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Mommessin's Burgundian Masterpieces Monday March 10, 2003 Speaker: Eric Dubourg, Northeastern Wine Director, Marie Brizard Wines and Spirits, USA Founded in 1865, Mommessin, a leading Burgundy producer and negotiant, is noted for wines of nobility, power, finesse and ageing potential. Hewing to tradition, grapes are hand harvested, the wines are unfiltered and show remarkable grace and complexity. The 50 attendees voted for favorite white and for two favorite reds. The notes are a combination of the speaker and Vivian Tramontana. Ms. Tramontana has a long involvement with wine and with Tasters Guild. Flight I: White Burgandy Votes Full Retail $ Macon Villages Old Vines 2001 White Wine Burgundy (100% Chardonnay) The chardonnay grape expresses itself to the fullest with floral aromas and hints of honey and apple. The older the vine, the richer the wine. This old vines chardonnay is beautifully round in the mouth with juicy apple, pear and hazelnut flavors. Ideal with shellfish, fish, or as an aperitif. 0 $7.99 Pouilly Fuisse Ch. Pouilly reserve 2000 White Wine Burgundy (100% Chardonnay) This superb XV century Château overshadows the Pouilly vineyards where the best soils in the area can be found. Two-thirds of the vines are more than 40 years old, while the last third was replanted 15 years ago. All the harvest is vinified at the Château, part of it in stainless steel vats and the other in oak barrels. The wines are then aged in barrels from eight to twelve months. The reserve is made with a selection of grapes from old vines and is aged in new barrels. 8 $19.99 Meursault 1999 White Wine Burgundy (100% Chardonnay) From around the town of Meursault located between Puligny Montrachet and Volnay in the center of the Cote de Beaune, the southern part of the Cote d'Or. Barrel fermented, then malolactic fermentation, 6 months oak aging, egg white fining. Luscious mouth feel and a long smooth finish. Rich, ripe, apple and honey flavors balanced with oak, vanilla and spice. 22 $32.99 Wine Name Puligny Montrachet 2000 White Wine Burgundy (100% Chardonnay) North of the town of Chassagne-Montrachet and south of the town of Meursault around the town of Puligny-Montrachet in the Cote de Beaune, Cote D Or, Burgundy. Puligny and Chassagne share the famous Le Montrachet Grand Cru vineyard. In the late 19th century both towns added this vineyard name to their village names giving us the Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet appellations. Steely, rich mouth feel and a long smooth finish, long-lived. Minerals and complex, crisp, fruit flavors of apple and lemon balanced with honey, almonds, hazelnuts, vanilla and spice. 10 $45.00 Flight II: Beaujolais Votes Full Retail $ Beaujolais Villages Old Vines 2001 Red Wine Beaujolais (100% Gamay) Beaujolais covers over 49,420 acres including nearly 100 communes. It is the southernmost area of Burgundy north of Lyon. Grapes are handpicked, sorted, vatted in whole bunches (semi-carbonic maceration) then bled to obtain better concentration. Ruby color and intense, refined aromas of red berry fruits that carry through on the palate. Fresh fruit flavors with an exceptional richness due to more concentrated flavors from the old vines, long finish. Deep, ruby color, with a well-developed bouquet of violets and red fruits. Ripe and dense flavors of strawberry and raspberry are balanced and elegant It is a rich example of its native soil and of old vines. 3 $7.99 Moulin a Vent du Domaine de Champ de cour Reserve 1999 Red Wine Beaujolais (100% Gamay) The Mommessin family has owned the Domaine de Champ de Cour since 1962. A particularly long vinification means that the wealth of softened tannins from the Clos de Tart barrels can be extracted to the fullest. Ripe and dense flavors of raspberry are balanced and elegant. Average vine age: 30 Years: Traditional vinification with destalking. In oak barrels for 9 months. 6 $15.00 Flight III: Rhones Votes Full Retail $ Gigondas 1999 Red Rhone Valley This cru displays the perfect balance of the power of Grenache and the flagrancy of Syrah. Subtle, yet complex. A deep ruby color with concentrated plum and spice flavors. 7 $16.00 Flight IV: Red Burgandies (100% Pinot Noir) Votes Full Retail $ Pommard 2000 This wine comes from around the town of Pommard in the northern part of the Cote de Beaune, just south of the town of Beaune. This is the heart of Burgundy, the heart of the Cote d'Or. Sylvain Pitiot the Clos de Tart winemaker also makes this wine. Cold maceration for extraction, 14 months barrel aging in 20% new oak barrels, then egg white fining. A distinctive bouquet of the Burgundian terroir. Concentrated raspberry, blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors, good tannins and great length on the palate. Wines from Pommard are long-lived and are the most powerful wines produced in the Cote de Beaune. 8 $37.00 Gevrey Chambertin 2000 Gevrey Chambertin wines come from the Cote de Nuits in the northern part of the Cote d'Or. Gevrey Chambertin is located around the town of Gevrey, north of Charmes-Chambertin and south of the town of Dijon. The most powerful, long-lived reds of Burgundy come from this region. This appellation takes its name from the town of Gevrey attached to its most famous Grand Cru vineyard. Sylvain Pitiot the Clos de Tart winemaker also makes this wine. Cold maceration for extraction, 90% is barrel aged for 14 months, then egg white fining. Deep color, rich aromas, concentrated cherry fruit flavors. 12 $37.00 Aloxe Corton 2000 This wine comes from around the village of Aloxe in the northern part of the Cote de Beaune, just north of the town of Beaune. also makes this wine. Cold maceration for extraction, 18 months barrel aging in 75% new barrels, then egg white fining. A distinctive, open bouquet of the Burgundian terroir. An elegant yet firm pinot noir with concentrated raspberry and black cherry fruit flavors, good tannins and length on the palate. 6 $47.00 Echezaux 2000 This wine comes from the Echezeaux appellation in the Cote de Nuits in the northern part of the Cote d'Or. Echezeaux is north of the town of Nuits St. Georges and south of Chambolle-Musigny. One of the finest Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy is in the Echezeaux appellation:. Cold maceration for extraction, 18 months barrel aging in 100% new barrels, then egg white fining. Deep color, highly aromatic, rich, sensual, masculine and aristocratic. Concentrated cherry and spice flavors, full-bodied, luscious tannins, long, elegant finish. 24 $90.00 Clos de Tart - Grand Cru Morey St. Denis 1999 This Grand Cru has been the monopoly of the Mommessin family since 1932 when Henri Mommessin, grandson of the founder, purchased the estate. This estate is beautiful and quite unique. The vineyard is surrounded by a dry stone wall, within which the 12th century farm house, the cellars and the vats are also enclosed. The brown, chalky soils contain a high proportion of clay particles, chalk for finesse and balance, small stones to help drainage and large flat rocks which heat up during the day and maintain a stable temperature at night. The current winemaker, Sylvain Pitiot, came to Clos de Tart from the Hospices de Beaune in 1996 where he was regisseur or manager for 11 years involved in the winemaking and viticulture.. The vineyard of Clos de Tart covers 18 acres of the very best slopes in the village of Morey Saint Denis. It is located between two other famous Grand Crus, Bonnes Mares and Clos des Lambrays. . Grapes are hand picked and small yield of 1.7 tons per acre. 10-15% of yield discarded at sorting. Only perfectly ripe grapes are used. Grapes were 90% destemmed before the uncrushed grapes were macerated for 18 days for maximum extraction. Clos de Tart is aged 18 months in new French oak. A beautiful dark ruby color. A nose of great finesse, and aromas of red fruits: strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant. Ready to drink but can be kept 5 years to 15 years. With a meal it is an elegant companion to red meat, cheese and game 26 $140.00 Top