Wines of the Tour de France Stage 3: Abbatucci "Cuvée Faustine" and Gerrans!

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-3.html

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-3

From LeTour: Jean François Pescheux's view
Not a single metre of flat: "We are not going to hide our feeling of satisfaction: this is the kind of stage we've been looking for for years! It's simple: there's not a single metre of flat, which means the peloton will get very stretched out, presenting the very real possibility of splits occurring. Let this be a warning to any team leaders who might mistakenly believe they can ride towards the back of the field? especially as, at 145km, this stage is very short! It will give the puncheurs plenty to conjure with. Thinking about just the French riders of that type, I can imagine Voeckler and Chavanel will be itching to get going... Whatever happens, at the finish we will know the names of those riders who can't win this Tour."

Our final day in Corsica awaits. Not a single meter of flat. That should be interesting. All sorts of questions today starting with whether or not Radio Shack will be able to defend the yellow jersey of yesterday's surprise winner, Jan Bakelants. The next question might be whether or not a break can stay away on this challenging course. Or will it be a day for Gilbert to win in his world champion's jersey? 
Geraint Thomas, it turns out, is riding with a "small" pelvic fracture.
owenslot 3:04am via Twitter for Android

Just watched Geraint Thomas attempt to swing his leg over his bike. Took two attempts and eventually required assistance. V painful

My Podium Cafe Stage Predictor picks of the day:  Sagan, Gilbert, Chavanel and Boasson-Hagen.
Since Sky has made me very sad by not picking Bernie Eisel on their Tour team and this canceling Breakfast with Bernie, a tweet or two from him as he rides the Tour of Austria.
EiselBernhard 1:38am via Twitter for iPhone

OMG, the Aussies and Americans even know the lyrics #thesoundofmusic #teamskychoir! Find more later on m.facebook.com/pages/Bernhard…

EiselBernhard 12:44am via Twitter for iPhone

BTW no Austrian ever watched #thesoundofmusic it's an American musical @theboz91 @JoeDombro

Today's breakaway: Sebastian Minard, Alexis Vuillermoz, Simon Clarke, Cyril Gautier and Liuwe Westra. With 101 kms to go, their gap was 3:50. Meanwhile, have a dog looking to travel France this summer?

Vaughters 5:34am via Twitter for iPhone

We've decided we'd like to adopt a team bus dog. Well trained and under 15kgs preferable. Let me know if your dog is interested.

On the hopefully dog-free today road, the gap has almost disappeared and with 78 km to go, the gap it was only 49 seconds.  The first two abandons of the race today: Yoann Bagot and Andrey Kaschechkin. A they approach the feed zone, the peloton slowed down and the gap was back out to 1'19 with 62 kilometers to go. I said it earlier, but Corsica really is lovely. The route today could be the images for a "Visit Corsica" advertising campaign.

Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was back at around two minutes.  

King of the Mountain/polka-dot jersey competition has been animated so far: 
joelindsey 6:44am via Web

With just 57 seconds to the pack, Simon Clarke is going to give it full gas on the last climb. He's currently tied for first on KoM points.

It seems like they have been on a never ending descent for a very long time now. Narrow roads, cliffs, ocean views, showing Corsica off to the world audience. Twenty kilometers to go and Clarke and Minard have attacked out of the break. In Clarke's case, as predicted above, he is hoping to hang on for more KoM points. 

Cyclocosm 7:11am via Twitter for Mac

Bunch is powering into the climb, out of the saddle and rocking. Sweeping up the cast-offs from the break. 17.3km, 32" gap. #TDF

  inrng 7:11am via Web

Final climb of the Col de Marsolino about to start but several sprinters dropped already, Cavendish, Kittel and Greipel included

Sadly for Clarke, he was caught by the current polka dot jersey:

inrng 7:17am via Web

Pierre Rolland looks like a clown in full polka-dot kit

And then, Chavanel:

mrconde 7:24am via Web

Like in Dauphiné, Chavanel simply gets away when he sets the pace on the descent. Impressive. #tdf

SkyOrla 7:25am via Web

As predicted by @MarkCavendish on Sky Sports News, and shamelessly reproduced by my good self, Chavanel's going for it on stage 3. Gusto.

But it was not to be. Five kilometers to go and Chavanel's group was caught. Maybe a day for Sagan after all?

Photo finish! Gerrans or Sagan?

mrconde 7:36am via Web

What a finish from GreenEdge. Had everything under control. @simongerrans even had time to look around before he opened up. Impressive! #tdf

Stage: Simon Gerrans

Yellow: Jan Bakelants
Green: Sagan
Polkadots: Rolland
White: Kwiatkowski

Wine: 2010 Abbatucci "Cuvée Faustine"  $36.00 from Dig
From Kermit Lynch, the importer: 
In the colorful, picturesque city of Ajaccio, capital of Corsica, you can’t get very far without seeing the name Abbatucci. There are streets, monuments and plazas that carry the name, which is normal given that General Jean-Charles Abbatucci from Ajaccio was a hero of the French Revolution and comrade in arms of another local hero, Napoléon Bonaparte. Step into a wine bar or a restaurant there, chances are these days they’ll pour you a glass of Domaine Abbatucci. The domaine is run by Jean-Charles Abbatucci, a direct descendant of the General, who has now become a local hero of another kind—for providing the local populace with its most sought-after libation.

Corsicans are proud defenders of their traditions and environment, and with Abbatucci they indulge guilt-free. His wines are certified biodynamic, and he believes in following even the most far-out biodynamic practices to the letter. On his large estate south of Ajaccio he keeps a pristine poly-culture ecosystem in place, complete with herds of sheep foraging through his vines, groves of olive trees on ancient terraces, and large swaths of untouched forests. His vines come from cuttings of indigenous grapes, sourced decades ago high up in the isolated and mountainous interior of the island from elderly peasant farmers, effectively saving several native varieties from extinction. To keep his vines happy, he’s known to drive his tractor out to his vineyards and play traditional Corsican polyphonic songs over loudspeakers for their benefit. After the harvest he’ll treat his cellar to the same music as his grapes ferment and come of age. All part of the terroir, he says. Does all this have an actual effect on the wine? Have a taste for yourself. The proof just might be in the pudding.

Thoughts from Dig:  A DIG favorite, Abbatucci blend of two native varieties (70% Sciacarellu, 30% Niellucciu) into a wine that's elegantly wild, smelling of pomegranate, black olive, hillside herbs, tobacco leaf, and flint; flavors are light, fresh, sexy, earthy. 

I say: Finishing the Corsican stages with a red. Two new grapes for me! I should have clued in given the use of elegantly wild above, but not nearly as rustic as I was expecting. Paired with a rabbit sausage that I worried might be overwhelmed by the wine.  Instead, the sausage, made with pork, fresh fennel, olive and white wine, along with the rabbit, brought out the earthy and herbal notes in the wine. On day two it had opened up a little bit more and was showing cherries, herbs and pepper.