Domaine Belluard 100% Pur-Jus Gringet 2014, Haute-Savoie

 

Summer is about to hit the palates of Central Europe! Traditionally a complicated season for my (almost) soporific dull Pinot devotion. Like last summer I'd like to take you guys on a trip throughout Europe in search for super scarce, super autochthonous and super great grape varieties. And again, I'd like to commence with a grape variety from France. Last time I've been to Galliac with a rather rough Prunelat. Almost mainstream nowadays, right?! This summer I head out to a personal blank spot. To Haute-Savoie in the alpine south-east of France. There, a white varietal called Gringet made itself comfortable for quite a while. Unfortunately its livelihood seems to be not so spectacularily great though. In the past two decades it lost more than two thirds of its acerage. In 2010 just about 25 hectares were left. So, pretty scarce I guess! Today's Gringet was produced by the regionally well known Domaine Belluard. Apparently they produce plenty of different wines from Gringet. Even a fizz! Todays's wine might be a bit peculiar for some tongues. This 100% Pur-Jus from 2014 could be described as one of those natural wines. At least it was produced without additional sulphur. Its vines were cultivated on very slope'y gravely limestone and clay-limestone soils. Ageing took place in those fancy oval shaped concrete vats. Oh hell, let's give it a shot …

Domaine Eden Chardonnay 2009, Santa Cruz Mountains

Viel California hat dieser Domaine Eden Chradonnay 2009 zweifelsohne in sich! Aber alles etwas reduzierter und nicht ganz so vollbusig wie bei nicht so wenigen anderen kalifornischen Chardonnays innerhalb und außerhalb seiner Gewichtsklasse. Auch dieser Kleine des Traditionshauses Mount Eden in den Santa Cruz Mountains etwas südlich von San Francisco bleibt dem leicht burgundisch inspirierten Hausstil – naja, zumindest der Gründer des Weingutes stammt aus dem Burgund - ziemlich treu. Vielleicht ist dieser im Vergleich zu den Flagschiffen von Mount Eden ein wenig fruchtlastiger und früh-gefälliger. Hergestellt wurde er aus 60% Mount Eden und 40% Domaine Eden Frucht (etwas niedere Weinberge in der Nähe von Saratoga). Der Ausbau erfolgte zu 50% in neuen burgunder Pièce Fässern.