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Maison Angelot Bugey

Bugey is a small region located about midway between Lyon, France and Geneva, Switzerland. The vineyards are located in the Ain département and occupy two areas on the lower slopes of the Jura mountains. The region has VDQS status (Vin Délimité de Qualité Superiéure), normally considered better than Vin de Pays but without the track record, marketing savvy or consistency of an Appellation d'Origine Controlée (AOC).

History

Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was born in 1755 in Belley, just down the hill from the Maison Angelot in Marignieu. Among the first to write seriously about eating and the art of the table, he became famous for his amusing remarks about dining like,"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." Or "Dinner without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye." He once wrote"The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star." And, if that's not enough,"Those persons who suffer from indigestion, or who become drunk, are utterly ignorant of the true principles or eating and drinking." His landmark book, Physiologie du Gout, was published a couple of months before his death in 1826, discusses in great detail the pleasures of the table, never forgetting that the simplest meal, as long as it was made with artistry,should be entirely satisfying. In recognition of his accomplishments, a cheese, an omelet, a salmon dish, a garnish and a consommé all bear his name.

Monsieur Brillat-Savarin and his most famous work

"I was in the drawing room, enjoying my dinner," said Brillat-Savarin one night.

"Eating dinner in a drawing room?" interupted his friend.

The great gastronome paused momentarily and regarded his friend with equal curiosity. "I must beg you to observe that I did not say I was eating my dinner," he smiled, "but enjoying it. I dined an hour ago."

Bugey landscape

The Grapes

The region is a natural geographical crossroads, and the grape varieties planted here reflect this, juxtaposing the grapes of Jura, Savoie and Burgundy. Bugey uses a large variety of grapes to make a wide variety of wines, including sparkling wines and still wines. The white grapes Aligoté, Chardonnay, Rousette, Altesse, Molette and Jacquère are planted around the town. For reds, Mondeuse, Poulsard, Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes come from some of the property's oldest vines.

Angelot vines

Maison Angelot

Maison Angelot is run by the brothers Eric and Philippe Angelot. Their 57 acres of vineyards are divided into about 20 different parcels, some hillside and others along the valley floor. Harvest is both manual and with machine (depending on the parcel), and their modern winery houses temperature-controlled stainless-steel and fiberglass tanks.

Philippe Angelot pulls some Gamay from tank

Vinification

Harvest takes place at the end of September. Yields for the Gamay average about 60-65 hl/ha (four tons an acre), while the vines themselves are 20-25 years old. The juice is converted into wine through carbonic maceration in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks over the course of a short six days, with the caps are punched down twice a day. If necessary, a light chaptilization (1% maximum) is employed. The wine is perhaps slightly lighter than that of Beaujolais, yet with a bit more spice on the finish.

Gamay: Totally slurpable. Not tremendously complex or deep, but simply delicious. Replete with spicy red fruit and with low acid and tannin, this wine is downright fun! The type of wine to open without thought, during a wide variety of occasions and with many types of simple, comfort food (hey, don't most of us eat like that every night?) Gulp it by the bottle, gulp it by the case!

Mondeuse (100% destemmed fruit,100% carbonic maceration that lasts 10 days):Deep ruby color, aromas of black cherry, licorice and pepper. A bit deeper than the Gamay, and with a touch more tannin. An excellent match for Tomme and Comté cheeses.