A&B Vintners RAY WALKER

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Daniella Goodman
5 years ago
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A&B Vintners Maison IIan s Remarkable 2009 Red

Brenchley Kent TN12 7AS UK Tel 01892 724977 Fax

1 A&B Vintners Maison IIan s Remarkable 2009 Red Burgundies I m a skinny kid from Berkeley who d never been to France; my wife thought I was drunk. RAY WALKER A&B Vintners Little Tawsden Spout Lane Brenchley Kent TN12 7AS UK Tel Fax info@abvintners.co.uk

Two years ago, Ray Walker (now aged 29) announced to his pregnant wife that he was leaving a promising career at Merrill Lynch, to follow a dream to rival Romanée-Conti.

His obsession had started on holiday in Italy, 2004, where his wife finally convinced him to drink wine with his food, because it was free.

2 Two years ago, Ray Walker (now aged 29) announced to his pregnant wife that he was leaving a promising career at Merrill Lynch, to follow a dream to rival Romanée-Conti. Well, she was pretty vulnerable at 3 months, so it felt the right time to ask! His obsession had started on holiday in Italy, 2004, where his wife finally convinced him to drink wine with his food, because it was free. The wines we had there added so much to the dining experience, I was completely drawn in. Returning home, his interest became a fixation; Libraries, internet searches, podcasts you name it, I searched for information on wine. Which brought me to the history of vinification, which led me to French wine history, which led me to Bordeaux. Hmm, Bordeaux. He completely failed (indeed, still fails) to understand his colleagues desire for the wines from the region. Then, by accident, Ray attended a Burgundy tasting in San Francisco and tasted a glass of 1999 Chambolle-Musigny, the details of which he cannot recall; I just remember putting my nose into the glass and just smelling these red fruits, bright cherries, minerals, so much more beautiful than anything I had smelt before in a wine. This can t be wine, who can get drunk off this? It had more richness, more depth to it. There it was, a singular product created by man from nature that remained natural. How the hell do they do that? I fell in love immediately. And that s when the dream began...

Smitten by Pinot Noir and Burgundy in particular, Ray quit his job, attended a few viticulture courses at Napa Valley College, and then moved his supportive young family to Sonoma.

Many would have been satisfied with a winemaking career in California, but Ray felt that personal emotional pull to Burgundy, to Pinot Noir s Holy Land.

3 Smitten by Pinot Noir and Burgundy in particular, Ray quit his job, attended a few viticulture courses at Napa Valley College, and then moved his supportive young family to Sonoma. With scant knowledge of winemaking, he was mentored there by Ed Kurtzman at Freeman Winery, although he also fired lots of dumb questions at many other top (and tolerant) Californian winemakers. Many would have been satisfied with a winemaking career in California, but Ray felt that personal emotional pull to Burgundy, to Pinot Noir s Holy Land. If I was going to do it, I had to go the full way. He immersed himself in the French language, the culture, the history and vinification methods, and made plans to develop his micro-négociant, Maison Ilan, named after his daughter, Isabella Ilan. Setting foot in France with his own funds, Ray s initial aim was to make affordable village Pinot. Sourcing the quality of fruit he desired proved problematic. He consulted with the likes of Alex Gambal and David Clark, both expatriate Burgundy winemakers, however a completely chance meeting landed him 2009 grapes beyond even Ray Walker s wildest dreams; he eventually oversaw the magnificent harvesting of 3 barrels Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots, 6 barrels from Charmes- Chambertin Aux Charmes and 2 barrels from Le Chambertin. Not bad for his first vintage! The drive and ambition here reminds me of Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey in his first vintage; that best of best approach, the minuscule handmade quantities (just c.11 barrels, c. 275 cases in total), and the desire for each individual terroir to shout entirely for itself. The story is an intoxicating one, but Ray has absolutely no desire to make his own imprint on the wines. To that aim, every wine is made in exactly the same fashion; 100% de-stemmed, limited pigeage (by size 14 feet!), native yeasts, minimal new oak (zero new oak in 2010), matching barrels (all Chassin) filled by gravity, no fining or filtering, and so the exacting attention to detail goes on. Ray Walker may have had wild aspirations, but he is Really, it is all just a crazy journey, blind (read: foolish) confidence and all. I had no idea where it would take my family. RAY WALKER fiercely bright and determined, with an extraordinary ability to question and learn quickly, like no other vigneron I ve ever met before. The ensuing 2009s are amazingly pure and intense, en finesse. For an inaugural year, admittedly a terrific vintage, they are quite simply an outstanding achievement and we cannot recommend them highly enough. An early peep at his 2010s (the same sources, plus an additional two cuvées, Gevrey Corbeaux and Morey Monts Luisants) confirms the heady excitement. Obviously with such a discovery, interest is very high and reviews are bound to follow. Through common sense, intuition and careful analysis, Ray Walker has started to turn his dream into reality. However, this is just the beginning; as the man himself candidly says there is still lots and lots and lots to be done. There is certainly no victory lap anywhere in sight. Check in 25+ years from now.

4 2009 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots in bond case (6 bottles) Just 3 barrels produced, circa 900 bottles. Situated at 300m, just above Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru and next to Clos de la Roche and Monts Luisants this little-known and tiny appellation is one of the most highly rated 1er Crus by the Morey St Denis cognoscenti. A steep limestone rocky slope, preferred in the lower sector, which is where Ray s 25 year old fruit originated and was harvested on the 14th September The height gives a marginally cooler climate generally offering higher-toned Pinot flavours with lovely acidity (hitherto this was white wine terrain). This has rich aromas, hints of earth and cassis that complement pure-fruited, precise flavors on the palate, with a driving mineral-infused finish. Near perfect balance and excellent harmony, a memorable start to the Ilan range plus Charmes-Chambertin Aux Charmes, Vieilles Vignes, Grand Cru in bond case (6 bottles) Just 6 barrels produced, circa 1800 bottles. Sourced all from within the prized and thin-soiled Aux Charmes sector, circa 15 feet away from Le Chambertin. There is a massive quality difference between here and Mazoyères, close to the RN74 road, which can also be labelled as Charmes. We are talking almost the same contour level as le Chambertin, and Ray talks with great excitement and energy about the quality of his old vine fruit; a startling amount of millerandage, that mix of tiny and regular sized berries, which offer more nuance to the wine, something more interesting. Certainly the Charmes here tasted way beyond any other Charmes we tasted in this 2009 vintage; although the ripest wine of the Ilan range, there s no suggestion over-maturity or over-ripeness here. Elegant red Pinot fruit edged by an enchanting scent of spice and smoke, in perfect keeping with the pure, layered and gorgeously textured bigger-bodied flavours. All this culminates in a velvety and mouth coating finish. Textbook, classy Charmes from the finest sector, this should enjoy a long and happy evolution info@abvintners.co.uk

2009 Le Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes, Grand Cru 825.00 in bond case (6 bottles) Just 2 barrels produced, circa 600 bottles. Le Chambertin (12.

The vineyard is situated due East with a very gradual slope, receiving cool breezes and protection by the woodland at the top, Combe Grisard.

5 2009 Le Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes, Grand Cru in bond case (6 bottles) Just 2 barrels produced, circa 600 bottles. Le Chambertin (12.28 hectares) is one of the most renowned vineyards in Burgundy, full stop. The vineyard is situated due East with a very gradual slope, receiving cool breezes and protection by the woodland at the top, Combe Grisard. Ray has sourced beautiful old vine fruit, over 55 years of age, from the North side of the appellation, toward Clos de Bèze. This was the last vineyard he harvested in 2009, on the 19th September, similarly producing a selection of tiny to small sized berries. A brooding but fresh, ripe nose merges into layers of ultra pure black and darker pinot fruit. Very intense, concentrated and yet totally elegant. This is still very primary (and very cold when we tasted again in early December!) and will require ten years plus to really arrive at its full potential. However, it is a wonderfully balanced and seriously impressive Chambertin, even more so for a first vintage effort Terms and Conditions The prices quoted are in-bond per case (12 x 75cl) excluding duty (currently 20.25) and vat. We shall be shipping the wines in Spring Our delivery and storage terms are below. Delivery Terms: 1 4 cases (ex vat) inside the M25 and London, Home Counties. For 5cs or more delivered within these areas, there is no charge made. Regardless of number of cases, our minimum delivery charge to all other UK addresses is (ex vat), excluding Scotland (please enquire). 11cs or more are charged at 2.50 case. In-bond transfers: 8.00 (ex vat) per transfer to Vinotheque or other LCB warehouses. Transfers to other bonded warehouses will be at the delivery rates above. We are happy to hold onto the stock whilst a consignment is built up, for a maximum of 3 months only. For longer periods, we offer a storage facility in our private client reserves, currently at 8.50 per case per annum ex vat (inclusive of all risks insurance) info@abvintners.co.uk

200 Rittenhouse Circle West #5 Bristol, Pennsylvania

200 Rittenhouse Circle West #5 Bristol, Pennsylvania 19007 215.788.1300 info@vintageimportswines.com www.vintageimportswines.com Domaine Manuel Olivier 2015 Manuel Olivier is part of a bright, new generation