THURSDAY NIGHT WINE TASTING 6-9 PM

To celebrate Natural Winemakers’ Week NYC, Jenny & Francois and Dandelion Wine invite you to meet TWO natural winemakers from France!  Each winemaker will be pouring two of their wines… it’s a great opportunity to taste the wine, and ask the maker questions!  As always, we will be pairing the wines with cheese from ED and bread from SCRATCH.

LOUP BLANC

Restaurateurs Alain Rochard and Laurent Farre founded the Loup Blanc winery in the tiny town of Bize-Minervois in ’93, which is the highest and most northern part of the Minervois AOC. They produce a fantastic array of wines from 10 different low-yielding varietals. The wines from Loup Blanc are true to the terroir, the traditions and cuisine of the Languedoc, and they are a pleasure to drink.

LES TROIS P’TITS C

Varietals: 40% Grenache, 35% Ancient Vines Carignan, 20% Tempranillo, 5% Alicante.

Vinification Method: Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed and gently pressed. Only indigenous yeasts are used and the wine undergoes a remontage, circulating the wine from the bottom of the vat to the top, which maximizes the color and fruit of the grapes. Les Trois P’tits C rests in old oak barrels for twenty months before it is bottled without filtration.

Tasting Note: Midnight purple in the glass with a deep ruby rim. Scents of red and black berry intermingle with warm stones and a dusting of baking chocolate. The palate is a bright and luscious expression of ripe black berry, dried currants and stewed plum backed by a note of bramble framed in by a judicious note of oak.

Pairing: Cassoulet, leg of lamb, grilled artisan sausages.

LE REGAL DE LOUP

 Varietals: 50% Ancient Vines Carignan, 30% Grenache, 20% Syrah.

Vinification Method: Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed and gently pressed. Only indigenous yeasts are used and the wine undergoes a remontage, circulating the wine from the bottom of the vat to the top, which maximizes the color and fruit of the grapes. Maceration lasts three weeks and the wine rests in a cement tanks for a year before it is bottled without filtration.

Tasting Note: Garnet in the glass with shimmering purple highlights. The nose is loaded with scents of Empress Plum, blackberry ink, ripe currants, a note of warm bricks and crushed stones. The palate is a dense and elegant expression of ripe fruit and lovely mineral depth.

Pairing: Grilled duck breast, aged meats, roast pork & char-grilled burgers.

CLOS SIGUIER

Gilles Bley knows the history of Cahors and can trace his winegrowing roots in the AOC back for many generations. His intimate understanding of the Malbec (Côt) and Tannat vines on his 15 hectare estate led to a desire to create wine that highlights this storied region’s unheard of potential for delicacy. Cahors is traditionally known for it’s heavy and brooding black wines that take years to reveal any fruit. Giles Bley’s efforts at Clos Siguier have a bit more in common with the Malbec grown in Argentina’s Mendoza than what you would normally expect from this AOC. This is a surprisingly bright and youthful Cahors with depth of red and black fruit, subtle terroir and silken tannins. Clos Siguier is a lighter styled, readily accessible Cahors with its roots firmly planted in organic winemaking traditions.

CAHORS

Vinification Method: Hand-harvested the grapes undergo a 5 to 6 week maceration. Wild yeasts are used during fermentation. The wine rests in barrel before it is bottled.

Tasting Note: Deep purple in the glass with an amethyst rim. Black cherry, red currant, and cool black tea notes dominate the nose. Succulent red and black fruit follows through on the palate and is backed by pounded stones. This medium-bodied red has great minerality, moderate acidity and finishes with silken tannins.

Pairing: Cassoulet, veal stew, grilled artisan sausages, roasts, venison and strong aged cheeses.

CAHORS LES VIELLES VIGNES “CAMILLES”

Varietals: Malbec 

Vinification Method: Hand-picked grapes are de-stemmed. Classic fermentation. Pushing down every day for a month. Aged in 600 liter wood tanks for two years. Indigenous yeasts, no filtration.

Pairing: Cassoulet, veal stew, grilled artisan sausages, roasts, venison and strong aged cheeses.