Vertical Detroit and The Fine Wine Source were hosting a wine dinner as they welcomed Alexandra Sineau of Famille Picard and Domaine Voarick and Manou Chahmirzadi of David Milligan Selections.  A night of Burgundian wines was the theme and the wines were through David Milligan Selections.  David Milligan Selections began in 1995, with the concept of bringing French wines he loved to the consumer. In 2006, his son joined him on the mission.  Manou oversees sales in the Midwest, and also spearheads National Accounts for the organization.

When I was at The Fine Wine Source, I was told that this was the first that they had learned about Famille Picard and Domaine Voarick, and Jim Lutfy’s knowledge is immense.  All I know is that he tried the wines in the shop, and bought every wine that was poured for him, and that usually does not happen, his palate in wines is very well regarded.  So, when I heard that my Bride and I were invited for the initial tasting along with dinner, I wanted to do some research, so imagine my surprise that the winery is unknown (retail-wise) in America.  I could find some bare-bones information and that was about it.  My curiosity was indeed whetted by this fact, and I was looking forward to meeting Alexandra Sineau, who is the Export Director for Famille Picard and Domaine Voarick.  All I could think of, is that she is going to be very busy, once the firm gets a toe-hold and is accepted into the Byzantine nature of how wine is sold in America.

We began the evening with a “Reception Wine” and while this wine was not from Burgundy, but from Provence it was another wine from David Milligan Selections.  We began with Famille Quiot Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rosé 2023.  Famille Quiot is a wine producer with numerous estates in southern France.  They have been making wine since 1748, starting in Vaucluse in Chateauneuf-du-Pape at Domaine du Vieux Lazaret.  The Domaine is run by the thirteenth-generation member Jerome Quiot and what was originally a few hectares is now one-hundred-ten hectares.  In 1890, they acquired the sixty-hectare estate of Domaine Houchart near Aix-en-Provence.  The family estate has its roots and was farmed during the Roman era, and is located in the plain between Sainte Victoire and Aurelien mountains, and has its own climate.  The land is clay and limestone soils, from the decomposition of the scree from the surrounding mountains.  The wine is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Tibouren; with the average age of the vines being thirty-five-years.  The fruit is harvested in September, with direct pressing for most of the varieties, with vatting for almost two weeks in I surmise Stainless-Steel to maintain freshness; the wines are bottled in December.  This salmon-pink colored wine offers notes of citrus and strawberries.  On the palate the wine offers tones of red currants, watermelon, with great acidity and ending with a nice medium count finish of fruit and terroir.