Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1061132
{ SOMMjournal.com } 81 conversations with the inventive entre- preneur trend toward the playful and imaginative, his company's projects and por tfolio are undoubtedly executed with precision and careful consideration. During our visit, we sampled two Crémant de Bourgogne wines: JCB N°65, made from 100% Pinot Noir in honor of Boisset's parents' anniversary; and JCB N°39, a 100% Chardonnay produced in celebration of the year his grandpar- ents were married. Noting that Bur- gundy was once a significant producer of sparkling wine, Boisset said his intent with these bottlings was to meld the past with the present. After we finished our bubbles, a mystery Pinot Noir was poured as Boisset chal - lenged the somms to determine its origins. They grappled with whether to character- ize it as New World or Old World before Boisset hinted, "Well, what if, we bring the best of what two worlds have to offer?" He then revealed the wine as the JCB N°3 Pinot Noir, first conceived in 2009. Wines from three vineyards were crafted in Burgundy before being flown on Air France Flight 084 to San Francisco; upon arrival, they were driven in armored trucks to DeLoach Vineyards, where the blend was completed with fruit from five vine - yard lots in Sonoma County. "The ultimate sacrilege! A lot of people wanted to kill me," Boisset said with amusement. According to Boisset, the number "3" in the wine's name signifies the marriage of two worlds, as well as the notion that their unity is greater than the sum of their parts. "We wanted to bring the mouthfeel of Burgundy—the earth, the depth, the terroir, maybe a little restraint—and a little bit of the flamboyance through the aromatic expression of Sonoma," he explained. The eventful afternoon closed at DeLoach Vineyards with a four-course farm-to-table dinner featuring ingredients from the winery's estate garden (aka the Theater of Nature). In addition to shar - ing pairings from DeLoach, Hoernlein challenged the somms' palates with more mysterious wines from the Boisset Collec- tion's elaborate cellar. The group stands with hands raised during dinner as Jean-Charles Boisset leads them in what he calls the "Burgundy Song," a version of a drinking tune dating back to 1905. Jean-Charles Boisset serves somms the JCB N°3 Pinot Noir. day 2 Back on the shuttle for an early- morning start, the somms attempted to tally up the wines we tasted the previous day (my notes put us at 36, give or take a few). By 7:30 a.m., our group was dressed in safety attire for that morning's harvest at the DeLoach estate. In our designated rows, we harvested just over a half-ton of La Tâche clone Pinot Noir. Roughly the size of a fist, the tiny black clusters burst with intense flavor, making for an ideal breakfast filled with antioxidants and tannin protein. Back at the winery, we dispersed into small groups to execute various tasks. Somms sorted through cold clusters of handpicked fruit as others harnessed up for punch-downs, and after some semi-serious manual labor, it was time to turn back to tasting. Sami Seglin, Wine Director for Hog Island Oyster Co. in San Francisco, unloads her first bin of grapes. Emily Anderson, Wine Director for Tres Market Foods in Houston, TX, shows off her harvest attire at the DeLoach estate.