A City Tour of Beaune




Hotel Le Cep in the Walled City of Beaune

 

The iconic central-city Hotel Le Cep was our headquarters in Beaune.   Beaune is the capital (historically and geographically) for the famous Cote d'Or in Burgundy. Once again, we were treated to an exceptional level of service.  This hotel can sell itself on its location in the heart of the walled city, and the antique nature of its one-of-a-kind rooms.  However the support provided the tourist in residence is its greatest asset. They helped us with every request.

Having dined at Loiseau des Vignes and taken our rest at Hotel Le Cep we greeted the morning in the beautiful old city of Beaune.



Our wonderful, and expert guide, Sherry Thievenot, met us at our hotel to begin a walking tour of the historic city.  Our natural first stop was the Basilica of Notre Dame (our second Notre Dame so far).


Basilica of Notre Dame in Beaune

This historic landmark is a couple of hundred yards from the front door of Le Cep and it is a marvel of history and architecture.  It is a Romanesque artifact of the development of the region and the evolution of western civilization.  Once again, the advantage of a truly expert guide (a kind generally available all over Europe) was telling. I had visited this church twice before.  On this occasion I learned about its history, its architecture and its relation to the region.  The difference is profound.

We continued through the ancient streets of the city seeing the twisted narrow alleys from hundreds of years ago, the courtyards of ancient wineries, and the artifacts of this center of culture, political power, and wine in days of old.

A highlight of Beaune not to be missed is its famous Hospice, the charity hospital which served the region from the 1440s to the late 20th century.  It is hard to imagine that a (recently) decommissioned hospital could be an immense attraction for tourists and scholars, but this is something special. Here again the value of a professional guide can not be exaggerated.  On my own, in the past, this place has been intriguing and beautiful.  In the company of our guide it was a richer and more enjoyable experience. Again and again I marveled at features I had passed by on previous visits. By the way, I am convinced that there is no comparison between Sherry, our guide, and any automated system. Automation has yet to budget your time and answer your questions.  Further, the automated system won't lead you to your lunch destination. We were on our way to a noon appointment at Caveau des Arches.

Here are just a few of the photos of our city tour starting with Sherry, our expert guide:

And then a model of the old walled city and its moats:

 

And a section of the patient beds in the charity hospital.

 

Your should probably visit this place even if you have no interest in wine!





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Dinner at Loiseau des Vignes

Restaurant Loiseaudes Vignes, Beaune

 The folks at Loiseau des Vignes began by graciously allowing us to postpone our arrival.  As we were characteristically late (too much hospitality along the way), we began our dinner at 8:30.  From the moment we arrived we were royally treated.  As we had clearly crossed the line into Burgundy, we were greeted with Cremant de Bourgogne, the often excellent sparkling wine of this region (NOT Champagne).  Multiple courses of fine food, and liberal service of fine wines of Burgundy followed in well paced succession. This place has a very large capacity system for storing open bottles.   For this reason they have a great many fine Burgundies by the glass.  Of course, we have no need for wine in such small increments.  If we had been served "by the glass" three waiters would have had to be dedicated to just that one service element!  This was a very fine meal indeed!  The highest level of quality and service, but friendly and accommodating.

Right next to Hotel le Cep!  Check out the website of Loiseau des Vignes.



Interior, Showing By the Glass Storage

Nathalie Falmet and Her Estate Champagne

 

As her logo shows, Nathalie Falmet is unusual in the Champagne world. She is a wine-grower (vigneronne) and a winemaker (oenologue). She is very much a one woman show.

Vineyards in the Cote des Bar

Nathalie's vineyards and winery are at the tiny village of Rouvres Les Vignes in the Cote des Bar, the Southernmost section of the Champagne region.  A few miles to the South of here begin the appellations of Burgundy. Of course, the grapes used here are the same as throughout Champagne; Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Heading South from Reims there are long stretches of flat terrain devoid of vines. But here, in the South, are occasional slopes, the doors to the world of great Champagne. There is an ancient tradition here of wine growing, and now an emerging tradition of winemaking. Nathalie sees her products through from vineyard to bottle.



Home of Champagne Nathalie Falmet

We arrived in Rouvres Les Vignes to find a sleeping village (work in this place is in the fields and not in the town). Seeing no actual signs, and little sign of life, I poked my head inside the open door of a private home. From the eagerly helpful residents (through gesticulation more than speech) we learned where to find Nathalie and her small modern winery. This new facility is indicative of Nathalie's recent transition from consulting oenologist, to grape grower/winemaker/entrepreneur.



Nathalie's Wine Cooler

Even before we entered, our curiosity was piqued by the informal array of bottles sitting in the chill late morning air. The ledge outside the window served admirably to chill the wines we were about to sample.  Informal, practical, efficient, and convivial as this "wine cooler" was, so was the entire operation and so was our visit.  Nathalie greeted us cheerfully, even though grapes were arriving at was almost literally a one woman operation.  A couple of times during our tasting Nathalie would rush off to tend an operation or answer an employee's question (there were employees).  We all would have been won over by her energetic warmth, but we would have been won over even tasting the wines under less endearing circumstances. 

We tasted the wines in an environment reminiscent of a family kitchen.  But what wines! In fact this visit was planned after an introduction Jean-Pierre Chambas made to us at Northampton Wines. An introduction to the wines, not the lady.  How much better now to have met her too! At present, there are four wines; all distinctive, all exquisite, and all representative of the region and town and vineyard from which the come.  They also reflect the spirit and intellect of a very daring young woman.  Click HERE to see Nathalie Falmet wines in-stock at Northampton Wines.  It is a miracle (by way of "Saint" Jean-Pierre) that these wines are all available in our store.

PLEASE visit Nathalie's website to learn more.

 



It is more than a little unjust to include the restaurant La Grange du Relais, in the village of Colombey les Deux Eglises, as a simple addendum.  They greeted us happily and served us lavishly even though we were 15 people arriving an hour late for a late lunch. A very happy place this!  The village is famous for its monument and museum of Charles de Gaulle who retired to this place, presumably to rest and drink Champagne (he is said to have been a fan of the nearby Champagne House of Drappier).  We will remember the village for its very hospitable and comfortable restaurant, La Grange du Relais.  The place had rooms and if we had not had an excellent driver, we should have remained there for the night.  Instead we mostly slept our way to Beaune.

Champagne Duval Leroy - A Spectacular Visit

 

Michel Brismontier, Duval-Leroy's director of international sales,  has been a friend to us at Northampton Wines for many years. He has visited us in Greenville several times, and even hosted a Champagne Dinner in the Wine Café. He welcomed us in grand style when we arrived in Vertus, the little town in the Cotes des Blancs that is home to this magnificent producer of Champagne.

Chardonnay Arrives at Duval-Leroy

Richard Snatches a Grape (or two)

As this year's harvest is quite late, grapes arrived at the winery just as we did.  The plastic containers receive the hand-picked fruit and store it uncrushed on its way to the winery. These bins are turned-out into an ingenious press that has a bladder that sits uninflated at the bottom of a large cylinder (laying on its side). When the proper volume of grapes has accumulated, the press rotates until the bladder is at the top.  It is then inflated gradually to lightly crush the grapes, allowing the "free run" juice to escape through many slots at (what is now) the bottom.  This initial handling of the fruit goes on at a furious pace in order to get it all harvested in good condition. This is work that will not wait.

As you can see, our squad of journalists was quick to catch me sampling the fruit.  It must be said that everyone tried a bit, not just me.  The chardonnay that we sampled was remarkably small-berried and very sweet.  The connection between this rich fruit and the ultimate crisp product seems a bit remote.  Then again, the grapes do have a very long road ahead of them before that can be said to be Champagne. White (Chardonnay) and red (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) grapes are handled in the same manner (except in the case of roses). The appearance of juice is in each case similar to that of unfiltered apple juice.  The various grape types and the various vineyard sources are managed and fermented separately. Almost all of the initial fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks. The resulting dry wines are used to makes blends for

each of the company's great cuvees. Of course this is still just the beginning. The various cuvees are bottled with a bit of added yeast and sugar and sent to ferment again and age in the cellar. As you can see we went to visit them there. To think of the millions (literally millions) of bottles, first slowly fermenting, and then aging for years in the cellar makes one feel fortunate that the Champagne producer has the patience and the capital to perpetuate this process.

We followed the path of the wine through the winery to the places where it is manipulated to remove the sediment and then cleared and recorked and labeled. We emerged from the cellar to attend to the duties of tasting various Champagne products of the house.  And, further, we demonstrated what exceptional accompaniment these wines are for food. Or, is it that the food is a great accompaniment to Champagne?  In any case, we proved that Champagne isn't just for breakfast anymore. In all we tasted eight distinctive products, all of them excellent, and we vowed to serve them frequently, with or without meals. Carole Duval-Leroy paid us the special honor of visiting our group as lunch was ending, bring along her son and her chief enologist. They most graciously took time to welcome us and answer questions about the wines of the house.                                  After lunch, we made a meaningful pilgrimage to a
 special "Monopole" vineyard of the house, Clos des Bouveries".  This great site is the source of one of Duval-Leroy's unique products, a Premier Cru Champagne of 100% Chardonnay grapes of a single vintage, from the singular slopes of this one vineyard. Vintage dated Champagnes represent a small portion of total production throughout the region. Ones that come from a single vineyard site are very rare.




The hospitality (and refreshment) we received at Duval-Leroy will long be fondly remembered. Fortunately when we need to relive a bit of this experience we can open a splendid bottle of Duval-Leroy Champagne. Each one brings us a bit of the vital spirit of Champagne.

CLICK HERE to see Duval-Leroy products in stock at Northampton Wines

 

The Town of Vertus from the Vineyard "Les Bouveries"

 

 

Dinner at Le Parc - Les Crayeres

It is very hard to do justice to the fine dinner we had Sunday at Restaurant Le Parc at Les Crayers in Reims. All elements of the menu, wine, environment, and service were uncommonly good. From the Champagne in the bar to begin, to last bit of dessert (and Champagne) to finish, it was splendid.

The menu:

Fois gras de canard poche dans un bortch

Betteraves cuites en croute de sel,

Choux pak choi, et pousses d'oseille

 

Dos de cabillaud de Quiberon sous un voile d'herbes

Sandwich aux tomates de plein champ,

Puree a l'olive noire

 

Entecote de veau rotie,

Cocotte de legumes de saison du jading de M. Deloffre,

Jus lie d'un caviar d'aubergine a la moutarde de Reims

 

Comte de garde affine par

Bernard Antony Maitre fromager

 

Souffle chaud a la peche de vigne

Coeur glace a la groseille

 

The wine:



Jacquesson Cuvee 736

 

Savennieres 2011

Domaine de la Roche aux Moines

 

Chateau Moulin de La Rose 2001

Saint-Julien Cru Bourgeois

 

Moet et Chandon Ice Imperial

 

Enough Said!

 

 

 



City Day in Reims

I have missed a couple of days of posting. It might be because of jet lag or because of the haze of fine dining and Champagne from which I am beginning to emerge

We dined Saturday night at Les Jardins Brasserie, on the grounds at Hotel Les Crayeres. We had good food, good wine, and good service. The place has a friendly, casual environment and the great advantage of being only a short walk from our rooms. We dined well and had a great time. Les Jardins is a jolly place tucked in the trees at the edge of the garden, a large park really, that forms the grounds at Les Crayeres. Its a bit like a greenhouse yet chic. We remarked how nice it would be in spring weather and one of our company suggested it would be the most fun in the snow. Anyway it was great fun on Saturday night. The we adjourned to the hotel bar, a genial and beautiful place (and a bit more ritzy).  Most of us could not resist a bit of Armagnac to "round out" the evening and end the day.

Reims Cathedral

Sunday morning we arrived at Reims Cathedral, home of the coronations of the French monarchy, and surely one of the most impressive, and beautiful churches in the world. We met our expert guide, Andre Le Coz, at the tourist office next to the Cathedral. Because it was Sunday morning we could not begin our tour inside because back to back Masses were being celebrated.  However there are a great many things to be observed outside this remarkable structure. In the beginning we stood in the plaza listening to the organ as the fog lifted and the clouds parted. After a cohesive and truly interesting introduction to the structure, its history, and its exterior adornments we toured the adjoining Tau Palace which is itself a marvel as a building.  Further, it houses original statuary and other embellishments which were removed and protected, or salvaged from the ruins of the extensive bombing in the first world war. The pieces of art are notable and ancient. Our guide wove his explanation of them into the story of the church, the palace (which was at the disposal of the Archbishop of Reims), and the history of coronations of the kings of France.

Smiling Angel

I had visited this site three previous times but this time I learned twenty times as much about it, and had a great deal more fun.  For one thing I had never had the "Smiling Angel" pointed  out to me before.   This may in fact be a Champagne Angel in every sense.  If there was a glass in the outstretched hand, it has been removed. My poor photograph at the right shows the angel, but to really get the idea you had better go to Reims (and hire our guide). Just after noon, as Mass ended with much beautiful organ playing and a recessional honoring world war two veterans, we entered the Cathedral.  Again our guide pointed out features I had never noticed and knit the whole presentation together with the history of the church's design, construction, and rebirth after its destruction.

We parted company with our guide and headed for the streets of Reims. Most of the city is very quiet on Sunday, retail stores are just not open.  However as the sun was then shining brightly, we took full advantage of the central pedestrian area.
We headed in all directions looking for lunch, and of course Champagne.  Most of us had abstained from Champagne for more than 12 hours.  While the more hardy types walked about and checked out the scene, my contingent quickly found the sidewalk café Le Gaulois.  It had an ample supply of Champagne and  quite good food as well.  We enjoyed bright October sun and several bottles of great Champagne.



That night we dined at the Restaurant Le Parc at Les Crayeres. Fine Food, Great Service, and Wonderful Company.  But that is a tale for the next installment. This was too big a day to report in one session.

Hotel Les Crayeres and Champagne Pommery

Hotel Les Crayeres and Grounds

After our smooth Delta combination from Atlanta to Paris, we continued to Reims by "motorcoach". This connection also went cleanly and we arrived at Hotel Les Crayeres (at the heart of Reims) by 9:00 am. The hotel received us not just graciously, but even enthusiastically. They accepted our baggage (which is considerable)  5 hours before what would be normal. And hosted us for 2 hours. They assisted me as organizer in MANY ways.


After a very pleasant social gathering in the hotel bar,

Champagne Pommery

we walked across the street and down the block to the venerable old Champagne house, Pommery. In my early days, we reveled in the fabulous bubbly of "Pommery and Greno".  Those bottles taught me the magic of true Champagne. Now the house is owned by Vrancken who own and manage Pommery, Vrancken, Heidsieck & Co, and Charles Lafitte. This is still a great wine and a great visit. Our guide gave us the perfect introduction to the realities of fine Champagne explaining much about the region, the varietal grapes, and the production methods.  All with the real thing in view the whole time.

We began as we should with a brief version of the very long history of the site; The Romans began excavations (to quarry rock) 2,000 years ago, and a great deal has happened since. This is indeed interesting and does much to support the Pommery brand.  The miles of aging cellars and connecting tunnels did not just appear, and, they are not likely to be duplicated. Notable characters fill the last 200 years of Pommery's winemaking history.  There is also the long-standing dedication to other arts, including the huge decorative carvings on the wall s of the awe inspiring crayeres (funnel-like cavities which go down many stories into the earth).  However, even with all this, it is still the explanation of Champagne, the product, that leads the way in the presentation at Pommery.  Process has a lot to do with the distinctions between Champagne and most of the world's other Sparkling Wines. The folks at Pommery give a great primer on Champagne.

They also do a pretty fine lunch. We enjoyed an elegant three course meal that kept us keen and eager

 even  though most of us had been up for over 24 hours.  Jean Schmidt "kicked off" the festivities by "Sabering" a magnum of Pommery Brut Royal (under the close supervision of Pommery's Sommelier).  She seemed eager to serve, and completed the duty with firm dispatch.  One brisk swipe of the Saber, and the bottle was cleanly decapitated.  While I would put this pretty much in the "don't try this at home" category, it sure is fun on the grounds of a great Champagne House.  After dessert (with just a bit more Champagne all around) we enjoyed a round of stout coffees.
While most of our crew retired to Les Crayeres, the hotel not the limestone quarries, a few set out to "learn" more about Champagne, perhaps at Veuve Cliquot a block or so away.  We'll see who makes it to dinner at "Les Jardins" Brasserie (safely on the hotel grounds).

Here you see Jean preparing to Saber the Pommery Magnum on the steps leading to the dining room.  Bob Bruce is beating a hasty (prudent) retreat, but NOT hiding in the bushes. The second photo shows just a portion of the Press Corps on the scene.

You may notice that the journalist taking these photos is positioned safely behind the ladies.