Shimada, the owner of The Cloakroom and the founder of this series, holds the "Ginza Tailor Rakugo Club" at his salon in Ginza. In July, Sanyutei Wanjo performed. Wanjo has recently been promoted to shin'uchi, and the purpose of this club is to support talented futatsume performers, who will graduate once they reach shin'uchi. There are only three more performances left at this club, including this one, and the venue was full. I had difficulty finding a date that worked for me, and had seen the other two, Hayashiya Tamahei and Shunputei Yoichi, perform, but this was my first time seeing Wanjo perform, and I was surprised at how popular he was.
After the show, Shimada-san gave him a suit as a gift to celebrate his promotion to shin'uchi, and the measurements were taken in public. After two more performances, there will be an event to complete the suit. Masuhiro Yamamoto, the organizer, explained that this kind of entertainment outside of storytelling is called "Ogiri." Yamamoto is well-known as a food critic, but got his start as a rakugo critic, so he is truly a "two-sword wielder."
After the Ogiri, a celebratory dinner was held at the Italian restaurant "Farsi Largo" in Nihonbashi, recommended by Yamamoto. It was a private dinner for a total of a dozen people. The idea was to enjoy seasonal black truffles from Australia. I helped select the wine, and for the toast, we were served "Franciacorta" from Lombardy, which is made from the same grape variety as champagne and using the exact same method of secondary fermentation in the bottle. We were served "Satin 2017 ", a vintage from Contadi Castaldi made from 100 % Chardonnay. For the white wine, we had "Zamo Bianco 2021 ", a blend of five types of white grapes from the Frifri-Venezia Giulia region, provided by the restaurant. Both were excellent.
The problem was red wine. I asked Shimada if I should bring a bottle as a gift, and he replied that it was definitely okay, so I brought Burgundy's "Nuits-Saint-Georges La Petite Charmotte 2020 " by Pierre Tibert. I knew it was too early to open it, but considering that I would be bringing it from home and carrying it around, I decided that a young wine without any sediment would be best. Unlike Bordeaux, Burgundy's sediment is fine, so once it is stirred up, it does not settle easily, and when it is served, it can have a rough and bitter taste, which can be a disappointment in the wine.
Also, the other day, when I visited "Otowa Restaurant" in Utsunomiya, I ordered and drank "Vosne-Romanée Au Champs Perdrix 2020 " which was on the list, made by Audifred, and it was really good. The 2020 vintage is also listed on the Grand Maison's wine list, and although it seems a little early to drink, I thought this was drinkable, so I brought along a 2020 Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Well, when I arrived at the venue and asked Shimada about the red wine, he said that the wine he brought and the wine Shimada brought would be served. So, what did Shimada bring? It was also from Burgundy, "Volnay-Saint-Amphaud Premier Cru 1992 " made by Robert Amphaud. The Amphaud family was divided by inheritance into Robert Amphaud, whose domaine is in Meursault, and Potinet Amphaud, whose domaine is based in Montlhery. However, both domaines store a lot of old vintages in their cellars. Also, although the Volnay-Saint-Amphaud that Shimada brought is named Volnay, the vineyards are in the village of Meursault.
Even so, it is a coincidence that these wines are contrasting even though they are both from Burgundy. Both are from the "Côte d'Or," the region that produces the best wines in Burgundy, but Nuits-Saint-Georges is a wine from the "Côte de Nuits" in the north, where red wines such as Romanée-Conti are the main producer, while Volnay is a representative red wine brand from the "Côte de Beaune" in the south, where the best white wines such as Montrachet and Meursault are produced. Furthermore, the 2020 vintage, which seems too young, and the 1992 vintage, which is already old, are particularly contrasting.
The question is, how old is a wine when it is considered ready to drink? Of course, this will vary between Bordeaux and Burgundy, and will depend on the quality of the vintage. It is also a matter of personal preference.
A quarter century ago when I went to Paris, it was said that Bordeaux wines of a certain level were best enjoyed after 7 to 8 years of age. However, when I actually ordered wine at lunch in Paris, I was surprised to see that everyone preferred to open firm wines under 5 years old. I think this was a matter of price, but it was clearly a matter of preference.
In Burgundy, especially since the beginning of the 21st century, it seems to be commonplace that wines can be drunk early and are delicious even after aging. To be honest, I'm skeptical about whether this is really possible, but it is true that many winemakers pay attention to how they bring out the fruitiness when opened early. To me, they seem to be divided into two types: those that pursue concentrated fruitiness, as typified by Audifred's Vosne-Romanée mentioned above, and those that are light and transparent. However, it should be noted that both types are different from the rich, high-alcohol wines that were popular in the past, aged in oak. The Tiber that I brought with me this time had a delicious flavor similar to Audifred's. It was also nice that it had a characteristic acidity, typical of Nuits-Saint-Georges.
On the other hand, the Volnay that Shimada brought was made by the winemaker with the intention of long-term aging, so it was also very enjoyable. However, since 1992 was an off-vintage, it must be said that it was past its peak. Instead, we were able to enjoy the aged feel and mineral flavor of an old wine. Also, since it was a large dinner party, instead of opening a bottle of wine and sipping it, we uncorked it to go with the main dish, and drank it all in one glass right away. This meant that even delicate wines could be enjoyed before they oxidized.
When I was crazy about Bordeaux wine, I was very particular about when it was best to drink it. However, I knew that the average age for a wine is between seven or eight years and a dozen years, and that anything over twenty years old should be enjoyed as an aged wine. However, after I started drinking Burgundy, I realized that it is best to not worry about when it is best to drink it, but to decide which village (appellation) and wine maker you want to drink from while consulting your wallet.
Everyone enjoyed the contrasting Burgundy red wine and the black truffle panna cotta for dessert, bringing Wanjo-san's celebratory feast to a grand finale. We wish Wanjo-san continued success in the future.
This month's recommended wine: "Another style of Burgundy red: Beaune wine"
"Beaune Premier Cru Saint-Vignes 2017 AC Beaune Premier Cru Jane Eyre" 8,800 yen (excluding tax)
We have already introduced the red wines of Burgundy from the northern part of the Cote d'Or, the Cote de Nuits. This time, we would like to recommend red wines from the southern part, the Cote de Beaune. In addition to the red wines of Burgundy, the Cote Chalonnaise, located south of Beaune, also produces excellent wines, but the wines of the Cote de Beaune are considered to be on par with Nuits.
The "Côte de Beaune" is the region that produces Burgundy's best white wines, such as Meursault and Montrachet, but there are also several attractive appellations for red wine. Although there is only one Grand Cru, "Corton", the wines of the representative red appellations of Beaune, which only produce red wines, "Volnay" and "Pommard", are excellent wines that are comparable to the Grand Vin of Nuits. The tannic and rustic "Pommard" and the delicate and elegant "Volnay" are interesting in their contrasting characteristics (the small appellation "Blagny" also produces only red wine).
All the other villages in the "Côte de Beaune" produce both red and white wines and there are many of them: Ladoix, Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny-les-Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune, Beaune, Montlhery, Auxey-Duresses, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Auban, Santenay and Maranges.
Among them, I would like to recommend the wine of "Beaune" that has a sense of moderate beauty. The city of Beaune is called "the axis of Burgundy" and many négociants are based there. There is also a museum called "Hospices de Beaune" that was formerly a hospital, and donated wines are auctioned off every year.
This time we will introduce a Beaune Premier Cru wine made by Jane Eyre, an up-and-coming female winemaker. Jane was born near Melbourne and began her career in Burgundy in 1998. She began winemaking in 2011. She is highly regarded as one of the leading "micro-négos" who purchase grapes from farmers who have been gaining attention in recent years and brew their own wines. The "Saint-Vignes" vineyard is light sandy and contains limestone, producing supple, delicate wines that make the most of the fruitiness.
As it is called micro, the production volume is very small, so it will surely sell out quickly. Don't miss this opportunity to try it.
For inquiries about the wines introduced, please contact AVICO Co., Ltd.
Biography Osamu Seki Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions.
He specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory, and is a director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
Seki Osamu FACE BOOK
Seki Osamu Official Website
