On the same night, meet Barton Seaver, acclaimed Washington, DC, chef, one of the most important voices today regarding seafood and sustainability, who will be on hand to introduce and sign copies of his new book, For Cod and Country.

Please join Weygandt Wines as we welcome Beaujolais winemaking giants Martine and Pierre-Marie Chermette of Domaine du Vissoux, as we host a tasting of their extraordinary 2009 vintage wines on Friday, May 13th at 6PM ’til 8PM, then again on Saturday, May 14th from 12PM ’til 3PM. Contact us at info@weygandtwines.com or (202) 362-9463 to reserve your space. Or visit our Event Page on Facebook (you must be signed in to view).

Domaine du Vissoux may just be the most perfect expression of naturally-made wine in the whole Weygandt Wines portfolio for the very ability to be natural, and great, at once. First natural. How’s this: Pierre Chermette’s yields are so low and the grapes so naturally ripe that he does not chaptalize. He uses only indigenous yeasts (no “banana yeast” culture, a la Duboeuf). Then a traditional, longer fermentation, aging in oak foudre and bottling for us with no filtration, and without adding any sulfites, in most vintages. It is as natural a Beaujolais as one could have had in a café in Lyon in the ’40′s. As for quality, Domaine du Vissoux is the Beaujolais at Willi’s in Paris, Cave la Grande, and just about every bar-a-vin in Paris. The Chermette’s reviews in the wine press also testify to this domaine’s relentless pursuit of quality and attention to detail.

To visit Domaine du Vissoux’s website for more detailed information about the vineyards, history and wines, please click here.

The art of making wine that reveals the grape

Our aim is for the grapes to be perfectly ripe and healthy so that we can make really natural wine.

Martine and Pierre-Marie Chermette have always been inclined towards making wine that is as natural as possible and have a single goal: that their work and produce be of the highest quality. Both in tending the vines and in vinification, Pierre-Marie Chermette intervenes as little as possible. This respect means that the terroir is able to express itself authentically in each of his wines.

Eco-friendly vinegrowing

Pierre-Marie is convinced that integrated agriculture, to give it its official name, is the style best suited to the evolution in the climate in our region today – victim of excesses – and the fragility of the Gamay grape variety.

• Tilling or shallow ploughing between the vines on all the plots where it is possible or grassing.
• Yield control through hard pruning (goblet and cordon de Royat) and growth management: budding, bunch thinning if necessary.
• Manual harvest when the bunches of grapes reach peak ripeness.
• Successive sorting of the harvest, first in the vines, then on vatting, systematic use of a sorting table.

Vinification that is as natural as possible

• No use of chemically produced yeasts, to retain the natural yeasts and the specificity of each terroir.
• Little or no chaptalisation..
• A minimum use of sulphur dioxide from vinification to bottling.

Pierre-Marie Chermette makes wine using semi-carbonic vinification:

This is the traditional Beaujolais vinification method. I use it because it is perfectly adapted to the Gamay grape and our terroir.

The Lineup:

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais 2009, $15.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12.5% abv – Sustainable - Dark purple. Pierre Chermette’s basic bottling of Beaujolais is just superb in 2009 and has to be one of the very best red wine values to be found in the world of wine today. The bouquet is deep, sappy and vibrant, as it roars from the glass in a blend of black cherries, sweet cranberries, woodsmoke, lovely soil tones, a touch of raw cocoa and a bit of nuttiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is medium-full, sappy and beautifully balanced, with excellent mid-palate depth, modest tannins, fine framing acids and impressive length and grip on the complex and palate-staining finish. Just a lovely, lovely bottle of Beaujolais. 2010-2020 – Rated 91 points, View from the Cellar

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Cuvée Traditionnelle Vieilles Vignes 2009, $16.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12% abv – Sustainable - Bright violet.  High-pitched, intensely perfumed aromas of spicecake, redcurrant and wild strawberry, plus a hint of white pepper.  Racy, sappy and gently sweet, offering palate-staining red fruit preserve and candied rose flavors with hints of licorice and succulent herbs.  Finishes on a gripping note of bitter cherry, with very good precision and length.  Smells like a lot of ripe stems in here; fans of Dujac Burgundies should check this out. 2010-2025+ – Rated 93 points, View from the Cellar; 90 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Brouilly Pierreux 2009, $24.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12.5% abv – Sustainable - Bright violet.  Musky dark berries and singed plum on the nose, with complicating notes of anise, black tea and smoky herbs.  At once rich and energetic, offering subtly sweet dark berry flavors supported by sound mineral spine.  The anise note repeats on the long, sappy, refreshingly spicy finish. 2010-2040 – Rated 94+ points, View from the Cellar; 91 points, The Wine Advocate; 91 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Fleurie Poncié 2009, $24.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 13% abv – Sustainable - Bright purple.  Sexy, highly perfumed bouquet of black raspberry, cherry pit, minerals, black pepper and musky herbs.  Assertive red and dark berry flavors are lifted by zesty minerality, with the herb and mineral notes repeating.  A touch of bitter cherry adds bite to the impressively forceful finish. The high altitude and southeasterly inclination encourages a sense of refreshment and energy that – for all of their manifest virtues – one often seeks in vain among Beaujolais’s 2009s. 2010-2040+ – Rated 95 points, View from the Cellar; 91 points, The Wine Advocate; 91 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar; 90 points, Wine Spectator

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Fleurie Garants  2009, $24.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 13% abv – Sustainable - Vivid purple.  The 2009 Fleurie “Les Garants” from Pierre-Marie Chermette was very much worth the wait, as this is a brilliant bottle of Fleurie in the making. The Poncie is cooler in personality though still full of energy, whereas the Les Garants is richer on the palate and more overtly (in this case) black-fruited.The bouquet is deep, pure and utterly stunning, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of cassis, black cherries, vinesmoke, a touch of espresso, gentle notes of currant leaf, a whiff of cinnamon and a great base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite plush on the attack, with stunning transparency down to the soil (and a very soil-driven  personality for Fleurie!), a bit of ripe tannin, superb focus and grip and a very, very long, complex and seriously structured finish. This great bottle of Fleurie will have no difficulties aging thirty to forty years! 2013-2040+ – Rated 95 points, View from the Cellar; 92 points, The Wine Advocate; 90 points, Wine Spectator

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Moulin-à-Vent Les Trois Roches 2009, $25.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 13% abv – Sustainable - Vivid purple.  The Vissoux 2009 Moulin-a-Vent Les Trois Roches – named for the Rochegres, La Rochelle, and Roche Noire sites south of Chenas – smells of black raspberry, cherry, herbs and licorice, along with a sexy floral quality and building minerality.  Juicy, palate-staining dark berry flavors show a refreshing bitterness, with nervy acidity providing lift.  Seamless and silky in texture, finishing with very good grip and lingering floral and spice notes.2012-2035 – Rated 93+ points, View from the Cellar; 91 points, The Wine Advocate; 91 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar; 90 points, Wine Spectator

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs NV, $22.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Chardonnay – 12% abv – Sustainable - Brims with tangerine, pineapple and lime. Exuberantly aromatic and vividly and lusciously citric, it is mouth-filling yet delicate, and finishes with a salt-tinged, saliva-inducing and invigorating savor.

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Blanc Cépage Chardonnay 2008, $19.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Chardonnay – 12.5% abv – Sustainable - High-toned, ester-rich citrus and distilled pit fruit aromas; piquant nuttiness; and a soft, oily texture characterize Chermette’s 2008 Beaujolais Blanc. There is a satisfying underlying chalkiness as well as excellent sheer length.

Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Rosé Les Griottes 2010, $15.99/btl – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12% abv – Sustainable - Pale pink. Light floral and fruity aromas on the nose. Lip-smacking and round, notes of wild strawberry, blackberry, raspberry and loganberry ending with a touch of star anise. Open with any variety of salads, grilled meats, barbecue, seafood, savoury pastries and fish. Ideal with exotic cuisines including West Indian and Asian, desserts and fruit sorbets. Recommended for the hottest days of the year!

Prices listed are net, no further discount may apply.

AND…

On Friday, May 13, from 6-8 pm, Chef Barton Seaver will be in the shop to sell and sign his just-released book, For Cod and Country (http://bartonseaver.org/). Additionally, Barton is bringing a free For Cod and Country Tote for the first 40 people to purchase his book! The wines poured and discussed by winemakers Pierre and Martine Chermette (see above), will be a perfect complement and make for a complete evening of sustainability. Contact us at info@weygandtwines.com or (202) 362-9463 to reserve your space. Or visit our Event Page on Facebook (you must be signed in to view). Eat a few dishes prepared by Esquire chef of the year Barton Seaver, thirty, and you’ll feel good about living on Earth…Listen to him talk about how to save us all from destroying the food chain (and ourselves in the process) and you’ll feel even better about it. – John Mariani, Esquire magazine National Geographic Fellow and Washington, D.C. chef Barton Seaver is an influential voice in the culinary world because of his take on seafood and sustainability. In his first book, For Cod and Country, Seaver introduces an entirely new kind of casual cooking featuring seafood that hasn’t been overfished or harvested using destructive methods. Organized by season, For Cod and Country is a full-color exploration of recipes showcasing a wide variety of fish caught at specific times of year combined with fresh vegetables and vibrant spices. The book also includes “A Separate Season” for seafood available year-round, and healthful and ocean-friendly substitutes for fish species that are popular yet overharvested. In addition, Seaver takes a holistic approach to sustainability and covers wellness, portion size, fishermen, catch methods, and a fish’s role in the marine ecosystem. Tantalizing dishes with easy-to-follow instructions, purchasing recommendations, and helpful tips for preparation and seasonings make For Cod and Country the ideal guide for environmentally minded cooks. Seaver weaves his insights and wit through a compelling narrative about how the choices we make for dinner deeply impact our own well-being, our planet, and the global community. For Cod and Country is part of Seaver’s mission to help us engage in a more sustainable food system on nearly every level. The story of successful conservation is a lesson of responsible consumption. It is a tale of the opportunity that we have to make tasty and personally sustaining choices that keep our needs in balance with what the world can provide. Kudos to Barton Seaver for raising awareness about the ingredients in our food-where they come from, how they got there, and the impacts they have on the environment. By making informed choices in the kitchen, we can all make a difference in protecting the lands and waters that sustain us. – Mark R. Tercek, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy

As stated previously, we have an alliance with Soupergirl. For more info, visit her website or click here for info from our blog. Instead of dangling a carrot in front of you with next week’s selections, we thought that it makes a bit more sense to let you know what’s available this week. At the risk of repeating ourselves, here’s this week’s Souper Lineup:

Rave on Mulligatawny Soup – Ingredients (in no particular order): lentils, chickpeas, tomato, curry, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, coconut milk, agave, basmati rice, cilantro, garlic, carrots, onions, olive oil, homemade vegetable stock goodness.

Paired with…

Bernard et Robert Schoffit Gewurztraminer Cuvee Caroline, SG Price $19.99/btl,, Regularly $26.99 – Alsace, France – 100% Gewurztraminer – 13.8% abv – Organic – Aromas of celeriac and celery seed, clove and rose petal. A touch sweet on the palate this wine’s caramel and mocha-coffee tones lend a sense of low-toned richness s and it finishes with persistent rose perfume, and dominant sweetness. Gewurz and spicey foods are like peas and carrots.

Let the Bright Orange Shine In Soup – Ingredients (in no particular order): sweet potatoes, carrots, cardamom, turmeric, ginger, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, touch of cayenne, onion, canola oil, salt, pepper, homemade vegetable stock goodness.

Paired with…

Richard Leroy Anjou Le Clos des Rouliers 2006, SG Price $16.49/btl, Regularly $26.99 – Loire, France – 100% Chenin Blanc – 12.5% abv – Organic - A tangy, stony style, with yellow apple, lemon verbena and chamomile notes pushed by a melon- and lime-filled background. There’s nice length and purity.

Rave on Mulligatawny Soup – Ingredients (in no particular order): lentils, chickpeas, tomato, curry, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, coconut milk, agave, basmati rice, cilantro, garlic, carrots, onions, olive oil, homemade vegetable stock goodness.

Paired with…

Bernard et Robert Schoffit Gewurztraminer Cuvee Caroline, SG Price $19.99/btl,, Regularly $26.99 – Alsace, France – 100% Gewurztraminer – 13.8% abv – Aromas of celeriac and celery seed, clove and rose petal. A touch sweet on the palate this wine’s caramel and mocha-coffee tones lend a sense of low-toned richness s and it finishes with persistent rose perfume, and dominant sweetness. Gewurz and spicey foods are like peas and carrots.

Let the Bright Orange Shine In Soup – Ingredients (in no particular order): sweet potatoes, carrots, cardamom, turmeric, ginger, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, touch of cayenne, onion, canola oil, salt, pepper, homemade vegetable stock goodness.

Paired with…

Richard Leroy Anjou Le Clos des Rouliers 2006, SG Price $16.49/btl, Regularly $26.99 – Loire, France – 100% Chenin Blanc – 12.5% abv – A tangy, stony style, with yellow apple, lemon verbena and chamomile notes pushed by a melon- and lime-filled background. There’s nice length and purity.

More information about her soups can be found here.