Winery/Producer/: Chignard, Thivin, Breton and Foillard
Appellation: Three Beaujolais Crus: Fleurie, Cote de Brouilly and Morgon
Tasting Room and Location: 3443 Robinhood Rd; Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Grape Variety Tasted: Gamay
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Chignard – Fleurie
Thivin – Cote de Brouilly 2010
Breton – Morgon VV 2011
Foillard – Fleurie 2008
Foillard – Morgon Corecellete
Houchart rosé (An extra wine that was also outstanding)
Tasting Price: Free
Knowledge and Helpfulness of the Person Pouring the Wine: It simply doesn’t get any better!!! Host Russ Anderson is a very unique wine expert. He has an understanding that goes far beyond knowing wines, he loves wine. And the best part is he not only wants to help you understand and appreciate wines, but he can communicate his knowledge to everyone in the room regardless of their level of understanding or wine experience. In addition, Barbi Baker from Tryon Distributors was also pouring wine. She too was knowledgeable and very helpful in answering questions about the wines.
Recommendation from the tasting: This was our second tasting at The Caviste, and without question they were both the most enjoyable and educational tastings we have experienced. We would strongly recommend Caviste wine tastings.
Comments: A visit to Russ Anderson’s The Caviste wine store in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is a treat. Featuring a good selection of fine wines, Russ welcomes wine lovers into his store for formal or informal wine tasting on a regular basis. The wines are always excellent and the experience memorable. The best part of the visit is learning about the wines from Russ. The extent of his knowledge is exceeded by his willingness to share it and he will take the totally ignorant wine taster through the whole process of tasting, describing the sensations from acidity to tannins as well as the flavors of each wine if that is what the visitor wishes. There is no question too trivial or dumb for Russ to answer. If you want an in depth discussion of the wines, no problem, Russ will provide it and more. If you are in the area of Winston-Salem, a trip to his cozy wine shop is a treat you should not miss.
What started as a just Beaujolais tasting turned out to be a tasting of the best-of-the-best. All the wines were earthy, creamy and just plain delicious. In the end we purchased two: a Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2011 and a Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvee Corcelette 2011. And, one closing comment, we really prefer tastings that include only one grape variety, not an assortment of several varieties or simply what the vineyard has to offer.