Methode Ancestrale

Patrick Bottex La Cueille Bugey-Cerdon Savoie Methode Ancestrale

Methode Ancestrale is one of the sparkling wine production method.

In traditional method (ex. Champagne) or tank method (ex. Prosecco), grape must is fermented, liqueur de tirage (sugar, yeast and wine mixture) is added to kick start another fermentation, then proceed to second fermentation to capture bubbles in the wine.

Methode Ancestrale is single fermentation. During the first fermentation, wine is bottled and fermentation continues in the bottle. No liqueur de tirage is added.

This wine is made of Gamay and has beautiful medium pink color.
It had aromas and flavors of sweet fruit like red apple, strawberry, raspberry, and cherry blossom.
Acid was moderate and emphasizing sweetness of fruit.
Bubbles were soft and tiny but persistent.

Likable and easy to drink.
Another good thing about this wine is that it's low in alcohol, so you can drink as much as you want!

Revisiting Lambrusco

Lambrusco is DOC in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
It is also a name of grape variety with numerous clones.
The wine is red sparkling wine with red fruit aromas.

Lambrusco is not my favorite wine: it's too light and perfumy, and many of Lambrusco I had were cheap sweet wines.
However, I heard that there had been more serious (?) Lambrusco which was dry with firm structure, so I decided to give it a try.

Fattoria Moretto Lambrusco di Grasparossa di Castelvetro

Lambrusco di Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC is considered to be a highest quality Lambrusco DOC.
It's supposed to have full body and high tannin and acidity.

This wine has deep purple color, high acid and light tannin.
Aromas and flavors of apple skin, cherry, plum, pomegranate.
Bubbles are not long-lasting but quite delicate.

The aromas and flavors are simple but pleasant from the first sip to after taste.
It's easy to drink and also good with food, especially with fatty food.

I wouldn't say that all Lambrusco suddenly became my favorite, but I enjoyed this particular wine a lot.

New Year's Bordeaux Tasting

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.
This was the first big tasting to attend for me for this year.

So many wines to taste for 2 hours, but everything was well organized and could tasted most of the wines without confusion.

It's hard to choose favorites...they were all great wines.

Domaine de Chevalier Pessac Leognan
Blanc Tropical fruit, yogurt, candy. Well balanced
Rouge Floral, red fruit, incense, green tea. Smooth texture with fine tannin.

Chateau Pape Clement Blanc Pessac Leognan
Mushroom, shellfish, honey and beeswax.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Leognan
Blanc Herb,fresh mint, grapefruit, cream. Subtle sweetness in after taste.
Rouge Green tomato, pencil and geranium.

Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot Rouge Saint-Emilion
Rose, gardenia, chocolate. Ripe fruit and smooth texture.

Chateau Canon-la-Gaffeliere Rouge Saint-Emilion
Fruitiness and earthiness at the same time. Aromas of tobacco.

Chateau la Dominique Rouge Saint-Emilion
Very aromatic flower and fruit. Good structure.

Chateau Durfort-Vivens Rouge Margaux
Very good aromatic wine.
Incense, dry red rose, perfume and black truffle. Texture was soft.


Chateau Marquis de Terme Rouge Margaux
Easy to drink wine with red fruit.
Soft tannin.

Chateau Siran Rouge Margaux
Fruits are ripe but not overripe.
Good amount of acidity and soft tannin.

Chateau Gruaud Larose Rouge Saint-Julien
Cherry and coffee. Smooth, velvety texture.


Chateau Beychevelle Rouge Saint-Julien
Cherry, mint, eucalyptus and coffee. Well balanced.

Chateau Lagrange Rouge Saint-Julien
Milk chocolate and sugar-coated fruit. Smooth texture.

Chateau Lynch-Bages Rouge Pauillac
Cherry and strawberry. Structure is well balanced.

Chateau Pichon Baron Rouge Pauillac
Strawberry with caramel. Very approachable.

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Rouge Pauillac
Fresh fruits with subtle coffee.
Fluid-like texture.


Reds were still young but surprisingly approachable, with potential for ageing.

Bourgogne Seminar part 2

Traditional method sparkling wine  (same method as Champagne) made in France are called Cremant since the word "Champagne" can't be used outside Champagne AOC.

Cremant de Bourgogne is one of them and this is of course made in Bourgogne (Burgundy).
Main grapes used are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and those are grown mostly in northern part of  Burgundy. Cooler climate is suitable for sparkling wine because grapes can retain acidity.
Grapes are hand-harvested and presses gently to avoid phenolic bitterness.

Cremant de Bourgogne Grande Cuvee Veuve Ambal
Blend of Aligote, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay.
Apple, berry, orange and cinnamon.
Acid was sharp.

Cremant de Bourgogne 2016 Laurent Berger
Wine of old vine made by very small producer.
Lemon, cinnamon and mushroom.
It had creamy texture.

Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noir 2016 Cave de Lugny
Jasmin, grapefruit and cardamon.
Good body and pleasant finish.

Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs 2014 Bailly Lapierre
Aromas of flowers like jasmine or gardenia. Green apple, lime and oyster.

Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs Les Trois Saints 2010 Louis Bouillot
Apple, pear, citrus flower, ginger and medicinal herb.

Cremant de Bourgogne Rose Victorine de Chastenay
Fresh pink cherry, strawberry and raspberry.
Rich, creamy texture.

Cremant de Bourgogne Perle d'Or Grand Eminent 2009 Louis Bouillot
Aged in oak.
Dried fruit, peach, mushroom, caramel and nut.
Complex and well balanced.


Overall, Cremant de Bourgogne has lesser acid and fuller body comparing with Champagne due to warmer climate.
One of my friends likes flavors of champagne but finds acidity too high. Cremant de Bourgogne is great alternative for people like her.

Miso is ready

Miso I made last year is ready!

Since no preservatives are used, there could be mold on top of  Miso, but just remove it and the rest is fine. 
Miso is transferred to plastic container and stored in a fridge.
Even in a fridge fermentation might occur slowly, so avoid air tight container.

The first dish I made with this miso was miso marinated fish.
Mix miso and yuzu marmalade to make marinade, marinate butterfish for a couple of days, and grill.

The fat of fish and saltiness and sourness of marinade tasted great together.
This works for pork, too.
Marinate pork for 1 hour or so then grill. Yummy.