In honor of the 19th  French Film Festival, River City Cellars is hosting a very special tasting of French wines this Friday.  Accompanied by our well-travelled, illustrious colleague Ryne Hazzard, Matthieu Boesch of Domaine Leon Boesch in Alsace, will be here to pour several wines from his family's venerable estate.  Ryne's notes elaborate:

Domaine Léon Boesch was settled by the Boesch family in 1640 in Westhalten, a small town nestled into a valley on the Eastern side of the Vosges mountain range just about 20 km south of Colmar. The favorable position of Westhalten provides a more consistent climate with a majority of South facing vineyard exposures and protection from the storm clouds that tend to plague the Western side of the Vosges.

Very much a "family" estate, the 13 hectare property has been cared for by 11 generations of Boesch family members and is currently worked by father Gerard Boesch and his wife Colette, son Matthieu and his wife Marie, and Gerard's sister Marie-Anne. The vineyards are farmed according to the Organic Agriculture charter (ECOCERT) to which the estate has adhered since 2000. All harvest is done by hand with natural yeast fermentation in traditional, large oak vats. Wines are held one year in vat before bottling.

Crémant d'Alsace Brut Zero 2007: 50% Pinot Blanc, 20% Pinot Noir, 30% Riesling. 24 months minimum bottle age. No dosage.

Pinot Blanc 2009: 1.3 hectare vineyard with soils of sandstone. Vine age from 12 to 31 years. A generally warmer vintage in Alsace and elsewhere in France though the relative coolness of this east facing exposure allows for balance in an otherwise vigorous grape variety. The style is quite dry, crisp and mineral with the roundness of fruit one expects in Pinot Blanc.

Sylvaner 2008: Coming from a due south facing parcel of approx. 1 acre with soils of sandstone and limestone. Vine age ranges from 15 to 48 years. Typical character of Sylvaner shows through but with a bit more richness on the palate owing to the south facing exposure. The Sylvaner benefits from a longer more stable growing season and thus is better able to express the minerality in the soil.

Riesling 'Luss' 2008:

Coming from a tiny .3 hectare, south-exposed vineyard comprised largely of limestone with vine age of approx 28 years. A light and fresh example of restraint in Riesling. Wet stones at the fore with some light floral/citrus tones of orange blossom and bergamot.

(Sara's notes)  

Bonjour les gens qui aiment le fromage!

This week it is all French all the time--there is simply no escape!  I really wasn't kidding when I said that it is the Fancy French Food Festival here at River City Cellars this week.  From liquids to solids and from sweet to savory, we definitely have you covered and then some!  Of course there are wines of all colors, that goes without saying, but did you know that there are also lentils, vermouths, cookies, verjus, mustard, cherries, olives, cornichons, gingerbread, duck fat, goose rillette, pates and chocolates, too?  And the cheeses, my friends, the cheeses are simply divine!!!  Julia and I even made a special trip up to DC in order to personally escort a few VIP cheeses (I suppose I should say VIC) as they made their way south for the festival of all things French.  Grin. It thrills me to have soo many delightful French cheeses to choose from, it really does, and all milks, all styles and all flavor profiles are duly represented.  From the sweet, creamy triple cremes of Bourgogne to the washed rind stinkers of Alsace; from the soft, fresh chevre to the super aged mimolette; from the mildly flavored cow's milk to the dustiest of blues; I am positive that there is something here for everyone and I so look forward to sharing them with all of you. 

Vive le France!!