Domaine South
French Wine Tasting
Friday, February 6th, 4 pm - 6pm
Special Guest, Beth Farris of Grassroots
$20 per person
256-759-9952 to Reserve
We'll be featuring a selection of small production growers from the France+Western portfolio (with a couple added gems as there wasn't a lot available). But we are so excited to taste these wines!
Whites from Bandol, Alsace, & Ardeche
Reds from Beaujolais, Bordeaux, & Corbieres
Can't wait to see you there!
Our mission is to “THINK SMALL,” to find exceptional winegrowers, and to help champion the planet’s most delicious wild flavors. - France + Western
Founded by Lyle Railsback, France+Western seeks out great unknown wines from small growers in France, Italy, and Austria to then champion them with the help of the best restaurants and wine shops in America.
The Wines
2022 Jean-Francois Jacouton "Tentation", Ardeche, Rhone Valley, France $28.99
VARIET Y & TERROIR: 75% Marsanne, 25% Chasselas & Granite and alluvial
VINEYARD AGE & YIELD: 20+ year old vines & 50 hl/ha on the slopes of the Rhône
FARMING PRACTICES: reasonned agriculture
VINIFICATION & AGING: Direct press with whole clusters, cold settled, fermented & aged on the fine lees
As a young boy, Jean-François worked alongside his grandfather, tending their family parcels in Saint Joseph lieu-dit Sainte-Épine, and then began hos iwn Domaine in 2010. Jacouton also still farms apricots, cherries and peaches (which has been the history in this region with Verset, Chave and others) so benefically his wine cellar is an old fruit warehouse on the granite plateau above the vines. The temperature of his cellar can be dropped to zero degrees Celcius, allowing him to work with lower levels of SO2 while maintaining cleanliness and prceision. His whites are sexy and polished, but still show restraint.
Tasting Crystal color. A nose of honeysuckle, lemon and delicate herbs. A fresh mouth slightly creamy. The Chasselas brings subtlety and delicately refines the strong nature of the Marsanne.
Food and wine pairing As a pre-dinner drink (but not freezing cold), crustaceans, freshwater fish (trout), dry cheese…
2022 Domaine Justin Boxler-Jardin des Vignes, Alsace, France $32.99
The style at Justin Boxler is clean and classic, employing very old foudres for most fermentation and aging, and the wines are not sweet at all like some other Alsatian producers. Charlotte has been farming organically and received certification in 2022, she also began harvesting earlier than most other growers to achieve exceptionally lean wines with racy acidity. The grapes from these 50+ year-old vines are pressed very slowly and the juice is cold settled before native fermentation in old foudres, where it also sees extensive aging on the fine lees.
Grape: Sylvaner (over 50-year-old vines)
Farming Practices: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic. Soil: Granite
Like a garden where different plant varieties coexist, this wine is the result of a blend of several plots and grape varieties from our estate. It reflects the diversity and balance of our vineyard, in a free and vibrant approach. Interesting fact: “Rebgarten,” which literally means “jardin des vignes” in German, is also the land registry name of one of our plots.
2021 Domaine Marie Berenice Bandol Blanc, Provence, France $39.99
This wine is made of 60% Clairette and 40% Ugni Blanc, vinified in stainless steel, producing a wine with bright aromatics, richness and freshness. It sees a light skin maceration and is aged on its lees for 5 months. We would pair it with a seafood bouillabaisse and some crusty sourdough on the side. The Domaine is in the heart of Bandol, between the villages of La Cadière and Le Castellet, just east of Marseille, and west of Saint-Tropez. The Domaine encompasses the site where famed French painter Marc Chagall called home after moving away from Paris in the 1950's! Organic olive oil is also grown on site.
2020 Domaine Pere Jean Cote de Brouilly, Beaujolais, France $33.99
From one hectare of 50 year-old Gamay vines located in La Glacière and La Pente, Julien Matray is the 4th generation winemaker of his family. Whole cluster fermented with carbonic maceration for 10 days. This supple and elegant Brouilly with pair perfectly with chicken tagine.
Julien's family previously sold their fruit to Alex Foillard and Jean-Claude Lapalu, but he has now begun Domaine-bottling, and his early efforts are tremendous. His first releases to the US included a library-release Côte de Brouilly and his more recently released 2022 vintage Brouilly.
2017 Fort-Lignac Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France $22.99
The owners of the world-famous Château Ducru Beaucaillou are responsible for a sensational coup here. Fort Lignac stands for damn high quality and really typical Bordaux at almost sensationally low prices.
The wine impresses with its balanced style, aromas of cassis and leather with delicate hints of cedar and a little liquorice. Firm but ripe tannins still need some time. It has a good balance, and the acidity is pleasant, but also stimulating to drink. With enough air, the wine is a lot of fun, so it is better to decant for a few hours. A great example of an eays-drinking Bordeaux that doesn't overwhelm, but still has the typical aromas that characterise the area.
A real Bordeaux as it should be, with the know-how of absolutely top producers.
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
2022 Faillenc Saint Marie Corbieres Rouge, France $19.99
The Corbières Rouge is made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. The harvest is partially destemmed before going into the fermentation tanks. The different cépages are fermented together, benefiting from the long maceration period to extract the maximum of flavors and allow them to harmonize before being pressed and aged. This is a wine with enormous character often showing a rustic, somewhat “animal” aspect married to a vivacious wild berry symphony of aromas and flavors. This wine is aged entirely in tank without exposure to barrel aging. The severe weather conditions that are present restrict yields (often as little as 25 hectoliters per hectare) and produce a highly concentrated wine that has a proven track record for ageability.
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