The 2006 Usseglio mon Aïeul was the winning bottle in the February Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for an hour and served with homemade beef stew. Pierre Usseglio, not to be confused with Raymond Usseglio (a different winery owned by his brother) was founded in 1948 by Francis Usseglio. Francis moved to the Rhone from Italy…
The 2006 Janasse Chaupin was the winning bottle in the November installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for two hours. Domaine de la Janasse is located in Courthezon, in the Southern Rhone Valley, and it is one of the region’s brightest stars. The Sabon family has been growing grapes in the valley for several generations, but it…
The November installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2006 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle on Thanksgiving and will publish a Bottle Note shortly thereafter. Although overshadowed by 2005…
Clos Saint Jean was founded in 1900 in Chateauneuf du Pape and is still a small, family-run operation. The estate produces 12,500 cases annually. Brothers Pascal and Vincent Maurel run the business. Clos Saint Jean primarily produces Chateauneuf du Pape, including the Vieilles Vignes and several special cuvees including the Combe des Fous and Deus-Ex Machina. In 2002, Philippe Cambie…
Domaine de Beaurenard is in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the Rhone Valley. It has been a family run estate for seven generations and is today run by brothers Daniel and Frederic Coulon. The estate includes 80 acres in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and 62 acres in the Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau appellation. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls Domaine de Beaurenard “one of the old,…
Mas De Boislauzon is a 22 acre estate near Orange, just north of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the Southern Rhone Valley. The estate is owned and operated by Daniel and Christine Chaussey, a brother and sister who are the current generation of a family that has owned the estate for six generations. The name of the estate comes from the vineyard where…