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 07/30/2008 Bonnes Nouvelles: Les Français Sont Arrivés! Domaine Select Wine Estates (DSWE) announces a highly anticipated French portfolio expansion. The wines and spirits produced at these exceptional, small-scale, quality-focused estates will begin introduction in the U.S. market for the Fall 2008 season. “After extensive travel and in-depth exploration, DSWE’s French portfolio was launched nationally three years ago with Champagne Alfred Gratien, followed by Albert Seltz from Alsace and Alphonse Mellot from Sancerre, then Armagnac Castarède. The success of these producers affirmed our commitment to develop an original and authentic selection that exemplifies the mission of DSWE.” said Geoffroy Ducroux, French Portfolio Manager of DSWE. “We believe that despite all current barriers, the market is still in demand for great French wines and are excited that this extraordinary selection of highly acclaimed vignerons has joined the DSWE French Portfolio.”
BERTRAND GAUTHEROT- VOUETTE ET SORBÉE BUXIÈRE-SUR-ARCE, CHAMPAGNE Bertrand Gautherot is dedicated to the exclusive production of mono-varietal champagne at his family estate of Vouette et Sorbée. Located in the village of Buxière-sur-Arce, the estate consists of four hectares of meticulously tended vineyards that are on average 21 years old. A devotee of natural production and protégé of Anselme Selosse, Bertrand has been Demeter certified since 1998 and heads the organization of organic producers in Champagne (the group consists of 32 growers out of the more than 20,000 producers in the region). Harvest is done entirely by hand, followed by traditional Coquard pressing. Fermentation occurs with indigeneous yeasts in barriques of 400L and continues into spring when malolactic fermentation is complete. Aging and second fermentation takes place sur latte, followed by hand riddling and hand disgorgment without dosage. DSWE will import Cuvée Saignée de Sorbée Extra Brut. www.vouette-et-sorbee.com DOMAINE HENRI DARNAT MEURSAULT, BURGUNDY Henri Darnat has been in control of his family’s estate for the past two decades but over the past five years has changed his philosophy striving to produce wines that are more in line with his personal principals dedicated to purity and pleasure. In this frame of mind, the estate is cultivated without fertilizers or weedkillers and he has transformed his approach to winemaking. Henri believes that his wines must both be enjoyable young and exquisite with age. DSWE will importBourgogne Blanc La Jumalie, Meursault Clos du Domaine, and Meursault Premier Cru Les Cras Clos Richemont Monopole and Meursault Le 611. www.domaine-darnat.com DOMAINE EMMANUEL GIBOULOT BEAUNE, BURGUNDY Situated just outside of Beaune, Emmanuel Giboulot has worked on an organic basis and under biodynamic methods since 1986. The vineyards represent 10 hectares and are scattered on 12 plots between Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune including the lieu-dits of La Grande Chatelaine and Combe d’Eve. Emmanuel, who took the reins of the estate in 1985, is always in search for quality, integrity and respect for the natural typicity of the grapes He uses only natural indigenous yeasts and the use of SO2 is careful and adapted to each particular wine. In the words of Clive Coates, MW “Low yields, hand harvesting, and meticulously clean vinifications lead to lovely pure wines.” DSWE will import Côte de Beaune La Combe d’Eve and Côte de Beaune La Grande Chatelaine. DOMAINE VIVIANE & JEAN MARIE LELIEVRE NUITS ST GEORGES, BURGUNDY Founded in 1989 by proprietor and winemaker Jean Marie Lelievre, this tiny family domaine of 6 hectares produces traditional Burgundian wines. Based in the Côtes de Nuits, the vineyards are managed organically and at very low yields. The grapes are hand-harvested and destemmed. The wines show liveliness with elegant fruit. DSWE will import Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Les Larets for distribution. LES PENITENTS COTEAUX DE CHARITOIS, LOIRE Alphonse Mellot Jr.’s friend Charlois, splitter of merrain oak in Bertrange and expert cooper, led him to the Coteaux de Charitois, a region that is marvelously wild yet full of history. It was love at first sight when they came upon the very old vineyard of Les Penitents on the Charitois slopes, firmly ensconced in the Morvan foothills and of a positively medieval beauty. The slopes are abrupt and unembellished, surrounded by a cathedral of a forest peopled with great mairandier oak trees destined for wine casks. The Domaine des Penitents, located on 18 hectares of limestone facing South and planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, is a forgotten vineyard just 20 miles from Sancerre and a new challenge for an adventurer in the kingdom of wine. DSWE will import Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. www.les-penitents.com DOMAINE DANIEL JARRY VOUVRAY, LOIRE Daniel Jarry, who took charge of this 150-year-old domaine in the early 1960s, is a passionate collector with an amazing array of antique bottles. They are stored in his cave, which lies on a hillside underneath his Vouvray vineyards, where nature maintains a nearly constant 85% humidity level. Located in the western part of Vouvray, on a gentle slope, the estate consists of 10.50 ha containing a mix of clay and calcareous soil (called locally “Bourne”) sitting on a bed of pure calcareous subsoil. The vines were all hand harvested in several passages, with the aim of obtaining some grapes affected by botrytis each year that offered the natural material for his demi-sec and moelleux. Each parcel is separately vinified and aged in barriques for a minimum of 6 months. Up until his retirement following the 2007 vintage, Daniel was devoted to the production of wines of character and ageability, striving for vivacity over softness. DSWE will import from Daniel Jarry’s fantastic library of rare vintages of different styles back to the 1980s. GRATIEN & MEYER SAUMUR, LOIRE In 1864, Alfred Gratien bought a piece of land in Saumur known as Le Petit Puy. The land was riddled with old mining shafts created during the mining of limestone (locally known as "pierre de tuffeau") in the 12th century. The land had been abandoned for years, but was now the perfect place for Alfred Gratien to set up his business, so he purchased some 10 km of underground passages. The winery was founded in 1864. In the same year, Alfred Gratien, who was 23 years old at the time, founded another house named after him in the Champagne region in Epernay. In 1874, he made Albert Jean Meyer, an enthusiastic wine connoisseur from Alsace, his partner to ensure the continuation of the company. Today, the house of Gratien & Meyer continues this legacy by producing traditional Sparkling Saumur wines of character and elegance which are matured for many months in the underground passages dug out of the tuffeau limestone bedrock. DSWE will import Saumur Brut Blanc, Saumur Brut Rosé, Saumur Brut Blanc Cuvée Flamme, and Saumur Rosé Brut Cuvée Flamme. www.gratienmeyer.com ANTOINE FOUCAULT- DOMAINE DU COLLIER BRÉZÉ, LOIRE The Domaine du Collier was created in 1999 by Antoine Foucault, son of Charly Foucault from the famed Saumur-Champigny Clos Rougeard, and Caroline Boireau. Situated in the village of Brézé in the Saumur appellation, the estate comprises 6 hectares. The majority of the estate is planted with Chenin Blanc and the balance with Cabernet Franc. Antoine is dedicated to natural viticulture, without the use of chemical treatments, fertilizers or weed killers. The harvest is manual with strict sorting carried out in the vineyards. In his deep cellar, Antoine does not use commercial yeast and doesn’t treat the wine with sulfur until bottling. Today, Antoine and Caroline are making some one of the most sought-after wines in the region. DSWE will import Saumur Blanc, Saumur Blanc Vieilles Vignes La Charpentrie, and Saumur Rouge Vieilles Vignes La Ripaille. domaineducollier.free.fr JEAN DELOBRE- LA FERME DES SEPT LUNES BOGY, RHÔNEbr> La Ferme des Sept Lunes, situated in Saint Joseph between Vienne and Valence was founded by the grandfather of the current proprietor Jean Delobre in 1984 From then, the estate has growing vines, apricot trees, and grains. Acre by acre, they converted to organic agriculture and biodynamic vineyard management. Jean had been selling his wine to local co-op until 2001, when he made his first vintage in a converted cowshed from a 5.5 hectare vineyard of Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne planted on granite soil. The wine is vinified in open cylinder-shaped concrete tanks and aged in oak barrels. DSWE will import Saint Joseph. DANIEL ET HELENE BOULLE - MAS DU GOUDAREAU CAIRRANE, RHÔNE Mas du Goudareau is a new estate built by Daniel and Helene Boulle, the owners of Domaine des Aphillanthes. The cellar is situated in Travaillan but the vines are planted on the garrigues (scrubland) of Serignan next to Cairanne. Since 1999, Helene and Daniel have been devoted to attaining utmost purity in their wines. They have been practicing biodynamic viticulture and introduced the first bottling with the 2005 vintage. Prior to this, the production was sold to various negociants seeking certified organic grapes. The vineyards are planted with 14 ha of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault which are between 35 and 70 years old. The soil is comprised of clay and limestone and covered with pebbles. No insecticides, no chemical fertilizers or weeding are employeed and the grapes are all hand harvested. Helene and Daniel are committed tremendously to this new project and the result is impressive- all the wines are exceptional. DSWE will import Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Côtes du Rhône Villages Vieilles Vignes, and Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne. DOMAINE PATRICE MAGNI CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU PAPE, RHÔNE Domaine Patrice Magni, founded in 1940, consists of eleven hectares of vineyards, seven in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 4 in Côtes du Rhône. The vineyards have a beautiful complexity of soils as part of the vineyards are located on the plateau north of Châteuneuf-du-Pape “Le Bousquet” and the rest are located in the east and south of the appellation close to La Nerthe where the red and yellow clay mix with chalk, fine loess and sand. The vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône are situated next to Château de Beaucastel, just after the limit of the appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In 1993, Patrice Magni took over from his father and grandfather and started quickly to minimize the use of vineyard and cellar treatments and implement drastic grape selection during harvest. The estate began bottling its own wine from the best lots in 1999 for the whites and 2003 for the reds. DSWE will import Côtes du Rhône Cueillette and Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sensation. CHANTAL COMTE- CHÂTEAU DE LA TUILERIE NÎMES, LANGUEDOC Château de la Tuilerie has been a family owned property for the last three generations. Situated in the heart of the Costieres de Nimes, the 98 hectare estate is situated on the most ancient soil of the region and is dotted with round stones dating back to the Quaternay period. The vineyards rise 80 meters above sea level along a Mistral windswept hillside and benefit from northern exposures. Pioneers of "integrated pest management" since 1980, Chateau de la Tuilerie uses intensive viticultural techniques including planting grass around the vines, thinning the leaves on both sides of the vines, and measurement and tight control of the vines’ hydrous tension to produce small yields and remarkable wines. Chantal’s most prestigious cuvees are christened "Cuvée Eole" in tribute to Clément Ader, her great grand uncle an important aviator and whose Eole was the first "flying machine" and bottled in the black "Bouloutar" bottle which was produced in pre-revolutionary France. DSWE will import Château de la Tuilerie Blanc, Château de la Tuilerie Rouge, Château de la Tuilerie Cuvée Eole Blanc, and Château de la Tuilerie Cuvée Eole Rouge www.chateautuilerie.com DOMAINE HENRI MILAN ST REMY DE PROVENCE, PROVENCE Founded in 1955, Domaine Henri Milan is located near Avignon in St Remy de Provence, the location that Van Gogh depicted so well in his painting. In 1986, Henri took control of the estate with the ambition to make the best wine possible while above all respecting the environment. Inspired by the diversity of the soil from the Alpilles and a passion to make “Grand Vins”, he immediately converted to organic farming and has embraced biodynamic viticulture and vinification practices as both a means to improve both his wines and his quality of life. An art enthusiast, Henri commissions a different artist each vintage to design the label of the Clos de Milan, his exceptional cuvée of old vine Grenache and Syrah grown on gravel, yellow sandstone with a similar structure to that of Château Rayas. Le Grand Blanc VDT is a unique blend of Grenache, Roussane, Rolle (Vermentino), Chardonnay, and Muscat grown on a plot of blue marl soil, the same soil that is found in some of the top crus of Chablis. Today, Henri is regarded as one of the top vignerons in the region and has significantly elevated this formerly sleepy terroir that once produced the wines for the Popes in residence. DSWE will import St Remy de Provence, Le Grand Blanc, and Clos de Milan. www.dom-milan.com OLIVIER DUFFORT- DOMAINE DE L’HERMITAGE LE BEAUSSETT, PROVENCE Stunned by the scenic view, the Duffort family first discovered and immediately acquired Domaine de l’Hermitage in June 1974 and produced their first vintage in 1978. The purchase of a plot of old vines in 1982 allowed for the creation of a “grand vin.” Today, the domaine consists of a number of parcels that cover 34 hectares in the Bandol AOC overseen by Olivier Duffort. Two soil types are predominant within the estate. At the lieux-dits Rouve, the soil and subsoil widely considered the essence of great Bandol were created by a gigantesque geological haulage. This contains clay and calcareous rocks and gypsum which contains a lot of minerals, is very colorful, warm and is sometimes very deep. Near the Castellet, in the lieux-dit of Au Brulat, the soil is composed of very fine and sensitive clay, producing wines with finesse and delicate aromas. DSWE will import a total of 250 cases of Bandol Rosé and Bandol Rouge. www.domainesduffort.com GUILLAUME GROSPERRIN- COGNAC GROSPERRIN CHERMIGNAC, COGNAC Grosperrin, one of the last independant Cognac houses, was founded by Jean Grosperrin in 1992. As a broker, Jean had developed an elaborate network of growers who opened their cellar doors for him and allowed him to buy some of their most precious stocks. The company philosophy is to maintain individual grower batches, without blending them with others, leaving them in individual batches in their original barrels or glass demi-johns, producing a wide array of distinctive products from all of the appellations of Cognac. The result is an unparalleled selection, of single vintage, single barrel, and single estate Cognacs, each with a unique personality and history. Today, the family-owned company is exclusively dedicated to the selection, aging, and distribution of rare, aged Cognac dating from 1991 all the way back to World War II, carrying all of the necessary guarantees of quality and authenticity. DSWE will import Cognac Grosperrin VSOP, XO, and their impressive collection of vintage Cognac. www.lagabare.com Back |
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©2007 Domaine Select Wine Estates, Inc.