Burgundy Dinner C'est Bon Brisbane May 12

This will be a special dinner at C'est Bon French restaurant in Brisbane. It features some fine wines from Burgundy from Domaine Lupé-Cholet made by one of Burgundy's best wine makers Albert Bichot. These wines are new to Australia. As well as some premier cru Burgundies, there will be a glass of Champagne on arrival and a rare dessert wine to end. 

Burgundy native and restauranteur Celine Damour and her team have devised a menu of classic regional dishes.

If you love good food and wine then this is a night not to be missed!

Booking details here or phone 07 3891 2008

Sexy Red Comes of Age

Style magazine has written about our NEW Beaujolais-Villages...

Read more at discovervin.com.au

This World Malbec Day – Think French!

In the world of wine, the French will invariably tell you that they did it first. But when it comes to Malbec wine, there’s no argument - they did!

So when World Malbec Day rolls around on 17 April, give credit where credit is due. Rather than breaking out the empanadas and gaucho boots - and going all Argentinean, lift a glass to those who did Malbec first, the French - and who are in a class of their own.

Malbec’s traditional heartland is in the south west of France in Cahors where it is known as the Black Wine of Cahors. The city of Cahors (above) sits on a bend of the Lot river which snakes through this stunning region.

Although historically one of the six grapes allowed for blending red Bordeaux, further south west in Cahors, Malbec reigns supreme. It is the dominant red varietal where the region’s appellation controlee calls for a minimum of 70% Malbec in its reds.  Says The Guardian (UK): "Cahors is that rarest of all wines: both a rising star and a timeless classic."

It was French agronomist Miguel Pouquet who bought French grape vine cuttings to Argentina in the mid 19^th century. But it was his godfather, Seur Malbek in France for whom the grape was named in the late 17^th century, who was the champion of this ‘timeless classic’.

Cahors Malbec draws on the legendary Dordogne soils to display complexity and structure with a full bodied, tannin backbone that unashamedly points to longevity. In its modern form its gorgeous, brooding colour belies its sensual elegance.

In recent years, as the world-wide interest in Malbec wines has increased, the Cahors producers have prominently displayed Malbec on the front labels. They have become one of the first French wine regions to label by variety not just by region.

We have found a steadily growing following for our Cahors Malbec. The Argentinean Malbecs made in their sunny Australian style have helped open people’s eyes to the variety.  But, on this World Malbec Day, for those looking for something more complex and definitive, discover the ‘black wine of Cahors’ and in particular, our Chȃteau Haut Monplaisir Prestige. Once you go black – there’s no going back.” 

Château Haut Monplaisir Prestige 2006

AOC Cahors-Rouge

100% Malbec

Certified Organic  

Our Tasting notes:  Deep garnet red colour. The nose is intense, with notes of red fruit, spices and blackberry jam.  Crisp and even, this wine presents aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry on the palate, along with a mineral note.  The finish is lengthy and complex, with notes of chocolate and spices, and with just a hint of woody aromas. Fabulous malbec, aged and drinking to perfection.

RRP through www.discovervin.com.au $35.00

Rosé at another level- the beguiling blush of Bandol.

For the past few years the Rosé Revolution has crashed through to see Australians blissfully embrace rosé wine by the chilled, pink, bucket load.  Even in France, white wine consumption now comes second to rosé and in particular from Provence in the South of France, the traditional home of rosé.

The sunny wine of the South of France and the sunny lifestyle of beach hugging Australians are simpatico. Aussie sun, seafood, BBQ and a crisp refreshing Provençal rosé...can it get much better?

Well, it can! For heightened indulgence, there is the lip-smacking inner sanctum of Provençal wines that come from the Bandol region perched on the glittering Mediterranean coast.

West of Toulon, near the coast east of Marseille and Cassis, the Bandol wine region boasts sun baked, south-facing hills surrounding the fishing village of Bandol. Here the region’s three classic grapes mourvèdre, cinsault and grenache soak up some 320 days of sun a year. 

Mourvèdre (a.k.a mataro or monastrell) is the mainstay grape of Bandol. With the influence of the region’s unique terroir of soil, position and climate, it gives Bandol rosé wines a beguiling and unique texture and depth of flavour. A rosé to contemplate. 

Premium winery, Domaine de Frégate lies between the towns of Bandol and Saint Cyr sur Mer in the hinterland of a cape enjoying views of the Mediterranean.  

While the Frégate label is emblazoned with the image of an historic three masted frigate, the word frégate has its origins in the local dialect for a more agricultural pursuit.  The name comes from the Provençal word fregato which means to break the rocks to allow growth. This is a reference to the local limestone bedrock, whose properties imbue the grapes with the beguiling style and flavour that is typically Bandol. 

Above ground these broken rocks are the basis for the famous Bandol “restanques”, lines of low, dry-stone walls erected by generations of farmers to follow the contours of the terrain to make the challenging steep slopes cultivable land.  Among these distinctive “restanques”, Domaine de Frégate’s vineyards enjoy exposure to the south and west where warm temperatures meet a cool sea breeze. All its wines are produced from the fruit of the Domaine’s own vineyards in clay/limestone soil. 

Domaine de Frégate’s Bandol rosé is salmon pink in colour made of 50% mourvèdre, 25% cinsault and 25% grenache.  It seductively expresses the complex characteristics of the terroir, with a nose of citrus, red fruits and spices, finishing dry with a vein of steely minerality. Once picked (by hand) the grapes undergo direct pressing, remaining on their skins for only a day, before the light pink juices enter the temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks. The  finished rosé is bottled just prior for sale from 1 March, as is the Bandol AOC stipulation.

If you like provençal rosé, this is rosé at another level! 

Bandol’s Domaine de Frégate rosé and a range of Provençal rosés is available in Australia online delivered to your door at www.discovervin.com.au

"OMG, this wine is sublime!"

The team at DiscoverVin was thrilled to see this great review of our Champagne Jeeper Grand Assemblage NV from Dan Traucki at Wine Assist.

Since its recent launch in Australia 2 months ago, it has been getting a great reaction including 4 stars in Winestate magazine and a huge recommendation from the Wine Wankers. 

Here is Dan Traucki's review reproduced below (with thanks!)

THIS WEEK’S WINE REVIEW:

CHAMPAGNE JEEPER GRAND ASSEMBLAGE BRUT: Interestingly, Champagne Jeeper is actually named after the WILLY’S JEEP that the American soldiers gave French resistance fighter Arnoud Goutorbe, who had lost a leg during the war.

Goutorbe’s family had been growing grapes in the area for generations, and so the gift of the Jeep meant that he could still tend to his vineyards.

Years later when the family launched its own brand, rather than supplying the grapes to one of the big houses, it seemed natural to name the wine after the thing that made it possible – the Jeep, hence Champagne Jeeper.

Oh! Wow! This is an amazing champagne right up there with the best!

At the risk of blurting out too many superlatives, it is classy, elegant, creamy, delectable, sophisticated, magnificent and utterly delicious!

It has a beautiful bead, gorgeous light-yellow colour, a rich, creamy bouquet complete with hints of apples and yeast autolysis.

Absolute bags of flavour – again, rich and creamy mouthful of divine flavours and very classy, restrained acidity so that the palate screams out for more as the lingering finish gently fades away.

I don’t use the 100 point scoring scale (10 points in reality) but if I did, this nectar would be in the mid-90s at least! OMG, this wine is sublime!!! 

It is one of the three Champagnes in the range that have only just come into the country thanks to Discovervin.

Check them out at http://www.discovervin.com.au and enjoy an amazing experience.

For more details (or to order online) click here.

Beaujolais is back (but not shoulder pads!)

Some sommeliers are telling us the demand for Beaujolais wine has taken off recently. They are not referring to cheaper Beaujolais nouveau but more quality Beaujolais-Villages and cru Beaujolais (explained below). Beaujolais Nouveau is a very light and fruity style, whereby the Gamay grapes are fermented only for a few months and then bottled and shipped. This is the style popularised in the 80s and like "big hair" and shoulder pads its one fad that may or may not return!

The Beaujolais region is a small region south of Burgundy and north of the Rhone. The vast majority of the production is red wine made from Gamay. A small amount of white and rosé is made also.

According to InterBeaujolais, the region's professional organisation, Beaujolais is now the second biggest wine export region in France after Champagne. (48% of Beaujolais is exported so I think they must mean that this is the second highest proportion of wine exported from a region as surely the larger appellations such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Provence etc must export bigger volumes/numbers of bottles.)

What is driving this interest in Beaujolais? Is it just a cycle? Is it a desire by consumers to move away from "big" styles of red  to "lighter" styles. Beaujolais is certainly an easy going food-friendly style of wine that matches many foods. It is generally lower in alcohol (12 to 13%) and can be chilled and enjoyed at lunch as well as dinner.

We have started importing a Beaujolais-Villages from Domaine Lupé-Cholet . We recently enjoyed a bottle with a Thai beef salad and it was a perfect match. We served it at the Paris to Provence Melbourne French Festival and the Alliance Française Melbourne Christmas Market.  The most common response was "wow" followed by "can I order some?". It probably exemplifies why there is an emerging interest in  good Beaujolias. It has lovely rich fruit but some nice soft tannins/finish. Certainly very more-ish! Lovely on its own but a great match to many foods including the soft spices in the Thai beef salad. Normally any heat/chilli in food, makes tannin in red wine seem harsh and bitter, but the soft tannins in our Lupé-Cholet enhanced the food. It was a very enjoyable match. For more details on this lovely wine click here.

Thai beef salad and our soon to be released #beaujolais from @bichotwines and #lupecholet #wine #france lovely match

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Oct 8, 2016 at 3:00am PDT

There are 3 broad categories of Beaujolais wine.

1. Beaujolais. This is the least expensive of the 3 levels of wine. A large proportion of the wine is released within months of harvest. This is called "Beaujolais Nouveau." This makes up 50% approximately of the region's production.

2. Beaujolais Villages wine is produced from an area made up of 38 villages in the north of the Beaujolais region and makes up 25% of production in the region. The hilly, granitic terroir here is considered superior to that of the flatter lands in the south of Beaujolais and, as a result, Beaujolais Villages wines are considered to be of a higher quality than those of the straight Beaujolais appellation. 

In fact the terroir of northern Beaujolais is widely considered to be one of the best in the world for growing the Gamay grape variety. Vineyards sit on the sunny south- and southeast-facing slopes, where bright sunshine and dry, warming foehn winds help the grapes to reach optimal ripeness.  These coarse, sandy soils are considered superior to the more clay-dominated soils of southern Beaujolais, as their heat-retaining quality helps the vines to reach optimal ripeness, and they are highly permeable, allowing for excellent drainage in the vineyards.

The Beaujolais Villages appellation accounts for around a quarter of the Beaujolais region's total annual output, most of which is red wine, with just small amounts of white and rosé wine produced. The appellation law has slightly different rules concerning vinification and permitted yields than the more generic Beaujolais appellation, giving rise to a slightly fuller-bodied, more concentrated style of wine. Often a system called carbonic maceration is used whereby whole bunches of grapes are fermented under a layer of carbon dioxide. This excludes oxygen reducing oxygenation and enabling a softly tannic wine (oxygen breaks down tannins into smaller molecules which are "harsher"). 

While most Beaujolais Villages wines are made for immediate consumption, some of the best examples can be cellared for up to five years.

3. Cru Beaujolais

There are 10 Crus of Beaujolais, all in the north and producing only red wine. They make up 25% of Beaujolais production. Each has its own distinct personality, based on ‘terroir’– climate,soils, altitude, aspect and a host of other factors – that are duplicated nowhere else. These wines are much more complex and will develop beautifully over time much like a good Burgundy.

The names of the cru Beaujolais from north to south are

1. Saint-Amour

2. Juliénas 

3. Chénas 

4. Moulin-à-Vent 

5. Fleurie 

6. Chiroubles

7. Morgon

8. Régnié

9. Côte de Brouilly

10. Brouilly

We suspect that we will be hearing more about Beaujolais in 2017.

Digital Gift Certificates

Running out of time to get to the shops? 
We are here to help!

A DiscoverVin digital gift voucher is a fantastic gift for any wine loving family and friends.

Our digital gift cards are available online.  A mobile Gift Card is delivered to your loved ones mobile phone as a picture message. Choose an amount, schedule delivery time (for example 9 a.m. Christmas Day) , add a message and hit send! They be redeemed by the recipient online, using an individualised code. 

Indeed these are always available and are suitable for Birthdays/Thankyou/Congratulations etc as well as Christmas.

So forget the traffic and the crowds, grab some gift certificates and relax and enjoy the festive season!
 
TO ORDER: Jump online or please call us on 02 6020 6016 or  0414 596 395 for assistance or send us an email  info@discovervin.com.au . 

Our usual terms and conditions apply.

Seasons Greetings from all the team at DiscoverVin!