DOMAINE MELARIC

We head out for our two o’clock appointment, a visit with Mélanie and Aymeric of Domaine Melaric, a small domaine that these two young oenologist/viticultural engineers established together in 2006. We arrive to discover a parcel of vines enclosed by a stone wall that surrounds a château and its grounds, a beautifully kept fairy-tale castle.

Aymeric, who we recognize from a photo on his website, welcomes us and continues labeling bottles of wine while we wait for a few others who are to join us. We chat in the dimly lit cellar. He seems casual, open, curious… They have been without electricity for almost four months. A long cord from I’m not sure where allows them to keep working. They have embarked on a grand adventure and seem happy to share.

Aymeric is quick to inform us that none of this belongs to them. The château is privately owned and they rent the cellar and vines around it. In 2008 they acquired their own vines as well, on the vineyard of Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame, a short drive from the cellar.

The vines of Melaric do not undergo chemical treatments. In the fall, the grapes are harvested by hand and placed into small boxes that will keep them in the best possible condition for their trip to the cellar. In the cellar the different grape varieties will be vinified separately, (chenin for the whites, cabernet franc and grolleau for the reds), without additives. For example, there will be no added yeasts. These grapes ferment thanks to the yeasts that are found naturally covering grape skins. These are just a few of the details that contribute to making the wines of Melaric unique and exciting.

Shortly after setting foot in the vines, the looming clouds overhead decide to fall, cutting short our walk in the vineyard. We head for the cellar used for aging their wines in oak barrels to take cover and taste. 

We walk down a little path and into a sort of courtyard cut into the earth. To our surprise, the aging cellar is actually a natural cave that must be as old as wine-making itself.

The electricity doesn’t work here either, but we take a quick walk through with a flashlight. The atmosphere is cool and just a little humid. Aymeric chooses a number of barrels and we taste the whites and reds that are currently being aged. The wines are cool and fresh. They have bite, complexity, elegance, and soul. You might imagine a ballerina dancing to jazz.  

The marriage of nature and man-made is beautiful, in both the place and the wine. There is a profound respect here… not a blind nod to history, but a living celebration of good living and good wine.We head back to the first cellar where we taste the bottled wines and meet Mélanie, who seems very much like Aymeric, passionate about wine with a certain determination or confidence in her regard.

After a rich afternoon full of stories and tasting, we hit the road under the sprinkling sky.

We found ourselves lost quite quickly and asked a very old man walking by the road for directions. “Could you tell us which way to get to Montreuil-Bellay?” The man took a breath, and responded, “Where are you coming from?” This seemingly irrelevant question seemed wise at the same time, and I still don’t know why. After a long pause the man explained in length how to get to where we wanted to go. Before saying goodbye, he told us a little story about traveling in Italy many years ago without a map or a word of Italian. Wearing a warm smile he let us know that he was tickled to see a young couple lost just as he and his wife had found themselves back in the day. It was a funny moment between generations, and his directions were perfect.

Tasting of Billes de Roche 2010: Mineral, sharp attack, rich mouthfeel, just slightly buttery, more like silk than butter…

We opened this bottle with a fennel and goat cheese salad, which was not the best choice as the salad was too rustic for this wine that has some finesse. We recommend it with a more elaborated meal, fish or poultry, cream sauces… or simply by itself.

Domaine Mélaric
contact@vins-melaric.com
25, rue du Château
49 700 – Les Verchers sur Layon
Tél : 02 41 50 70 96 – 06 64 81 23 27

http://www.vins-melaric.com/

HEADED NORTH TO THE LOIRE VALLEY

Morning in Chinon… I snap a few photos while Bastien checks out the tourist office. We are only here for a day and we have an appointment at 2pm.

Ah, la France… This sight sparked a silly memory. When I had the official interview to receive a French visa, I was asked to tell them the country’s motto. Easy peasy: “Liberté, Fraternité… et… et…” I drew a complete blank, and the word wasn’t about to come to mind! After agonizing over my sort for a moment the officer laughed and kindly filled in the blank, “Egalité.”  ”Oui! Bien sur!” I chirped, a bead of sweat rolling down my forehead. It’s like asking someone the colors of the American flag… if they say “red, white, and… and…” you can only handle so many seconds before screaming “BLUE!”

A quick walk around the Château of Montsoreau, not far from Chinon.

We follow a sign leading behind the château.

From here, we walk by the town hall.

Slate rooftops.

Beautifully chiseled stone walls construct the château and most houses and walls of the village.

Moss grows in abundance on the stones facing the river.

Knock, Knock, or Tok, Tok.

We follow a sign to another Chateau. There are some people in the courtyard, but they pay no attention to us, so we head through a sort of tunnel that beckons any passer-by to explore.

The end of the tunnel opens to courtyards. It’s a cave-château! Half natural cave and half artificially built.

We are even more surprised to discover ancient grape presses. This is where they made wine! I doesn’t seem to be in use today, but there are signs of renovation in power cords and new bricks scattered about.

A special thanks to little Emmett for being such a sport on our voyage and for the days that follow.

 

 

OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO

Amuse-bouche : Crunchy toast spoons with tomato and basil

Summer is going by like a speedboat!  I’ve been too busy to do much cooking, but of course, not too busy to eat!

L’Auberge de Presbytère is one of my favorite restaurants.  Imagine driving through the valley of a small mountain. The road curves and climbs around the mountain. You spot at the top of the hill an ancient stone presbytery.  There is a terrace that looks over the valley studded with trees.  Six tables dot the terrace.  You arrive to a delightfully warm welcome.  It’s a beautiful day, warm with a cool breeze.  I love coming here.

A seafood spring roll served with roquette salade and white chocolate sauce

Seared tuna with octopus ink polenta and vanilla bean olive oil

Goat cheese with chocolate and pistachio

Strawberry mousse club sandwich

I didn’t get a photo of the coffee served with pistachio financiers (little almond cakes) and watermelon fruit jelly.

The menu changes constantly, so there are always new things to taste.

Bon appétit and happy tastings!

TRUFFLE SANDWICH

Feast your eyes on a fresh truffle sandwich

Our arrival in Autun, a town in Burgundy, was marked by a gift.  Bastien’s uncle took a box from the fridge, opened it a crack, and raised it to my nose. Une truffe…  The palm-sized black rock’s penetrating odeur instantly seized my nose. A fragrance so stong, yet so delicate, it makes you want to melt into a chair.

The truffle traveled with us to visit friends in La Souterraine, where we infused eggs with its parfume and stuffed slices of it under the skin of a chicken.

It continued on a long and slow drive south through the snow-covered country, to the town of Cap d’Agde, our short-term destination.  A few evenings later, I grated our last bits of truffle onto a well-buttered crusty baguette sliced lengthwise. I closed the sandwiches and  set them under the broiler of the oven for a few minutes, just until the butter began to melt.  I served them warm with a salad on the side.  The sandwich was a feast.

And that was the end of the fresh truffle.