Spring 2010 – The Very Best of Burgundy Indeed

We are proud to have added five more of Burgundy’s most esteemed producers to our Scott Paul Selections Import portfolio – we just may have the best lineup of Burgundian producers under one roof anywhere.

Scott is just back from his spring tasting trip, and has returned with the news that we will now be importing the wines of one of his winemaking heroes, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier in Chambolle-Musigny. “Freddy” is revered around the world for his ethereal, graceful, and achingly beautiful wines from his spectacular vineyard holdings in Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-St. Georges. His Musigny, Bonnes Mares and Les Amoureuses bottlings are for many the reference-standards of great Burgundy, and we are honored to work with this special man and his pure, elegant wines.

Our first tiny allocation of the Mugnier 07s is arriving shortly.

We’ll introduce one or two of the Mugnier wines in the tasting room on Saturday June 12^th noon -5pm – watch your email for more info soon…

If that’s not enough excitement, we’ve also added the other superstar “Freddy” – Frédéric Lafarge of Domaine Michel Lafarge in Volnay. One of the leading practitioners of Biodynamic viticulture and winemaking in Burgundy, the Lafarges produce a stunning array of wines, from amazing Passetoutgrains to the best of the best Volnay 1er Crus. Scott has been a great fan of Lafarge for many years, and first met Freddy and his wife Chantal at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon in 2008. Truly at the top of their game, the Lafarge wines are a brilliant addition to the Scott Paul family. Stay tuned for arrival and availability information…

One of the great white wines on the planet is undoubtedly Corton-Charlemagne. The rock-star producer of Corton-Charlemagne is the venerable Domaine Bonneau du Martray – whose 22 acres in the heart of the best part of the Corton hill produce one of Burgundy’s most intense, thrilling, and age-worthy Grand Crus. Jean-Charles le Bault de la Morinière is now at the helm, continuing the family’s tradition of excellence. A very limited allocation of the beautiful ’07 will be here this fall.

Since the beginning, we’ve always wanted to have the great-value wines from the village of Savigny-les-Beaune in our program. The best producer there is Domaine Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot – who was already being imported here by another company. Rather than settle for second best, we waited. Our patience was rewarded, as the wines of Domaine Pavelot now have their home with us.

Last year we started working with one of Burgundy’s hottest young winemakers, Benjamin Leroux, who started his own operation in the 2007 vintage. Now we’ve completed the circle, as we’ll also be importing the wines Ben makes at Domaine Comte Armand in Pommard, where since 1999 he’s been drawing raves for some of the most exquisite and thoughtfully crafted wines in the Côte de Beaune. The 2^nd vintage of his Benjamin Leroux wines arrive here shortly, and he’s added a great Puligny-Montrachet and a stunning Clos St. Denis Grand Cru to the lineup this year. We’ll feature several of his wines in the tasting room on Saturday June 12^th noon – 5pm. Details soon…

In the Vineyards

We had an early start to spring here in the Willamette Valley, but then a cold spell slowed things down a bit. Bud-break and first leaves burst forth late in the 3^rd week of April, and we should be on track for flowering the 2^nd week of June or thereabouts.

At our new Azana vineyard on Chehalem Mountain, we’re in the middle of building a party deck up at the top of the upper block, which we hope to have ready in time for the nice weather (which is not reliably here until the 1^st week of July, most years…) We’ll be sending more pictures and updates, and we look forward to having you join us for some great events this summer on the deck overlooking the vines and one of the best views in the valley. In the meantime, the young vines are taking root and settling in nicely, and we’re looking forward to our first tiny crop there in fall 2011…

The Burgundy Express Wine Club – and our first Scott Paul Chambolle-Musigny

We have just bottled our single barrel of 2008 Chambolle-Musigny in the cellars of Anne & Hervé Sigaut – the first Scott Paul wine produced in Burgundy! There are only 300 bottles of this beauty, so we have decided to let our Burgundy Express Club members have the first shot at it. Each club shipment this fall will contain one bottle of our 2008 Scott Paul Chambolle-Musigny (along with new arrivals from Mugnier, Lafarge, Pavelot, and more goodies). To guarantee yourself a bottle, you just need to get signed-up for the club (if you’re not already a member). Then, whatever bottles remain available will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis this fall.

There is no charge to join the club – you simply sign up to receive two 5-6 bottle shipments each year of Burgundies that Scott has personally selected to be a part of each shipment’s “Burgundy Seminar In a Box” – accompanied with pages and pages of maps, tasting notes and  historical information. It’s all about information and education, and the wines rock! Email Kelly Karr to sign-up now and assure yourself of a bottle of our Chambolle-Musigny. kellykarr@scottpaul.com.

A special dinner in Portland – and more Events Winemaker Dinner at The Heathman, June 3rd

Join us at the Heathman in Portland on  June 3^rd for an amazing dinner benefiting the Classic Wines Auction and Metropolitan Family Services. Top Chefs Jason Wilson (the James Beard award-winner as Best Chef Northwest) of Crush in Seattle, Ethan Stowell of Union in Seattle, Cory Schreiber of Portland’s Wildwood, and Philippe Boulot of the Heathman are teaming up at the stoves, and pairing dishes with Scott Paul Pinots and wines from Chehalem, St. Innocent, and Matello. It should be a great night – get your tickets. here

Great Reds from the Côte de Beaune, this Saturday 12-5

We look forward to seeing you here in Carlton on Saturday May 15^th from 12-5 for a special tasting of the Great Reds from the Côte de Beaune. Scott will be pouring reds from Beaune, Pommard & Volnay, and leading you through these delicious yet distinctively different villages.

Benjamin Leroux and Freddy Mugnier tasting, Saturday June 12^th 12-5.

Details on the specific flight etc to come…

Please visit our Events Page for details on these and all other upcoming events – including our annual Memorial Day  Weekend Open House May 29^th & 30^th which includes a Siri Jewelry show. See you here!

Ace in the hole cake?  Beyond Great Chocolate Cake?  In the time it will take me to come up with a moniker for this cake, you can bake it!  No matter what you call it, this is a new home run, go-to recipe for our family collection.  Scott is the chocoholic, while I dream in almond, lemon or raspberry, but I can honestly say that this cake sends me.  It is ridiculously easy, and each forkful is better than you remembered from the previous one.  Each of us kept remarking on the outstanding chocolate.  Since Scott used Scharffenberger 70% this first time, we’ll stick with that.  It was exceptional.  The only barely sweetened, softly whipped cream was a nice counterpoint.  The recipe comes from Clotilde Dusoulier’s Chocolate & Zucchini blog, where she attempts to credit the recipe’s provenance.

Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake

- 200g (2 sticks minus 1 Tbsp) butter
- 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate
- 200g (1 C) sugar
- 4 eggs
- a rounded tablespoon of flour

Note: like all dark chocolate cakes, this cake is best made a day ahead (or at least in the morning if you serve it for dinner).

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper (no need to if you’re using a non-stick pan).

Melt together the butter with the chocolate (in a double-boiler or in the microwave slowly and for just a few seconds at a time, blending with a spoon between each pass). Transfer into a medium mixing-bowl. Add in the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon and let cool a little. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Finally, add in the flour and mix well.

Pour the dough into the pan, and put into the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is set but still a little wobbly. Turn the oven off but leave the cake inside for another ten minutes, then put the pan on a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and take it out about an hour before serving.

First off, I am happy to report that the Clotilde Dusouliers‘ recipe for “melt in your mouth” chocolate cake was a huge success. Pirrie and I worked on it together, and we are thrilled to have discovered what will now be our go-to cake when entertaining at home (or when we have that “I just need a whole chocolate cake” moment…) You can see the results on Martha’s Blog here…

Perhaps even more exciting is the way the English Premiere League race is shaping up. My Arsenal boys have moved within three points of Chelsea, and just a point behind Manchester United – and with ten games left Arsenal seem to have the easiest remaining schedule. Anything can and will happen – it is way too close to call, but I’m predicting a race to the wire that will down to the last day. Squeeky-bum time, as they say in the U.K…

In the cellar with Champagne maestro Clo Chauvet

Martha made the most excellent roast chicken on Sunday night, and we paired it with the Marc Chauvet Millésime 2002 Brut – which reminded me to remind you how wonderful Champagne is with food. Too often pigeon-holed as an apéritif or a celebration beverage, the great bubblies are a fabulous complement to food – you really should try it. We love it with sushi, almost all asian dishes, as well as salmon, chicken, and all sorts of fish and shellfish. I grew up drinking Champers with dinner, so it seems perfectly normal to me. If you haven’t experienced this combo yet, check it out soon, and let me know what you think…

Each year the Classic Wines Auction (one of America’s Top 5 wine auctions ever year) brings together top chefs and winemakers for a series of excellent winemaker dinners during the week before the auction in March. This year, we’re excited to be paired with Washington’s DeLille Cellars and O Wines for an intimate winemaker dinner at Portland’s outstanding Bluehour restaurant.

Dinner is at 6:30 on Tuesday March 2nd. Seating is extremely limited – reserve your spots now at the Classic WInes Auction website or call them at  503-972-0194. We look forward to seeing you there!