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Double Zero Wines + Domaine du Collier + Good Wines For Tough Times!

by Annandale Cellars

Double Zero Wines

2023 Allocation

In 2015, Chris and Kathryn Hermann embarked on an exceptional winemaking journey. They found inspiration in the superb old-vine Chardonnay grapes from renowned Willamette Valley vineyards like Chehalem Mountain, The Eyrie, Eola Springs, Shea, Hyland, and Seven Springs. These vineyards offered ideal sun exposure and volcanic basalt and sedimentary soils, perfect for Chardonnay.

Interestingly, many of these terroirs were originally planted with Chardonnay clones from California, like the Wente clone at The Eyrie and Chehalem Mountain, and the Mendoza clone at Eola Springs. Initially, these clones struggled in the cool Willamette Valley, but recent favorable growing seasons since 2014 have allowed them to produce small clusters of rich, complex fruit, reaching full maturity.

Securing their Chardonnay sources, the Hermanns focused on mastering the art of crafting wines that could rival the aromas, flavors, texture, and aging potential of white Burgundies. They sought guidance from Burgundian expert Pierre Millemann, who introduced them to the Black Chardonnay method, a traditional technique dating back 60 plus years. This approach, championed by Millemann and used by esteemed producers like Coche-Dury and Domaine Roulot, involves harvesting fully ripe grapes with lower sugar levels, foot-crushing whole clusters, and an extended "heavy press cycle" without sulfur. The method aims for maximum phenolic extraction, resulting in oxidized must that turns dark. The dark must is then placed in tanks where phenols consume oxygen, yielding remarkably oxidation-resistant and fresh juice that ages in barrels. This unique approach has allowed 00 Wines to produce Chardonnays that rival the best from the New World.

They apply the same level of care to their Pinot Noirs, sourcing top-quality grapes from the best Willamette Valley sites and embracing a "Grand Cru" mindset in vinification. Leveraging their French connections they've begun producing a wine from Corton Charlemagne and Champagne too. Maybe one day if we are lucky we will get an allocation of those... Who knows!

Their wines have achieved cult status and are highly sought after, and are near impossible to find in the states and involve a lengthy wait on their club list in the hope you are offered an allocation. Thankfully, we are lucky enough to be offered an allocation from the importer so access to these wines is a simpler process for us in Australia. I've been lucky enough to have tried several of these wines and can confirm they are spectacular and worthy of your attention. - Pete L

 

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Domaine du Collier

In a brief span, Antoine Foucault has established himself as a leading winemaker in the Loire Valley. In 1999, he founded Domaine du Collier, a venture he undertook at just 26 years of age alongside his wife, Caroline. His background includes four years of experience at Clos Rougeard, the renowned winery owned by his father, Charly Foucault.

Antoine's journey led him to acquire a four-hectare vineyard in Brézé, specifically in the esteemed "La Ripaille" lieu-dit, all facilitated through his family connections. The estate encompasses six hectares, predominantly planted with Chenin Blanc, including some century-old vines, and a smaller section dedicated to Cabernet Franc.

Antoine is committed to natural viticulture, abstaining from chemical treatments, fertilizers, and herbicides. The vineyard's grapes are handpicked, with rigorous selection conducted right in the vineyard. In his underground cellar, Antoine avoids commercial yeast and only introduces sulfur prior to bottling. The cellar's low temperature is renowned for preserving the wines during élevage, contributing to their gradual development in the bottle. Unsurprisingly, the exceptional quality of these wines has generated considerable demand, making them somewhat elusive to acquire.

In my experience, they are genuinely stunning wines. Surprisingly their Chenin Blanc’s tend to be the more sought after wines they produce, compared to Clos Rougeard who’s Cabernet Franc’s are in my experience the more highly sought after wines by customers and near impossible to come by. Their wines age gracefully and embrace the nuance of vintage. I’ve been lucky enough to taste in the last year a range of their Saumur Blancs from 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 all showing distinct differences yet maintaining the balance of fruit ripeness and acidity. We have also received a tiny amount of 2014 Charpentrie Saumur Rouge with the most recent allocation so for customers curious to see how these wines age, we’ve saved you some time!

Unfortunately, these wines have become even harder to come by in the last few years so our allocation has drastically reduced and I expect that trend to continue… I didn’t even get a bottle of either Saumur Blanc this year for my cellar! Thankfully we aren’t short of incredible Chenin Blanc options at the moment so if you are after some Chenin suggestions please get in touch. - Pete L

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Good Wines for Tough Times

Times are tough for most of us. You didn’t hear it first here, but what might be news to you is that you can still have good wines in tough times.

For the first time in my life I’ve been consciously budgeting (shocking, I know). The increased cost of living had finally caught up to me. I pulled back from dining out and overseas trips to spend less on the luxuries of life and more time around “home”. The catch was, my social life was in jeopardy and that was something I (and perhaps most of you) don’t want to lose. 

Catching up with friends and family, eating good food and drinking good wine are some my favourite things to do… and I think I do them quite well, even in times like these.

I’ve replaced overseas trips with over-the-bridge trips, five-star hotels for five-star campsites, and white table clothes for picnic rugs... But one thing’s for sure, I haven’t replaced good wine, only it’s price tag.

I’ve put together a list of wines I’ve loved drinking over the past few months. The premise was simple: to explore interesting wines within my new budget. 

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Happy budgeting! - Chris L

 

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