Monday, August 31, 2020

Wine of Le Tour 2020: Stage 3

Traveling out of Nice on a day that may very well be for the sprinters. Today's destination, Sisteron, is both an alpine and a provençale city. It is protected by its medieval citadel that made it a stronghold of the area. 

Le Tour's regional specialities are:  lamb, pieds et paquets (lamb feet and tripes), Banon (goat cheese), Alps golden apples, calissons.
Last time they were in the area, I had Beaufort cheese.
CHRISTIAN PRUDHOMME'S COMMENT
The riders might be inspired by the perfumes of Grasse as they leave the Nice area. They will then ride along the Route Napoléon with far less obstacles than the ones witnessed by the Emperor after returning from exile on the Island of Elba. The flat final part as we get closer to the Sisteron Citadel shouldn’t trouble the plans of the sprinters’ teams.


The stage: Our rainy day breakaway consists of Anthony Perez, Jérôme Cousin and Benoît Cosnefroy. By At kilometer 71, Jérôme Cousin was solo in the lead with a gap of almost four minutes as the others sat up. With about one hundred kilometers to go, his gap was under three minutes.
Thanks to the Podium Cafe stage chat, I have learned something: The Tour is going to pass a "Clue" soon. A "Clue" (south French Alps) or "Cluse" (north French Alps) is a gap/valley, a perpendicular cut through a mountain usually with a river. It allows one to pass from one valley to another without going over a col. Usually a cool cliff lined Gorge road. Near summit of Col des Lèques is the Clue de Taulanne.
Even on a quiet day, things can change suddenly as Radio-Tour announced the withdrawal of Anthony Perez, the virtual leader of the KOM competition who crashed on a descent and broke his collarbone. An update from Le Tour: Precision about Anthony Perez’ crash. He first had a puncture in the downhill of col des Lèques, then he hit a Cofidis team car and crash. His left collarbone is broken.
With 50 kilometers to go and the gap was 1:50.
With an acceleration at the intermediate sprint point, with Sagan taking maximum points from the field, the gap went under one minute.
Word from the tv team that there would be a headwind for the sprint ahead. 
Twenty two kilometers to go and the gap was down to thirty seconds.
Sixteen kilometers to go and there was the expected catch after a break of 182 kilometers. It was time for the sprint trains to form.
Small crash as they closed in, with most riders making it through.
That was an entertaining sprint, with a long enough straightaway for one rider to look like the clear winner before being overtaken. 
Our winner: Caleb Ewan!
Alahilippe retains yellow.

The wine: Originally I thought I would drink a Tempier rosé for one of these stages. I was lucky enough to visit there twice and it seemed the perfect sentimental choice. But then I remembered I had a few older vintages of the red in my closet. Not knowing which vintage to open, I consulted my go-to Tour wine advisors. Both suggested that 2003 had been a warm here and that of the four, I should try it first. To my relief, there was plenty of fruit left and the wine was still quite enjoyable.

From the importer: When Lucie “Lulu” Tempier married Lucien Peyraud in 1936, her father gave them Domaine Tempier, an active farm that had been in the family since 1834, near Le Plan du Castellet, just outside the Mediterranean seaport village of Bandol. Tasting a pre-phylloxera bottle of Domaine Tempier Bandol (a wedding gift from his father-in-law) inspired Lucien to research the terroir of Bandol extensively.  Up until that point, old vineyards planted with Mourvèdre had been systematically replanted to higher-yielding varietals. However, more research not only showed its historical roots to the area, but the grape proved to be more resistant to oxidation, producing wines with great aging potential. By 1941, with the assistance of neighboring vignerons, Lucien worked with the I.N.A.O. (Institut National des Appellations d’Origines) to establish Bandol as its own A.O.C. Needless to say, large-scale replanting of Mourvèdre ensued, and Bandol now requires a fifty percent minimum in all reds. Lucien will forever be celebrated as the Godfather of Bandol, but also as the man who revived Mourvèdre to its former glory. Raising deep and structured wines of such refinement and longevity has made Domaine Tempier truly a grand cru de Provence.  
Lulu and Lucien raised seven children, and nourishing family, friends, and wine lovers at table is a regularly celebrated tradition at the domaine. Much of that is attributed to Lulu, the beautiful, Marseillaise materfamilias who has carried on the great Tempier family ritual of serving guests fresh, cool rosé, hearty, soulful reds, and copious amounts of delicious homemade Provençal cuisine. Her traditional hearth cooking has attracted attention throughout France, even bringing Alice Waters over from California to learn in Lulu’s kitchen. When Lucien retired, sons François and Jean-Marie shared management of the domaine with François in the vineyards and Jean-Marie in the cellars. The two made a formidable team. Though Lucien passed away in 1996, and his sons have now since retired, the torch has been passed to the young, energetic, and talented Daniel Ravier, who has just the right savoir faire to carry on the great tradition and style of the domaine.
Beyond our affection and the enduring bonds of our friendship, objectively the celebrity of Domaine Tempier also lies deep in the soils of Bandol. Variations of clay and limestone soils between the vineyards produce wines that are undeniably world class. Whether it is the cult following they have established through their refreshing, age-worthy rosé (once praised by Robert Parker as the greatest rosé in the world), their Bandol Blanc, or the distinctive cuvées of Bandol rouge, the wines of Domaine Tempier stand as the proud benchmark when talking about Provençal wines. Through their passion, pioneering, and advocacy for Bandol, the Peyrauds have become legendary. We are fortunate to have their wines serve as the flagship of our portfolio, and even more grateful to have the Peyrauds and their extended family as cherished friends. If any wine can be said to have soul, it’s Tempier.
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Sunday, August 30, 2020

Wine of Le Tour 2020: Stage 2



This is an interesting stage for day 2 of the race and the second of three days in Nice. An unusual start for the Tour in many ways. 

From the Tour Director: The sprinter having captured the Yellow Jersey the previous day will be in a tricky situation as soon as the climb up to the Col de la Colmiane and will then have to face the steep turns heading to the Col de Turini and eventually head up to the Col d’Eze. A mountain stage with two passages at over 1,500m as soon as the second day of the race, that’s a grande première.


The stage: Three riders not starting today, John Degenkolb who missed the time cut after a crash and Philippe Gilbert and Rafa Valls who were injured in crashes. Everyone was hoping for fewer today. 
The break of the day: Peter Sagan, Lukas Pöstleberger, Benoît Cosnefroy, Kasper Asgreen, Toms Skujins, Anthony Perez, and Michael Gogl. After the first hour of racing they had covered 45.4km and had a 3' lead. Eventually, Cosnefroy would attack from that group in search of KOM points. At the top, he had 2:10 over the peloton.On the downhill, the seven man break would come back together. 
Meanwhile, a bike change for Kristoff, who went for full yellow today.

Under 100 kilometers to go and the gap to the break was still around 3 minutes.
As they started climbing again, off the front, Sagan was dropped from the break. Off the back, Kristoff and other sprinters. 
A reminder:
As NBCSN wondered if Kristoff could make it back, some trivia from Le Tour: In the past ten editions of the Tour de France, six riders who took the yellow jersey on stage 1 lost it the day after.
And then someone woke up the peloton and the gap started dropping quickly, likely ending Kristoff's chances to return. With 75 kilometers to go, the gap was down to 1:15.
What a road:
Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was still over one minute. Forty four kilometers and it was down to forty seconds. Forty kilometers to go and they had been caught.
Here at Chez Cleary, we were waiting/hoping for an attack from Alaphilippe. Not that the riders can it enjoy, but the scenery was first rate.

Crash, Dani Martinez. He would be back up and riding but had a lot of time to make up. Off the back due to a mechanical, Valverde. Both would make it back. As they neared the bonus point, there was the Alaphilippe attackHe would have company, Hirschi. Behind, Dumoulin down, but back up quickly. Next to jump, Adam Yates. He would take the 8 second bonus, followed by Alaphilippe with 5 seconds and Hirschi at 2. Four kilometers to go and they had twenty seconds over the peloton.
One kilometer and fifteen seconds. Was this expected? Yes. Is it really hard to actually do what is expected in these sorts of races? Yes.


The wine: Domaine de Terrebrune Bandol
From the importer: Reynald’s Bandols are different. There is a more ethereal quality to them, a real freshness—and with Mourvèdre accounting for 85% of the final assemblage, this is praise indeed. Soil, climate, and winemaking all play a role. Limestone dominates the subsoil of Bandol, with tremendous variation between vineyards. Throughout Terrebrune’s thirty hectares, beneath the layers of clay and earth, the blue, fissured, Trias limestone is silently at work. This bedrock lends a more noticeable minerality to the wine than others. The soil here is healthy and full of nutrients, because he adheres to organic farming practices; to achieve the balance in the vineyards, he plows regularly. Gentle maritime breezes funnel air into the vineyards directly from the Mediterranean, cooling the grapes from the bright sun—another factor in safeguarding the freshness. This, in turn translates to wines for great long-term cellaring, including the rosé and dry white. Reynald’s credo of “Philosophy, Rigor, and Respect” is not a catch-phrase. He believes that the hard work and extra attention to the vines is worth it, and, as they say, the proof’s in the pudding—a glass of Terrebrune!
Thanks DigWineSF!
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Saturday, August 29, 2020

Wine of Le Tour 2020 Stage 1

I assumed we were not doing this. From my perspective in a still basically sheltering in place San Francisco, I thought that after the postponement in July we would have a cancellation. So, I did no prep work. I researched no start or finish towns, stared at no maps and certainly prepared no regional recipes. I even ignored the wine! But then there was a last minute panic and here I am. Unprepared for class, but present. Let's see what the 2020 Tour has in store for us.

Oh, and yes, there are Covid 19 rules. One of the biggest being a two strikes and the team is out policy. More here, but essentially: whole teams will be excluded from the race if any two members of their riders or staff test positive for COVID-19 within the same seven-day period. On that note, with twenty two teams of eight riders each, there are 176 riders starting today. 

So here they are in Nice. I will share the Tour's regional specialities in the hopes that I may pull myself together enough to prepare some later in the route. Specialities: pissaladière, fougasse, socca, brissaouda, tapenade, salade niçoise, pan bagnat, porchetta, trulle, ratatouille, daube niçoise (stew), bellet (wine)

The race director describes today's route as: "A rather unfamiliar format perfect for a great popular show: three loops in the hinterland of Nice including one to be covered twice giving the spectators an opportunity to see the pack go by all along the day before possibly witnessing the first act of the great battle between the sprinters. A bunched sprint is indeed expected at the end of the long final straight on the Promenade des Anglais."


On the road, the expected breakaway, with the sprinters' teams behind making certain they do not get too much of a gap. The likely doomed breakaway riders are Schär, Gautier and Grellier. First crash of the Tour, as a light rain falls. Looks like everyone was up and back riding somewhat quickly.


At the first KOM point, Grellier takes it easily. At the start of loop two, another crash. First day nerves plus rain is a bad combination. With just under 100 kilometers to go, the gap to the three breakaway riders was around one minute. Another crash, this time on the descent. Two minutes behind the peloton, Sivakov, who was injured in an earlier crash. He's a very important support rider for Egan Bernal, last year's race winner. Issue for Alaphilippe and he would wait a long time for a new bike. Watching him try to make up time on the descent was scary, but he did make it back to the peloton.

Down again, Sivakov. He is having a very rough day. At the front, with 70 kilometers to go, the gap was 1:36. Another crash. And another. This is a bit of a mess. Down in one of the crashes, the stage favorite Caleb Ewan. Ahead, Grellier was picked up by the peloton, so only two riders remained ahead. 

Back on the descent, Astana sped up. Miguel Angel Lopez lost control of his bike and crashed, which really felt like karma. Eventually they declared a truce and the entire group slowed as they continued down. Thirty kilometers to go and they remained all together. Despite the slow down, another crash with George Bennett down.

Back on the flats and the pace was gradually lifting. As the train went by, yet again, it was time to think about sprint trains.


With twenty two kilometers to go, an attack by Benoît Cosnefroy. He would not get a significant gap. As expected, this was setting up for a bunch sprint. Thirteen kilometers to go and they were all together again. 

Important update: Upon request of may riders, the race direction and the commissaires' panel have decided to take the times for the general classification at the 3km to go mark in order to avoid danger in the finale. This means that although the sprinters will still contest the stage, the GC riders will be able to relax and not worry about gaps. Indeed, crash in the middle of the pack just at that point.

Stage winner: Kristoff!



The wine: I often start the Tour with bubbles, but see above for didn't do my homework and am unprepared. So we start with a rosé from Clos Sainte Magdeleine. From the importer, Kermit Lynch: "The ancient fishing village of Cassis has seen its fair share of visitors over the millennia. Greek sailors from Phocaea established the nearby colony of Massalia (modern-day Marseille) in the sixth century BC, bringing their viticultural savvy to the region and planting what are thought to be Provence's first vineyards. The Romans later made their way here, establishing Cassis as an important fishing and commercial port while further developing the wine trade. Local wines earned an excellent reputation over the centuries, especially a sweet Muscat said to be among the Mediterranean's finest. In 1865, phylloxera struck, effectively destroying Provence's vineyards; when Cassis was replanted in the subsequent years, Muscat was left out in favor of Ugni Blanc, Clairette, and other grapes selected for production of dry whites. In 1936, Cassis gained the distinction of being named among France’s first official AOCs, in the elite company of Tavel and Châteauneuf-du-Pape."

The wine itself is 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 20% Mourvèdre and fresh enough to cut through the smoke in the air. Thanks DigwineSF!.

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