THE COOK'S ATELIER

The Cook's Atelier Spring 2024 Wine Selection (available as 6 or 12 bottles; either 2 bottles of each wine listed below OR 4 bottles of each)

We're are very excited to announce that we are now sharing Laurent's favorite wine selections from our Atelier. For those of you who have been here, you know Laurent is the official “wine guy” at The Cook’s Atelier. The passion he shares about wine as well as the stories he tells about our local wine producers during every meal are informative, entertaining and ultra-inviting. Wine plays an important role in our culinary programs and an intricate part of our seasonal menus at The Cook's Atelier. Whether you spend one day or five days with us, you’ll take a deep dive into our favorite wines from Champagne and Burgundy. Due to the popularity with our guests, we decided to offer some of Laurent’s fabulous selections via our online shop. Throughout the year, we will continue to feature more of Laurent’s favorites. The Cook’s Atelier Wine Selection offerings are perfect for the wine enthusiast, collector, or for those who simply enjoy a lovely glass of bubbly or wine.

CHAMPAGNE:

DOMAINE FRANCOIS SECONDE, BRUT GRAND CRU 65€

Why We Love It: One of our favorite Champagnes, we often serve this brut Grand Cru as a delightful apéritif during our culinary programs.  

Characteristics: 2/3 Pinot Noir, 1/3 Chardonnay, and 30% reserve wines. Golden yellow hue, highlighted by a string of sparkling bubbles. The nose is mineral and floral with notes of freshly baked pastries. The palate is balanced with hints of rich, lightly toasted brioche, and exotic fruit. To be served chilled at a temperature of about 8 °C.

History: For centuries, Sillery has been known as the region which produces some of the most sought after Champagnes in the world. Right at the heart of this renowned terroir, you will find Champagne François Secondé, a vineyard covering an area of just over 5 hectares and located in Sillery, Mailly-Champagne, Puisieulx, and Verzenay. François Secondé is an independent wine maker (vigneron independant), and the only récoltant manipulant (one whose grapes are not sourced, but come from his own vineyard) and producer of pure Sillery Champagne.

At the age of 14, François Secondé left school and started to work as an apprentice in a vineyard. He bought his first vineyard in 1972, and in 1976, he increased his plot to 3 hectares. With the help of his wife Anne-Marie, he started producing his own Champagne. Today, Champagne François Secondé vineyard is 5.5 hectares and harvests two grape varietals: 2/3 Pinots noir, and 1/3 Chardonnay. The vines are 37 years of age on average and are farmed in a sustainable way with respect to both nature and man.  As of 2023, François Secondé uses zero herbicides or insecticides on the entire vineyard.

WHITE WINE:

DOMAINE DU CHÂTEAU DE PIERRECLOS MÂCON-MILLY "LAMARTINE" 2022 - 25€

Why We Love It: A beautiful Chardonnay, we've been serving this wine since we opened The Cook's Atelier.  It's perfect paired with a crisp salad or light and refreshing first course.

Characteristics: 100% Chardonnay.  Clay and limestone soil. Mineral and buttery, light and rich at the same time. Elegant with a fine balance. Best consumed within 1-2 years of vintage.

History: It was in 2008 that Anne-Françoise and Jean-Marie Pidault, winegrowers since 1995, took over the management of this Chateau which is emblematic of Southern Burgundy and one of the oldest, located between the Solutré rock and Cluny abbey.  It is an estate founded on only the highest degree of excellence and composed of 8 hectares of vines, where the unique Chardonnay grape variety elegantly reveals all the richness and diversity of the terroirs of Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, Mâcon-Pierreclos, Mâcon Milly-Lamartine, and Mâcon-Bussière.

In 2013, the winemakers made the decision to become a certified organic vineyard to guarantee the authenticity of the terroirs and the purest expression of the wine.

RED WINE:

DOMAINE CHEVALIER, LADOIX 1ER CRU "LES CORVÉES" 2021 - 60€

Why We Love It: Also lovingly referred to as "Grandma's Wine" (aka Marjorie's favorite, and for good reason!), this Ladoix 1er Cru is one of our most-loved reds from the Burgundy region. We often serve it alongside a delicious côte du bœuf or generous main course.

Characteristics: 100% Pinot Noir. Clay and chalk soil. The vineyard of Corvées is located in the village of Ladoix and faces to the east and southeast which gives good exposure to the vines. Ladoix “Les Corvées” is a wine more powerful and racy than Ladoix Village.  Beautiful bouquet with oak, pepper, and red fruits flavors.  The complexities of this wine come to the fore with maturity. Very balanced and uniquely structured red.

History: Marcelle Dubois, along with his daughter and son-in-law, Emile Chevalier, inherited the estate just after WWI. Conscientious and meticulous, Emile Chevalier spent years of hard work perfecting the quality of the vines after the difficult years of the phylloxera crisis.  His son, Georges, took over management after Emile and began to enlarge the estate and increase the prestige of Domaine Chevalier, beginning with the planting of 3 hectares of vines in Gamay.

Georges Chevalier learned quickly, not only because he loved this work, but because of his serious dedication to producing remarkable wines. In 1959, he decided to bottle all the harvests, the result being that since 1969, all wines sold to his customers were sold in bottles bottled on the estate.  In 1975, Georges’ son Claude joined the family business, and continued to expand the estate by adding a further 11 hectares.

Since 1994, Claude, with the influence of his father, has concentrated solely on vinification of Estate wines.  In 1998, he decided to change certain working methods in the vineyard, as well as the vinification process—new barrel selection, fermenting time, maturing time in barrels, filtration, etc.

Today, the estate is run by Claude Chevalier’s three daughters who represent the 5th generation of wine-growers in the Chevalier family:  Chloé has been managing winegrowing and winemaking since 2008 after obtaining her Viticulture-Oenology BTS in Beaune; Julie, who has a diploma from the l’école de Commerce de Reims, directs sales and administration; and Anaïs, who joined her sisters in the business in 2012, handles accounting and welcoming customers to the winery.