Groslay 2009

28-29 March were the dates for this year's Groslay tasting. This tasting, in a forgotten town north of Paris invites a couple dozen of organic, small-production, and sometimes avant-garde winemakers. After my visiit to the Vigneron independant (cattle car )tasting in Paris on Friday, this was an intimate affaire. Picnic tables out back welcomed visitors to enjoy the andouille sausage and fresh Normandy Oysters.

One of the avant-garde wineries was Domaine Vergé in Macon. Here, no sulfur at all and organic viticulture. Vin au naturel. 3/4 of the wines were declassified to vin de table because on non-typicity and through our discussion she laughed about the nonsense coming out of the juries that dole out appelation controlees. The wines were all reduced and all very similar in their green apple flavors. Very acidic and green. The sparkling wine was so acrid and effervecent that I could barely keep it in my mouth. Crazy stuff, good to taste, and to learn that sulfer is GOOD!

Visitedwith Domaine Mussy of Pommard and tasted through a horizontal their crus of burgundies in and around Pommard. 2007's. Fruity, mineral and nice tension. Delicious. From Chinon I spent quite a long time with P Lambert, another organic producer (even biodynamic) with an eye-opening range of red chinon...great balance and expressive of their terroirs. Again, very mineral and sappy fruit.

M Lambert invited me for lunch and we shared 2 doz oysters. Very gracious and the atmosphere at lunch was classic french conviviality. On this sunny crisp spring day I soaked it all in.....