Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/737871
www.cheersonline.com 26 • October 2016 www.cheersonline.com 26 • October 2016 WHO: Stephen Clark WHAT: Sommelier WHERE: Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta PINOT PICKS: Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussiere and La Follette Van Der Kamp Vineyard BY-THE-GLASS PRICE: $18 each Our two by-the-glass pinot noirs are both special. We are currently pouring Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussiere. This is a special wine in that we don't see a lot of Maranges here stateside, and it is the southernmost appellation in the Cote de Beaune. The 1er Cru La Fussiere has south-facing slopes for optimal ripening, and is based on limestone soils, which are ideal in Burgundy, and the vines are 35 to 40 years of age. The wine is not heavily extracted and sees 12 months in French oak, 25% of which is new. The nose and palate sing with wild strawberries, raspberries and just a hint of vanilla. The wine has a fi rm backbone and a long fi nish. I like to pair this with pan-roasted snapper and shrimp perloo for guests who prefer red wine with seafood. My favorite pairings are with smoked duck, chanterelles basted in butter and Australian winter truffl es. Our other by-the-glass pinot noir is 2011 La Follette Van Der Kamp Vineyard from the Sonoma Mountain AVA. The Van Der Camp vineyard is dry-farmed, organically farmed and is mainly composed of volcanic soils. The climate here stays cool—which pinot loves, partly because of its close proximity to the San Pablo Bay, but also due to the high elevation at 1,400 feet. The winemaker, Greg La Follette, has a master's degree from UC Davis and worked under the great Napa winemaker André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards. The wine sees just 10 months in French oak, which is relatively restrained for California pinots at this quality. The nose and palate are full of notes of rose petals, herbal tea rhubarb and Bing cherries. It drinks smooth and goes great with our seasonal southern vegetables and Linton's crispy fried chicken. We love to pour anything with some bottle age to it, and offering a 2011 California pinot noir by the glass is not commonly seen. WHO: Stephen Clark WHO: Ryan Valentine WHAT: Director of beverage WHERE: Columbus, OH-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which operates 12 concepts with 26 restaurants, including upscale steak and seafood chain Ocean Prime. PINOT PICK: Rochioli pinot noir BY-THE-GLASS PRICE: $40 I recommend the Rochioli Pinot Noir, 2014 vintage. It's from one of the best pinot noir producers in California from the Russian River Valley, and one of the available wines as part of Ocean Prime's new Coravin program. Our partnership with Coravin, which began this past August, allows us to pour wine by the glass without ever opening a bottle via cork removal. [Coravin enables operators to access the wine via a needle through the cork; argon gas replaces the wine in the bottle so that the wine's taste stays the same because it was never exposed to oxygen.] Not only does this varietal show off the quality of the American pinot noir, the Coravin wine system allows us to keep the quality and freshness in the bottle. This specifi c wine pairs well with salmon, such as the Teriyaki Salmon served with shiitake sticky rice and soy butter sauce, as well as our variety of steaks on the menu. Rochioli pinot noir is priced at about $40 a glass; prices varying slightly at each of the Ocean Prime locations. Perfect PINOTS by the glass