Villemart & Cie

The majority of Villemart & Cie vines are in Rilly-la-Montagne, though few plots in neighboring village of Villers-Allerand

Member of Ampelos, Champs never used herbicides or chemical fertilizers
Planted with cover crops and ploughed
11 hectares, only 12 parcels
All fermented and aged in oak; foudres for NV (2200-5500), and 225L barrels for vintage, recent use of 600L demi-muids
No malo
Estate owned vines, traces history back to 1890, founded by Desire Vilmart
Laurent Champs since 1989

Last year trade info.

Hilarious, all of the wines that I really liked at Domaine Select last year (also b/c I was following my friend Pamela around), are wines that we have at UVA. Must have been pre-destiny for me to work there.

Chateau Musar, Bekka Valley, Lebanon (1930)
Serge Hochar
150 hectares
Surrounding mountains running parallel to the Mediterranean coast
Gravelly soil with a limestone base
I remember liking the Rouge a lot (2001), black olives, funk, "rhone", dried cherries, morello cherries, smooth on finish

Castell'in Villa (1968)
13th century medieval hamlet, one of the oldest estates in Castelnuovo Berardenga
Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa
Estate grown, traditionally styled, high quality, low-yield
Releases older vintages only when they are showing best

"Estate covers almost 300 hectares of vineyards, olive groves, and hunting ground for hare, pheasants, and wild boar. Spread over eight different sites, the vineyards are some of the most picturesque in CC and reflect the diversity of the Toscana countryside both in soil type and microclimate.

52 hectare
Rolling hills
Gravel
100,000 bottles
Sangiovese, CS, Trebbiano, Malvasia

COS; Sicily, Italy (1980)
Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti, Pinuccia Strano
25 hectares
Rolling hills
Calcareous and siliceous with compact clay and tufa
120,000 bottles
Nero d'Avola, Frappato, Insolia, Grecanico

Domaine Henri Milan (1955)
Provence, FR
near Avignon, St. Remy de Provence
1986 Henri: environmental reverance, diversity of the soil of the Alpilles
ORG, biodynamic principles (viticuture and vinification)
17 hectares
Slopes
White wines: blue marl, with some clay, limestone, gravel
Red wines: yellow sandstone (as at Chateau Rayas: compare with his old vine grenache and syrah)
65,000 bottles
grenache, cinsault, CS, syrah, mourvedre, roussanne, rolle, chanrdonnay, muscat

Le Grand Blanc 2007 (Grenache blanc, Roussanne, Rolle, Chard, Muscat)
Cidery

Papillon Sans Soufre Ajoute 2009 (Grenache, Syrah, Cab Sauv, Cinsault, Mourvedre)
Sour cherry, young
Vin de France

St. Remy de Provence 2006 (Grenache, Syrah, Cab Sauv, Cinsault, Mourvedre)
Morello cherry
Les Baux de Provence

Clos Milan 2005 (75:Grenache, 25:Syrah) compare to Rayas,,,,
Black pepper, stainless
Les Baux de Provence

Domaine Vouette et Sorbee (1918)
Bernard Gautherot
Village of Buxiere-sur-Arce
4 hectares (~21 yrs old)
20:Flat, 80:Slopes
Kimmeridgien, Portlandian !!!!
Protegee of A. Selosse, nat'l production
1998 Demeter, heads organic champagne org (32 growers)
Hand-harvest, traditional Coquard pressing, ind yeast at ferment in 400L barriques continuing into spring when malo has been completed
Aging and second ferment take place sur latte, then hand-riddling, hand-disgorgement without dosage!!

Fidele Extra Brut
Blanc d'Argile Extra Brut
Saignee de Sorbee Extra Brut
creamy red fruit, rhubarb, lees (crayon)
30,000-40,000 bottles
Pinot Noir, Chard

Mono-varietal champagne,

Lopez de Heredia

REDS:
Bosconia Reserva 2002: young
Bosconia Gran Reserva 1991: (clay): animal nose, green peppercorn
Bosconia Gran Reserva 1981: more oak than Tondonia, more cinnamon, less richness
Bosconia Gran Reserva 1964: sweeter, candied pineapple


Tondonia Reserva 2000: (limestone) minerals showing through
Tondonia Gran Reserva 1991: out
Tondonia Gran Reserva 1980: too green, cocoa, green peppercorn, warm spice on finish
*Tondonia Gran Reserva 1981: **** oak, more orange in color, bitter orange, dark vanilla, caramel on palate, musty, loved it****
*Tondonia Gran Reserva 1964: ****coffee grounds, orange, bitter chocolate, concentrated, dark****


WHITES:
Tondonia Gran Reserva White 1970: less on the nose/less beeswax, sweet corn, viscosity, velvety on finish
*Tondonia Gran Reserva White 1973: ***grassy/straw nose, candied ginger, favorite white, musty, still fresh though******
Tondonia Gran Reserva White 1964: honey on nose, but watery

Favorites from Bowler Spring 2011

Other favorites from the week.
From Bowler:

Bucklin 'Zinfandel 'Old Hill Ranch' 2007
130 yr old vines, cert ORG, dry farmed, 30 varietals on site/field blend
Herbal, molasses, caramel, green spice

Edmunds St. John 'Syrah' "Wylie" 2009
Black, jam nose, kirsch, lighter rose petals on palate

Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Brut Passion NV: lemon (vs the bready green apple citrus of the Vintage 2000), this was my favorite of theirs.

P-J Champagne Liesse d'Harbonville 1996:
Tete de Cuvee; 70 Chard/30 Pinot Noir and Meunier from Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites, no malo, 6 months in casks, then 10 years in cellar.
(beautiful golden quality to this one)


Jacquesson Champagne Millesime 2000
50% Chard from Avize "Champ Cain" and PN from Verzenay (20%), Dizy (20%), and Ay "Vaulle Terme" (10%)
Pineapple, toasted notes.

Jean-Luis Denois
Chardonnay Brut Blancs de Blancs NV: bit sweet, light touch.

Joel Falmet Champagne Brut NV

Domaine Leon Boesch: Alsace
Huge differentiation between elevation of vineyard sites 2040-4050m high,,,,
Pinot Blanc Tradition 2008: blend of 2 pinots ,"reflection of the two together"
flatter site, white quartz
Riesling Luss 2008
Limestone, stony, best one, higher elevation, savory notes


Patrick Piuze
Chablis '1er Cru Forets' 2009: bordering Dauvissat's vineyards, single-parcel of 70 yr old vines on the left bank of the Serein Riveropen valley, more salty nose, softer, smoother
clay/limestone

Chablis 'Grand Cru Vaudesir' 2009: ****green herb, fresh eucalyptus, delicious, salt and pepper****

Karthauserhof Ruwer: 'Riesling Grosses Gewachs Eitelsbacher' "Karthauserhofberg" 2009
1st GG wine ever from ancient estate
*****lilac, liquid slate, stewed pear, white melon****

Michel Tete Julienas 'Cuvee Prestige' 2007

Damien Coquelet Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes 2010
strawberry nose, waxy, red, brambley, great balance between wildness and elegance ;)

Les Vin Contes, Olivier et Cecile Lemasson
R10 Rouge 2010
30:Grolleau, 20:Gamay, 20:Pineau d'Aunis, 20:Pinot Noir, 10:Cot


Campi di Fonterenza 'Toscana Sangiovese' 2009
2005 Galestro, 65 day maceration on skins
Fresh, strawberry/framboise


Radikon 'Slatnik'
80: Chard, 20: Tokai Friulano
New, 2 weeks on skins, orange, sweet jus
Monte dall'Ora Valpolicella Classico 2009
young, savory, slight cheese rind (?)

Bera Moscato d'Asti 2010 ORG
@ 5.5 stops alcoholic fermentation, several filtrations through paper
beautiful balance, not too sweet, light

Cascina degli Ulivi Nibio Terre Rosse 2006
savory, depth, chilled,,

Cascina Tavijn
Grignolino d'Asti: light, red current
Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato 2009: brambley nose

****ALL VERGANO CHINATI*****
'Americano': Amazing, absinthe, gentian, cinn, orange peel, vanilla.....
'Luli Moscato Chinato': lemon pith, grapefruit, very sweet
'Nebbiolo Chinato': rhubarb nose, sour, green/chili pepper, green pepper, candied nuts