Twenty years ago this summer, on a diabolically hot day in France’s Midi, I would stumble upon a ramshackle building south of Narbonne that had been repurposed as a winery/tasting room. Well, I think it was a winery, too, but I was only interested in the tasting part.

I had driven down from a dreadful place, essentially a failed amusement park in the middle of nowhere that Tour de France organizers had inexplicably deemed worthy of hosting a crucial individual time trial, with only one thing on my mind: a cooling breeze off the Mediterranean. And Narbonne Plage was only minutes ahead. But a  Dégustation sign with an arrow pointing off to the right turned my head. The beach could wait. A short detour was very much in order.

The place was called L’Hospitalet and the interior was, curiously, mostly decorated with rugby action photos. Lots and lots of them. Fortunately, the bloke behind the bar spoke perfect English — it turned out he was an Irishman — and had a ready explanation for me. The owner was both an aspiring winemaker and, it seemed, the former captain of the French national rugby team.

His name? Gérard Bertrand.

As a sports writer and a wine maven, although not yet an official wine journalist, that combination intrigued me. Better still, the wines I tried were excellent, something that, back in the day, wasn’t a certainty when one tasted in the Languedoc, which for much of the 20th-century had been known for mostly producing plonk.

At any rate, I vowed to return one day, especially after how wonderfully charming I found Narbonne Plage. For a day or two, I thought seriously about buying a condo there but quickly came to my senses. Did I really need to own a second property in France? Uh, no. So that was the last I thought of L’Hospitalet and its rugby-playing proprietor for a very long time.

Cut to February of 2019 and the weekend I retired from the Houston Chronicle. I was visiting another beach town, Miami Beach, attending a party at the Versace Mansion hosted by . . . Gérard Bertrand. There, I got to finally meet the man himself, and he was impressive in every way possible. Late in the evening, he even rapped with a band that he’d flown in from France. Yeah, rapped. Learning that my wife and I had a permanent residence in France, his team invited me to visit the Bertrand headquarters in the Languedoc for a full-scale tour and immersive experience.

So, on another brutally hot July afternoon in the South of France — as I sped through the Southern Rhone Valley, my Peugeot told me was 114 degrees outside — I again found myself heading for Narbonne Plage. But this time there was much fancier sign pointing toward a splendidly restored building that had been transformed into a luxury inn with a top-drawer restaurant.

“Merde,” I said. “That’s the same place. I’m back!”

And I’ll return again next week, leading a group of very nice people on a wine tour through Provence, the Southern Rhone and Bertrand’s neck of the woods in the Languedoc, where he has built a wine empire upon a foundation that his father Georges, one of the region’s most respected and forward-thinking grape-growers, laid decades ago.

Gérard worked his first harvest with his dad in 1975, when he was 10, and they spent a dozen good years together in vineyards when he wasn’t honing his world-class rugby skills. After his father died tragically in an accident in 1987, he made the decision to keep the family’s Villemajou estate and, five years later, he launched his own company, soon purchasing the Cigalus Estate, Château Laville Bertrou and the Aigle Estate. L’Hospitalet had become his in 2002, not long before my serendipitous visit.

Today, Château la Sauvageonne, Château la Soujeole, Clos d’Ora, Clos du Temple, Château les Karantes, Château Aigues-Vives, Cap Insula, Château des Deux Rocs, Château de Tarailhan and the Estagnère Estate are all his, too. His entry-level Cote des Roses wines and the Gris Blanc rose are widely available in Houston — Spec’s and Kroger are where I find them — and around France. I buy the same bottles in my town’s Casino supermarket.

The Clos du Temple may be the world’s most expensive rosé at $250. Bertrand’s flagship, the Clos d’Ora, a blend of syrah and carignan from very old vines and mourvedre and grenache from turn-of-the-21st-centry plantings in the hills of La Viviniere, sells for close to $300. Like the Clos du Temple, it’s worth every penny. But the wines mentioned in the previous paragraph go for under $15.

One day, every bottle with Bertrand’s name on it — and that’s a whole lot of bottles — will be biodynamic. He became a true believer in same after starting with Cigalus in 2002. He’s got three children. He’s determined to do what he can to keep the planet liveable for their kids and grandkids.

I’m delighted my crew is going to experience firsthand what I accidently stumbled upon years ago. And I’m delighted to be returning myself to again experience what Bertrand calls l’art de vivre. I do believe the man has figured that out. Did I mention that he also hosts a world-class jazz/pop festival at L’Hospitalet every July?

Anyway, I’ll be hyper-focused on my tour over the next couple of weeks — it begins Thursday in Aix-en-Provence before wrapping up in Nice June 4 — so I’ll be off the blogging grid until after I return to Houston in mid-June. However, I’ll be posting like a crazy person on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as we visit many of my favorite wineries, starting in the Var Friday at La Mascaronne, owned in part by the new Hall-of-Fame hoopster turned vigneron Tony Parker.

Unfortunately, Parker won’t be on-site today. I would have loved to quiz him about Victor Wembanyama, presumably the next great French hoopster who will surely come to torture the Rockets, too. Damn lottery!

Sippin’ with Sporty

Bubbles

Faiv Blancs de Blancs

From the winemaker: “Dry and fruit forward but has a definite acidity to cleanse the palate. Elegant and smooth. Pair with pasta with creamy or truffle sauces and fish.”

From me: It’s not everyday that you see Arneis bubbles. A friend who loves traveling to Northern Italy gifted me a bottle here in France and damned it wasn’t being sold in Houston at Tuttili, too. Wonderfully refreshing minerality and citrus notes in this Marchisio Family Organic Estate sparkler from Castellinaldo d’Alba, about 25 miles southeast of Turin.

$28 at Tuttili

Red

2019 Chateau Pas De Rauzan Bordeaux Supérieur

From the winemaker: “A pretty garnet colour, it’s dark and intense. Beautiful aromas of small red fruits on the nose. The expressive and supple palate is embellished with crunchy red fruits.”

From the Wine Enthusiast: “Packed with fruit, this is going to be a generous wine. Certainly its tannins are very present, but the weight of the ripe berry fruits will come to dominate. There is a juicy crisp aftertaste.”

From me: It’s a merlot-centric (70 percent) wine that’s truly a superior Bordeaux Superieur at a super price. The winery, with 80 hectares of vines, has been in the Fourestey family since 1890.

$11.57 at Spec’s

H-town Happenings

Il Palazzo wine dinner with co-owner Lorenzo Pitirra — 7 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at Roma. 713 664-7581.

Nine and Wine — National Wine Day: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at Riverhouse Houston. $30 http://eventbrite.com

Tolaini Tuscan Wine Dinner with Lia Tolaini-Banville: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165 plus tax and gratuity. https://www.rainbow-lodge.com/tolaini-wine-dinner

Woodlands Wine & Food Week: Monday, June 5, through Sunday, June 11. http://www.wineandfoodweek.com

The Sports Page

Pouring one out for . . . Jim Brown

Truth to tell, I hated him as a kid because of how he ran over, under, around and through my beloved Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL Championship Game, pounding out 114 yards in a 27-0 Browns romp, after which I stayed in a funk for a week. But he forever defined what a running back should be. Although the NFL season was only 12 games long for his first four years, he averaged 1,368 yards over his nine seasons and 104.3 per game. He led the NFL in rushing eight times and claimed three MVP trophies before walking away while still in his prime, which goes a long way toward explaining how he lived to the ripe old age of 87. After a second career as an action-movie hero — Remember the Dirty Dozen? — he became a vocal and widely respected advocate for social justice.

One of my sports-writing idols, Shirley Povich, composed one of the epic sentences in sports-writing history after Brown had shredded the still lily-white Washington Redskins in 1960: “Jim Brown, born ineligible to play for the Redskins, integrated their end zone three times yesterday.” Ironically, it would be Bobby Mitchell, Browns’ backup in Cleveland, who became Washington’s first Black player in 1962.

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts.   

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime reports on the catastrophic, “unprecedented” rains and flooding in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, which have forced tens of thousands to abandon their homes and killed at least nine people.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra shares her latest story for Galveston Monthly, featuring wines she tasted recently in Paso Robles.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger shares his thoughts on, and personal history with, Gary Gilstrap’s Texas Hills Vineyards, whose wines are made, he says, in a lean Italian style.”

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

The Drunken Cyclist and a group of Houston wine pros recently tasted 53 “true” American rosés, which is to say rosés made from grapes grown specifically for making pink wines. You’ll find their conclusions in two posts. He swears this is the largest such sampling in the whole USA.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat provides a rundown of Texas wine happenings in the merry month of May.

I spent some quality time last weekend one of my favorite expats, Wendy Heinicken Gobbi, who a good while ago traded in life in the American corporate world for a grand adventure in France. Today, Wendy and her husband Jean-Marc, reside near Aix-en-Provence, where he founded and still presides over the acclaimed International Bilingual School, with students from 75 countries. She used to work there, too, but it seems running a winery — the Gobbis bought St. Pierre de Mejans near Loumarin in the Luberon in 2021 — that’s also a luxury boutique hotel and, now, a popular wedding venue is a fulltime job in its own right.

“So Jean-Marc fired me,” Wendy jokes.

A second property near the 12th-century chateau (shown above) that houses all of the above has recently been added to their holdings, giving them another 10 rooms to let in the not-too-distant future. I should also mention that Jean-Marc bought Aix’s professional team handball club last year. Alas, this hasn’t been a great first season and he recently fired his coach, which is what sports team owners do, right?

I told Wendy she might be in line to take over as general manager, but she demurred, saying, “I think I have the right job” overseeing St. Pierre de Mejans, which is expanding its vineyards and wine offerings. Recent additions include two new sparklers, one made from only clairette and the other a mostly cinsault pink blend.

At the winery, all sell for under 18 euros a bottle. In Houston, you can buy the 2021 “1118” Cotes du Luberon white blend and rosé for $22 and the 2019 “Vielles Vignes” Rouge for $33 at http://aoc.selections.com. The “1118”? That’s said to be the year the original castle was completed.

Wendy, who grew up in Kingwood before attending the University of Texas, was briefly back in Houston recently, lunching at Tony’s with her importer, Douglas Skopp of Dionysus Imports, and dining at Ruggles Black with her extended family, some 15 folks total. Both chef-owners, Kate McLean and Bruce Molzan respectively, tasted her wines and hopefully will add them to their lists.

Far be it from me to nag, though.

Parlez-vous Bordeaux?

The Alliance Francaise and http://thetexaswineschool.com are partnering up again for a wine seminar/tasting, this one featuring wines from Bordeaux presented by my great friend and Master somm Guy Stout, who will present 10 of his favorites — two whites and a mix of Right and Left Bank reds — from the famed region in Southwest France from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23.

The price is $75. Don’t wait to register. The Wine School’s owner, Liz Palmer, has currently capped the class at 45 people. At our last tasting — I say “our” because I’m president of the Alliance’s board of directors — we had way more tasters show up than we expected. Suffice it to say we have refined the registration process. The address is 427 Lovett Blvd., two blocks east of Montrose.

Lots of wine (and food) in The Woodlands

The predictable expansive program for http://wineandfoodweek.com June 5-11 in The Woodlands will rock as usual, co-founder Constance McDerby promises, and be assured that Constance always delivers. This year’s theme is “Wine + Food = Art” with McDerby explaining: “Wine and food are like art because they express the culture, imagination and passion of the people who create them.”

In addition, Texas Monthly food writer Patricia Sharpe, whose tenure with the magazine spans almost five decades, will be a most deserving honoree. Tickets for all the fun stuff — there’s way too much to recount in detail here — can be purchased at the website.

Sippin’ with Sporty

White

2021 The Paring Sauvignon Blanc

From the winemaker: “Few Sauvignon Blanc wines this youthful can also boast this level of complexity. The nose is deliciously exotic, with lemon, melon and white peach soaring out of the glass. The wine’s laser beam of acidity refreshes and cleanses the palate, while its decadent texture demands another mouthwatering sip.

“From me: “What he said! Kudos to Matt Dees. This is the best sauvignon blanc I’ve tasted this year, and I’ve tasted a few.”

Red

2018 The Paring Red Blend

From the winemaker: “This Cabernet-inspired blend displays classic notes of cassis, tobacco and chocolate. Focused fruit and shapely tannins shine as hallmarks of what we’ve come to expect from the sandy soils and slightly cooler climate of the winery’s outstanding vineyard sites.

From Jeb Dunnuck: “It’s a medium to full-bodied, ripe, rounded, nicely concentrated blend with lots of ripe currant and blackberry fruits (plus) an herbal kick in its tobacco, earth, and ripe herb aromas and flavors. Ideal for drinking over the coming 5-7 years or more.”

From me: The Paring wines represent an intriguing counterpart to their better known siblings, JONATA and the Hilt, having been made with grapes primarily from vineyard blocks in Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley, Dees says, “that are either too young or don’t fit into the vintage style (of the aforementioned). The Paring is a cut of each estate. The Paring puts pedigree first, and then lets imagination take over.” Surprisingly given the neighborhood, it’s a Bordeaux-style blend with cabernet sauvignon making up 50 percent. Like the white, it’s a superb effort at this price point.

$25.99 at http://wine.com

H-town Happenings

Wagyu and Wine Night: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at R-C Ranch. $125. http://eventbrite.com

Wine Tasting Class — World of Whites: 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Crust Pizza Co. $5 http://eventbrite.com

Texas Wine Night: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18, at JMP Wines Tasting Room, Humble. http://eventbrite.com

Nine and Wine — National Wine Day: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at Riverhouse Houston. $30 http://eventbrite.com

Tolaini Tuscan Wine Dinner with Lia Tolaini-Banville: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165 plus tax and gratuity. https://www.rainbow-lodge.com/tolaini-wine-dinner

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. I’m hoping a new one will drop next week.   

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime has been on the road again — isn’t he always? — and raves about recent memorable meal at the famed Ballato’s on East Houston St. But he’ll be back in H-town for a Chianti Consorzio tasting he’s conducting Wednesday.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra shares her latest story for Galveston Monthly, featuring wines she tasted recently in Paso Robles. She gets around, too.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger focuses on the Bingham Family Vineyards Trebbiano, tasted on a visit to the winery in Hye.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff gives us the lowdown on the best samples (right, freebies) he has tasted through recently.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat provides a rundown of Texas wine happenings in the merry month of May.

As much as I love kicking back in the French Alps for a few months every year, it comes with a price, and no small measure of regret, because it means missing lots of cool wine folks passing through Houston. We’re a front-burner destination for pretty much everybody these days with so many brilliant sommeliers, first-rate restaurant wine lists and deep-pocketed collectors.

It was a group of the latter that brought Cyril and Blakesley Chappellet to our neck of the woods a few weeks ago and, fortunately, I was still in town to have lunch with them at Tony’s, which sells both the Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. That evening, they would host a dinner at Bludorn for their local wine club members, more of whom, they swear, live in our neighborhood than almost anywhere else. Further proof that we H-towners have exquisite taste.

After the confining horrors of COVID-19, the Chappellets, shown above of course, are making it a point to get out to see their people firsthand as frequently as possible. And they’ve got plenty to celebrate, having recently become the first American winery to be represented globally in Châine des Rôtisseurs restaurants. This is a very big deal, folks, and it’s much deserved. Just one man’s opinion here, but I believe their Pritchard Hill Cab is consistently America’s finest red wine, a grand cru in every sense.

And Pritchard Hill (replete with lavender fields, as seen above) represents the best-of-the-best mountain terroir. Consider the Chappellet’s neighbors up on those fabled slopes east of Oakville: Brand. Bryant Family. Colgin Cellars. Continuum. Dalla Valle. Ovid. That’s a seriously chichi/chin-chin neighborhood, although, ironically, it’s not an official AVA — nor will it likely ever be — because of Donn Chappellet. Cyril’s visionary late father, who bought his first vineyard property there in 1968, trademarked the Pritchard Hill name in 1971. Only Chappellet can use it on a bottle.

Were an AVA created, Donn once explained, “dozens of wineries could put Pritchard Hill on the label, and destroy the valuable name.”

Blakesley refers to their neck of the woods as “a lieu-dit,” which is how the French describe a unique geographic area. With 100-plus acres, consisting of 48 distinct blocks at 800 to 1,000 feet above sea level, the Chappellet’s have more land under vine than anyone else. Hence, they can make more wine than their “cult” brethren, which keeps their prices manageable for us non-gadzillionaire collectors.

The 2019 Signature Cabernet goes for an eminently reasonable 90 bucks at http://wine.com. OK, the same vintage of the Pritchard Hill Cab (shown above) is $300, but that still represents value given that all the major critics scored it from 94 to 99 points and a comparable bottle of Colgin, if it could be had, would sell for $700+.

The Chappellets are cutting-edge vintners in numerous ways. Aside from having one of the most visually stunning winery buildings — the Ed Moses-designed structure (pictured below) mirrors the shape of an ancient pyramid — they are now able to offset their entire PG&E bill by using solar power, and their their grapes have been all organically grown since 2012. The water used for irrigation is runoff from rainstorms, of which they have had plenty lately.

This is a good thing. Far and away the most striking bit of news Cyril revealed during our conversation was that he spends about 70 percent of his waking hours these days focusing on finding solutions to the monstrous fire issues Pritchard Hill and the rest of Napa and Sonoma now confront almost annually. He now has a full-time fire chief on his winery staff, and he owns his own fire truck. In August of 2020, when hundreds of lightning strikes during violent thunderstorms ignited out-of-control infernos across the Vacas, the Chappellets narrowly averted catastrophic damage.

“It’s the single important issue we’re facing,” he said. “Everything we’ve built could be gone in 24 hours.”

Considering how much they’ve built, and how much good they do at every level in California’s wine community, that’s a horrifying thought.

Breaking news

The new Sonoma Wine & Cheese in the Stomping Grounds complex on W. 34th St. in Garden Oaks opens to the public at 2 p.m. Tuesday. (Yep, I wish I could be there.) It again gives Farah Cauley three locations, joining the original on Richmond Ave. in the Upper Kirby District and the suburban destination in Katy. In effect, it replaces Cauley’s lovely spot on Studemont in the Heights that closed last summer.

The Stomping Grounds will be home to a variety of food- and beverage-centric businesses and also offers an 8,000-square-foot greensward where all manner of fun things will be taking place.

H-town Happenings

Central Coast and Paso Robles wine dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Atkins House. $85 http://eventbrite.com

Derby Wine Fest: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Brenner’s on the Bayou. $150. http://eventbrite.com

Central Coast and Paso Robles wine dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Atkins House. $85 http://eventbrite.com

Derby Wine Fest: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Brenner’s on the Bayou. $150. http://eventbrite.com

Mother’s Day Charcuterie Workshop and Wine Tasting: 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13, at JMP Wines Tasting Room, Humble. $75. http://eventbrite.com

Cesari Italian Wine Tasting: 4 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Memorial Wine Cellar. $50. http://eventbrite.com

Mother’s Day Rose Tasting: 1 p.m. Sunday, May 14, at We Olive & Wine Bar. $35. http://eventbrite.com

Wagyu and Wine Night: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at R-C Ranch. $125. http://eventbrite.com

Texas Wine Night: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18, at JMP Wines Tasting Room, Humble. http://eventbrite.com

Nine and Wine — National Wine Day: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at Riverhouse Houston. $30 http://eventbrite.com

Tolaini Tuscan Wine Dinner with Lia Tolaini-Banville: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165 plus tax and gratuity. https://www.rainbow-lodge.com/tolaini-wine-dinner

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . Nick Caserio

The Texans’ much-maligned general manager, previously best known for his mumbo-jumbo press conference non-answers, had himself one helluva draft, didn’t he? Only three picks into the first round, Casserio had already snared both a for-real quarterback in Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and a defensive game-changer in Will Anderson. Better still, Anderson played linebacker at Alabama, just like his new coach, DeMeco Ryans, did back in the day. Further, both were the second picks by the Texans in drafts with first-year head coaches (Anderson, though, went third to Ryans’ 33rd overall). Karma out the wazoo here.

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts   

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime gives us the lowdown on the Valpolicella tasting he’s hosting for the “Famiglie Storiche” association (Historic Families of Amarone) at the Hotel Za Za on Main St. Wednesday, May 3. Be there or be square. Being in France, I guess I’m stuck with square this time, dammit.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra shares the comprehensive piece she wrote about Italian pinot grigios for Galveston Monthly.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger touts Fall Creek Vineyards’ 2021 Lescalo Rosé, a low-alcohol (9.8 percent) springtime sipper.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff shares some bad news: ACORN, one of his favorite California wineries, is closing its doors, although owners Betsy and Bill Nachbaur will continue to farm their Alegria Vineyard with its 111 different varietals.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat extolls the virtues of the excellent primitivos from Manduria, in Italy’s Puglia region.

The one “problem” with having a home in the Southern Alps is that, once I’m here, I don’t much want to venture far afield. This spring, however, presented us with a dilemma, and, in the end, an opportunity. We always lease a new Peugeot through a wonderful outfit called Auto France, but there were no cars available for pickup before April 15 and we already had our tickets for an April 11 departure. At first, Paris was going to be our stopover, but the ongoing chaos there over President Macron’s determined efforts to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 — I know, zoot alors! — made that detour unappealing.

It didn’t take long to choose an alternative. Champagne, less than two hours to the northeast. Bien sur!

My only previous visits to bubbles country had been during my Tour de France slogs, which left little time for tasting, never mind actually exploring. I considered this a huge hole in my resume. But, although I was way past due for making a real pilgrimage, I didn’t want to visit any of the big champagne houses. I know their wines. I respect their wines. But there was no reason to taste them in France when I can easily taste them in Houston. I also wanted to avoid Reims and it’s big-city traffic snarls, so we instead randomly chose three relatively-off-the-beaten-path family-owned producers:

• Sabine Godmé in Verzenay just across the road from the landmark Phare lighthouse (pictured above)
• Guy Charbaut in Mareuil-sur-Ay, a stone’s throw from the Billecart-Salmon headquarters
• Marion-Bosser in Hautvillers, only a short walk from the abbey where the 17th-century monk Dom Perignon made his name as the spiritual father of Champagne, and also where he’s buried.  

All were excellent in their own ways. Unfortunately, availability for each in Houston seems to be an issue. You’ll see a Hugh Godmé champagne on Shawn Virene’s extensive list at a’Bouzy, but Hugh is Sabine’s brother. Some years ago they divided the 11-hectare grand cru Godmé property on the Montagne de Reims and agreed to disagree, going their separate ways.

A striking common thread among the three multi-generational houses is that each has a new-generation winemaker taking over, determined to reinvent their respective wheels. At Sabine Godmé, son Matthieu is doing is doing his own thing — and replacing his mom’s name with his on the label. His dad, Jean Marie Guillaume (pictured below), said with a chuckle, admitting that, to truly pass the torch, “You have to kill the father.” Or mother, in this case. In three years, the business will be Matthieu’s alone to run. Sabine and Jean Marie are contemplating resettling in Brittany.

At Marion-Bosser, Elodie Marion becomes the fourth woman in her family to call the shots, while Hélène Charbaut has launched her own distinct lineup of wines at Charbaut. Interestingly, the three young vignerons have all put aging in neutral wood barrels front and center in their respective wine-making strategies, something that was once largely unheard-of in their neck of the woods.

What I’d forgotten about the region’s terroir is how stunningly beautiful it is, from the vineyard-covered slopes of the Montagne de Reims south to the visually similar and no less striking chardonnay country in the Côtes de Blancs with bustling yet still charming Épernay in the middle, hard by the Marne River. There, of course, you’ll find the châteaux-lined Avenue de Champagne, a street dating from the 18th century that’s so remarkable it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. Underneath the pavement? Some 60 miles of champagne-filled caves dug through the limestone that defines the flavors of these wines.

Having barely scratched the surface, we will surely return soon . . . But probably not in mid-April. The weather was, in a word, miserable, equal parts cold and wet. No matter. Those wonderfully therapeutic tiny bubbles proved the perfect antidote.

Cheers!

H-town happenings

Black Wine: 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at Agora Haus. Free. http://eventbrite.com

Central Coast and Paso Robles wine dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Atkins House. $85 http://eventbrite.com

Derby Wine Fest: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Brenner’s on the Bayou. $150. http://eventbrite.com

Mother’s Day Charcuterie Workshop & Wine Tasting: JMP Wines Tasting Room, Humble. $75. http://eventbrite.com

Wagyu and Wine Night: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at R-C Ranch. $125. http://eventbrite.com

Tolaini Tuscan Wine Dinner with Lia Tolaini-Banville: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165 plus tax and gratuity. https://www.rainbow-lodge.com/tolaini-wine-dinner

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy  

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime speaks of rekindling an old love affair on his recent trip to Italy. It’s a restaurant, though, the Dispensa Pani e Vini in the heart of Franciacorta country.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra shares the comprehensive piece she wrote about Italian pinot grigios for Galveston Monthly.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger touts the 2021 Airis’Ele Vineyards Redlin Dry Rosé made from a blend of Farmhouse Vineyards Texas High Plains red grapes.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff reviews wines he has tasted of late and gives a particularly loud shout-out to a bottle of the 2010 Skewis Pinot Noir Lingenfelder from the Russian River Valley.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat tells us everything we need to know about what’s happening in the world of Texas wine in April.

Assuming the tennis at River Oaks ever gets done, and the weather sure isn’t cooperating, I’m heading back to France for a couple months come Tuesday. It’s going to be a great stay punctuated with a nine-day wine tour through the (hopefully) sunny south that I’m helping lead with my friend Pablo Valqui. But I do very much regret not being here to cover The Chevron Championship at Carlton Woods April 19-23 — formerly the Dinah Shore, it’s one of the five majors on the LPGA Tour — and I’m going to miss by a single day the opening of a hip new wine outpost, Padre’s, in the Heights.

At least William Farley’s stylish “bottle shop by day and a “speakeasy” by night,” which goes live next Wednesday at 3522 White Oak, will still be here when I return, whereas the lady golfers will be long gone. Padre’s represents a major life course correction for the Louisiana-born, Houston-reared Farley, who, in 2019, quit his day job in oil and gas to travel to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, where he threw himself into the fascinating world of wine. Bottles from those countries will be front-and-center in the Padre’s portfolio, although France and Italy will be well-represented, too.

There’s a membership component, too. Monthly is $75, good for three wines and five-percent off bar purchases. Quarterly costs $300, but you get 12 wines — delivered free on the last Monday of each quarter — plus the five-percent discount in house.

As for the name, Farley explains, “It honors my father, who friends, family and strangers alike endearingly referred to as ‘Padre.’ Padre’s Wine is an effort to not only share and teach about good wine but to create a space in the Heights for people to come together as a community, enjoy good wine, taste new things, kick back and relax.”

Farley hired Nick Nguyen, a 20-year veteran of the Houston hospitality scene, to serve as his manager, sommelier and restaurant operations specialist. You’ll recognize Nguyen if you frequented Musaafer, Riel, Kata Robata and most recently Da Gama, his previous postings. It seems the two of them (shown above) first met, then bonded, over indoor bouldering. Well, why not?

“William’s vision and passion for wine aligns with mine,” Nguyen said. “We can talk for hours about anything while enjoying it over a glass of wine. That’s what we want for our guests at Padre’s. We want to make sure that attention to detail is never missed, from stylish furniture to the smell of the trees and the sound of the music to soothe your inner soul.”

Best of luck and cheers, guys! As for me and my inner soul, we can’t wait to drop by this summer.  

Sippin’ with Sporty

BUBBLES

Chandon Garden Spritz

From the winemaker: “It’s a blend of an exceptional sparkling wine and a unique bitters recipe crafted with locally sourced fresh oranges macerated with dry orange peels, herbs and spices carefully selected from the finest terroirs in the world. We bring nature to the world of spritz. No artificial flavors and no artificial colorants are used at any stage in its production.”

From me: One fellow reviewer nailed this spot-on spring/summer aperitif perfectly, describing it as being “an orange version of a kir royale where the fruit flavor is provided by a thick rich liqueur instead of fruit juice.” In fact, no actual fruit juice from the Valencia oranges goes into the wine. I wasn’t expecting all that much when I saw the bottle, to be honest, but I’m all in now. While it’s super easy to drink, it’s got plenty of nuance, too, with a very pleasing price.

$18.99 at Total Wine

WHITES

2021 C.L. Butaud Blanc de Noir

From the winemaker: “Blanc de noir is a white wine made from a red grape, a technique you see all the time with pinot noir and pinot meunier in Champagne, where base wines are blended in the creation of a single wine. It is more unusual to make it as a still wine. Here red grapes are gently pressed just until very clear, pale juices run out of the fruit. Since the skin doesn’t imprint any color or tannin, the wine expresses the aromatics of the grape, allowing the brightest, purest expression to come through. This is what makes it interesting to me: it’s a different way to explore the taste of a grape.”

From The Terroirist, Isaac James Baker, who scored it a 90: “The aromas pop with tons of flowers and dandelion, along with crunchy white cherries and red apple peel, and there are also these cool tobacco, mint, and sliced cucumber elements. The palate sports crunchy acidity on a medium-bodied, steely frame. Flavors of white cherries and tart green apple mix well with notes of white pepper, basil, and dandelion flowers.”

From me: A half-and-half blend of grenache and mourvedre, it’s a wine that I think, in many ways defines Randy Hester, who, by the way, grew up in Houston. In short, he’s always looking for ways to think outside the box. Note that Hester suggests we don’t try to over-analyze the flavors (Baker, it seems, had other ideas) but rather just kick back and enjoy it. I’m with you, Randy.

$48 at http://clbutaud.com

2021 The Paring Sauvignon Blanc

From the winemaker: “Defined by powerful fruit and balanced by mouthwatering freshness; an exotic, decadently textured and electrically framed bottle of sauvignon blanc. The nose is deliciously exotic, with lemon, melon and white peach soaring out of the glass. The wine’s laser beam of acidity refreshes and cleanses the palate, while its decadent texture demands another sip.”

From me: My wife is the family’s most savvy sav blanc taster and she absolutely loved it. I did, too. Winemaker Matt Dees aged the wine for 10 months in a combination of new and neutral French oak as well stainless steel, then bottled it unfined and unfiltered. A marvelous effort for under 25 bucks.

$23.99 at http://wine.com

RED

2020 Juggernaut Hillside California Cabernet Sauvignon

From the winemaker: “Dense and velvety with vanilla and ripe black currants. French oak beautifully transforms intense hillside fruit into a wine with uncommon richness and smooth, luxurious texture. Juggernaut Hillside Cabernet is a wine that is fierce, brave, and delicious.”

From Wilfred Wong of wine.com, who scored it an 8.9: “The wine is a medium red with satisfying textures on the palate. It shows aromas and flavors of savory spices, dried earthy notes, and light berries.” 

From me: I’ve long been partial to cabs made from hillside vineyards so this one checks that box bigtime. Exactly which hillsides are in play doesn’t get explained anywhere that I can find, but, even if the fruit isn’t sourced come from the highest-rent districts, it’s plenty satisfying, certainly at this price point.

$18.99 at http://wine.com

2019 Relevant Cabernet Sauvignon Crown Point

From the winemaker: “An inspiring introduction to Crown Point, it aptly mirrors the attributes of the 2019 vintage with dark fruit, balanced, smooth structure, trademark Mediterranean spice and finishing with length and tension. The after-palate is tremendously pleasurable, bringing notes of violets and rhubarb.”

From the Wine Advocate, which scored it a 95: “Deep ruby, it features pure aromas of cassis, grilled meats, warm chocolate, dried herbs, roasted peppers and hints of violet. The medium-bodied palate is powdery and fresh, striking a balance between ripe blackcurrant fruit, classy new oak spices and alluring herbal streaks. It’s a balanced, drinkable style of Cabernet that’s a pleasure to drink! Best after 2022.

From me: Truth to tell, I got a crazy good deal through a buddy on this wine made from grapes grown in an aptly named corner of Santa Barbara County called Happy Canyon, but it offers bigtime value even at the price below, having spent 20 months in French oak, including some new barrels. I know what you’re thinking, though: Cab from Santa Barbara? Wut? Well, apparently the microclimate is perfect for the varietal with the narrowness of the valley concentrating heat and keeping that cold damp wind off the Pacific away from the vines.

$89.99 at http://wine.com

H-town happenings

SERCA Wines Tasting: 4 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at the SERCA Tasting Room in the Heights. $15. http://eventbrite.com

Three-Course wine tasting: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at Roma. Free. 713 664-7581. http://romahouston.com

National Malbec Day Tasting Celebration: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at SERCA Wines tasting room. $72 (Club members $60) http://eventbrite.com

Katy Sip N Stroll: Saturday, April 15, at The Ballard House. http://sipandstroll.com

Vin de Table: Noon, Sunday, April 16, at 1412 W. Main. $70. http://eventbrite.com

JMP Wine Night — Truly Greek, Truly Unique: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20. $75. JMP Tasting Room in Humble. http://eventbrite.com

Black Wine: 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at Agora Haus. Free. http://eventbrite.com

Central Coast and Paso Robles wine dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Atkins House. $85 http://eventbrite.com

Derby Wine Fest: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Brenner’s on the Bayou. $150. http://eventbrite.com

Mother’s Day Charcuterie Workshop & Wine Tasting: JMP Wines Tasting Room, Humble. $75. http://eventbrite.com

Wagyu and Wine Night: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at R-C Ranch. $125. http://eventbrite.com

Follow me

Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy  

Instagram: http://@sportywineguy

Twitter: @sportywineguy

Facebook: Dale Robertson

Others to follow

Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)

My podcast partner in crime, shown above, speaks of pairing matzah with wine, both of which will, of course, be served for this year’s Passover Seder.

Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)

Sandra shares the comprehensive piece she wrote about Italian pinot grigios for Galveston Monthly.

Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)

The Texas Wineslinger announces his next Level 1 Zoom class in May for those interested in becoming certified Texas wine experts.

Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)

Jeff offers a visual tour of his current Napa-Sonoma tour, where he’s catching up with old friends and sampling as much wine as possible. A full tasting report, no doubt, will follow.

Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)

Kat tells us everything we need to know about what’s happening in the world of Texas wine in April.