Wine tasting/buying

August 9, 2011

Last night was chilly, and I had a tough time getting to sleep after the megaposting extravaganza. Jim also had a weird sleep, so woke up late. Bundled everything, we think, and packed up. Turbulent skies alternating with beaming sun kept us on foot rather than on bikes. 

We started with a café emporter at salon du The et café, where Jim found a cool loose-leaf infuser that seemed to take the mess out of the wire basket strainer method. She tried desperately to sell us more, but I kept saying “Je bois du café.”
We then made our way to the cafe du arome, and smelled the scents usually employed to describe wine in a beautiful setting. They have classes there too, for hours to days, maybe even weeks, ecolesburgundy web site.

  From there we sauntered/hiked the perimeter of this incredible castle wall and moat,
spying a fabulous burgundian tile roof we discovered it belonged to Bouchard Pere et Fils and found it entry. It was 12, and they were degustationing till 12:30.
 It was after noon and I tried to get a tour of the grounds first, but there was no such thing today, and so we started with the tasting. I stuck even more so to spy, swirl, sniff, sip swirl again and SPIT, maybe just a drizzle down the back but no more. We tried two whites and a few reds and ordered a case to be shipped.  Our host Vincent explained he would be happy to help us ship more in the future direct to the house.

We left there about 1, and Patriarche which RS had mentioned. His details I forgot, but he had highlighted it not Bouchard Pere & fils in the book. The gift shop open but the cav closed, so we decided to head out, but where was the car? Ouph, we had come across a lot, after we drove by the café de aromas, and swung in and focused on looking for the auto-payment booth and retracing the path to the aroma spot. Neither of us was sure. Then I remembered that retracing and it got us to the car, with a good walk on the peripherique. 

Now it is 2, and Patriarche is open, should we get on our way, or give it a try. Jim mentioned it, and I thinking he wanted to, said sure, and we walked back for a tour of S5. It was outstanding. A 10 euro entry fee, but then a intro and a tasting of as much as you want. If you can, of 3 whites, including a Meursault and a bunch >5 reds, including a Pommard. Their prices were much more reasonable, than Boucard P&F, but the quality separated in time; hard to know. Anyway we bought to ship, which they will do for you, and a few to take.

Now back to the car, yes we know where it is this time, and oh, let’s find the Hillebrand company we heard may be able to ship wine to the states for the early purchases. We drove to where we thought there might be the zone industrial, the Bricorama spot, but we were wrong, but we were able to get directions to the correct spot and arrived just too late for the department we needed but soon enough to talk to a lovely woman who set us up regardless.

 Now off to Lyon via southern Beaune, Meursalt, Monthelie, and castle Rocquepot. We had a terrific picnic dinner on the slopes of Monthelie while the farmer tended his vines, trimming the branches, to prevent mold, according to my reading.

Then a nice tour for 45 minutes or so on winding roads but autoroute there on our for time. Into Lyon and to Hotel des Artistes with little effort and only a few turn-arounds. Nice big bed, hotel type shower etc. Blog in, Now off for a tour de cite au pied.