Chateau Cote de Baleau, owned by Sophie Foucade

One of our first stops in Bourdeaux was Chateaux Cote de Baleau, Grands Mureilles, and Clos St. Jean. They are all owned by the graceful Sophie Foucade, who invited us to the chateau to taste the most recent vintages of her wines. We very much enjoyed them, so make sure you check out the videos below, mostly describing the wine from Cote de Baleau itself:

First Stop - Languedoc

By David Derby, Wine Buyer

Today was going to be different. Shaun Bishop would be arriving alongside Jeffrey Davies, the man behind the Signature Selections import company. Jeffrey is a regular visitor to the region and had obviously stayed at this hotel many times already judging by the warm greeting bestowed upon him by the staff and proprietor alike. Actually, warm would be an understatement as their laughter filled the lobby while they joked and quickly caught up since his last stay. It was just about now that Jeffrey’s flair began to emerge as he casually chatted with the chef who had come out to to give his regards.

He ordered some fresh vegetables and a cheese plate and picked a 2006 Domaine Mourgues de Gres Terre d' Argence to accompany. It's a blend of 80% Viognier and 20% Roussane and has a green / yellow color. Deeply scented with the 20% Roussane pushing forward with a honeyed, fresh corn aroma. Well concentrated and medium bodied, the wine was well balanced and pleasantly lively and refreshing, perfect for our lunch.

Now that we had our thirst quenched, bellies full, with the sun in the sky and a full tank of gas: HIT THE ROAD! I have to take a moment here to give praise to Jeffrey. To see Jeffrey in action is truly something to behold, for before we had finished lunch, I came to realize I was in the presence of a modern renaissance man. And lucky I filled out all the paper work for my last will and testament, as Jeffrey knows the roads like the back of his hand, with the problem being that he drives with only one hand as he points out sights to see along the way. He also tends to drive, how shall I put this, like a local.

On the way to our first stop in Languedoc, we had a running commentary on the geography and history of the region, which are linked together to form the culture we experience today. Interesting fact: many towns throughout the area we now know as France end in ‘ac’, which in the ancient Roman tongue meant the location of a well or spring.

Our first appointment was at Mas de la Barben. A ‘Mas’ is a farm house. Not as formal as a Chateau, or as business-like as a Domaine. The focus here is on farming and caring for the vine. These are people who live and work side by side with the vine to produce a wine that expresses both the terrior (soil & place) and an emotional pleasure. We walked out into the afternoon sun and strolled among the vines, a mix of Syrah, Grenache and some Cinsault that grow in this section of the property. It is sunny and dry with a steady wind blowing (known as the Mistral) that allows for "lutte raisonne" or sustainable farming, as there is virtually no rot or disease. The soil is very rocky, most inhospitable for growing anything but grapes. It has been said vines, poets and blues singers produce their best with a struggle.

We started with a fine white: 2006 Mas de la Barben made from 80% Viognier and 20% Rolle. The glass is filled with a white-gold color. The nose is a note of paraffin, mixed with white peach and jasmine. The entry is most lively, a youthful zing. Flavors of lemon zest, citrus and orange rind. I am not going to post all of my notes at this very moment, however there are some standouts that have to be mentioned.

The 2004 Mas de la Barben, Cuvee Calice is just that kind of standout wine. Calice is a chalice, and this wine bordered on a religious experience. The blend of 90% Grenache, 7% Syrah and a whopping 3% Cinsault tells nothing of this powerfully scented master piece. For those of you who are curious of what the term ‘Garrigue’ means , here is a reference wine. The term literally means the array of plants that survive and grow here in the south of France. Standing here on the property we see how these wild plants are left to separate the different blocks of the vineyard. This aroma is a dead ringer for what emerges from the glass. It is an exotic combination of sage, lavender, and thyme along with a deep smell similar to Chaparral.

David Derby - First Day in France

By David Derby, Wine Buyer

This trip is all about business, so I resolved to wait for wine until our first appointment on Tuesday. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder - I hope the same goes for wine. I spent the afternoon wandering about the city of Montepellier. I decided to step into a little cafe/bar on some side street, closer to what we would call an ally than a street. It was only about 6 feet wide. The building was the size of two large elevators, with about half a dozen locals inside and a few more that had rolled outside to enjoy a fume (cigarette). I immediately spied what I had come hunting for: Pastis. For me, this beverage invokes thoughts of Southern France whenever I hear its name, let alone catch a whiff of its distinctive anise inspired aroma. Often used as a digestive, I prefer the native blend of 5 parts water to 1 part pastis served as an aperitif. While America has plenty of commercial Pernod and an occasional Ricard, the other brands are rarely seen outside of France.

There on the wall was the potential for a new experience, which came in the form of a bottle marked 51. First, I tasted it straight and noted how restrained the licorice character was - this was no Greek Ouzo, that was for sure. So I mixed my blend and sat outside enjoying the sunshine and passing locals.

As the sun began its slow decent into the Mediterranean Sea, I made my way back to our hotel on the outskirts of town. With my mind, body and stomach confused with going through so many time zones, I decided to take a break and prepare for the week ahead with an evening fast and early bed time. My rest day was over, and the next day marked the beginning of hard work and structure (i.e. lots of wine tasting).

Tuesday March 25: Shaun Bishop (JJ Buckley co-founder and lead wine buyer) and Jeffrey Davies (Signature Selections) arrive.

Chateau Pierre de Lune and Clos Fourtet

One of our first stops in Bordeaux was Chateau Pierre de Lune and Clos Fourtet in St. Emilion. We were able to spend some quality time with the husband and wife team of Tony and Veronique Ballu and speak with them about their top notch operation and what makes their wines so unique. Check out the videos below:

Greetings From France!

By David Derby, Wine Buyer

Hello to all of our guests in cyberville and welcome to JJ Buckley’s European Wine Tour 2008! My name is David Derby, and I am JJ Buckley's assistant Wine Buyer, just one of the many new additions here at the fastest growing company in the San Francisco Bay Area. I joined up just after Thanksgiving last year after relocating to Oakland from San Diego. As a wine buyer for over a dozen years, I rarely travel far from the vine, but this was going to be a different trip altogether. I have gone on buying trips by myself, and I have traveled with other professionals in the past as well, but I have never gone with a team.

The team is led by Wine Buyer Shaun Bishop, myself, and our three salesman: Mike Supple, Alex Lallos and Andrew Frieden. It fascinates me that we each approach a wine from a completely different direction, and yet almost always end up in the same place. For the next 10 days we hope to provide a glimpse into how French wines are selected for our site so you can enjoy them in your glass. We believe you will be impressed by the commitment and dedication of our quest, and at the same time entertained as we sometimes seem to be closer to Monty Python and the Holy Grail than stuffy English gentleman putting you to sleep with a discourse on yeast reproduction. So tag along, join the fun, invite a friend, and if you learn something, don’t be surprised, just accept it like you should a glass of Champagne.