Wine and Rocks: Jo Landron Pops In for a Tasting
Jo Landron, the wine-maker himself examines a stone from his vineyard
Jo Landron, the wine-maker himself examines a stone from his vineyard
Just before opening, Maude’s team had the pleasure of participating in an intimate wine-tasting with the distinguished and amiable winemaker, Jo Landron of the Domaine de la Louvetrie in France. Visiting from his roughly 90 acre estate in the Loire Valley, Jo Landron guided a tasting of three of his 2009 Muscadet wines, (Amphibolite, Fief du Breil and Domaine de la Louvetier) and charmed everyone with his knowledge, and the obvious pleasure he derives in sharing his wines. He even brought two stones that compose the soil on his French property and passed them around to illustrate the impact of the indigenous soils on the wines.
Jo looks on as importer and distributor, Damien pours
Rubin examines the Orthogneiss stone
At the tasting
Rubin examines the Orthogneiss stone
At the tasting
In 1990, Jo assumed the family’s wine-making business from his father who purchased the domaine at the end of the WWII. Jo invested his energies in the terroir, acquainting himself with the earthy amphibolite, the sandstone from Hermine D’or and the orthogneiss among others that nourish his vines, grapes and ultimately, wine. Furthering his proximity and investment in the terroir, Jo took the vineyards from traditional growing methods, to not only certified organic, but, to bio-dynamic certified viticulture. Roughly bio-dynamic means that Jo creates a balanced, self-sustaining eco-system, where all parts of the grape growing from the totally natural fertilization of the soils to the plowing of the fields, and the methods of harvesting grapes (by hand) is a completely natural, organic and recycled process.
The Amphibolite Nature 2009
Aromas from the glass
A graphic print from the vineyard highlighting Jo's grand mustache and grin
Fief de Breil (one of the 3 Muscadet's sampeled) vineyard. Image courtesy of Damien Casten http://www.candidwines.com
Aromas from the glass
A graphic print from the vineyard highlighting Jo's grand mustache and grin
Fief de Breil (one of the 3 Muscadet's sampeled) vineyard. Image courtesy of Damien Casten http://www.candidwines.com
Vines that are part of the "Domaine" wine. Image courtesy of Damien Casten http://www.candidwines.com
The upstairs bar before opening
Stacked black tile against white plates creates shadowy contrasts
Abbie and Cameron on the line
Christy measures out simple syrup
The upstairs bar before opening
Stacked black tile against white plates creates shadowy contrasts
Abbie and Cameron on the line
Christy measures out simple syrup
As a result, the wines have panache; and the Amphibolite Nature 2009 rings with tastes of green and red apple, lemon rind, and white flower, and then add on a little oyster shell and sage for a smart finish. The Amphibolite Nature has a great minerality with wet stone, limestone, and riverbed pebbles coursing throughout. Its medium body and light alcohol content make it a perfect pairing with the raw bar and allows the freshness and flavors of the raw bar items to shine.
Warm comfort— the cassoulet
à table
Later in the evening the bar sparkles with life
Bottles and taps
The omnipresent, golden pig skull sits in the curio
A up-close look into the escargot dish
Warm comfort— the cassoulet
à table
Later in the evening the bar sparkles with life
Bottles and taps
The omnipresent, golden pig skull sits in the curio
A up-close look into the escargot dish
Stay tuned for more on Jo and his beautiful wines. And stop by Maude’s for a glass of Jo’s Amphibolite Nature.
A triple-tall raw tower inspires a standing glance
Dusty peers around to the line from the raw bar station
Waiting for the rest of the party
Cozy upstairs
Amy offers menu suggestions
The shaved vegetable salad topped with a bit of bleu
Slicing potatoes for the chips (see next image)
Lightly fried to crinkly perfection
Amber, back-lit beers make their way to tables
Jeff prepping
Enjoying the long farmer's table upstairs
Sourdough
Thank for hosting Jo and I, and for all the good questions. It is a pleasure to introduce the staff to one of the people growing the wines they sell. For more from Jo, and specifically on his wines, check out the video we made about freshness and acidity in Muscadet.