Sampling and judging good French imports on a sunny afternoon in Sagaponack with a soft ocean breeze is dangerous to your critical faculties. It all tastes perfect.
The Wine Trade: David Milligan
Globalization on the East End? Not with corporate giants of course. The Hamptons version is small and tasteful—or maybe tasty is a better word. David Milligan runs a business in Sagaponack that imports French wines that are then sold in many areas of the United States. The wine trade is an often complex web with a number of middle men between the wine producer and consumer. A French wine might, for example, go from the winery to a “negociant” or local wholesale merchant, to an exporter, to an importer, to a distributor, and then to the retail store or restaurant, and finally to the consumer.
Mr. Milligan streamlines this process somewhat by finding French producers that in his opinion offer quality and value, and bringing their wines to America, where they continue along the wine chain. His portfolio is small, relative to the size of major importers, and it is impeccably chosen. Before forming his own company, Mr. Milligan, who is originally from England, worked for a leading importer, so he is on familiar ground. His business involves travel of course—both to the producers at one end of the chain and to the distributors and retailers at the other—but when he is not on the road, he runs his business from a sunny office in a house he and his wife, Louise, built overlooking a cornfield and a vast expanse of Long Island sky.
In early May I tried and recommended in this column one of Mr. Milligan’s wines, Domaine Houchart, a lively rosé from Provence that sells for under $10. Based on that, I was curious about Mr. Milligan’s other offerings, so I caught up with him a few days ago to explore more of the portfolio. Before I review these wines, I must put in a qualifying statement that ought to be on every bottle along with the warning labels. Drinking good French wines on a sunny afternoon in the Hamptons with a soft ocean breeze is dangerous to your critical faculties. It all tastes perfect.
Sancerre, in the eastern Loire valley, produces some of the friendliest white wines in the and complexity. Delicate aromas white flowers, and a full, rich palate are the result of using sauvignon blanc vines that are 30 to 35 years old. The 2002 that I tasted sells for $22. Chateauneuf du Pape is the most identifiable wine of the Cote du Rhone Region, and one that is well known to Americans. It’s a wine that connotes power and prestige, and a 2003 Vieux Lazaret imported by Mr. Milligan manages to be high voltage without seeming harsh. The color is deep, the bouquet booming with ripe black fruits and the taste in your glass is precisely balanced, bold but not heavy handed. It’s a muscular, expressive wine that sells for $25, a reasonable price for a first rate Chateauneuf du Pape.
Beside these wines, which are currently available, I tasted an intriguing red that is just hitting the American shores. Chateau D’Estoublon is made in Les Baux de Provence, a famously beautiful area well known to gourmets for La Baumaniere restaurant. The wine has a youthful spirit and a distinct personality. It exhibits all the spiciness you would expect of a blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre, with a touch of cabernet sauvignon, and it does so with gusto. Don’t look for subtlety and finesse. The promise here is a nice, clear, fruit forward drinking experience. It packs a lot of flavor for $20.
Sherry-Lehmann, in New York, carries all three wines, and Amagansett Wine & Spirits and Wainscott Wine & Spirits sell some of them. Mr. Milligan knows how to select his producers, and plainly has the skills to bring us distinguished wines at attractive prices. It might have taken a lifetime to develop, but that relaxing life in Sagaponack might also have something to do with it.
