Domaine South
French Wine Tasting
with Thomas Calder Selections
Beautiful spring expressions from Alsace, Burgundy, & Loire Valley!
Friday, March 20th, 4 pm - 6pm
Special Guest, Allaina Nielsen
$20 per person
256-759-9952 to Reserve
Founded in 2002, Thomas Calder Selections represents a collection of hand-picked, family-owned estates in France, Spain and Switzerland. Owned and managed by Thomas Calder, an American living in Paris since 1996, we have amassed an impressive portfolio of top quality domaines.
The Wines
2020 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Cremant D`Alsace Brut Zero Dosage, Alsace, France $28.99
94 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com
What a beautiful balance this round, generous, creamy and silky sparkling has. The delicate mousse really caresses the palate at the long fermentation. So many delicate white fruit aromas and just a hint of toast. A cuvee of pinot gris, auxerrois and chardonnay. Matured for 19 months in the bottle before disgorging in November 2022. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.
You cannot underestimate the advantages of history. Founded in 1985 when Genevieve Barmes married Francois Buecher, choosing to combine the family domaines, bringing together families with over 400 years of grape growing and wine production experience.
Brut Nature signifies zero dosage, made from Pinot Gris, Pinot Auxxerois, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. In other words, a definitive Alsace sparkling of a style and flavour unique to the region. Intense aromatics, creamy, earthy, smoking and fruit of preserved lemon, pear, cumquat and white flowers. Voluminous, with gentle fizzle, delicate spice, honey, fleshy fruits and a long, long mineral finish. Wonderful stuff, satisfying and a great match with many foods.
2020 Labbe-Pont Royal Abymes, Savoie, France $15.99
Clear pale lemon pulp in color, this white has aromas of sliced apples, cantaloupe, and lime sitting in a bed of wildflowers and loamy earth. The palate continues the apple and lime flavors and pulls to a long refreshing finish that adds chalky minerals and subtle white pepper. The lime zest after-taste leaves you salivating for another sip.
100% Jacquere · 35+ year old vines · Clay and limestone, very rocky soil · Indigenous yeast · Fermented and aged in tank
2022 Dom Luneau-Papin Muscadet Sevre & Maine Sur Lie Vera Cruz, Loire Valley, France $36.99
"Domaine Luneau-Papin, run by Pierre-Marie Luneau and his wife, Marie, produces arguably the most ambitious complex wines in the region, from biodynamically farmed vines across several crus within six kilometers of the estate. There’s seemingly always a new cuvée in the works, as well as extended lees aging and the use of large wooden vessels. But more than anything, Marie Chartier-Luneau is one of the best evangelists of the potential of Muscadet to evolve and grow into a great wine-as good as the finest Chablis. This is why, when she starts talking about their cellarful of back vintages of L d’Or, she pauses: “Just wait. Someday it’ll be priced like Raveneau." – Bonné, Jon, The New French Wine.
The nose is elegant and complex, offering aromas of citrus fruits, green apples, white flowers, and a touch of salinity that reflects its proximity to the Atlantic.
On the palate, it is vibrant and mineral-driven, with notes of lemon zest, pear, and wet stone. The wine’s lively acidity is balanced by a smooth texture, culminating in a long, refreshing finish.
Organic
2022 Isabelle & Denis Pommier Bourgogne Pinot Beurot, Burgundy, France $29.99
The Pinot Beurot comes from a rosé gray grape that evokes the bure with which the dress of the monks of Citeaux was made. It comes from vines located in Volgré near Joigny. Very floral and not very acidic, it is of a great aromatic complexity presenting a beautiful roundness always supported by a nice freshness and a beautiful persistence. It is a white wine of a very powerful character that keeps very well.
2023 Isabelle & Denis Pommier Chablis, Burgundy, France $36.99
Fresh pear and apple, citrus, toasted hazelnut. The palate is crisp and slightly creamy, with lemon zest and pear layered on stony minerality. Isabelle and Denis Pommier are committed to farming organically, and are among the few estates in the region who hand harvest nearly all of their fruit. Isabelle and Denis began their winery in 1990 when they took over two hectares of family vines in and around the Chablis village of Poinchy, first releasing wine in 1994.
2023 Gregoire Hoppenot Fleurie Indigene, Beaujolais, France $32.99
Domaine Grégoire Hoppenot is a rising star in Beaujolais, founded in 2018 after Grégoire Hoppenot left a successful career in finance to pursue his passion for wine. Working with some of the finest high-altitude parcels in Fleurie, he focuses on sustainable viticulture, low yields, and minimal-intervention winemaking to reveal the finesse and elegance of this celebrated cru.
Fleurie Indigène 2023 is crafted from old-vine Gamay grown on the granite-rich slopes that give Fleurie its signature perfume and refinement. True to its name, the wine is fermented using indigenous yeasts, with gentle extraction to preserve purity and texture. Whole-bunch fermentation is partially employed to enhance aromatic complexity and structure. The wine is aged mainly in neutral vessels, including used oak and concrete, allowing the vineyard character to shine without overt wood influence.
The 2023 vintage delivers vibrant fruit and excellent balance. Aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, and red cherry are lifted by floral notes of violet and peony, with subtle hints of spice and crushed stone. On the palate, it is silky and fresh, combining juicy red fruit with fine tannins, bright acidity, and a delicate mineral backbone. The finish is elegant, savoury, and beautifully persistent.
This expressive Fleurie pairs perfectly with roast chicken, charcuterie, grilled pork, mushroom dishes, or soft cheeses such as Brie or Camembert. Lightly chilled, it offers immediate pleasure while retaining the structure to evolve over several years.
