The Wine Importer

Henri Goyard of Domaine de Roally is Retired

That's it. No more Goyard Mâcon!

The estate has been sold to Florent Thevenet, son of Jean Thevenet, who has done the vineyard work this year and who will be making wine for the first time for the 2001 vintage.

We visited Goyard on Friday and tasted the delicious 2000 vintage that will be available in the fall. Henri also opened a 1991 which was one of the most grandiose bottles of White Burgundy I have tasted in my lifetime.

Henri Goyard's wines have given me great pleasure over the years. Yes, I have had a commercial relationship with him and yes, my home at the Dressner Family Compound is close by Viré. But I think Henri Goyard has touched many people out there and that his wines will be sorely missed. No matter how well Florent Thevenet does in the future.

So, send him a note of appreciation. Tell Henri Goyard how much his life's work in his tiny estate of 3.5 hectares has meant for you. Goyard does not read English but a translator can always be found.

Goyard is not connected to the internet but can be reached at:

M. Henri Goyard
Domaine de Roally
Le Buc
71260 Viré
France

M. Goyard has kept a few rows of wines for himself and at most will be making 1000 bottles a year in the future. To avoid trouble with the INAO, and to be free to do whatever he wishes, Goyard will label this wine as Table Wine. The name will probably be something like "Le Jardin d'Henri Goyard." It will no longer be Domaine de Roally as Florent Thevenet has bought the trademark.

I put myself on the mailing list on Friday for 60 bottles a year. I'll be happy with whatever I get.

All Burgundy Talking about Burghound!

It gets boring always talking about Robert Parker/Pierre Rovani. Everyone in Burgundy -- from grower to négociant to agent to wine lover -- is taking about Burghound's new Burgundy on-line newsletter. OK, it is expensive. But the man is turning Côte d'Or upside down. Topsy-turvy. I'm subscribing....how about you?

Just click on the this link: Allen Meadow's (aka Burghound) Burgundy Wine Site.

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New Restaurant Wine Category -- En Vieillissement!

I had a Wine Industry Power Dinner last night in Beaune at a restaurant named Les Tontons. Joining me were wine importer Denyse Louis, New York City wine distributor Douglas Polaner, New York City wine retailer JR Battipaglia and international wine bon vivant Mike Wheeler.

The restaurant came highly recommended by Alex Gambal, an American turned Burgundy négociant, who is featured in the current issue of The Wine Spectator. Alex's web site says the following about Les Tontons Restaurant:

Small hole in the wall, great lunch or dinner spot. Food very good made to order. Wine list good and reasonable, ask for the special list. Not expensive. Richard the chef is self taught and each time I return the food is better. Richard's wife is a wonderfully warm person, a real trip...one of my favorites...use my name.

Frankly, the food was excellent. The 185 Franc menu (about $25.00 with the dollar being at an inflated price) was as good as any meal I can find in New York's glamorous restaurant trade. Over the past several days we have dined at many of Alex Gambal's favorite restaurants, all cited on his web site, each time telling the owner that Alex Gambal had recommened the establishment.

To our surprise, mentioning Alex Gambal's name is the key to receiving gracious service throughout the Côte d'Or and although none of us have ever bought or drank Alex Gambal's wines (although I admit to having met him years ago when he attempted a hostile takeover of Becky Wasserman's firm) we were very grateful for Alex Gambal's compelling recommendations on his web site.

For better or worse, we decided on our last night together to not mention Alex Gambal's name, even though we were taking his advise and dining at Les Tontons. Imagine my excitement when I noticed that Les Tontons had wines from the Clos Rougeard on the wine list. We had arrived after spending a day tasting 90 red and white Burgundies (dutifully tallied by Mike Wheeler) and we immediately ordered the mythic 1996 Clos Rougeard Brézés White and the 1995 Clos Rougeard Le Bourg Rouge. The only embarrassment for me was the price on the wine list was lower than the price I had sold the wines to Doug Polaner, but he was sympathetic to my explanation of the need to maintain the Clos Rougeard wines as luxury items (see below).

Anyhow, the waiter informed us that the wines were in the cellar but not available for purchase as they were "En Vieillissement." This means, loosely translated, they were being aged. In fact, he informed us, he and his colleagues had tasted the Brézé just a month ago and it was nowhere near ready for drinking. Ditto for the Bourg.

The four of us stuck to our resolve and did not mention the magic words: Alex Gambal. Instead, we drank even more Grand Cru Burgundies that were fundamentally unsatisfactory and mundane.

Next time in Beaune, follow Alex Gambal's advise and , most importantly, mention Alex Gambal's name to every native you come across.

Should Louis/Dressner Selections Raise Prices?

I have come under attack, within the wine trade, for having low prices. Apparently, we are supposed to maximize profits and position our wines as luxury items. My failure to do so, I'm told, relegates the wines we sell in America to a second-class, non-luxurious, status.

I ask you, dear readers, should we raise our prices 20% to be in-line with industry pricing structures? Bear in mind, that 20% higher from us will mean a significant price rise for the consumer. For instance, a 20% hike from on us on a $10.00 wine (leaving the cellar of some hapless vigneron who does not understand the luxury good market in America) will mean a $5.00 dollar difference to the consumer eager to buy luxury wine goods. We are only the first link on the import chain and by the time the luxury wine filters to the public there will be a distributor's and a retailer's margin. They, of course, are now being tempted to raise their prices in order to share the enormous profit-taking possibilities of positioning the $10.00 bottle in the luxury good category.

What to do?

Please send me e-mail with your advise.

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