Champagne Wishes: David Milligan Selections Introduces from France Domaine Sarrail “Espirit de Sarrail” IGP Cite de Carcassonne Blanc Highly Recommended by Whom You Know
To have a lovely summer evening, you must sip on crisp, fine French wine. We think we have pretty good taste, but the fact of the matter is we have not been doing this professionally since 1957. But we know someone who has!
Mover and Shaker David Milligan and his fantastic son Alex (get excited for his interview) have some great ideas for us. The first we will comment on is a superlative blend of white: Esprit de Sarrail Cite de Carcassone Blanc 2012 brought to Americans by David Milligan Selections, founded in 1995. It is a wonderful symphony of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Colombard, and this type boasts a fresh, dewy taste. It is entirely crisp and we loved it standalone, though are convinced it would pair well with any fish. If you are watching the sunset anywhere, this would pair well with that too! Say Chin Chin and pop this winner of a white in your travel cooler for sure-ours is by Lilly. The clean taste of the
Esprit de Sarrail Cite de Carcassone Blanc 2012 is highly enjoyable and the scent is like a dewy summer morning. In its depths, Peachy's palate detected sharp green apples, pears and ripe apricots. Fruit notes are ubiquitous throughout-see if you detect the same ones we did.
You know we are history-enthused and this wine tastes even better once you are familiar with its illustrious lineage:
The Cite de Carcassonne IGP was first established in 1981; it includes 25 producers, mostly working as a cooperative. Domaine Sarrail is the largest with 250 acres and one of the few selling their wine as a Domaine.
Situated between the Pyrenees to the South and the Black Mountains to the North, Carcassonne is best known for its fabulous medieval city, surrounded by massive battlements, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It enjoys a privileged climatic position where the excesses of the Mediterranean climate are tempered by the coolness of the Atlantic. This special microclimate gives the wines their particular elegance and charm. The closest vineyards overlook the battlements of Carcassonne. In 1980 the Sarrail family acquired this estate, first established in 1292.They saw a great potential for the vines and terroir and much work has been done to maximize their potential.
The estate has been a passion project of the Sarrail family for three generations. When Albert’s grandfather first found the estate he knew he had to have it. At the time the estate was in disrepair. He helped finance the rebuilding by creating apartments for the locals, helping to make the winery a reality and at the same time bringing it closer to the community around it. There are now 18 families living on the property, about half of which work on the estate. Albert’s grandfather still walks through the vineyards each day to ensure the vines stay in the best of health. In 2005, Albert, the third generation, joined the estate.
Their oenologist, Ana Gonzalez has been a winemaker for over 15 years. She has made wine in Spain, Chile, Argentina, Australia and France. She has spent the last 7 years at Domaine Sarrail, constantly working to improve the quality.
Their vineyards are found mostly in the suburb of Cazilhac. They start at an elevation of 150m and go as high as 300m.They Domaine also uses state of the art harvesters which allows for a selection in the vineyard assuring only high quality grapes make it into the wines.
One of the more unique parts of the winemaking process is the state of the art press which uses nitrogen instead of oxygen to preserve freshness. It also has the ability to press at an incredibly slow rate for the making of rose. The wines are still made in the original building from 1292.
Alex says on Facebook: My father started this delightful company back in 1995. Since then we have striven to bring you delicious, affordable, terroir driven wines.
David Milligan founded David Milligan Selections in 1995 with the objective of finding great wines from top estates and creating exceptional values for the consumer.
This has been achieved by creating a low overhead operation selling directly on behalf of the estates to importing wholesalers around the country and thus eliminating the National Importer mark up.
Drawing on his many years of experience in the United States and in Europe where he was wine buyer for one of the largest wine companies, he has assembled a range of important estates in the main regions of France.
In selecting these wines he agrees with the consumer preference for clean, well made wines with emphasis on the natural fruit. He believes that this allows the true character of the soil in each region to express itself. Experts agree that his selections are classic expressions of each appellation.
In 2006 he was joined by his son Alexander who spent two years working at Sherry-Lehmann, the prestigious New York retailer.
