Moore Brothers Blog

Domaine Louis Boillot

winegrowers Greg Moore

Louis Boillot in his cellar in Chambolle-Musigny Louis Boillot’s seven-hectare estate is half of the original Domaine Lucien Boillot of Gevrey-Chambertin. In 2002, the domaine was split equally between Louis and his brother Pierre, who continues operations at Domaine Lucien Boillot. But in 2003, shortly after their father’s retirement, Louis left the winery in Gevrey, and with his wife, Ghislaine Barthod, a famous and highly respected winegrower in her own right, purchased a lovely old house with a perfect, functional cellar in Chambolle-Musigny. Today, Ghislaine Barthod and Louis Boillot make their wines side by side in the same cellar. Both have unusually old vines; Ghislaine’s vineyards all in Chambolle-Musigny, and Louis’ in eight communes stretching the entire length of the Côte, from Fixin through Gevrey-Chambertin, all the way south to Volnay, and further south to Moulin-a-Vent. Their son Clément will one day inherit a combined domaine that will be one of the greatest in al

Terre Bianche

winegrowers Greg Moore

Paolo and Filippo Rondelli 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of Terre Bianche, established in 1870 when the first Rosesse grapes were planted in the white soil above the Ligurian Riviera, just eight kilometers from the French border. But the reputation and influence of this remarkable estate today is mostly due to Filippo Rondelli, who took over the estate at the age of twenty, on the death of his father, Claudio. “My problem is that I'm a perfectionist and never happy with results…and our problem is that we're not in Piemonte, so we have to work a lot to reach our goals.”

Château Brulesecailles

winegrowers Greg Moore

Jacques Rodet No doubt Château Brûlesécaille, which was classified a Cru Bourgeois in 1868, would be better known today if the wine were sold on the Place de Bordeaux. But Jacques and Martine Rodet, who took charge of the family estate in 1974, prefer to sell their wine directly, in mutually rewarding personal relationships like the one that established Château Brûlesécaille at “Les Trois Marches” in Versailles more than thirty years ago, and the one I hope will continue long into the future. The 26-hectare estate lies on an elevated croupe of gravelly clay limestone overlooking the Dordogne in Tauriac, one of the most privileged locations in the Côtes de Bourg. Of special interest is that many of the vines are more than seventy years old, having escaped the ravages of the terrible freeze of February 1956, which destroyed nearly three fourths of the vines on the Right Bank. Stéphane Beuret, the brilliant enologist who also makes the wine at Domaine du Château Larroque, super

Château Turcaud

Meet the Winegrowers Greg Moore

Maurice Robert and Stéphane Lemay at Château Turcaud From the beginning in 1973, when Maurice Robert purchased seven hectares of run down, abandoned vines in La Sauve Majeure, this has been one of the most extraordinary estates in Bordeaux. Within ten years Château Turcaud was represented on the wine lists of the most prestigious restaurants in France, including Gerard Vié’s “Les Trois Marches” in Versailles, and Jean-Claude Vrinat’s “Taillevent” in Paris.Under the direction of Stéphane Lemay, who is both a highly skilled vineyard manager, and a sensitive, talented winemaker, Château Turcaud has risen to even higher heights, and is always included on the short list of the greatest producers of white Bordeaux outside of the Graves.

Frank Splane - On Italy

favorites Frank Splane

A recent layover in London gave me an opportunity to see an old friend and to visit a special shop where I planned to procure a few tasty gifts for the viticoltori I visit every year in Italy. Over the years, I’ve offered my hosts vino Americano, pancake mix (there’s no equivalent in France or Italy), Vermont maple syrup, Yankees baseball caps, and Bonny Doon T-shirts. But it had been a long time since I’d bought a wedge at Neal’s Yard Dairy in London, one of the planet’s finest cheese shops. Neal’s often pops into my mind whenever a new customer enters Moore Brothers for the first time. I’m reminded of my first visit to Neal’s… I was not then (nor am I now) a card-carrying cheese connoisseur. Indeed, au sujet de fromage, I usually defer to the expertise of Scott, Eric, or Kathryn. All I knew then was what I had heard: that Neal’s is a showcase of “farmhouse” British cheese, is scrupulous about the conservation of its goods, and is synonymous with quality. I looked around the

Brunori

winegrowers Greg Moore

Cristina and Carlo Brunori Generations of Brunoris have grown wine in the province of Ancona, in Le Marche, but none was bottled until 1956, when Mario Brunori established his winery in the rural Contrada San Nicolò. At the same time, he opened a small wine shop in the nearby town of Jesi. Today, Mario’s son Giorgio heads the family business, assisted by his daughter Cristina who manages the office, and his enologist son Carlo who is in charge of the winery. Specialties include outstanding Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno, as well as the best Verdicchio in the province.

Sweet 'n Dry, explained by a winemaker

dry wine Will Franklin

Wil Franklin is a Moore Brothers alum, with the reputation as the finest wine producer in Humboldt County, California. He has given us permission to republish his pieces from The Courtier. Dry vs. Sweet Understanding a few essential characteristics of wine will go a long way to understanding how to make fine wine a part of our daily lives, just as it is in many cultures where wine is an essential part of every meal. One of the most perplexing characteristics of wine is the “sweet vs. dry” issue. Too many times I have heard friends say they don’t drink white wine because it’s too sweet, yet they like late harvest red Zinfandel that is sweet. Others tell me they don’t like red wine because it’s too dry, but then turn around and drink an even drier white wine. What is the root of these perplexing contradictions that keep some people from even considering half of all wines? Clearly the words dry and sweet mean different things to different people. In an attempt to make all this mor

This is sweet...

Prosecco David Moore

I had the pleasure of spending a day with this lovely family in Asolo. This video was shot for an Italian television series on "artisans" throughout that country. It is subtitled for those of us challenged by the language. This video tells the story of three generations doing the hard work necessary to make a success of their dreams at what became "Bele Casel," the lone producer of Prosecco here at Moore Brothers. By the way, the "American importer" to whom they refer near the end, is none other than our own Frank Splane, who found them for us in 2000. We're delighted and proud to be a part of this famliy's story. -DM