From the Cellar - Wines from July 2017

Summertime means fewer wine sample shipments, as the heat makes shipping wine to the Mid-Atlantic a shady enterprise. So, I get a bit of a break from tasting samples, which means, amidst periods of abstaining from alcohol altogether, I have time to open wines from my personal collection.

Over the course of July, I cracked open several awesome white wines, a solid pink, and a lovely red from Arianna Occhipinti.

Notes below...

2006 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Winninger Röttgen Riesling - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Rich golden color. Aromas of glazed peaches, honeyed white tea, some oily elements, but also some tennis ball, honeysuckle, mountain stream. Plump texture but tingling acidity, delicious flavors of orange marmalade, apricot jam, bitter lemon, slight sweetness is balanced with brisk acidity and minerals. I get an interesting blend of smashed rocks, chalk dust, beeswax and even some green herb hints that make this wine pop. Not as deep and intense as I was expecting, and I’m not sure how much longer this will age (my last bottle was six years ago, whoa), but a very pretty Riesling from one of my favorite producers. (91 points)

2013 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay - South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Rich yellow color. Nose shows nutshells, nougat, almond, honey, white peaches and lemon curd. Refreshing, tingling acidity from start to finish, creamy though, and more oak influences than I remember (but not overblown for my palate). Lime drizzled on papaya and peach, mixed with peanut, honey, vanilla, but also some chalky minerals, sea spray and crushed shells. Waxy richness but plenty of verve. Hints of oxidization starting to set in, so I wonder about cellaring this for more than a year or two, but still really solid. (92 points)

2009 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
On a blazing hot summer day, this was absolutely perfect. 2009 is unique in a richer, waxier way, but I found this wine still showed plenty of ripping acidity, brisk mineral and oceanic elements, and lots of tangy fruit. Nose of saline, lime zest, lemon curd, oyster shell. Palate shows this wonderfully rich textural element that plays off this racy acidity, result is great balance and depth even though this is a light/medium-bodied wine. Apricot, orange, lime zest, rocking with these oyster, chalky, sea salty notes, some nougat and honeycomb elements as well. I think I'll hold on to my last bottle for a year or two, but I don't think 2009 is typical in its long-aging potential, but who knows. All I know is this is continually the most dynamic $20 I spend on a bottle of wine. (92 points)

2009 Luneau-Papin / Domaine Pierre de la Grange Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Semper Excelsior - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Gold color. Orange marmalade and lemon meringue mix with sea shells, seaweed, crusty sea salt, some honey and crunchy chalk notes, too. Bold texture, plump but shows bright acidity. Lemon curd, orange marmalade, even some bruised apple and baked pear notes, this is rich in texture and fruit but brisk from the tons of complex oceanic elements and the focused acidity. Finishes seriously like honey, orange jam and oyster brine – it’s excellent. A bold, chunky style for sure, glad I held onto this. While it has solid acidity, it seems like it may fatten out a bit too much over the longer haul, but still a beautiful wine. (92 points)

2016 Barnard Griffin Sangiovese Rosé of Sangiovese - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
A vibrant strawberry/watermelon color. Bright and lovely on the nose with roses, lilies, dandelion, white cherries, strawberries. Bright acidity frames this wine but it’s so ripe and juicy with cherries, strawberries, red apple peel, lots of rose hips, white pepper, candied apple peel. Bright and fresh and so delicious. (88 points) 

2013 Arianna Occhipinti Il Frappato - Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane IGT
Medium ruby color. Airy and aromatic with tons of earthy, savory, herbal tones on top of orange peel, red cherry, some bright red flowers and tobacco. Sturdy tannins at first but it settles down quickly, bright acid throughout. Bold structure but expressive red fruits with Gamay-like brightness, complex and intriguing spice and funky notes: dusty earth, sage, pickling spices, smashed rocks, paved road, some goat hide. Yet it's elegant and floral and vibrant as well. I love this wine and wish I had more to hold for a few years. (93 points)

Low Alcohol Wines For the Win

Damn, I love Madiera. And Port. And high-octane Cali Zinfandel. But, sometimes, I don't want to drink wine that is going to get me blitzed (at least not immediately).

I taste a lot of huge California, Australian, Chilean and Rhone wines, and so many of them are pushing 15%-plus alcohol. (Thanks climate change + candy-loving palates + delayed picking!)

But I love light-bodied wines with low alcohol and refreshing acidity.

However, I don't like to sacrifice on flavor. For me, the most refreshing, crisp, oceanic, exciting wines on the planet come from the rocky soils

As part of Snooth's Wine Writers Round-Up series, I and some other writers offered our thoughts on some low alcohol wines. Check out the piece here. Cheers!

Celebrating the End of Summer with Muscadet and Chablis

Well, Labor Day weekend is in the past and autumn is on the way. But it’s still hot here in the mid-Atlantic and, now that the crowds have subsided, it’s still prime time for the beach.

I drink Muscadet and Chablis all year, but they’re my go-to choices for hot weather. I had some friends over this weekend and popped a bunch of bottles, but these two were the best of the bunch.

2010 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Light gold color. Love the salty, briny, oceanic nose on this. Lemon peel, candied ginger and almond notes, too, really lovely to sniff. Medium-bodied, tangy acid, plenty of life and briskness. Orange and lemon peels with richer yellow pear fruit as well, all of it slathered in crusty sea salt and oyster shells. Love the way these honey and nougat notes are woven in so well. Complex, long, mineral-laden, lots to contemplate but so fresh and easy to drink. Glad I opened this now because it’s singing, but I’d be interested to try this again in 2017 or so. (92 points)

2014 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
I can’t believe it’s taken me until Labor Day weekend to pop the new vintage of Briords, but glad I did. A beautiful wine, per usual, classic nose of seashell, chalk, talc, lemon-limes, oyster, white flowers, hints of white peppery spice underneath. Salty and crunchy with the lime and lemon fruit. Gorgeous acid but balanced by some creaminess. Notes of chalk, clamshells, talc and limestone make this a complex, mineral-laden wine that begs for all sorts of shellfish. Glad I have some more to cellar. Will check back in two or three years because I love how these age. (92 points)

Muscadet - Basking in Crisp, Oceanic Goodness

Two years ago, I called Muscadet “Frances’s Most Oceanic Wine.” After recently tasting threw a slew of Muscadets and eating all sorts of seafood, I realize I made a mistake. Muscadet is the world’s most oceanic wine. When it comes to pairing wine with all things from the ocean, I say: Muscadet. 

Oysters, crab, shrimp, lobster... if it comes from the ocean, Muscadet will do the trick.

I recently got together with a ton of great wine friends for the third annual “Muscaday,” a feast of fruits de la mer and far too many bottles of great Muscadet.

A Muscadet primer by Lettie Teague in the Wall Street Journal declared the wine to be “the oyster’s best friend.”  Oh, so true. I’ve used the term oyster shell or oyster brine to describe many a Muscadet, so pairing one with the other is a no-brainer.  

The third installment of Muscaday involved a few semi-vertical tastings of a particular wine.

Luneau-Papin’s Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Le “L” d’Or is one of the most intriguing Muscadets I’ve had the pleasure of tasting. The wine comes from granite soils on sloping, riverside hills, which give the wine a lovely mineral intensity. The L d’Or spends nine-to-eleven months on the less, which are stirred to give the wine a creamy texture.

Vintage variation keeps things interesting, and allows us ultra-nerds to discuss the nuances and debate the cellar potential of each year, but all of these wines are flat-out beautiful. I love the depth of oceanic elements and the precision of these wines. I thought the 1997 was showing beautifully, but perhaps the 2002 crept ahead just a bit for my palate because of its slightly higher intensity and brightness. That said, I’d happily sip any of these bottles over the course of a weekend — with seafood, of course.

1995 Le “L” d'Or
A bit closed and muted at first but shows a lot of minerals, melon, chalk. Not too briny, moderately floral, similar to the 2002 in its structure, but with a bit less verve.

1997 Le “L” d’Or

Briny, focused, bright, tons of sour lemon, sea breeze, crusty jetty rocks. Creamy notes, slight honey, still plenty of life ahead. Up there with the 2002 for my favorite.

1999 Le “L” d’Or

Bright, a bit more seashells on this one, still an attractive creaminess, plenty of acid.

2002 Le “L” d’Or

A beautiful L d'Or, tons of cut and verve. Saline, chalk, intense and brisk with candied lemon, apricot, oyster shell and lots of potpourri and spice. So alive and bright, years ahead if cellared properly.

2005 Le “L” d’Or
Young but showing a ton of attractive elements. Chalky, floral, dried herbs, intensely oceanic. Great cut but creamy body, lots to unpack in the cellar.

I also had the chance to taste through several vintages of Pépière’s Clos des Briords. The 2008 was my favorite (and the oldest Briords I’ve yet to taste). Given how awesome these wines are in their youth, I really need to taste one with a decade or more of age, because I’m drooling just thinking of how well these could age.

2008 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
My favorite wine in this flight, perhaps of the night. Delicious, exotic, refined, full of complexity. So much chalk and minerals, but the green pear and apple fruit is still going, a creamy, richer aspect accents the acidity. Wonderful stuff, still seems to have years ahead.

2010 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
So brisk, briny, salty, full of lime and flowers. Intense, alive, nervy, but showing some refinement. I wish I had a half case of this to cellar and pop a bottle every year.

2012 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
A more bold and forward appeal (obviously, still tons of minerals, ocean spray and brine), but some orange, apple and candied lemon. Seems to be opening up, I'd love to try this again in two-to-four years.

2013 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Still really intense and young, full of salty, oceanic intensity. Not as plump as the 2012, but a lot of concentration and age-worthy potential. Very good stuff.

I didn’t taste through everything, and I didn’t take notes on everything I tasted, but I managed to scribble down some thoughts on a slew of other interesting Muscadets. Per usual, there was not a bad wine in the bunch.

1996 Chereau-Gunther Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Grande Cuvée Saint-Hilaire Château du Coing de St. Fiacre - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Super floral, honeysuckle, spice, some Riesling-like notes of oil and dried nuts. Still lively, but an attractive oily aspect. Very nice.

2002 Luneau-Papin / Domaine Pierre de la Grange Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Excelsior Clos des Noelles - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Probably the creamiest Muscadet in the bunch. Rich, almond, nougat, peaches, wax. Still crisp acid and full of mineral intensity, but a richness that is very attractive. Bold but beautiful.

2004 Jérémie Huchet & Jérémie Mourat Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Gorges - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Rich yet brisk, floral and alive, saline and honey line up perfectly. Aged characteristics of dried honey and herbs but still tons of freshness.

2005 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Trois - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Plump, full and yeasty, yet mineral-driven and full of tangy citrus and oceanic elements. Perhaps even more complex and effusive than when I tasted this in 2012.

2005 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Cuvée Eden - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Brisk, clean, yet floral and spicy. Peachy, lots of pears, seashells and spice notes. From magnum, still a ways to go.

2009 Chéreau-Carré Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Le Clos du Chateau l'Oiseliniere - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Crisp and tart, limes and sea shells, oceanic but light and perhaps a bit restrained. Quite nice, but perhaps it needs time?

2010 Jérémie Huchet & Jérémie Mourat Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson - Les Bêtes Curieuses - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Tangy, intense, chalky, lots of minerals and oyster shells yet maintains a fruity, suave appeal.

 

2010 Domaine Bruno Cormerais Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Granite de Clisson - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Elegant, so mineral-driven, lots of slate and saline. The lime, green pear and spice elements work well. Seems to be in prime drinking condition.

2010 Luneau-Papin / Domaine Pierre de la Grange Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Terre de Pierre Butte de la Roche - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Salty, clean, full of minerals, but a richer approach, leesy with some serious concentration. I’d hold this for three-to-eight.

MuscaDay 2013: Celebrating France’s Most Oceanic Wine

I’ve been bodyboarding for more than 20 years, and I’ve swallowed more than my share of salt water. I’ve collected tons of sea shells and coral and sand dollars, which still adorn my ocean-themed bathroom. And I’ve eaten every fruit de la mer that I’ve seen on a menu. When I was a toddler growing up on the Jersey Shore, my mother had to constantly stop me from picking up clear jellyfish and eating them. Basically, I’m saying that I love — make that “live for” — the ocean. All of my most cherished memories involve the ocean in one way or another.

And every time I sip a glass of good muscadet, the ocean comes back to me in waves. No wine in the world better captures the essence and the purity of the ocean than muscadet. (One could make an argument that Grand Cru Chablis does a damn good job as well, but we’re talking five to ten times the cost of a high-end muscadet). Salty brine, seaweed, sea shells, rocks, minerals… all these aromas and flavors abound in the juice of the humble melon de bourgogne grape (the variety that comprises all muscadet wines). Of course, muscadet offers much more than just ocean flavors: crunchy acid, creamy body, every variety of citrus and apple flavor, white flowers and more minerality than an Alpine stream.

 

Muscadet comes from the coastal region of northwest France.

I’ve written a lot about muscadet in the past because I write about what inspires me, and muscadet is an inspiring wine. So I was thrilled when some muscadet-collecting friends decided to throw MuscaDay 2013, a celebration of this zesty white. We all got together at a house in Washington, DC, and tasted through 20-something bottles of muscadet. The table was packed with all sorts of oysters (muscadet and oysters is one of my all-time favorite pairings), along snow crab legs, lobster tail, prawns, white crab meat and dipping sauces…

 

Like any wine from any region, the producer matters most. Luckily for us, MuscaDay 2013 featured some of the best winemakers in the region. We also covered a range of vintages (muscadet can age beautifully) as well as some of the most exciting single-vineyard wines in the region.

I was like a kid at the beach taking notes on these wines. My notes, broken down by producer, are below the fold...

A Blind Tasting of Rhone Varieties



The steep slope of Hermitage in France's Northern Rhone
Valley is the ancestral home of the syrah grape.

Ah, BYOB blind tasting, when everyone brings a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag and we all taste through them. I’m not competitive when it comes to wine, so it’s not like this tasting was a contest. Rather, it was a time to get together with other wine lovers, drink some unknown wines and make some guesses about what’s in the glass.

The theme was Rhone varieties, which, generally speaking, means roussanne, marsanne and viognier for whites and syrah, grenache, mourvedre, cinsault and petite sirah for reds. I tried to make a specific guess for each wine. Sometimes I was way off, sometimes I was close, and sometimes I nailed it. No matter how “good” or “bad” you do in a blind tasting, it’s always an educational and fun experience.

Here are some notes on some blind-tasted Rhone variety wines.

  

Whites

We started off the tasting with four solid white wines, each one better than the last. Sometimes Rhone whites are hard to distinguish, as my blind guesses prove.

2010 Jean-Michel Gerin Viognier Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes - France, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
Tasted blind. Bright yellow-gold color. Aromas of white peach, flowers, lemon peel, hints of mixed nuts. Bold on the palate with medium acid. Creamy honeysuckle and melon flavors mix with a waxy, almost oily aspect. Overall, quite nice, albeit not the most complex wine. Guess: Chateauneuf du Pape blanc. 87 points

2011 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange La Grange Daniel - France, Southern Rhône, Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange
Tasted blind. Bright straw color with thick legs. Big-time aromatic profile of green melon, peach and honeycomb. On the palate, the wine is big and full of flavor: honeycomb, circus peanut candy, lemon, backed up by fresh acid. Long finish. Quite nice. Guess: 2009 Northern Rhone roussanne. Turns out it’s a 100% roussanne from the Southern Rhone Valley. 88 points

2010 Denis et Didier Berthollier Vin de Savoie Chignin-Bergeron Un Cru Une Exception - France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie Chignin-Bergeron
Tasted blind. Light gold color with medium legs. Aromas of clover honey, candied nuts, yellow apple and apricot. The aromas are really complex. The palate is packed with plush fruit and balanced with superb acid. Flavors of green pear, lemon and apricot, hints of minerality. Long finish. Guess: 2008 Condrieu (which is made from 100% viognier). Turns out to be a roussanne from the lesser-known region of Savoie. I'm not sure I've ever had a Savoie roussanne, but I was quite impressed with this effort. 89 points

2011 Éric Texier Vin de Pays Opâle - France, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays
Tasted blind. Very light straw color, almost translucent. The wine smells like Tang mix, bright lemon-lime, then an herbal kick comes out on the end. Upon first taste: WTF? The wine is off-dry and it tastes like lemon zinger tea mixed with honey. Also flavors of crisp green apple, sweet peach and honey. It's almost riesling-like with its white peach and sweet nut flavors. The acid keeps it very fresh. I guessed this as a viognier made with residual sugar. Origin? I had no idea. Turns out these grapes are picked so ripe that they'd qualify for the auslese designation if they were grown in Germany. It's very low in alcohol, incredible easy to sip and not too sweet or cloying. Really nerdy stuff, but a lot of fun. And it gets serious science fair points for weirdness. 90 points

Reds

We had an interesting group of reds to taste through, both Old World and New. I was surprised no Chateauneufs were represented, but it was still a good mix of Rhone reds.

2009 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange La Grange Daniel - France, Southern Rhône, Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange
Tasted blind: Bright ruby-cherry color in the glass. Aromas of broiled meat, smoke, raspberries and plums. The palate shows flavors of smoke, plum skins, blackberries and graphite. Fine-grained tannins, a bit less than medium acid, but it's still balanced. Cranberry, meat and iron flavors linger on the finish. Guess: 2009 Southern Rhone grenache blend. Turns out this wine is a classic Southern Rhone blend of syrah, grenache and cinsault. I've tasted this wine about 18 months ago and didn't like it very much. Maybe it's the age, maybe it's bottle variation, but this wine was very nice. 88 points

2009 Jean-Michel Gerin Vin de Pays La Champine - France, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays
Tasted blind. Black-purple color in the glass. Aromas of black olive, potpourri, rose petals and cassis. Seductive, complex aromas. Grippy tannins on the palate, showing very young. Flavors of fig paste, charcoal, grilled herbs, olive paste and minerals. Guess: Northern Rhone syrah. I was impressed that this was only a Vin de Pays designation, as it drinks like a good St. Joseph. Jean-Michel Gerin does it again with this 100% syrah. 90 points

1995 Madrigal Petite Sirah - California, Napa Valley
Tasted blind, but I knew immediately that this was the wine I brought to the tasting. Brick red color in the glass. Strange/fun aromas of beef bouillon, pickles, incense and sweet, saucy strawberries and cherries. I was really surprised by the grip of the tannins, considering this petite sirah is 17 years old. Interesting mix of flavors: fig paste, white pepper, wet leaves and an herbal, almost vermouth-like kick on the finish. A few tasters poured this wine out immediately. Oh well, not everyone's as adventurous. Yes it's a weird wine, but I thought it was a lot of fun and a good example of how long well-made petite sirah can age. 87 points

2007 Summerland Grenache - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Tasted blind. Clear, bright ruby color in the glass. Aromas of sweet cassis, cola, a hint of herbs, and alcohol lingers on the nose. Silky tannins on the palate and low-to-medium acid. Flavors of strawberries, cherry jam, cola and a hint of fig. Toasty oak is slathered on top of the jammy fruit. This was so sweet, bright and full of alcohol that it just screamed Paso Robles grenache to me, which was my guess. Nailed it, but I'm not the biggest fan of this flavor profile, especially the pronounced oak and alcohol. 83 points

2010 Bricco Dei Tati (Lodali) Cortese del Piemonte - Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Cortese del Piemonte
Tasted blind. Bright cherry color. Aromas of purple Laffy Taffy mixed with herbs... hmmm... strange. Hints of pencil shavings as well. The palate shows lots of cherry jam and some peppery spice. Light tannins provide little backbone for the cranberry and raspberry jam flavors. In a Rhone variety tasting this was the ringer, and it stuck out like crazy. Guess: cheap California pinot. Turns out to be a barbera from Piedmont. 85 points

2009 Domaine La Bastide Syrah Vin de Pays d'Hauterive - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Hauterive
Tasted blind: Dark ruby color. Aromas of red and black plums, pepper and anise. Medium tannins on the palate, with a kiss of oak to round out the raspberry and plum flavors. Mocha lingers on the finish. I guessed this as a Sonoma syrah based on its dark fruit profile and the use of oak, but was happy to see it was Domaine La Bastide. I've had this wine before and enjoyed it, especially for $12. Great bargain. 86 points

2010 Fausse Piste Syrah Garde Manger - USA, Oregon/Washington
Tasted blind. Medium purple color. Aromas of brambly fruit, plums, raspberries and violets. With time, some real meaty aromas came out. On the palate, this wine is full of grippy tannins, pure berry fruit and lots of spices. With time, some more meaty characteristics came out, like sweet barbequed pork or something. Quite delicious. Pure and vibrant cassis and raspberry fruit, along with graphite and earth. Very nice syrah. Long finish. Guess: Mendocino syrah. This 100% syrah is a blend from the following vineyards in Washington and Oregon: Outlook (Rattlesnake Hills, WA), Ambassador (Red Mountain, WA), Marcoux (Red Willow/Yakima), Elephant Mountain (Yakima) and Riverrock (Walla Walla, OR). 91 points

Palate Cleanser

After all those big reds, we opened a palate-cleansing muscadet. I never get tired of well-aged, classic-style muscadet, and this is one of the best muscadets I've had all year.

1999 Chereau-Gunther Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Comte de St. Hubert Château du Coing de St. Fiacre - France, Loire Valley, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Wow, what an incredible muscadet. This was aged on the yeasts for a decade, and this wine has the depth and complexity to prove it. Aromas of lemon cake, orange rind, minerals, sea shells and peanut shell. The palate is creamy and deep, but incredibly fresh at the same time. I love the tangerine-lemon flavors, and limestone, crushed sea shells and slate rock add all sorts of complexity. Like an aged Chablis, this wine is pure, delicious and full of sea flavors. Delicious now, but this could age for another five-to-ten years, easily. Very impressive. Tasted non-blind. 91 points 

Donelan Wines from Sonoma

After the brown-bagged wines were revealed, I tasted some samples that the owner of Donelan had left behind. This was my first time tasting wine from this producer. Overall, they're a little too pricey for the quality, but they seem to be decent wines. The Cuvee Moriah is really nice.

2011 Donelan Chardonnay Nancie - California, Sonoma Coast
Big-time aromatics of butter, oak, yellow apple and apricot. The palate is really rich, with flavors of lemon peel, butternut squash and toasted oak. It's got enough acid to keep it balanced, and a rounded mouthfeel from the oak. For me, the oak is too much, and it hinders this wine because there's just not enough fruit to balance out the oak. Still, enjoyable to sip, and it's got some very likeable elements. 84 points

2010 Donelan Cuvée Moriah - California, Sonoma County
I wasn't too enthralled by Donelan's other wines, but this one stood tall and demanded respect. Sweet cherries, incense, smoke and roasted meat on the nose. The palate is full of sweet cherries, cassis, but it's balanced by grilled herb, pepper and smoke. Seriously grippy tannins. This could use four or five years in the cellar, but it's an excellent example of Sonoma red Rhone blends. 54% grenache, 26% syrah and 20% mourvedre, half of which was whole-cluster fermented. 90 points

2009 Donelan Syrah Cuvée Christine - California, Sonoma County
Aromas of plums, blackberries and BBQ sauce. The palate is dense and full, with massive fruit and tannins. I like the smoke, tar and meaty aspects that add complexity to the rich dark fruit. Wow, the tannins are really dense. This needs some time, but it's a fun wine. 88 points

2009 Donelan Syrah Walker Vine Hill - California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
I like this wine but I'm not swooning over it. This syrah is just too primal for me right now. Maybe in a few years it'll show better. Aromas of figs and raisins. The palate is like blackberry sauce and coffee grinds. A bit of sweetness to the black fruit. Saucy. Too much exctracted fruit and chocolate to be really exquisite. The density of the finish makes me think this wine will benefit from at least three-to-five years in the cellar, maybe even ten. Good stuff, but it needs to show more to justify its $40+ price point. 87 points 

A Weekend of <$25 Wines

I taste a lot of wine, and inevitably I come across some disappointmenting bottles. This weekend contained no such wines. I tasted a slew of mostly old world wines at home and with some wine nerd buddies at Weygandt Wines this weekend. Bacchus was with us, because every bottle had something to show me. When you keep an open mind, taste everything, you find some goodies.

By the way, an added bonus: all of these wines were purchased at or retail for less than $25.

Whites

2010 Domaine les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône Blanc Clementia - France, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Pretty peach-gold color in the glass. At first, not much going on here aromatically. Yellow apple and honey, some white flowers. It opened up with about an hour. On the palate, the first thing I notice about this wine is its ripeness, lots of cantaloupe melon, yellow apple and a hint of apricot. There’s enough acid to balance the ripe fruit, and it’s not goopy. But it is not a lean wine. Some nutty and buttery notes add complexity and weight. This wine makes me crave chicken alfredo or linguini with white clam sauce, something rich that could stand up to this wine’s boldness. A blend of equal parts roussanne and viognier with about 10% clairette. 86 points

2008 Weingut Dr. Siemens Serriger Würtzberg Riesling Kabinett feinherb - Germany, Mosel Bright gold color in the glass. On the nose, this is classic Mosel riesling, but it also does its own thing. Lots of green apple and lime aromas mix with clover honey, nougat and a whiff of oil. On the palate, I really like where this wine is in its evolution. Acid attacks and sticks around the entire time, providing a laser-like backbone. The fruit flavors are refined and sexy: lime, Granny Smith apple, papaya, a hint of quince. The minerality in this wine is really kicking, like mountain stream water and slate rock. Combined with the acid, it’s almost like a tickling sensation on the palate. This wine is tangy, zesty, but showing signs of maturity in the hints of nougat, honeycomb and lemon oil. Delicious stuff, especially for the price. As with most rieslings I drink, I want to taste this again in five years.  91 points

1997 Christine Woods Chardonnay Estate Reserve - California, Mendocino County, Anderson Valley
The label, capsule and cork were in pristine condition, like this wine was newly released as opposed to 15 years old. Medium gold color in the glass with thin legs. Interesting aromas, predominantly orange rind, lemon zest and hazelnut. Pretty aromas, demonstrating that this wine is by no means dead or dying, and surprisingly not oxidized. Lots of lemon curd and baked apples on the palate, along with a flavor that is a dead ringer for boiled peanuts. It tastes smooth and nutty, slightly sherry-like from age. A bit of toast accents the fruit, but it’s so subtle. What I like is the kick of acid that sticks around throughout. There’s a waxiness and mineral aspect that reminds me a bit of chenin blanc, believe it or not. Apple sauce notes linger on the finish. The 12% alcohol means this wine is quite light on its feet, which I really enjoy. (Why don’t many people make 12% alcohol California chardonnays anymore?)  It’s a really fun wine that was probably meant to be consumed ten years ago. But, hey, it’s still going. Considering my expectations were extremely low, I ended up enjoying this wine. I brought it for some friends, and they all commented that it was still youthful. 87 points

2010 Domaine Michel Juillot Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy
Aromatically, this is the picture of freshness: green apple, lemon, white flowers and honeysuckle aromas. Lots of acid on the palate, flavors of lemon-lime, a hint of grapefruit, and a kick of minerals. This is such a pure chardonnay, with a tingly finish. Yum. 87 points

2005 Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Semper Excelsior - France, Loire Valley, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
I tasted this blind and its minerality, high acid and creaminess led me to guess it was a 2010 Chablis. Bright yellow-straw color. Aromas of green apple, whipped cream, sweet tarts and slate. Very tangy on the palate, with a streak of minerals and lime. Very precise and focused. I was very surprised to see this was from 2005, as it tastes incredibly young. It really reminds me of a young Chablis. It's frankly beautiful, and I'd love to try this again in five years. 90 points

2010 Domaine de l'Ecu (Guy Bossard) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Expression d'Orthogneiss - France, Loire Valley, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Light straw color. Lots of tropical fruit on the nose, papaya, mango and honey, but somehow it's still really bright. Super creamy on the palate with intense acid. Lots of body, but tons of minerals and acid for balance. A very impressive muscadet that would be great to taste again in ten years. Tasted blind, guessed it as a 2009 muscadet. 89+ points

Reds

2011 Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly - France, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly
Vibrant cherry-ruby color. Bright aromas of black cherries, dark loamy soils, hints of bitter chocolate. The palate has a lot of tangy acid, along with grippy tannins. Flavors of pure cherries, minerals, cocoa and graphite. It's very complex and could age for ten years easily. Solid stuff! Daniel Bouland is a master with the gamay grape. 89 points

2010 Jacques Puffeney Trousseau Arbois - France, Jura, Arbois
I tasted this blind and guessed it only as a Jura red. It just has that Jura red mystique: the light cherry color in the glass; aromas of sour cherries, cranberry, white pepper and raspberry bushes, a hint of black tea. The palate is really tangy with lots of minerality. Fine-grained tannins combine for an almost mouth-puckering feeling, reminiscent of a 2008 Burgundy. A hint of soy and herb lingers on the finish. Gorgeous, and I imagine this will be even better in two years or so. 90 points

2010 Château Des Roques Vacqueyras - France, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
This is a more restrained and elegant wine than the 2009, and it's frankly one of the best bargains I've seen in a long time. Dark cherry colored. Blackberries, fig paste, hints of braised meat on the nose. The palate is pure silk. Fresh cherries, blackberries and cranberries glide in on a wave of acid and fine tannins. Notes of pepper, cocoa and minerals linger on the finish. This would be beautiful with a pot roast. 88 points

More Muscadet

If you don't know muscadet, you're missing out. Grown in the western part of France's Loire Valley and made from the relatively unknown white melon de bourgogne grape, muscadet offers some of the best bang-for-your-buck white wines anywhere in the world. The wines frequently feature laser-like acid, green apple and citrus fruit and a distinct sense of minerality. At their best, muscadets have an uncanny ability to translate sea breeze, salt water and sea shells into a glass. And as someone who grew up on the beach, there's not much more I can ask of a white wine.

Because of the insane heat wave we've been getting here on the East Coast, I find myself looking more than ever to muscadet for refreshment. Last week I opened a very modestly-priced bottle ($12 at Weygandt Wines!) and experienced just that. The 2011 Domaine de Beauregard (Laurent Gregoire) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie. It showed aromas of sweet peach, sea breeze and chalk. The palate is light and tangy, with lime zest and green apple flavors. There's not as much creaminess in this wine as I get from other sur lie wines (which spend some time on the yeasts), but it's by no means a thin wine. There's a nice canned peach flavor as well. It's not the most complex wine, but if you're in the mood for a salad or oysters on a hot summer evening, you could do a hell of a lot worse. I gave it 83 points.

If you've tried a muscadet recently, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

A Blind Tasting of Loire Wines

I love blind tasting wines with good friends. We always end up having great discussions, bouncing guesses off of each other, debating, thinking... drinking. The theme for this blind tasting was "Loire varieties," meaning the wines could come from the Loire Valley in France, or they could be grown elsewhere but made from Loire varieties (chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc, melon de bourgogne). Except for the few noted wines, these were all tasted blind, and I wrote down my scores and guesses before the wines were unveiled. There were some seriously crazy wines in this tasting, but also a lot of straight-up delicious ones. This event served as yet another reminder of why I love wines from the Loire. They're so versatile, so full of unique flavors and minerality. And the New World versions did pretty well, too.

Notes...

Whites and a Rosé

2011 Marc Plouzeau Sauvignon Touraine "Les Devants de la Bonnelière" - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
Very pale color in the glass. Big nose of flowers, lemons, minerals and sea shells. The palate shows tart lemons, lots of minerals and focused acid. It's very precise, with solid length on the finish. Tasted blind, guess: 2010 Sancerre. I was happy to see this was a Marc Plouzeau, as I've been a fan of his wines. This is a great summer bargain, and as my guess showed, it performs well above its price point. (88 pts.)

2010 Domaine des Aubuisières Vouvray Cuvée de Silex - France, Loire Valley, Vouvray
Aromas of oil, apricot, a bit of nuts, and some herbs (sage?). The palate starts off quite rich, with lots of peach. It transitions from tangy lime and margarita to minerals. There's a thickness to the palate (higher alcohol?), but the acid keeps it balanced. Guess: South African chenin blanc. (85 pts.)

2011 Clos Roche Blanche Pineau d'Aunis Touraine Rosé - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
I tasted this blind and as soon as I took a whiff, I knew it was from Clos Roche Blanche. There's an earthiness, a natural, dirty component to all of this producer's wines, and I recognized it right away. It shows a pretty light salmon color in the glass. On first pour, this wine smells like musk, pepper and wild strawberries. Over time it opened up to show cinammon candy, dried leaves and a hippie incense sticks. The aromas are complex and volatile, shifting with time and air. The palate shows zippy acid, and the flavors explode with tobacco, dandelion greens and minerals. This wine is insane. I give it serious crazy points, but I also really enjoyed drinking it. (90 pts.)

2009 Domaine de l'Ecu (Guy Bossard) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine "Expression de Gneiss" - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Aromas of oil, dried pear, lemon and a bit of wax. The palate starts of smooth and plump with green apple fruit and lemons, then transitions to a real zingy acid. Flavors of lemon and a hint of herbs made me think sauvignon blanc. Tasted blind, my guesses for this were all over the place, but I finally guessed this as a Northern Italian sauvignon blanc. Turns out this is a really unique muscadet with a range of interesting flavors. Solid stuff. (87 pts.)

2005 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine "Trois" - France, Loire Valley, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Medium yellow color with thick legs. Some sweet apricot and honey on the nose, underlined with some lemon zest and citrus. I also get a really yeasty aroma, almost like a Champagne. The palate starts of big and full, with apricot, lemon rind and grapefruit flavors. There's a solid dose of acid and a streak of minerals. Sea shells and salt carry the finish, which is long and delicious. Tasted blind, I guessed this as a muscadet that spent some serious time on the lees. It's not as precise and steely as some of Pépière's other muscadets, and it's quite rich, but it's undeniably delicious. This wine has the stuffing to age another five years at least. (90 pts.)

2007 Celler Escoda-Sanahuja Conca de Barberà "Els Bassots" - Spain, Catalunya, Conca de Barberà
What an absolutely insane wine. The only thing remotely comparable to this wine is chardonnay from the Jura, but this wine is crazier than any Jura wine I've had. It's unfiltered for sure, showing a smoky apricot color in the glass. Right out of the bottle this wine reeks of cheese rind, campfire, charred peanuts and wax. It smells like it was fermented in one of those ancient open-topped cement containers. On the palate, this wine is even weirder. Very tangy acid, which I like. Flavors of roasted nuts, english breakfast tea and onion grass. No joke, this wine is a medley of bizarre flavors. I tasted this blind, and knew it was some sort of crazy natural chenin blanc. Go figure, it's from Spain. It's almost like a Nicolas Joly, but with a bit less nerve. Thanks, Brett, for bringing this. It's a wine for the open-minded, experimental palate, but I can understand how a lot of people would simply pour out this wine. Some of the tasters did just that. (88 pts.)

2009 Domanine Bonnet-Huteau Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes "Goulaine" - France, Loire Valley, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
This wine was not tasted blind, but I like to think I would've guessed it as a muscadet because it's just so classic. Aromas of lemon-lime, sea shells, white flowers and a bit of potpourri. The palate is zippy with acid, showing lots of lemons, melon rind and even a bit of pineapple. Focused, mineral-driven, yet creamy at the same time. Gorgeous finish of limestone and sea salt. This wine will improve with a few years, but it's so clean and refreshing right now. (89 pts.)

2008 Cullen Wines Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon Cullen Vineyard - Australia, Western Australia, Margaret River
Almost clear straw color in the glass. Aromas of almonds, creme brulee and a bit of musk. The palate starts of plump with green apple and pear fruit, then a rush of lemon zinger tea and herbal greens sweeps in. Searing acid on this wine, but its complemented by an oily finish. Tasted blind, I had a really hard time figuring out what the hell kind of wine this was, but I ended up guessing a new world chenin blanc. Thanks, J, for always bringing really cool Australian wines to our tastings. (88 pts.)

This has been one of my favorite dessert wines, year-in,
year-out. It beats a lot of Sauternes at three times the price.

2004 Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon "Clos de Sainte Catherine" - France, Loire Valley, Coteaux du Layon
Gorgeous apricot honey color in the glass with big legs. The aromas are so sexy: apricot, white peach, some lemon oil. With time the wine showed more wax and floral aromas. The palate starts off thick and creamy with lots of apricot, peanuts, orange rind and a dose of brisk lemon. With time the acid came out more, balancing the flavors, but this is definitely a rich and luscious wine. Lovely lemon candle and sweet apricot on the finish. This was the wine I brought and I was really pleased with the way it showed. I'd love to taste this again in 10 years because it has so much complexity to unpack. (92 pts.)

Tasting Virginia's "Best" Wines

Let me get one thing straight: I’m not here to slam Virginia wines. There are many solid viogniers and chardonnays, and some decent red blends coming from all across the state. I am ocassionally surprised by the state's adopted red, cabernet franc, and I've been impressed by lesser-known red varieties like norton, tannat and nebbiolo. I love Virginia so much I’m even planting my own vineyard on my parents’ property in Appomattox County. There's a lot for a wino to like in Virginia, but the quality is so variable, and so many of the wines are downright terrible, that drinking Virginia wines is like playing Russian roulette with your palate.

The Governor’s Cup is an annual wine tasting competition that is supposed to highlight the best Virginia wines. Hundreds of wines are submitted and tasted by a panel of judges, who rate each wine according to the 100-point scale: 95-100 is classic (among the best in the world); 90-94 is outstanding (of superior character and style); 85-89 is very good (a wine with special qualities); 80-84 is good (a well-made wine of good quality); 75-79 is average (a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws); and 50-74 is not recommended. Below 50, I guess it’s not really a wine. Whatever flaws and contradictions are inherent in this scoring system (and there are many), it does offer a framework through which we can analyze different wines, taking into account all their different attributes, and place them along a continuum of quality. It’s not perfect, but it can be useful.  

Apparently, any wine that got a gold medal this year received an average score of at least 90 points. I was curious to see whether these wines were as good as they were alleged to be. Well, thanks to my friends at Terroirist, a daily wine blog, I got to taste through all of the Virginia wines that got gold medal awards at the 2012 Governor’s Cup. (Here’s the full list of medal-winning wines from Virginia.) I took some notes and scored each wine according to the same 100-point scale that the judges used. To say I disagree with the Governor's Cup judges on these wines is a bit of an understatement.

Here’s my take on these gold medal wines…
(Note: there are several European wines that we snuck in because... well... we needed some diversity.)

2008 Trump Winery Blanc de Blancs Kluge SP - Virginia, Albemarle County

The new Trump Winery in Virginia, like everything Trump touches, has received a lot of fan-fare. I'm sure the winery is as classy as Donald's hair, but forgive me if I was a bit skeptical about the juice in the bottle. This 100 percent chardonnay sparkler was my first taste from Trump, and I'll admit... I was impressed. It did have quite a reticent nose of lemon-lime, some chalk. The palate shows tangy acid and green apple fruit. The bubbles seem a bit weak, and I wanted more power, but overall this is a nice sparkling wine. It's by no means a steal at $28, but that's Trump for ya. (86 pts.)

2010 White Hall Vineyards Gewürztraminer - Virginia, Monticello
Aromas: sweet lychee fruit, mixed nuts, white grapes. Rich and oily on the palate, almost like green grape jelly. There's some sweetness here, and lots of chunky tropical fruit, but also some white pepper and spice to keep it interesting. It's hard to get too excited about a gewurz that doesn't have any of the mineral flavors I love in wines from Alsace, for example. This needs more acid or some minerals to balance the sweetness and thickness of the fruit. Still, this is an impressive effort. (83 pts.)

2010 Tarara Winery Viognier Honah Lee - Virginia, Loudoun County
Wow, I can't believe this wine got a "gold medal." It's unbearable. Aromas of white grapes, oil and marmalade. The palate tastes bitter, like someone crushed grape seeds in with the fruit. And the alcohol clocks in at 15.5%, which gives this wine the feel of a bizarre cocktail gone wrong. The fruit is bitter and the alcohol overbearing. How someone could vote to give this wine a gold medal is beyond me. It's quite miraculous to taste a wine this bad that doesn't have a specific chemical flaw. It's like they set out to create the worst wine possible. A good half-dozen people tasted this wine with me and not one of them wanted to finish a glass. (60 pts.)

2009 Linden Chardonnay Hardscrabble - Virginia, Northern Region
My long-time wine buddy Brett snuck this "silver medal" winner into the tasting, as he's a big fan of Linden. Drinking this wine, I couldn't help but think: who the hell are these judges and why didn't they give this wine a gold? This chardonnay is well-made, delicious, and truly deserving of a 90-point rating. Aromas of green apple, white flowers and fresh pear. Lots of gummi fruit flavors, white peach and green apple on the palate, balanced by solid acid. It got better with two hours being open, and could age for several years at least. It's Virginia chardonnays like this make me wonder why so many winemakers choose red over whites in the state. Still, it gives me hope for the state's white wines. (90 pts.)

2010 Keswick Vineyards Merlot - Virginia, Monticello
The first red of the tasting didn't set a good precedent. It smells like sweet cassis, oak and cherry jam. The palate is full of sweet fruit, lots of grippy oak, giving it the overall feel of spiked grape jam. Cough syrup lingers on the finish. Ugg. (71 pts.)

2008 King Family Vineyards Meritage - Virginia, Monticello
Okay, now we're dealing with a legit Virginia red wine. It smells like dessert: cherry pie, cheesecake topping and black cherries. It's quite lovely on the nose. The palate shows grippy tannins, sweet cassis, and a distinct note of iron. It's very Napa-esque, but even a bit sweeter. This wine had the most petit verdot in it, which could contribute to that extra weight and grip that a lot of the other reds were lacking. It's a good wine, but when I heard it was $70+, I thought... no friggin' way. (87 pts.)

2010 Jefferson Vineyards Cabernet Franc - Virginia, Monticello
Aromas of sweet cherries, musk, tobacco and some old barn. The palate is sweet with cherry fruit and oak. This wine is mouth-coating, and it tastes sweaty. Not sweet, sweaty. There is absolutely no acid. To be honest, this wine is a total mess, and it's nowhere near Virgnia's best example of cabernet franc. (70 pts.)


Palate Cleanser
At this point in the tasting I needed a muscadet to cleanse my palate of some of that lingering sweet, oaky taste.

1999 Domaine Pierre de la Grange (Luneau-Papin) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Le "L" d'Or - France, Loire Valley, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Nothing cleanses the palate like a muscadet from Luneau-Papin. Aromas of lemon zest, with aged aromas of peanut brittle and hints of sherry. The palate is plump with apricot and lemon fruit, but the minerals and acid are still there for balance. Sweet apricot and butter linger on the finish. (88 pts.)

Virginia's Big Reds
A lot of these reds weren't just disappointing, they were flat-out terrible. Overall, most of them tasted startlingly similar, showing sweet red fruit, bizarre flavors, too much oak and bitter tannins.

2009 Keswick Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve - Virginia, Albemarle County
Thick aromas of black cherries and figs. The palate is too rich, with sweet figs and cherries, overwhelmed by lots of oak. Again, no acid whatsoever. Too goopy to enjoy. (69 pts.)

2010 Veritas Vineyard Vintner's Reserve - Virginia, Monticello
After a lot of crummy Virginia reds, this one was actually good. Sweet cherries and leather on the nose. Plummy on the palate with smooth tannins, some sweet and savory aspects. Almost Napa-cab like. Not thrilling, but much better than a lot of the other red blends. (85 pts.)

2009 Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery Richland Reserve Heritage - Virginia, Albemarle County
Aromas of sweet rhubarb pie and toasted oak. Sweet and baked on the palate, with fig and gritty coffee. The theme here is sweetness. At this point, I really wanted a Virginia red that wasn't laced with unfermented sugar. (76 pts.)

2009 Glen Manor Vineyards Hodder Hill - Virginia, Shenandoah Valley
Sweet black cherries on the nose, figs as well. Sweet, again, on the palate with lots of fig and chocolate. Very baked-tasting, almost like cough syrup and chocolate. Overdone. Some at the tasting liked this wine, but I found it out of balance. (75 pts.)

2010 Bluestone Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - Virginia, Shenandoah Valley
Cassis jam and caramel on the nose. Not as thick as some of the other reds in the tasting, which was nice. Flavors of grilled plums are a bit awkward. Not good, but not terrible either. (74 pts.)

2007 Delfosse Vineyards and Winery Meritage - USA, Virginia, Central Region, Monticello
The last Virginia wine in the tasting was actually good. Ripe gushers candy on the nose, along with raspberry jam. The palate is like strawberries, sugar cane and pancake syrup. It's sweet, but somehow still fresh and quite pleasant. This wine showed more acid than most of the others. (81 pts.)


Non-Virginia Wines
After all that sweet, hot mess of wines, it was time for something more Old World...

2011 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - France, Provence
Pale copper color. Aromas of gooseberry, honeydew melon, and a sauvignon-blanc-like grassy, peppery aroma. Lots of cut on the palate, but also nice creaminess. Watermelon, strawberry mix with chives and pepper. Lovely stuff with a great crisp finish. This wine was perfect after a bunch of those overdone Virginia reds. (90 pts.)

2010 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux - France, Burgundy, Chablis 1er Cru
Bright yellow color. Aromas of white grapefruit, seaweed, and minerals. With some time, I picked up some sage and herbs, which was really nice. Tons of acid on the palate, which I love. Creamy yellow apple fruit, grapefruit, green apple, accented with sea salt and a bit of brine. Delicious stuff that will continue to improve for a long time. I love the ocean-like qualities of chardonnay from the Butteaux vineyard, and this is a great example. (91 pts.)

2008 Domaine Pascal Cotat (Pascal & Francis) Sancerre Chavignol - France, Loire Valley, Sancerre
Jeremy brought this wine and poured it blind. He had us all guessing, because this is such a strange wine. Light copper colored. A bit of oxidized aromas, but not too much. Some white peach and stone aroams. The palate shows tangy acid and an interesting combination of flavors: honeycomb, strawberry, yellow apple and pumpkin seeds. There's a lot of limestone and quinine in this wine as well. Acid carries the finish. I like this wine, but it's also quite strange. Maybe a good salad wine? (86 pts.)

2008 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Bourgogne - France, Burgundy
Soft burgundy colored. Aromas of sour cherries, beef broth and celery seed. The palate shows searing acid, tart fruit and brisk minerals. Also, flavors of green olive, tomatoe paste and beef broth. Interesting wine, definitely on the austere end of the spectrum. This wine shows those earthy flavors and ripping acid of the 2008 vintage, but in a light and fresh package. (88 pts.)

2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon - France, Loire Valley, Chinon
Smoky aromas, also some green olive and soy sauce. Very young, right out of the bottle, it really needs time to breathe. The palate shows gritty tannins, dark cherry fruit, as well as beef broth and some bay leaf. Very complex and delicious, but it really needs some time. (88 pts.)