic crushed - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Toast the pint nuts and pecan on low heat till fragrant.

2. Blend the ingredients together to make the pesto.

3. Cook the spaghetti.

4. Add the pesto sauce to the cooked spaghetti and stir well.

5. Season with salt.

Chateau Grand Mayne

Originally a grand manor, the buildings of referred as Chateau Grand Mayne date from the latter years of 15^th and 16^th century. Some of the earliest records showed the owners were the Laveau family, who were certainly in residence by the 17^th century.

Under the tenure of Jacques Laveau the estate amounted to 136 hectares of which 30 hectares were dedicated to vines. His son Jean made his mark on the estate and in 1811 purchased the nearby Chateau Soutard to increase his dominion to 250 hectares of which 62 hectares were vines, earning him the name as the Prince of the Libourne Vines.

With the introduction of Napoleon’s inheritance laws, however, the estate was eventually broken up. The heart of the property, amounting to just 21 hectares, was to become what today is Grand Mayne. The property was passed to the Puchaud family, and then in 1893 the Massip family, followed by the Termes-Dubroca, Briloin and Chavaroche families.

It ended up in the ownership of Noel Berbudeau in 1922, and the current owner Jean Nony arrived in the scene by 1934. Jean acquired the estate at a favorable price, due to the economic depression of the era, and managed the estate single-handed until 1977, when his son Jean-Pierre Nony took the reins.

With his death in 2001, his widow Marie-Francoise Nony was put in charge, assisted by her sons Jean Antoine and Damien. It lies to the west of St-Emilion, at the foot of the plateau, with clay and limestone on southwest facing slopes, and a few vines on sandy soils at the base.

There are 19 hectares of vines of which 17 hectares are in a single block which qualify for the Grand Cru Classe classification. The vines are dominated by Merlot of 76%, with 13% Cabernet Franc and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, planted at a density of 5500 vines per hectare, at average age of 30 years.

The vines are interplanted with grass to compete with the vines and encourage the roots to dig deep for nutrients and water. Green harvest is done in summer months to help control yields, typically at 35 hl/ha. Once harvested by hand, the fruit is destemmed at the chai before fermentation in a mix of temperature controlled steel vats and wooden vats.

The fruit is macerated for up to four weeks, and then transferred to barrels of which 80-100% are new. The wines complete malolactic fermentation in the wood, where it rests up to 24 months. It is then bottled without fining or filtration. The grand vin is Chateau Grand Mayne and a second wine Les Plantes de Mayne is also produced, much of which is sourced from the 2 hectares plot.

I have recently tasted the 2008 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with garnet rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of black fruit of plum and dark cherries, pungent spice of licorice, oak notes of cedar and vanilla, dairy notes of butter, kernel notes of chocolate, maturity notes of forest floor. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium tannin which is a ripe and well-integrated. With medium (+) alcohol and medium body, it has medium flavors of black fruit of plum and dark cherries, oak notes of cedar, sweet spice of cloves, dairy notes of cream, kernel notes of chocolate. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality St-Emilion, with an intense and complex nose showing a good range of fruit, oak and development characters, the wine is elegant yet having robust structure, demonstrating the typical regional style on a higher level, with a fair concentration on palate and a decent length on the finish. Overall it is a wine I found surprisingly good despite its relative obscurity, and in a better vintage it would definitely worth looking out for.

Chateau Marquis d'Alesme Becker

In 1585 Marquis d’Alesme Becker set up the estate and viticulture quickly followed, with records showing in 1616 the wines were already in the marketplace. Following the death of the marquis the estate was run by his widow, with a string of different owners throughout the years.

In the 1855 classification the estate was ranked a third growth so despite in recent years the estate was rather low-key, one must remember during those times the price was reflecting the quality level. The estate was constructed in 1859, again a reflection of the good financial status then.

By the 20^th century however the estate floundered, due to the succession of phylloxera, oidium, economic depression and then the two world wars. The property came to the ownership of Jean-Jules Theophile Chaix-d’Est-Ange, a lawyer of great reputation, who also inherited Chateau Lascombes from his father.

His intention was to integrate the two estates, but he died before achieving that in 1923. His successor, the adopted Comte Emmanuel du Bourg du Bazas, sold the estate to WH Chaplin & Co, an English firm that already acquired Malescot St-Exupery.

Neither properties saw any real investment during the Chaplin years, until the Zuger brothers came into the scene, purchasing the estate in the mid-20^th century. The estate remained under the Zuger family for half a century, passing from Paul Zuger who died in 1981, to Claude Zuger, his son.

Malescot was passed to his other son Roger, with considerable improvement in the last decades. However the Marquis property did not impress, and in 2006 it was sold to Hubert Perrodo, who founded Perenco, an energy firm specializing in exploration and exploitation of fossil fuels.

In 1989 Perrodo purchased Chateau Labegorce, and later Labegorce-Zede, he was aiming to reunite the three vineyards to create the original Lebegorce. However, the plan was dashed in 2006 when he was killed in a skiing accident while on holiday, but his family would continue his works.

The vineyards constitute 16 hectares of vines, planted with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot, an unusual mix for any Margaux vineyard. The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before going into oak for up to 12 months, of which a third is replaced each vintage.

The bottle is fined before bottling, with the grand vin Chateau Marquis d’Alesme Becker of about 8000 cases and a second wine Marquis d’Alesme of 2000 cases.

I have recently tasted the 2007 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium ruby color, with fading rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (-) intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackberry and cassis, oak notes of smoke, maturity notes of tobacco, herbaceous notes of blackcurrant leaf, MLF nots of cream, animal notes of meaty. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin which is a bit green and gripping. With medium alcohol and medium body, it has medium flavors of black fruit of blackberry and plum, oak notes of smoke, herbaceous notes of blackcurrant leaf, kernel notes of chocolate. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Acceptable quality Margaux though disappointing considering its GCC status, the wine has a fairly weak nose with reasonable complexity though showing a bit of under-ripeness. On the palate it has gripping tannin, with a fair concentration though still a bit simple, with a decent length on the finish. Ready to drink now, the wine has potential to further develop for another 1-2 years. 

Wineshark Home Cooking - 35. Braised Pork 'Tung Po' Style

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pig belly - 1 kg
• Rice wine - 1 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Stock - 1 cup
• Ginger - 3 slides
• Sugar - 5 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 6 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Heat the pot and put the pork belly to cook in order to remove oil using tissue paper.

2. Pan fry until the skins turns golden.

3. Add water to the pot to cover the belly, and once boiled, take away the pork belly and discard the water.

4. Put the pork belly back into the pot, and add the ginger. Then add the rice wine, water and stock mixture.Once starting to boil, cover with the lid to cook for 1.5 hour.

5. Turn off the heat to braise for another 20 minutes. Removing the oil on the surface.

6. Turn on the heat again, add the sugar and then cover the lid to cook for another 10 minutes.

7. Add soy sauce and then cook for another 10 minutes, before turning off the heat to braise for another 20 minutes.

8. Some mustard could be added to season.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 34. Rolled Picardy Crepes

Ingredients (for 4):

First we prepare the crepe batter:

• Flour - 125 g
• Egg - 2 small ones
• Milk - 1 cup (250 ml)
• Butter - 40 g
• Chives - 5 sprigs
• Salt - dashes
• Oil - dashes

Procedures:

1. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, crack the eggs one by one into the mixture and whisk briskly with a little of the milk.

2. Incorporate the remaining milk, beating energetically until the batter is smooth and fluid.

3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Melt the butter until it browns to a hazelnut colour.

4. Mix it into the batter with the snipped chives and chill for about 30 minutes.

5. Heat a pan over heat. Drizzle a little oil in and cook the crepes one by one, turning them when they begin to brown at the edges.

Then we prepare the mushroom duxelles:

Ingredients:

• Butter - 25 g
• Button mushroom - 175 g
• Shallot - 1
• Onion - 1/2
• Parsley - 10 g
• Ham - 125 g
• Grated Gruyere cheese - 60 g
• Salt and ground pepper - dashes
• Butter - 30 g
• Flour - 30 g
• Milk - 500 ml
• Nutmeg - dashes
• Salt, white pepper powder - dashes

Procedures:

1. Chop the button mushrooms, the shallots, and the onion. 

2. Melt the butter and sweat the chopped shallot and onion.

3. Add the button mushrooms and cook, lid off, until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley.

4. Finely dice the ham. 

5. Use the butter and flour to make a white roux.

6. Add half of the milk and the grated nutmeg. Bring the mixture to boil over high heat, whisking constantly.

7. Pour in the remaining milk, bring to the boil again, and season.

8. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap flush with the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming.

9. Place the mushroom preparation, the diced ham, and a little of the bechamel sauce in a mixing bowl and combine. Adjust the seasoning.

10. Spread the crepes out and butter them with the remaining butter. Fill them with the mushroom and ham mixture and roll up.

11. Arrange them in a shallow ovenproof dish. Pour over the bechamel sauce and scatter the grated cheese on top.

12. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 degree Celsius.

GH Mumm

Like several famous families who founded Champagne houses in the 19^th century, brothers Jules, Edouard, and Gottlieb de Mumm were German Protestants, coming from Rheingau with a sizeable wine wholesale business. They opened their doors in Reims in 1827, with original name PA Mumm, Giesler & Co.

Fifteen years later Gottlieb’s son GH Mumm, joined the firm and in 1853 the company took its name. In 1876 it launched its first Cordon Rouge, with the striking red ribbon, making it a grand marque. In 1880s this flagship brand was better known than the house itself, particularly in the US, its prime export market, selling at 850000 bottles per year.

By 1902 Mumm’s total sales were just over 3 million bottles, one-tenth of Champagne’s entire annual sales. But the happy times were not to last and on the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the house’s assets, including all its vineyards, were confiscated by the French government because unlike other German founders of Champagne houses the Mumms did not sought naturalization.

In 1920 the house, largest in Reims, was put up for sale and sold to Societe Vinciole de Champagne Successeurs, a group of investors, one of which was the firm of Dubonnet. Rene Lalou, whose wife was a Dubonnet, took control of the firm. He successfully guided GH Mumm until 1973, building it into one of the largest houses, acquiring Perrier-Jouet in 1959 and Heidsieck & Co in 1972.

During his last ten years he doubled sales to 6 million bottles, yet never at the expense of quality. In 1969 Mumm was taken over by one of its shareholders, the Canadian-based Seagram group. In 1996 Seagram sold off Heidsieck, a welcome move for an unnecessary drain of GH Mumm’s viticultural resources. Mumm did retain its estate of 218 ha in fine grand cru sites such as Verzenay, Bouzy and Ambonnay on the Montagne de Reims, and in Cramant on the Cote des Blancs.

In 2000 Seagram sold Mumm and Perrier-Jouet to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, a private Texas investment company, which sold the two houses on to Allied Domecq in 2001. In 2006 Pernod Ricard acquired Allied Domecq and GH Mumm is now part of their global portfolio.

Taking more than 160 years to build the grand marque, unfortunately it took a single decade to demolish, with quality deteriorated from 1982 onwards. Many believed that Mumm’s reputation was destroyed by the poor quality of the wines made between 1982 and 1991, the prime responsibility lie with Andre Carre, the chef de cave of the time.

Things started to change for good in 1991 with appointment of Jean-Marie Barilliere, with a new cuverie for fermentation and assemblage built to harness the latest technology. In 1994 a revolutionary computerized disgorging line was installed, with Mumm becoming the first global grande marque to receive ISO 9002 certification in 1995.

Pierre-Yves Harang was cellar master from 1992 to 1997, taking up the task to clear up the mess left behind by Andre Carre. The overall quality of the Mumm range did improve markedly. The first improved Mumm started hitting shelves in 1995, with a young winemaker Dominque Demarville starting to show his hands. He also initiated GH Mumm’s new prestige cuvee R. Lalou, but was headhunted to Veuve Clicquot in 2006.

Dominique’s protégé, the talented Didier Mariotti, also presided the finishing touches of the current Cuvee R Lalou 1998, a recently reintroduced prestige cuvee. Along with the now revitalized Cramant de Mumm, the signs are encouraging. The Cordon Rouge is fresh, light and floral in style, as easy-going and pleasing as Champagne gets, but without much complexity or seriousness.

Cuvee Rene Lalou, produced between 1966 and 1985 vintages, is a wonderful wine, with angular-shaped bottle which is unique in design. This prestige cuvee was named after the important man in the company’s history, Rene Lalou, a key figure from 1920s onwards. In addition to finance Lalou also had a great understanding and passion for the vineyards.

Before World War II he increased the vineyard ownership of Mumm from 50 to 96 hectares, focusing on the grand cru villages, especially Bouzy, Ay, Cramant and Avize, as well as restoring old parcels that were ravaged by wars. Towards the end of his career he decided to craft Cuvee Rene Lalou, essentially a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Nine vintages were made until production stopped in 1985, because Seagram, Mumm’s parent company then, decided to sell the company. But in 1998 Mumm and its cellar master at the time Dominique Demarville, decided to perfect the original cuvee and crafted Cuvee R. Lalou, aiming to seek inspiration from the original cuvee, but to go deeper in ideology.

As homage to Rene Lalou, Cuvee R. Lalou is blended from 12 individual vineyards from seven grand cru villages, all acquired or restored by Lalou himself. It remains a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with the inaugural vintage of 1998, but the bottle had to be redesigned as the original one ad been sold to Vranken. Cuvee R. Lalou is launched mature, a low dosage around 6 g/l is sufficient.

I have recently tasted the 1973 Rene Lalou and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium gold color, with watery rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of citrus fruit of lemon, green fruit of green apple, maturity notes of sugarcane, autolytic notes of brioche and lees, kernel notes of walnut, mineral notes of steely, some oxidation notes of sherry aromas. The wine is fully developed.

Palate

Dry with high acidity, the wine has medium alcohol and light body. It has medium flavors of green fruit such as apple, citrus fruit of lemon, with some stone fruit of peach on the aftertaste, autolytic notes of lees and bread, mineral notes of steel, oxidation notes of sherry and maturity notes of mushroom. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality Champagne with an intense nose showing amazing development, with nice complexity of some zesty and green apple characters supported by autolytic and mineral notes, the wine has strong acidity to provide crispness even after all these years, with elegance, but the finish was a bit mediocre. Even though still highly enjoyable, I think it would be even better at a slightly younger age, now is a bit too old.