I love Pinot Noir but have never been a Burghound (my apologies to Allan Meadows, author of the authoritative newsletter that covers Burgundian wines). Compared to wines of similar quality from the Rhone, Loire, Alsace or even Bordeaux, red and white Burgundy wines have always been at least 50 percent more expensive. Whereas there are always many excellent Rhones on the market for $10 or less, that price point will generally not buy even a "decent" red Burgundy. That's why I nearly passed up this wine, labeled only "Le Pinot Noir" and priced at $8.99.
Again, I am not a Burghound and have not tasted my way through some of the best Burgundy has to offer. But I am quite happy drinking this little $8.99 Pinot from the Cotes d'Auvergne (a backwoods area near the Loire Valley.) The color is a medium light, typical of Pinot Noir, and there are no smells reminiscent of new oak or oak chips. Pure fruit here from what is clearly a cool climate. Cranberries, spice and pepper. More black pepper than I expect from Pinot Noir, but it's very pleasant. Gives the wine backbone and plays nicely against food (Tuscan vegetable stew at the moment). At this price, I can drink this Pinot frequently. And I intend to do just that.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Domaine du Vieux Chene Cuvee de la Haie aux Grives Cotes du Rhone, 2007
Domaine du Vieux Chene has always been one of my favorite wines. With prime property and old vineyards on the road between Gigondas and Orange, Beatrice and Jean Claude Bouche are committed to organic vineyards and traditional winemaking. And their wines are always very distinctive and flavorful.
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, when Cotes du Rhones sold for $5 to $7 a bottle, Cuvee de la Haie aux Grives was on my yearly shopping list. Now that CDR prices have gone up a bit, I tend more to buy the less expensive Vin de Pays offerings from Vieux Chene and have reported on them frequently. They are so good that I am rarely tempted to dig into my pocket a little deeper for the more expensive Cotes du Rhones. I paid $12.99 for this bottle. And, yes, it is at least 50% better than the excellent $8 Vin de Pays I've been buying.
Deep violet ruby. Smells and tastes tannic but it opens nicely and is at its best on the third night. This is a serious wine that will continue to age well. Black fruits, dark spices and flowers with a dash of black licorice. On the second and third nights, I can find more of the black pepper that I love in Southern Rhones. Haie aux Grives, I believe, has more Syrah in the blend than its sibling, Cuvee des Capucines. Both are very good. And sometimes, it pays to dig a little deeper in the pocket and drink wine that is even better.
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, when Cotes du Rhones sold for $5 to $7 a bottle, Cuvee de la Haie aux Grives was on my yearly shopping list. Now that CDR prices have gone up a bit, I tend more to buy the less expensive Vin de Pays offerings from Vieux Chene and have reported on them frequently. They are so good that I am rarely tempted to dig into my pocket a little deeper for the more expensive Cotes du Rhones. I paid $12.99 for this bottle. And, yes, it is at least 50% better than the excellent $8 Vin de Pays I've been buying.
Deep violet ruby. Smells and tastes tannic but it opens nicely and is at its best on the third night. This is a serious wine that will continue to age well. Black fruits, dark spices and flowers with a dash of black licorice. On the second and third nights, I can find more of the black pepper that I love in Southern Rhones. Haie aux Grives, I believe, has more Syrah in the blend than its sibling, Cuvee des Capucines. Both are very good. And sometimes, it pays to dig a little deeper in the pocket and drink wine that is even better.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Manzanita Creek Chalk Hill Chardonnay Foothill Vineyards, 2010
This Chalk Hill Chardonnay was opened nearly a week ago and the remaining portion has been sitting, re-corked, in the refrigerator. Tonight, for curiosity, I tried it side-by-side with the excellent Gilbert Picq Vaucopin (see below) and was impressed. It's not nearly as good as the Premier Cru Chablis, of course, and it's a very different wine. But it has a similar steely minerality and has held up remarkably well over the past week. It is one of the few New World Chardonnays I would feel comfortable cellaring.
Medium straw. Nothing stale or oxidized about this wine; still going strong. Flowers, lime and minerals. Earlier, I had suspected a heavy dose of new French oak contributed to the limey quality. Now, I feel it is the nature of the grape raised on the white, ashy soils of Chalk Hill. Fresh, well defined flavors.
World Market has been selling this wine for $9.99, and I am very happy to be buying it at that price.
Medium straw. Nothing stale or oxidized about this wine; still going strong. Flowers, lime and minerals. Earlier, I had suspected a heavy dose of new French oak contributed to the limey quality. Now, I feel it is the nature of the grape raised on the white, ashy soils of Chalk Hill. Fresh, well defined flavors.
World Market has been selling this wine for $9.99, and I am very happy to be buying it at that price.
Gilbert Picq Premier Cru Chablis Vaucopin, 1998
I had high hopes for the 1996 and 1997 Gilbert Picq wines I bought. Aged in stainless steel to preserve the traditional qualities of Chablis, they were excellent in their youth and showed the potential to go several decades. Alas, most of them started developing overly deep colors and oxidized smells and flavors at about age 10. They fit the pattern of "premox" or prematurely oxidized white Burgundies from the late 1990s. Based on that experience, I have been reluctant to visit the handful of Gilbert Picq Chablis from 1998 and 1999 that are still in my cellar. And that apparently was a fortunate delay because this 15-year-old Premier Cru has developed precisely what I expected from the 1996 and 1997 wines.
Medium deep gold--several shades lighter than the 1996 and 1997 wines at age 10. From the first sniff, I know we have something special. Very flinty, as good Chablis should be, but clean as a whistle. Limey smells and flavors, as in limestone soil, but also the citrus fruit. Also some green apples and flowers. The beauty of this wine, though, is not in the number of different smells and flavors but the quality of the grapes and the perfect balance and proportion of the wine. Whether you are a student of Chablis or are drinking it for the first time, this is a wine that keeps you coming back for more. It has aged beautifully over 15 years and has many more years to go.
Medium deep gold--several shades lighter than the 1996 and 1997 wines at age 10. From the first sniff, I know we have something special. Very flinty, as good Chablis should be, but clean as a whistle. Limey smells and flavors, as in limestone soil, but also the citrus fruit. Also some green apples and flowers. The beauty of this wine, though, is not in the number of different smells and flavors but the quality of the grapes and the perfect balance and proportion of the wine. Whether you are a student of Chablis or are drinking it for the first time, this is a wine that keeps you coming back for more. It has aged beautifully over 15 years and has many more years to go.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Domaine du Haute des Terres Blanches Chateauneuf du Pape, 1993
Domaine du Hautes des Terres Blanches produces a traditionally made Chateauneuf du Pape that does not get a lot of attention from Parker or Tanzer but is always very good when given enough time in the cellar. Although 1993 was only a so-so vintage, this wine is showing very nicely right now. It was a worthy companion to Domaine de Thalabert at the dinner table (see below).
Lovely compact smells of a mature Chateauneuf du Pape--dried cherries, red berries, spice and sea salt. An appealing combination of sweet and savory. Very full on the mid-palate with a long, smooth finish.
Domaine du Hautes des Terres Blanches was widely available in my area during the 1990s for $10 to $12 a bottle. I bought quite a few and am glad I did. Even the oldest--this 1993--still has many years of life ahead of it.
Lovely compact smells of a mature Chateauneuf du Pape--dried cherries, red berries, spice and sea salt. An appealing combination of sweet and savory. Very full on the mid-palate with a long, smooth finish.
Domaine du Hautes des Terres Blanches was widely available in my area during the 1990s for $10 to $12 a bottle. I bought quite a few and am glad I did. Even the oldest--this 1993--still has many years of life ahead of it.
Paul Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, 1990
This was my wine of choice for my 74th birthday, and a good choice it was. I've always been a big fan of Domaine Thalabert, particularly those from the 1980s. Critics tagged this as perhaps the best Thalabert ever, with the possible exception of the 1978, and online reviews on Cellar Tracker rate it very highly for current drinking. I can't disagree.
Deep ruby red. The bouquet is absolutely gorgeous. Black raspberries, lavender, sage. Has the fresh fruit smell of youth but with a leathery maturity emerging. Same on the palate. Very smooth texture with a lovely Syrah finish. Has the power of a good Cornas plus the finesse of a Cote Rotie. 12.7% alcohol is amazingly low for a wine with this much dramatic flair.
I agree that it's probably the best Thalabert ever made (I didn't get to taste the 1978), and it is one of the best Syrahs I've encountered. The wonderful secondary characteristics that I love so much in the 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988 Thalaberts have not yet emerged; so, as good as it is now, it will get even better, at least for my taste.
Deep ruby red. The bouquet is absolutely gorgeous. Black raspberries, lavender, sage. Has the fresh fruit smell of youth but with a leathery maturity emerging. Same on the palate. Very smooth texture with a lovely Syrah finish. Has the power of a good Cornas plus the finesse of a Cote Rotie. 12.7% alcohol is amazingly low for a wine with this much dramatic flair.
I agree that it's probably the best Thalabert ever made (I didn't get to taste the 1978), and it is one of the best Syrahs I've encountered. The wonderful secondary characteristics that I love so much in the 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988 Thalaberts have not yet emerged; so, as good as it is now, it will get even better, at least for my taste.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Domaine des Baumard (Clos St. Yves) Savennieres, 1990
As I near and pass my 74th birthday, I intend to bring out some of my more mature bottles just to see what age is all about in wine and life. If I mature as well as this wine has, I will be very happy.
It's a deep old gold color, very mature to the eye. At first, I thought I might have a corked bottle since there is a slight cardboard-like aroma. This fades away, though, and what accompanies it is sheer beauty. Peach pits, nuts, quince and a bouquet of flowers. Maybe what I smell is damp straw, a common descriptor for Savennieres. Chenin Blanc is not always a sweet, smiling peach as many New World producers like to make it. It also has a dour element that underlies and accents its classic beauty. As I have read, Florent Baumard, refuses to use new oak or any other means of softening his wine, and that is for the better, as far as I'm concerned. The more I sniff, the more I like. And the palate: wow! Deep and complex with a rich texture (Rabelais used the word "taffeta" to describe Chenin Blanc, and I think it's appropriate here. What I like best, though, is the after taste. It just refuses to finish.
I may have kept this wine a bit long, thinking, before I removed the paper wrapper, that it was the more prestigious and ageworthy Clos du Papillon. It's not perfect and it may indeed be slightly affected by cork taint, but there is so much to like. It's really hard to quit drinking.
It's a deep old gold color, very mature to the eye. At first, I thought I might have a corked bottle since there is a slight cardboard-like aroma. This fades away, though, and what accompanies it is sheer beauty. Peach pits, nuts, quince and a bouquet of flowers. Maybe what I smell is damp straw, a common descriptor for Savennieres. Chenin Blanc is not always a sweet, smiling peach as many New World producers like to make it. It also has a dour element that underlies and accents its classic beauty. As I have read, Florent Baumard, refuses to use new oak or any other means of softening his wine, and that is for the better, as far as I'm concerned. The more I sniff, the more I like. And the palate: wow! Deep and complex with a rich texture (Rabelais used the word "taffeta" to describe Chenin Blanc, and I think it's appropriate here. What I like best, though, is the after taste. It just refuses to finish.
I may have kept this wine a bit long, thinking, before I removed the paper wrapper, that it was the more prestigious and ageworthy Clos du Papillon. It's not perfect and it may indeed be slightly affected by cork taint, but there is so much to like. It's really hard to quit drinking.
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