‘Le Grand Legume’ was ‘in the house’

It doesn’t take one very long to notice the passion and intensity of the man known as ‘Bobby.’ Bobby Kacher may be the most driven individual that I have ever met. Believe me, when dealing with wine marketers and salespeople, you see plenty with drive. None can touch Bobby though. Although it has been around five years since I have seen him in person, it seemed like it was just yesterday after Bobby gave me a big hug and a bearded kiss on the cheek. Bobby and his largest producer, Yves Grassa of Domaine du Tariquet stopped into the Warehouse on Monday to sample our store managers on the vibrant wines of Domaine du Tariquet.

I think that Bobby and I have known each other for around twenty five years? My favorite Bobby story originates from the time that we were both living in the D.C. area nearly twenty years ago. Bobby was traveling around to different markets with Burgundy producer Jean-Marc Joblot and I was invited to have lunch with the two of them. Jean-Marc was working on his English and seemed in awe of traveling through America with Bobby who was really beginning to garner a lot of attention for his portfolio of wines. I asked Jean-Marc how the trip was going. He replied that the trip was fantastic as he was able to visit America with ‘The Big Vegetable.’ Apparently ‘le grand legume’ is their equivalent of our ‘the big cheese.’ Every now and then I’ll refer to Bobby as just ‘legume’ to cut out the formality.

Nearly 25 years ago Bobby left the importer that he was working for and founded Robert Kacher Selections. His aim was to associate himself with growers and producers who had both the passion and energy to strive to become among their country’s most renowned winemakers. Bobby has spent the first two decades of Robert Kacher Selections almost half the time in France, in an effort to select and to develop a fine portfolio of French boutique estate wines that he imports into the US. Through this hands-on approach of working side by side with growers and producers, Bobby is able to ensure the quality and authenticity of every wine in his collection. Bobby’s detractors would say that he has perhaps too heavy a hand in the production of the wines that he imports? History has proven that the wines that RKS brings in have a following and have been and continue to be extremely well received.

Bobby continues to work as a partner with the growers and winemakers in all aspects of viticulture and vinification, constantly pushing them to produce an even higher quality product. Some of Bobby’s mantra to his growers and wine makers include lowering yields, using state-of-the-art trellising where allowed, green harvesting of fruit at ‘veraison’ (the point at which grapes start to change color), hand harvesting of fruit at the point of physiological ripeness (not analytical ripeness) and doing a triage (a sorting of the grapes to rid them of damaged fruit) as the fruit is harvested. This formula is straightforward, basic and has proven to be a great success.

Bobby’s dedication and passion for the wine business has resulted in numerous awards and accolades: Recently Robert Parker named him “one of the 20 most influential wine personalities of the past 20 years.” Previously in 2004 Bobby became Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, one of only a handful of U.S. importers to ever receive the prestigious honor.

Robert Kacher Selections was recently named the exclusive importer of the wines of Domaine du Tariquet. Domaine du Tariquet was the first property to produce crisp, refreshing and award-winning white wines in southwestern France’s Armagnac region. As the demand for the family estate’s Armagnacs dwindled in the 1970s, proprietor Yves Grassa started experimenting with wines made from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The results were astounding and many of his neighbors have followed him into wine production. Currently Grassa’s Tariquet Chardonnay happens to be the single best selling white wine in the Bordeaux region of France. In provincial France, this is indeed an oddity. Robert Parker has called Yves Grassa, “one of the most talented winemakers” of southern France.


Grassa had spent some time in the US studying viticulture and winemaking, gaining the knowledge of specific techniques from the UC Davis program. These techniques allow him to maintain freshness and elegance in the must by minimizing exposure to air. Fermentation is carried out in cool tanks, maintaining the primary fruit aromas and flavors of the grapes. In the vineyards at Domaine du Tariquet, grapes travel from field to tank in refrigerated wagons that are essentially wine tanks under a layer of inert gas. In the tank, the juice and skins are kept at cool temperatures for hours and then fermented slowly. For even more attention to detail on the freshness spectrum, all of the new Domaine du Tariquet wines being imported by Robert Kacher Selections will use the screw cap rather than a cork. “This guarantees fresh wine every time,” says Grassa. A few of the wines in our stores will actually have a cork. This is because of a shortage of bottles in France for the screw cap technology that the French invented. Go figure…….

Under Grassa’s direction, Domaine du Tariquet stays in step with environmental issues as well. No waste is discarded, everything is recycled, and water and electricity are under close watch. The winery enjoys International Standards Organization (ISO) certification, a guarantee of cleanliness and quality control with standards for meeting requirements of climate change mitigation and sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture or ‘lutte raisonee’ is one step below organic. Tariquet has adopted environmental best practices, such as organic manuring. In order to limit the impact of treatments on the grape juice, they use partially de-mineralized water with a lowered pH level to dilute active ingredients. The results have been spectacular as pesticide treatments have been cut by 40% and their effluent treatment plant ensures that their waste water no longer has an environmental impact. In the vineyard and winery, the use of sulfites has been reduced to the strict minimum, as antioxidants such as Vitamin C are used as a partial alternative.

Wine production is strictly controlled within the Domaine from viticulture to bottling and adheres to sustainable agriculture. To prevent oxidation the grapes are taken directly from the vines to the vats in isothermal tanks. The estate features a water treatment facility and they recycle and reuse all materials. As wine tends to oxygenate quicker in smaller containers, Tariquet keeps the wine in large temperature controlled tanks until bottling is needed which helps to guarantee consistent quality and freshness. Tariquet then bottles in lots as needed to maintain freshness and vibrancy in their wines.

Yves Grassa is not only the first in Gascony to dare to plant Chardonnay, Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc grapes; he may also be the world’s most efficient vintner; making wine in the middle of his vineyard. There must be a carbon credit in there for Yves somewhere……..

Domaine du Tariquet Classic White 2006, Retail $9.99 Warehouse $7.99

A delicious, light and refreshing wine as it has only around 11% alcohol. With floral aromas, it displays citrus flavors with a touch of exotic fruit. I mean this as a compliment....this is the ideal poor-man’s Albarino.

Domaine du Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Retail $10.99 Warehouse $8.99

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc displays intense floral notes, as well as a degree of minerality. Green apples and green melon lead the flavor charge with a medium bodied texture and a refreshing zingy finish. This wine is New Zealand meeting California in style.

Domaine du Tariquet Chardonnay 2006, Retail $12.99 Warehouse $10.99

An elegantly styled Chardonnay that is partially aged in French oak barrels. Ripe honey, pineapple and vanilla are evident in the nose and on the palate. A hint of granny smith apples also finds its way into the mix that finishes with a fresh and vibrant aftertaste.

Domaine du Tariquet ‘Cote Tariquet’ 2006, Retail $15.99 Warehouse $12.99

This wine is a blend of equal parts Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It is delicious and displays pink grapefruit, pineapple and citrus flavors on the palate, with a touch of spice. It has a beautiful if not slightly oily texture. Its exotic aromas and flavors make it a candidate to pair with spicy and Asian food.

Domaine du Pouy Blanc 2006, Retail $8.99 Warehouse $6.95

Aromas of grapefruit and flowers jump from the glass of this straight-forward light-bodied, stainless steel-fermented wine. Layers of flavor are present, most notably citrus, and orange peel. Fresh, vibrant and built for speed. This wine is made by Yves Grassa with grapes that come from neighboring Patrick Bize’s farm.

Salut.......