No tip to Paris is complete without a visit to Versant Vins at the March aux Enfants Rouges in the Marais (Rue de Bretagne, coin Rue Charlot) in the 3ieme. It's a great spot to eat too but be sure to check the opening times as they are idiosyncratic. Jeanne Galinié presides and you can trust her implicitly. She even makes wine herself so she know what she is talking about.
Jeanne recommended this straight away. It's Aligoté but not as we know it. It's from Cande-sur-Beuvron in the Lot et Cher, not Bourgogne. Ever since we tasted a Californian Aligoté (from Au bon Climat) we have sensed a potential which is not realized in Burgundy. This will surely be something out of the ordinary.
It's amazing how many wines have names to do with foxes. Not a good idea surely since 'foxy' is something no one wants in the taste. This red from near Nimes has some interesting varieties in the blend including Carignan, Morrastel, Syrah, Counoise & Cinsault. Yes, Morrastel. But don't get excited as we did presuming this was Moristel. Nope, this is Graciano aka. Bovale and Cagnulari in Sardinia. Known as Morrastel in Languedoc, there are just 18 ha. there.
Les Etats d'Anne is basically a Cinsault from old vines with 5% Grenache made by carbonic maceration. We're looking forward to this one too following ever happier experiences with Cinsault made in this lighter style.
Something we're not sure we're looking forward to at all is this 'Indigene' or more precisely 'On dirait que ca t'indigene de marcher dans la boue...' (geddit?). This is a blend of Petit Meslier, Menu Pineau, Bacco (sic) and Gaillard. Gaillard may be Enfariné Noir but Bacco can't be found in Galet or 'Wine Grapes' and yet Jeanne insisted it was Bacco with double 'c'. Hmmmm. Anyway, Jeanne also insisted that we lay this one down for at least 6 months. She didn't want us to have it at all at first and sold it to us on the solemn undertaking not to drink it for quite some time yet. She said it wasn't ready and wasn't even very pleasant. Interesting.
Jeanne's Poulsard was one of the best we've tasted. You really can trust that girl.
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