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Tag: France

Wine of the Week

A natural classic

Published 9. May 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

In the world of natural wines, La Sorga is a classic. Based in Montagnac, Languedoc, France, Anthony Tortul has been crafting expressive, zero-sulphite wines since 2008. His approach involves sourcing grapes from organic and biodynamic vineyards, focusing on the unique terroir of each site.  

This wine was enjoyed at Tempo wine bar in Sandnes, Norway. I didn’t find the vintage on the label, bur the lot number suggests 2023, which seems probable. The Boyfriend is an orange wine that exemplifies Anthony’s commitment and style. This cuvée is a blend of grenache blanc, muscat of alexandria, and marsanne. 

The grapes undergo skin maceration, resulting in a deep orange hue and a complex flavour profile.

The Boyfriend 2023 (La Sorga)

Deep orange. Intense aromas of clementine, tropical fruits like pineapple and mango, and a hint of grapefruit, complemented by floral notes and subtle spice. Juicy in the mouth, dry with soft tannins and a lingering mineral finish. Approachable and fun at 11°.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Clisson

Published 2. May 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

The Muscadet region has long been synonymous with light, seafood-friendly whites, but a quiet revolution has taken place over the past couple of decades. Producers are now drawing attention to the age-worthiness and complexity that melon de bourgogne can offer—especially when rooted in the right soils and afforded patient lees ageing.

Clisson is one of the cru villages of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, its wines defined by the granite soils and long ageing on fine lees. For a cru Clisson, the regulations demand at least 24 months of lees contact. Ollivier-Cottencau take this one step further. This 2018 vintage spent no less than 42 months on the lees before bottling, allowing the wine to gain both depth and texture.

Ollivier-Cottencau is a collaboration between two families with deep roots in the region. The estate, situated in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre, is now in the hands of the younger generation, who have embraced organic farming and a low-intervention approach in the cellar. Their wines reflect a respect for both tradition and terroir, with a particular focus on long ageing.

Over time, the lees (yeast cells) break down and release compounds that contribute to the wine’s mouthfeel and aromatic complexity. The result is a wine that bears little resemblance to the brisk, saline Muscadet of old. Instead, Clisson 2018 presents a broader, more layered profile, while retaining the hallmark tension and freshness of the region.

Clisson 2018 (Ollivier-Cottencau)

Golden hue. Aroma of dried herbs, crushed stone, and ripe lemon peel, underscored by a light nuttiness from the lees. On the palate, the wine is taut yet textural, with a saline core wrapped in notes of orchard fruit and a gentle smokiness. Long finish, with a subtle grip that speaks of granite and time. A wine for the table—and for contemplation.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

A glimpse into the greatness

Published 21. March 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

I am not among the ranks of those who follow Bourgogne closely. One reason is that I do my best to keep up with what happens other places, such as the Iberian Peninsula. I could also mention the prices. But then, Bourgogne Côte-d’Or has emerged as an exciting category for wine lovers seeking high-quality wines at more accessible prices than the prestigious appellations. What is more, the director of my local wine shop is a highly regarded expert on Bourgogne. So at a major release of Burgundies, from DRC and downwards, he said that this was a must try.

I have learned that Bouzereau is based in Meursault, where he makes elegant white wines from that appellation. The estate is now run by Michel’s son, Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau. He follows organic practices in the vineyard and employs a gentle winemaking approach to preserve the finesse of the fruit. Bouzereau employs a restrained use of new oak to preserve the wine’s elegance.

The grapes for this wine come from selected plots in the Côte de Beaune. The 2022 vintage was warm, yet retained enough freshness to ensure balance in the wines. The grapes are hand-harvested, partly destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top vats. This cuvée saw one year in barrel, 15% new.

Bourgogne Côte-d’Or Pinot Noir 2022 (Michel Bouzereau)

Bright ruby with hints of violet. Aroma of red berries (cherry, raspberry), floral notes and subtle spice. Fresh and delicate in the mouth, with vibrant red fruit, balanced acidity, fine-grained tannins, with a gentle earthiness. A refined, terroir-driven pinot noir with purity of fruit and silky tannins. Beautiful already, but will evolve over the next few years.

Price: Medium

Food: Light meat (veal), roasted duck breast, or a classic wild mushroom risotto

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Wine of the Week

Cornas at its peak

Published 29. November 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

The Reynard vineyard is on a beautiful, terraced granite hillside that overlooks the village of Cornas and is bordered by cedar trees.

Christopher Moestue, a knowledgeable and respected Norwegian importer, bought a plot at the top of the Reynard, and he got Vincent Paris to vinify. The 2007 was served at a private tasting a couple of weeks ago. The wine was maybe at its peak.

Cornas Coteaux de Reynard 2007 (Vign. Moestue)

Dark red with touches of brick. Scent of blackberry, pepper and cooked sauce, over a layer of dried fruits and cinnamon. Meaty in the mouth where fruit still remains, polished tannins, still with some acidity. Good concentration and a long finish. Superb now, for my taste it will not get any better than this.

Price: High

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Wine of the Week

Nouveau day again

Published 22. November 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

It’s beaujolais nouveau day again. The best producers have made light and delicate wines, while those from the more commercial wine houses are generally more thin. 

Foillard and Brun are among those all time favourites who excel in this context. Dupond, that I discovered A couple of years ago, is delivering again. Last year’s find was Perrachon. 

As I wrote then, Laurent Perrachon is based outside Juliénas and harvests six appellations. Martine and Laurent are fifth generation, and the sixth is also involved in the family business.

This nouveau is made exclusively from grapes grown in the Chânes municipality on granite and blue stone soil. The wine underwent 5 days carbonic maceration.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2024 (Perrachon)

Dark cherry. Red fruits, predominantly raspberry and strawberry, with some dark berries and flowers. Fresh in the mouth, soft tannins, good acidity, and a very generous fruit. 

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

Jura with the Mont d’Or

Published 15. November 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This exceptional white wine from Jura was served in a private dinner a couple of weeks ago. It was paired with a vacherin mont d’or, one of the region’s formidable cheeses. 

It was aged for more than 36 months under a veil of yeast (“sous voile”), and shows a delicate balance between the nutty richness of a vin jaune and the fruitiness of a young savagnin.

Grown in clay soils the savagnin grape is perfect for oxidative winemaking without fortification. The result is a wine with a complex flavour, reminiscent of a fino sherry, but without the added alcohol.

Savagnin Sous Voile 2019 (B&STissot)

Light golden. Oxidation notes with nuts, dried fruits, salt- and a flowery note. Rich in the mouth, concentrated with good acidity, and good length. It’s both delicate and full of depth.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Beautiful Brouilly

Published 18. October 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Château Thivin dates back to 1877. Today the 6th generation of the Geoffray family runs the estate.

The name of the wine comes from seven plots at Mont Brouilly in Côte de Brouilly, each contributing to the complexity with their various orientations and characteristics.

The soils are dominated by the blue stones of the region, stonier for the highest plots and more clayey for those closer to the foot of the hill.

The wine is made partly with whole bunches and matured in oak tuns for 7 months. Blending is done in the spring.

Côte de Brouilly Les Sept Vignes 2023 (Château Thivin)

Garnet red with bluish hint. Aroma of cherry, blueberry and flowers, with a mineral touch. Round in the mouth with fine tannins, good acidity and a spicy finish.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Fabulous Foillard

Published 4. October 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This wine was from the same Morgon theme tasting as last week’s wine. Jean Foillard is a favourite on these pages. See fx here.

Côte du Py is a prestigious slope in the outskirts of the village of Villié-Morgon, that gives name to the Morgon cru. The soil is decomposed schist, rich in ferrour oxide and called morgons.

Domaine Jean Foillard is a family-run winery founded in the 1980s by Jean Foillard, who took over the estate from his father. Foillard was one of the so-called gang of four, vintners that were inspired by the teachings of natural wine guru Jules Chauvet. The majority of the 14 hectares of vines on the estate are found in the Côte du Py.

The wine is made with natural viticulture and vinification techniques, without the use of herbicides or pesticides, and with minimal sulphur additions. Some keywords: Hand-harvest, whole cluster maceration and fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine was raised a good half year in used oak barrels.

Morgon Côte du Py 2022 (Jean Foillard)

Deep cold cherry colour. Intense aroma of cherry, with chalk and earth. Though concentrated it also has a layer of fresh raspberry and flowers on top. Quite powerful in the mouth, with young tannins, fresh fruit, an integrated acidity. Fabulous wine that currently is good with food, but will probably benefit from 5-6 more years.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Morgon Monday

Published 27. September 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Last Monday my local wine club served a dozen of Morgon wines. Most of them originate from the various climats that make up the appellation. This one is from a small climat called Douby, next to the famous Côte de Py.

Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes is located in the town Villié-Morgon, that gives name to the Morgon appellation in Beaujolais. Today it’s run by eighth generation, the siblings Claude-Emmanuelle and Louis-Benoît Desvignes. They work their soils in the most natural way possible. No synthetic products are used in the vineyards, and the work in the cellar is carried out with as little intervention as possible.

Their Morgons are made without aging in wood. Instead they spend some time in concrete vats. The macerations depends of the wine. In preparing the tasting I also tried their Morgon Voûte Saint-Vincent. That one is macerated only for ten days and aimed at earlier consumption, while other bottlings see longer macerations.

This wine comes from an 80 year old 1 hectare vineyard in Douby. Here at this place called Château Gaillard the soil is sand and granite. The harvest is manual and the vinification traditional with 10% of the grapes destemmed. Fermentation lasts 10 days, then the wine is aged in cement vats for 7 months.

Morgon Château Gaillard 2021 (Louis Claude Desvignes)

Deep cold cherry colour. Intense aroma of cherry and flowers, with chalk and earth. Quite powerful in the mouth with fresh fruit, an integrated acidity and young fine-grained tannins. I think the 21s in the tasting had benefitted from one year more than the 22s. Still this one is probably at its best after 4-5 more years.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Gorgeous Gorges

Published 23. August 2024 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

The tasting of mature Muscadets in our local wine club slowed once again that the western Loire can produce perfectly balanced wines at very economic prices. This wine was among my favourites in the tasting.

The domain was founded by Michel Brégeon in the 1970’s and run today by Fred Lailler. Today Lailler disposes of 8.5 hectares of vineyards. Some are on gabbro soils, an old, blueish-green, igneous rock that imparts complexity, length, and an intense minerality to the wines. The Gorges cru is particularly known for this soil. All of the domaine’s vineyards are planted here.

The wine, from 70 years old vines, is aged on the lees in underground, glass-lined cuves for more than 2 years.

Gorges 2018 (Dom. Brégeon)

Light golden colour. Aroma of apples, saltwater and a touch of lime. Textured, with a stony minerality, a fresh acidity and good length. Well-balanced.

Price: Medium

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