La Peira Tastings: Zachys (New York), Berry Bros. & Rudd (London), European Cellars (Boston) & Others!

Suddenly occurred to us, that from Boston to London, New York to København (Copenhagen), Lidingö (Sweden) to perhaps Saint-Emilion for En Primeur, (and possible in Germany with Aux Fins Gourmets with Matthias Hilse)  there seem to be a lot of opportunities to taste the wines ahead. The first occurring in an hour’s time or so, and the others at various dates stretching over the next six months. We’ll update this page with further details for some, and do feel free to leave word or two if you have tasted the wines.

Zachys Tasting

la-peira-1662767Picture from Zachys Feature on the La Peira Wines

First the most immediate. Now! The renowned Zachys in New York (who kindly posted the feature on the wines of La Peira above) have an tasting this weekend featuring a variety of interesting wines and vintages.  For those curious about the wines of La Peira it would seem a good pre-Christmas chance to taste alongside a selection of wonderful producers!

Complimentary Tasting at Zachys—
Treasures from Across the Globe

Saturday, December 18th | 12-4pm | In-Store 16 East Parkway, Scarsdale, NY 10583

The Zachys team is opening up the Cellar this weekend and we are pulling out as many Grand Cru Caliber wines as we can for this last big weekend before Christmas! There will be Champagne, White and Red Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cult Cabs and old treats from the cellar including the 100 point Cristal 2002!

A Sneak Peek at Tasting Lineup • Louis Roederer Cristal 2002 (100W&S) • Bonnes Mares (Berthau) 2008 (91-93BH) • La Peira en Damaisela 2007 (95-96WA) • Camartina (Querciabella) 2006 (95WA) • Pichon-Lalande 2006 (95WA) • Pichon-Lalande 2007 (88-91WS) • Barolo (Pio Cesare) 2006 • Barbaresco Rabaja (Bruno Rocca) 2007 (91IWC)

• Colgin IX Estate Syrah (95WA)

Berry Bros. & Rudd Tutored Tasting 8th June 2011

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We are delighted to have the chance to show some recent (and older) vintages of the domaine, with Simon Field MW at hand, in the magnificent cellars beneath Berry Bros’ 310-year-old shop in London’s St James. The Pickering Cellars lie beneath Pickering Place (London’s smallest public square and once a notorious venue for duels) and adjacent to the Napoleon Cellar, which is named after Napoleon III, who plotted his return to France here whilst in exile in England between 1838 and 1848.

La Pèira: BBR Tutored Tasting 
with Simon Field MW & Winemaker Jérémie Depierre

Pickering Cellar Berry Bros & Rudd,  3  St James’s Street, St James’s,  London, SW1A 1EG
 Wednesday 8th June 2011 Time: 6:30pm Price: £75.00

Text below and more from the BBR site:

jeremie-depierre-5295744

Jéremie Depierre, Winemaker at La Pèira

“When journalist Andrew Jefford wrote to us to recommend a nice wine that he had been sent, subsequently written up as the best Languedoc he had ever tasted, we were delighted to begin our relationship with La Pèira, now recognised as one of the very top wines in France. Co-owners Rob Dougan and Karine Ahton identified the Terrasses de Larzac as the best terroir in the South of France, and – working with gifted oenologist Claude Gros and Bordelais winemaker Jéremie Depierre – set about to craft its premier wine.

The nature and extent of their success will be evidenced at this ground-breaking tasting. Winemaker Jéremie has as his cohort the maverick Rob Dougan, whose varied achievements, before he caught the wine bug, include composing the theme to the film The Matrix. They are both highly entertaining characters, allied by a love of their product, and this promises to be a most enjoyable and instructive tasting.”

The following wines will be tasted:

European Cellars / Eric Solomon Selection 
Tasting March 7th 2011 Boston

la-peira1-9733911Eric Solomon Selections / European Cellars 
Annual Portfolio March 7, 2011

Attendees of past Eric Solomon Portfolio tastings in New York (with IPO), Boston, Dallas, or San Francisco (a very pretty if uneventful video of the tasting at the Fairmont hotel ballroom here) know what an extraordinary selection of wines and producers this involves.

Superb producers such as Clos Saint Jean, la Janasse, Marcoux, Saint Jean Du Barroux, Domaine Lafage, Domaine de L’Hortus, Coume Del Mas, Aalto, Clos d’Agon, Tomas Cusine, Clos Erasmus, Mas Doix, Nit de Nin, Gramona, Mas Alta, Rafael Palacios, Hacienda Monasterio and that’s just scratching the surface.

Those who know these tastings, the European Cellars’ team, Eric Solomon’s portfolio, or his 
Hospice du Rhone presentations (a great one here and here too) know the melange of perfectionism, fun, and a sense of style that characterise everything this company does.
Eric Solomon has worked with our domaine from the time when the prospect of successfully sharing our work with others seemed highly remote. Is there another group that works with a wider diversity of Producers working with Rhone varieties over France and Spain? Even looking at the “appellations” the company works with in Spain is enough to make a reader slightly dizzy:

Sanlucar de Barrameda, Calatayud, Bierzo, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Costers del Segre, Empordá, Montsant, Penedés,  Priorat, Cava, Monterrey, Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribera Sacra, Valdeorras, Almansa, La Mancha, Méntrida, Vinos de Madrid, Jumilla, Yecla, Navarra, Rioja, Alicante,Valencia!

There’s some lack of clarity whether the early European Cellars self-mocking motto was, “Unknown and Unsold” (effectively exciting and worth purchasing?) or “Unfiltered, Unfined, Unsold” (perhaps it was both) but it’s hard to name another company that combines such success with this kind of broad ranging ambition.

Fields, Morris & Verdin 14th June 2011 (Trade Only)

fields-morris-verdin-7664592The trade-only tasting for Fields, Morris & Verdin takes place in June. One could simply focus on the company’s Burgundy or French portfolio. But the range of producers from around the world is quite something. Here’s just a few: Vega Sicilia, Yarra Yering, Shadowfax, Giaconda, Frog’s Leap, Bonny Doon, Ridge Vineyards,  Domaine Drouhin Oregon,  Au Bon Climat, Qupé Winery, Tablas Creek, Montford, Piétri-Géraud, Montford, Méo-Camuzet, Mas Conscience…

Just wanted to get this post up in a timely fashion and will update with details of the 2960 Vin and Bristly Wines and Saint-Emilion / En Primeur tastings over the next few hours