Monday Night Wines: Its in the dirt

Those large hands belong to Thibault Liger Belair, a young, passionate, driven, and funny grower in Burgundy. He, like many of his compatriots along the Cote d Or believes that dirt is a primary reason his wines taste so great. Since my return from France I have found it hard to taste, let alone, drink any wine that did not show me some dirt. This past weekend we had guests over for a lovely meal in our tiny kitchen. We opened a bottle of wine none of us had tasted, and it was fantastic. It personified that mound of dirt in Thibault's hands. Even after I finished my glass, ate some food and washed the dishes I could still taste the soul of the wine. Wines that speak of where they come in such a way keep me up at night or enter my dreams. These are singular wines that can move the soul and make a good meal into a great meal

Winery: Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils

Origin: Chassagne-Montrachet, Burundy France

Grape: 100% Pinot Noir

Wine: Rouges Vieilles Vignes

Vintage: 2004

Retail: $26

Fun Fact: Family started making wine in 1809.

Tasting Notes: A lot of people poo-pood the 2004 vintage but when you get a good grower, you'll get a good wine no matter the vintage. Chassagne is better know for its whites but please take a chance to try the reds. This example was lip smacking good and complex enough to give a Physics teacher a headache. The wine had classic Pinot Noir fruit aromas of cherries, red plums, cranberries, but it was the non-fruit aromas that got me going: leather, roasted mushrooms, dirt, dirt and more dirt. The wine had beautiful purfumes of mulch, forest floor and rich moss mixed with dried leaves and spice. I just peered into my glass for what seemed like a forever. It was not until our dinner guest Noah pulled me out of my stuper by saying how, "kick-ass" the wine was that I was able to break the trance. Inspired by my trip to Burgundy I pan-seared duck breast for dinner and the match was wonderful. The tart fruits accented the game flavors of the duck and the earthiness of the wine matched the smoke of the crispy skin. This wine was sublime!

Comments

[Ryan]

Thanks for using poo-pood, one of my favorite verbs.