Wine Tasting Thursday, June 29th!
Importer Spotlight with Jon-David Headrick
Featuring an Extraordinary Selection of Loire, Champagne, and Beyond
Jon-David Headrick
The path from fried chicken and cornbread while growing up in Tennessee to importing French wines was not an obvious one. While working in restaurants during college, Jon-David developed an interest in French wine and growing regions. Upon graduation, he moved to Paris to work on an MBA, and took every opportunity he had to travel to wine country. It wasn’t long until it became clear that working with farmers made so much more sense than poring over spreadsheets, at least for him.
French Wine Tasting
w/ Jon-David Headrick
Le Petit Bijou
Thursday, June 29th
4pm - 6pm, $20
With Special Guest, Beth Farris of Grassroots
Call 256-964-7980 to Reserve!
NV Francois Bedel Originelle Extra Brut Champagne, France 68.99
Françoise became a biodynamic winemaker before virtually anyone in the wine trade had ever heard of the term.
Today the estate is still small (8.4 hectares), and Françoise and Vincent are doing things their own way. While others champion the better-known Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they are in love with Pinot Meunier, and this variety features heavily at this address. This is not uncommon as the Marne Valley is known for the quality of its Pinot Meunier, and Françoise and Vincent only farm small amounts of Chardonnay (13%) and Pinot Noir (9%). In addition to their reliance on Pinot Meunier, Vincent and Françoise are also patient with their champagnes, and it is not uncommon for a wine to spend more than 6 years on the lees and frequently far longer. Low or zero dosage is the rule, chez Bedel.
Located on the extreme western edge of Champagne, Vincent, and Françoise farm vines near the village of Crouttes-sur-Marne on the far western edge of the Marne Valley – they are far closer to Paris than the city of Reims! The terroir here is dominated by clay with touches of limestone and gravel. This, combined with the Pinot Meunier grape, leading to wines with heft and weight with long, lingering acidity. We don’t often think of decanting champagne, but these are wines that are transcendent when exposed to air – they are wines of great soul and depth.
2020 Amorica White Blend, Loire Valley, France $22.99
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot GrisThe bouquet of this exquisite blend is both alluring and complex. Fresh, zesty citrus notes of lemon, lime, and grapefruit mingle with a touch of green apple, creating an invigorating aroma. Floral undertones of jasmine and elderflower add an enticing layer, while subtle hints of wet stone and saline mineralogy reflect the influence of the Atlantic coast. On the palate, the Armorica White Blend is crisp and refreshing, with lively acidity that brings out the bright flavors of the wine. The Sauvignon Blanc lends tangy citrus and green apple notes, while the Chardonnay contributes a rounded texture and hints of stone fruit. The Pinot Gris adds a delicate touch of pear and white peach, creating a harmonious balance. The wine's finish is long and clean, with a lingering aftertaste of saline minerality and a hint of fresh-cut herbs.
2020 Terre de L'Eclu Anjou Blanc, "Bastingage", Loire Valley, France $39.99
Bastingage is a cuvée of 25-year-old vine Chenin Blanc grown in soils of shale and sandstone. This cuvée is harvested by hand with a strict selection in the vineyard during several passes to ensure only ripe and healthy fruit is sent to the cellar where it sees a traditional fermentation and aging in barrel with indigenous yeasts followed by a few months in vat before bottling.
2021 Yannick Amirault Rose d'Equinox, France $32.99
While labeled a rosé, Équinoxe had been dubbed by Yannick Amirault as his blanc de noirs. Depending on the development of grapes during each vintage, Yannick and Benoît chose different parcels and blocks that will go into this cuvée. Generally, it comes from lighter soils that typically go into their Cote 50 with some vines at the foot of Le Grand Clos. The fruit for Équinoxe is pressed whole-cluster, settles over one evening, then is racked into 400L French oak barrels for fermentation and aging. Some barrels will go through malo, while others might not and after 6-12 months of aging, it is bottled. Not an early “rosé” or one made to suit a recipe, it is a unique, gastronomic, and serious pink wine with a remarkable capacity to age gracefully in the bottle.
2020 Paradou Cincault, Cotes du Luberon, France $15.99
Le Paradou is a project created by Alexandre and Frédéric Chaudière whose family produce some of the most respected wines in the Ventoux at Château Pesquié. Paradou refers to the old watermills that once dotted the landscape. In homage to these majestic giants, the Chaudière brothers have created a range of fresh and pleasing wines made to capture the essence of their birthplace.
Le Paradou Cinsault rouge is made from grapes grown in clay-limestone and sand soils that are hand harvested, destemmed and fermented in concrete, then aged 5 months in concrete vats. Light garnet color in the glass showing lovely aromas of fresh raspberries and red currants with an alluring floral undertone. On the palate, the wine is soft and supple, refreshing and balanced with lively fruit and floral flavors with a hint of spice. Incredibly easy drinking, enjoy Le Paradou Cinsault with salads, pizza and charcuterie.
2020 Terre de L'Eclu Maupitit Val Du Loire Rouge, Loire Valley, France $29.99
First red of the estate ('fin for the old, there was Indigène) which offers a blend of Gamay, Grolleau and Cabernet franc. Aged in tapered wooden vats, it is a veritable farandole of fruit, with slightly spicy notes. A lot of finesse for this cuvée which goes very well with red tuna, Iberian charcuterie, grilled meats. To drink now or to forget for a couple of years!