Tasting Session with Langdon Shiverick Portfolio

Yesterday was a sad day for me, because I lost my grandfather on my father side. Although, something needs to be said, he just turned 100 years old last December. Yet, he had a pretty good run all these years and lasted in pretty good health until the end. I think that's beautiful. Quite incredible in fact, considering all the things that he has been through and more especially the overall evolution of mankind since 1910. What a Journey! It must have been mesmerizing. Rest in Peace Papa André. You've been loved and we'll miss you.

Which makes me think that life should be plentiful and joyful, lived with respect, emotion and passion, but with no remorse, no regret or rancor, especially when you see what is happening in the world these days. Therefore, aside of writing an entire post about a winery or a wine or a region, I will from now on also write some of my Tasting Sessions with certain suppliers. It will be easier for me to talk and share with you about more wines, without necessarily developing so much about the winery, producer, etc...

Most of my Tasting Sessions notes are usually short and straight to the point as they reflect my initial thoughts and impressions about the tasted wines, and are not put into complete sentences (like my regular posts), as it is usually impossible during the tasting itself to write in sentences. Reading this Tasting Session will be like if you were in my head, with me, during the tasting.

Also, like for my usual posts, I will only write about the wines that I loved during the tasting. No point to talk about the others, as the point of my blog is not to criticize or point finger, but to convey a positive message and relay the work of the producers and, with the longer posts, give you informative details about the wines, wineries and their Terroir of Origin (location, geography, history, climate, soil, exposure, grape varieties, etc..).

It has been a long time since I've tasted the wines from Langdon Shiverick, but my rep. (Rachel) came the other day with 7 wines and I was pleasantly surprised by 3 of them. One of them was Rijckaert, one of the classic Jura wineries, and I was glad to taste it again.


Here are the wines:

2009 Domaine Rijckaert Chardonnay Jura France
Suggested retail price $18-$21
Imported / distributed by Langdon Shiverick in NYC

Clean, bright, crispy on the nose. Bright minerality, excellent texture, Chablis-like mouth-feel, crispy, very focus and refreshing. I love it as always. Very well crafted. Lovely, long, cleansing and mineral, citrusy finish. Tart in a good way.

2008 Alex Mathur "Dionys" Montlouis Blanc Demi-sec Loire Valley France
Suggested retail price $22-$25
 Imported / distributed by Langdon Shiverick in NYC

Lovely nose, floral, mineral, white fruit, blossom. Excellent texture and length, captivating acidity. Beautifully crafted. Citrusy, yellow fruit, peach on the finish. Love it.

2008 Les Chais du Vieux Bourg Poulsard Cotes du Jura Red France

Suggested retail price $33-$36

Imported / distributed by Langdon Shiverick in NYC

Very intriguing color somewhere between orange and garnet. Ham Iberico, dark aged prune, fig, nut, very complex and enticing nose. Earthy, bright, crisp, lovely, delicate texture, with cranberry and red cherry flavors intermingled with more Iberico ham and nutty hints. Different. A bit light. Esoteric, somewhat unusual, not your everyday stuff. Love it. Love Jura wines.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin



Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

Tasting Session with VIAS Imports: Italian and Argentinean wines

Tasting Session with Donato from VIAS Imports: Italian and Argentinean wines

Donato (from VIAS Imports Ltd.) came to the store with 6 wines: 3 whites and 3 reds. I like the guy: nice, easy, gentle, courteous, respectful, polite, understanding and somewhat reserved, or humble should I say, a good guy to have around with rare qualities compared to many other salesman out there.

Here are the wines that we tasted:

2008 Castelvero Cortese (white) Piedmonte Asti Italy
Suggested retail price $8-$11
Imported / Distributed by VIAS Imports in NYC

Super light, very clean, almost watery, pale yellow color with greenish reflects. The nose is clean, fresh, lemony, green apple aromas with mineral, white flowers and white unripe peach notes. A bit steely. The palate is also very clean and bright, almost too light, with flavors of green apple, lime, lemon zest, white fruit and mineral notes. The finish is very dry, crisp, bright, slightly green with white pepper sensation due to the acidity and (again) a touch steely... Overall, not bad but too light (for my palate and in my opinion) with not enough stuffing and way too dry in the finish.. I'm not so sure if steely is the right word, but it is the one that came to my mind while I was tasting the wine. Ok not great, too dry may be and too light.


2007 Cantele "Alticelli" Fiano Salento IGT Italy
Suggested retail price $10-$15
Imported / Distributed by VIAS Imports in NYC

In the glass, it exposes a light, pale yellow color with slight golden reflects. The nose expresses aromas of unripe yellow apple, white peach, somewhat restrain or not as expressive at first, but opening nicely after a couple of minutes in the glass. The palate is definitely crispier than the usual Fiano (di Avellino) from Campania, which is weird because this wine come from Puglia which normally makes richer, riper wines. Although, the only explication is that the Salento peninsula which represents the south-eastern extremity of Puglia, is a rock of limestone dividing the Adriatic from the Ionian Sea, known also as "peninsula salentina", with slightly cooler climate than the inland part of Puglia. The different seas associated with the limestone soils providing a more temperate climate, slightly cooler terroir therefore fresher whites but also reds wines. The palate is very bright, with great acidity and nice balance, with a citrusy, limey enjoyable finish. Nice and fresh, clean and very agreeable, not as rounded as a Fiano (di avellino) but still expands nicely with the characteristic way of coating the palate of the Fiano grape.


2008 Gougenheim Torrontès Valle Escondido Mendoza Argentina
Suggested retail price $9-$12
Imported / Distributed by VIAS Imports in NYC

Behind its light yellow color with pale golden reflects, the 2008 Gougenheim Torrontès reveals a very attractive nose combining aromas of ripe white peach, apricot, melon in a clean, fresh and inviting way. The palate shows very good balance overall with clean white and orange fruit flavors, refreshing acidity and mineral touch, with a crisp, dry finish. Lovely, not the most complex yet well made and very enjoyable. It will be a great everyday sipper as an aperitif.


2007 Fattoria del Cerro Chianti Colli Senesi Tuscany Italy
Suggested retail price $9-$12
Imported / Distributed by VIAS Imports in NYC

Light, clean ruby color, quite attractive in the glass. Nice aspect. The expressive, fruity nose offering aromas of ripe red and dark cherry, violet and other floral hints is quite fragrant and inviting. After the great, juicy, fruity attack, the mid-palate develops flavors of ripe dark and red cherry intermingled with spices, lifted by high acidity but unfortunately finishes with green tannins, touch vegetal, slight bitterness. Overall ok, yet there are 2 schools for this kind of situation: or like it and you think that the tannins are part of the classical taste for this traditional Chianti Colli Senesi and that it is surely food friendly and the tannins will dissipate with the food; or you dislike it, because of the green tannins and think that even the food will not hide anything. Well, you will be the only judge of that. All I can say is that for the price, it isn't bad but it enter a price range where one can find slightly better.




2008 Corte dei Papi "Colle Ticchio" Cesanese del Piglio DOCG Italy
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported / Distributed by VIAS Imports in NYC

Made from the nearly instinct grape variety Cesanese del Piglio (Piglio is a village in the Province of Frosinone, region of Lazio, located about 50 km east of Rome), never really used since the 18th century yet recently replanted and revived in the region of Lazio, this wine was a nice little surprise in this little tasting, quite light and unusual, but nice overall. In the glass, the color is bright ruby red, with good intensity. Very fragrant with earthy notes, the nose displays bright red berry aromas with mineral, violet and earthy spicy hints. After a great juicy attack, the light and earthy palate combined Terroir oriented, slightly rustic red "dirty" cherry flavors. The mid-palate has high acidity and slight esoteric, rustic and earthy notes. The overall wine profile is light and dry with a lot of spices, earth and pepper. Somewhat usual, definitely not your everyday wine yet quite interesting in my opinion. Perfect for the mid-season like Fall, with aromatic and flavorful grilled or baked red meat, venison, wild boar.



2008 Gougenheim malbec Valle Escondido Mendoza Argentina
Suggested retail store $9-$12
Imported / Distributed by VIAS Imports in NYC

Gougenheim has always been a standard and a benchmark amongst all the Malbec(s) that we have on the shelves. Quite dark and intense in the glass, this wine is pretty good, generous, ripe, opulent and earthy, with sweet tannins. Only hiccup: a slight touch of alcohol in the back palate yet nothing disturbing. Not as polished as the 2007 vintage which was great, especially for the price, and not a fresh as the 2006 vintage which had a bit more acidity, but overall, this juicy, meaty wine will please the amateurs of Malbec and rich wines in general. The Fall-Wintery profile of this wine makes it perfect for grilled meat and BBQ, ideal for a warm Indian summer.

Enjoy!

LeDom Du Vin!

Step into the Green! Drink more Bio and Organic wines (and food) from sustainable cultures and respect the environment!

Tasting Session: Skurnik (02/05/09)

All the following wines were tasted at the store on Thursday February 5th 2009, with Sabina from Michael Skurnik Wines (Importer/Distributor).


2005 Raventos I Blanc "L'Heureu" Brut Reserva Cava Spain
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported/Distributed by Michael Skurnik Wines in NYC

First, I need to say that I never been disappointed by Raventos, and once again, I wasn't with this one. Moreover, I like the fact that they are organic.

Made from 60% Macabeo, 20% Xarello and 20% Parellada, the 2005 Raventos I Blanc l'Heureu Brut Reserva has a yeasty, golden apple, fresh almond nose. The palate is light to medium bodied and expresses the same flavors in a nuttier kind of way. Well balanced with a lovely dry yet juicy mouthfeel, it is quite long and pleasant. Intermingled notes of almond, nut, peach and zesty lemon characterize the finish. Very enjoyable and organic on top of that. Step into the green! (Tasted 02/05/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.raventos.com or to: www.skurnikwines.com



2007 Stefano Massone Gavi Vigna Masera Piedmont Italy
Suggested retail price $11-$14
Imported/Distributed by Michael Skurnik Wines in NYC

Very characteristic from the Cortese grape, the 2007 Massone Gavi Vigna Masera boasts intense peach blossom aromas with delicate touch of white juicy fruit and mineral notes. It is as inviting on the palate as it is on the nose. Well rounded attack, medium bodied and soft with a good amount of acidity to balance it. Fresh peach, apple and lemon define the fruit flavors in this balanced, focus, uncomplicated easy drinking white wine. A very good value for money for everyday drinking. (Tasted 02/06/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.marcdegrazia.com or to: www.skurnikwines.com



2007 CantinaMatta "Casamatta" Toscana IGT white wine Tuscany Italy
Suggested retail price $10-$13
Imported/Distributed by Michael Skurnik wines in NYC

Made from 100% Vermentino, 2007 Casamatta has characteristic notes of fresh haye, straw, green almond, almost barnyardy in some way, on the nose and on the palate. In a kind of sherryesk way (without the extreme freshness or the see breeze, lightly salty attitude of a Fino), the attack and mid-palate is full of grenn and ripe golden apple, straw, hay, nutty flavors mixed with hints of minerals and lime. The finish is somewhat nutty, well rounded, kind of lush. Here again, another good value for money to enjoy with grilled chicken, dry aged cheese, nuts and spicy chorizo. (Tasted 02/05/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.skurnikwines.com



2008 Mud House Wines Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand
Suggested retail price $10-$13
Imported/Distributed by Michael Skurnik wines in NYC

Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes coming from Mud House own vineyards in the upper Wairau Valley, as well as from other selected growers vineyards in the Wairau and Awatere Valleys, this a classic Marlborough Sauvignon at a lesser price than the most well-known houses (which are, by the way, nearly all, own by the same few big corporate companies).

Definitely usual and tipical NZ Sauvignon Blanc nose offering a mix of very grassy, green, goose berry aromas with white pepper and herbal notes. The attack and mid-palate deliver a lot of fruit, lime, lemon and white peach in a rounded, well balanced and focus way. Nice and clean overall without being too complex. A refreshing Marlborough at a good price. (Tasted 02/06/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.mudhouse.co.nz



2007 Piazzano Chianti DOCG Green Label Tuscany Italy
Suggested retail price $10-$13
Imported/Distributed by Michael Skurnik wines in NYC (a Marc de Grazia Selection)

Made from 100% Sangiovese, Piazzano Chianti green label boasts fresh and fragrant red berry, cherry aromas on the nose. Quite ripe and charming in the same time, it is somewhat old school in taste: earthy, red cherry predominant on the mid-palate. Overall pretty balanced and focus, it has a light touch of green tannins on the finish (some may taste bitterness or tartness), however the ripe red juicy fruit and the overall structure of the wine compensate for it. Pretty enjoyable anyway in this price range, in my opinion. (Tasted 02/05/09) LeDom du Vin

Enjoy! and don't forget to step into the green! Drink more organic and biodynamic and wine coming from sustainable culture. It is good for you and good for the environment.

LeDom du Vin

Tasting Session: Domaine Select (01/29/09)

All the following wines where tasted at the store with Alison from Domaine Select (Importer/ Distributor) on Thursday January 29th 2009.

2007 Bodegas Tahuan "Siesta" Extra Brut Champenoise Method Mendoza Argentina 

Suggested retail price $16-$19

Imported/Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

The complete name of this well made Argentinean sparkling is "Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu". Own and crafted by Ernesto Catena, the son of Nicolas Catena the owner of the famous Catena Zapata (one of the leading winery in Argentina), this white sparkling wine is a blend of 50% Chardonnay  an 50% Pinot Noir. All grapes come from selected vineyards by Ernesto Catena. 

Pleasant, the nose boasts intermingled fresh, delicate aromas of white peach almond (the core of the fruit) and apple with light toasted, bready, yeasty notes.  On the palate, it has a full attack with a substantial amount of mousse yet not soapy and slightly yeasty yet it is not heavy or too rich . It has a very good balance and the refreshing acidity carries nicely golden apple, fresh  almond and white fruit flavors until the end. Very focus and inviting, it is a bit like biting into a juicy, earthy, ripe golden apple. Very enjoyable and versatile enough to suit any occasion.  

(Tasted 01/29/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info, read the following article at: http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/Premium/0,1197,4438,00.html

or go to: www.domaineselect.com 

NV Tenuta di Collalbrigo Brut Rosé "Ti Amo" sparkling wine Veneto Italy

Suggested retail price $13-$16

Imported/Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

Made with mainly Prosecco grapes and 10-20% Pinot Nero (the reason why it is not a Prosecco but a sparkling wine), it has a very clean, bright, light pink robe. Overall, the palate is very round, approachable and friendly with fruity flavors (and I do not mean sweet once again) but it is a bit plain. In my opinion, it is not bad but lack a bit of punch, character and acidity to lift up the fruit and the mid-palate. It wouldn't be my first choice for an inexpensive sparkling Rosé, but it surely will satisfy customers looking for a fairly simple, uncomplicated and not very complex sparkling Rosé. Minerality and crispiness lovers should choose something else.

(Tasted 1/29/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.domaineselect.com

or to www.collalbrigo.com 

2005 Fratta Pasini (Antichi Poderi del Conte Luigi) Valpolicella Veneto Italy

Suggested retail price $14-$17

Imported/Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

The nose is nice and somewhat elegant. The palate is juicy with bright red cherry and great acidity. It feels ripe without being heavy or rich. In fact, it is rather light on its feet with a green, somewhat slight herbal tannic touch on the finish, but the juiciness of the fruit balances it nicely and makes you forget about it. It needs a bit of food to be fully appreciated. As we say in French: "C'est un vin de table, pas un vin de soif." ("It is a table wine, not a wine that will quench your thrust.") (Tasted 01/29/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.frattapasini.com and www.domaineselect.com 

FYI: In France, and mostly everywhere in Europe, especially for the red wines in Italy, Spain and Portugal, we categorize as a "Vin de Table" (or table wine) a Terroir driven wine; especially when it tastes a bit earthy, somewhat rustic, with high acidity and dry tannins, and needs food to be fully appreciated (although you could surely drink it without, but it will taste better with a bite of something). A "Vin de Soif" is generally a wine which is juicy, ripe, approachable and friendly and does not necessitate anything with it. Wine from ripe climate region are often considered as Vin de Soif, mostly in the new world(s): Australia, Argentina, Chile, California, etc...

2007 Stefano Rizzi "Micante" MaremmAlta Maremma Tuscany Italy

Suggested retail price ...

Imported/Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

Made of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, Micante has a floral, expressive, ripe nose with bitter chocolate, dark cherry aromas. The palate has the same type of flavors. It is very well balanced, round yet not plain or boring. The mid-palate and finish are very attractive, full yet lifted by a very good acidity and structured with integrated tannins. Overall, it is a very enjoyable food wine. I like it a lot. (Tasted 01/29/09) LeDom du Vin 

For more info go to: www.maremmaltla.it or www.domaineselect.com 

2007 Primaterra Syrah Sicilia IGT (Italy)

Suggested retail price $8-$11

Imported/Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

Like many wine from Sicily made with Nero D'Avola or Syrah, Primaterra Syrah is rich, earthy, well rounded and approachable yet may be a bit plain. Plain is may be not the right word for this wine, let's just say that is simple, uncomplicated yet with a good fruit driven attitude. The palate reveals lovely ripe dark berry flavors with hints of earth and spice and a crowd pleasing touch. Only hiccup, in my opinion, it has a slight green, bitter touch in the finish (may be due to the tannins but I do believe that in this case it more the alcohol). However, it remains a very good value in this price range and seems to be the perfect pizza wine. (Tasted 01/29/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.primaterrawine.com  or to  www.domaineselect.com  

2003 Bodegas Tahuan Syrah (Tahuantinsuyu) Mendoza Argentina 

Suggested retail price ...

Imported/Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

Here again, another wine from Ernesto Catena from the famous Catena family in Argentina. 2003 Tahuan Syrah has a great nose with ripe dark berry, Cassis and cherry aromas with earthy floral notes.  The palate is superb, really inviting, balanced, very ripe yet enjoyable, not stuffy. Pretty full bodied and overall smooth, with earth and spice hints, it has an easy drinking attitude that make it the perfect steak wine (to enjoy with mountain salt from Argentina). (Tasted 01/29/09) LeDom du Vin

For more info go to: www.domaineselect.com 

To be continued with another Importer/Distributor....   

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Tasting Session: Joe Dressner, Savio Soares and Blake from Rosenthal (1st part: Joe Dressner)

Today was my lucky day, work-wise, 3 of my favorites importers / distributors came to the store. 

The first one was Joe Dressner, famous in the US and in France for years for bringing exclusive, small, artisanal, esoteric, and mostly true to their Terroir of origin, organic and biodynamic French wines in the United States. It was the first time that I met him and the guy matches the legend and especially his website writings (go to his website and you will see what I mean, to verify it, if you don't believe me, go to www.joedressner.com). 

I could write a few pages about him, but it will be boring and some people already wrote a lot about him... so let's just say that he is a great guy, and I wish that more people in this industry could follow his example by bringing great wine discoveries that could be enjoyed by everybody (connoisseurs and non-connoisseurs). 

I should probably write this in an other post, but along with Dressner, other people like Kermit Lynch, Rosenthal, Savio Soares, Jenny & Francois, Liz Willette, Wineberry, Fruit of the Vines, Village Wine (to name a few) and about 4 dozens more under the radar small importers/distributors are proudly filling the New York market with incredible rare gems from Europe at very good price (see my post on my favorite wine importers/distributors). 

However, let's go back to the tasting. Just about a week after celebrating Louis/Dressner 20th anniversary with a big tasting last Tuesday, October 21st, Lee Campbell (his sales rep. for the store) and Joe Dressner (the man himself) introduced us to the following wines: 

1)     2006 Pierre Luneau-Papin Muscadet-de-Sevre-et-Maine-sur-Lie "Clos des Allees" Loire Valley France 

Suggested retail price $13-$16

Imported or Distributed by Louis/Dressner in NYC

Joe Dressner was explaining to us that, along with Marc Olivier from Domaine de La Pepiere (which is another one of my favorites Muscadet imported by Louis/Dressner and distributed by Polaner Selections in NYC), Pierre Luneau-Papin is surely one of the top best producers of Muscadet. 

"Clos des Allees" has a very distinctive green label (you'll will understand when you'll see it). The wine is organic, made from 60 years old vines (with no clones) planted on schist soils. The wine is bottled with barely no filtration which explain its slight dull aspect. 

Made from hand harvested 100% Melon (de Bourgogne) grapes (like all Muscadet wines for those of you who may have thought that Muscadet was also the grape... not to be mistaken with Muscat or Muscadelle),      

2006 Clos des Allees Muscadet de Sevre et Maine sur Lie has a slightly cloudy robe. The nose exposes fresh notes of apple, oranges zest and citrus. The palate is fairly round yet refreshing and light, with easy balance and fairly good length. It is very lemony, almost like a soft citrus juice with a bit of the pulp. Somewhat raw, this organic wine is like a good soft lemonade during a warm summer day. I like it a lot. Drink it as an aperitif and with light appetizers.   

2)     2007 Les Champs Libres "Lard, des Choix" white VdT de L'Ardeche France

Suggested retail price $19-$23 

Imported or distributed by Louis/Dressner in NYC 

Ok, before anything else, here are a few things that will (or may) help you (or even confuse you more) to understand the label of this wine. 

So, at first, you may have some difficulties to make the relation between the pigs, the names on the label and the wine. Well, to translate it, "Les Champs Libres" means "The Liberated or Free Fields"; "Lard, des Choix" refers to the pigs because "Lard" is the French word for pig's fat and "des Choix" means "of choices" or "the choices" (Fat pig of choice), somehow "Lard, des Choix" is also a play-on-words which really means "L'Ardechois" (which is the name for the peolple living in Ardeche: the area where the wine come from, located within the Rhone-Alpes region). 

Basically, the owners must have had a good time and a good laugh putting that label together. No wonder why Joe Dressner chose a wine with such a label.   

Les Champs Libres is a partnership between Rene-Jean Dard (from Dard & Ribo: famous producer of St. Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, etc...) and Herve Souhaut (Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet and Sainte Epine, wines available from Jenny & Francois Selections -World Wide Wine-, also another one of my favorite small importers of organic and biodynamic wines from France). 

2007 Les Champs Libres "Lard, des Choix" white Rene-Jean Dard and Herve Souhaut managed to create a great VdT (Vin de Table) made predominantly of Grenache Blanc. Here again, the wine is cloudy and even more dull in aspect than the previous the above described Muscadet. The nose is even more expressive and zesty. The palate is raw, fat, dense, rich and intense yet super bright, balanced with vivid acidity and marked flavors of citrus, lime zest and unripe white peach, and hints of minerals. With an excellent texture and length, the refreshing acidic finish is exceptionally crisp with a likable touch of bitterness (almost like a freshly squeezed lemon juice). 

This organic wine is raw, pure, untouched and somehow fascinating. I loved it. Pair it with raw shellfish and unseasoned grilled fish, you will not need any lemon, it is already in the wine.  

3)     2007 Les Champs Libres "Lard, des Choix" red VdT de L'Ardeche France

Suggested retail price $18-$21

Imported or distributed by Louis/Dressner in NYC   

Here again like the white previously described above, this Syrah and Gamay blended wine is raw, unfiltered and organic, with a dull, cloudy color. The nose is clean, fruity and discreet (compare to the white) with red and dark cherry aromas mixed with hints of spice and a smoky touch. The palate is fairly fruity (and no, I do not mean sweet for the 100th times), earthy, juicy and spicy with a good tannic structure, interesting texture and length. 

Overall, I liked it but was less impressed than I was by the white, especially at this price. The downsides are the slightly disjointed acidity and a slight trace of green bitterness in the finish. Somewhat esoteric, this wine needs food to round up some its angularities. Wine-geeks to your glass!

4)    2007 Thierry Puzelat "La Tesniere" Touraine Pineau D'Aunis Loire Valley France

Suggested retail price $19-$23

Imported or distributed by Louis/Dressner in NYC 

First, I need to say that I'm a huge fan of Loire wines (whites and reds), but I'd also like to stress that Thierry Puzelat has been one of my favorite Touraine producers for the past 6-7 years. 

Pineau D'Aunis is a red grape variety, referred to as a red version (or red sibling) of the Chenin Blanc also called by some wine growers Chenin Noir. Once popular during medieval times and largely planted in the region of Touraine, Saumur and Anjou, and bottled on its own, this grape variety is now often uprooted to plant more financially attractive grapes. Often blended with Cabernet Franc and other Loire red grapes (or even with white grape like Arbois, not to be mistaken with the region of the same name in the Jura, to make rose in Cheverny) it adds sharpness, spiciness and light esoteric character like pencil lead notes. 

Only a few temerarious winemakers and growers like Thierry Puzelat continue to dare exploring the limit of this unique grape variety. 

2007 Thierry Puzelat "La Tesniere" Touraine is made of 100% Pineau D'Aunis, planted on clay mixed with silex stones. It is raised and vinified with Organic and Biodynamic methods, then ageing occurs in regular oak barrels (225L / 59.43 Gallons) and demi-Muids (large oak barrel of 600L / 158.50 Gallons) for better homogenization and integration. The wine was bottled without filtration. The best nature can do (with Thierry's touch of course) is in the bottle.

Due to no fining nor filtration before bottling, the color is light, slightly amber, dull and cloudy (do not panic, it is normal and in this tasting, all wines were unfiltered...). The nose is peppery and spicy, with unripe dark wild berries, touch of minerals and dry pencil lead hints. The palate is light, smoky, spicy, juicy, somewhat funky and slightly bitter with rustic edges, yet it is clean, balanced and intriguing, with great acidity. 

A nice discovery in my opinion, that will excite the taste buds of my fellow wine lovers and wine-geeks. Definitely far from the over-ripeness-jaminess-in-your-face of some Californian and Australian wines, this wine is a must taste and a food friendly gem from the Loire. Somewhat rustic for some palates, it may not please everybody but some people may venture with pleasure in this nearly forgotten red grape variety. 

(also try, if you can, an other lesser known red grape called Counoise from Domaine de Monpertuis, distributed by Rosenthal. The 2005 is definitely worth it). 

5)    2007 Olivier Riviere "Rayos Uva" Rioja Tinto Spain 

Suggested retail price $14-17

Imported or distributed by Louis/Dressner in NYC

Olivier Riviere is a french winemaker, Bordelais (let's say that he studied in Libourne on the right bank near St. Emilion, so I assume that he is a Bordelais), expatriated in Rioja, making fantastic, organic (tending towards Biodynamic methods) value wines from Rioja Alta. It is pure juice, organic and unoaked (in the case this wine).

As Joe Dressner will say: "That's right, no yeasts, no enzymes, no fake concentration, no Parker points!"

He founded the winery in 2006 and this 2007 is his first vintage. He decided to start this project after learning his winemaking methods from renown winemakers like: Elian da Ros (Chante Coucou, Cotes du Marmandais, Southwest of France), Domaine Leroy (Burgundy, France) and Telmo Rodriguez (Spain). 

He produces different cuvees from 35 to 100 years old vines and ages some of his wines in partly used Burgundy oak barrel to minimize the wood taste. He mostly concentrates all of his efforts in the vineyard to obtain high quality grapes and to produce great, healthy wine with minimal intervention in the cellar. 

2007 Olivier Riviere "Rayos Uva", his first attempt, is a Rioja Tinto made with 79% Tempranillo and 21% Garnacha raised and vinified in stainless steel tanks to keep the maximum expression and the freshness of the fruit aromas and flavors. The color is quite dark and vibrant. The nose is clean, fruity and engaging. The palate is medium bodied, with good ripe red and dark cherries and juicy texture. Notes of cherries, earth and spice characterize the dry, fruity finish. 

Overall, this is a nice, balanced and rounded wine which encourages me to taste the next step-up cuvees. I've been a Rioja lover for the past 10-12 years and visited Rioja each year for the past 6-7 years, and I hope to be able to visit this winery during my next trip. I think Rioja's drinkers should keep an eye on Olivier Riviere's wines. 

Enjoy!

LeDom (du Vin)

For more info go to: www.louisdressner.com; www.puzelat.com; www.joedressner.com 

To be continued... for the other 2 wine importers/distributors Savio Soares and Rosenthal tasting session.       

Tasting Session: Domaine Select 10.21.08 Belondrade y Lurton Clarisa and Apolonia 2007

Hi everybody, 

Alison from "Domaine Select" (the importer) came to introduce me to two of her portfolio's producers from Spain: Didier Belondrade Lerebours from Belondrade Y Lurton (Rueda) and Eulogio Pomares from Zarate (Rias Baixas); both producers of great white wines. 

With Didier Belondrade Lerebours, I tasted:

2007 Quinta Clarisa Tempranillo Vina de la Tierra de Castilla Y Leon Spain 

Suggested retail price $19-$22

Imported & Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

Name after Didier's daughter, Clarisse, this wine is made from 100% Tempranillo grapes planted on stony, clay and sand soil and subsoils. It was hand harvested on 7-10 years old vines from a vineyard called "La Seca" located next to Valladolid (Ribera del Duero). It was vinified in stainless steel tanks to preserve the characteristics and aromas of the fruit. 2000 was the first vintage for this wine. They produce roughly 7,000 bottles a year. 

The color is light to medium, clear and bright. The nose is quite expressive and fruity with notes of raspberry, ripe cherry and earth in a very mellow way. The palate has very good fruit and balance. It is pretty well rounded, light to medium bodied and fruit-rich yet balanced with a long finish and a lovely texture.

Overall, the wine is pleasant experience from end to finish, with good earthy tannic structure. It is not the most complex wine, but it is very versatile and will sure withstands any kind of everyday food: from charcuterie to tapas to grilled meat. 

2007 Quinta Apolonia Verdejo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Y Leon 

Suggested retail price $20-$24

Imported and Distributed by Domaine Select in NYC

Made from 100% Verdejo, this wine was vinified and ageing for a short period of time in stainless steel tank. It also received 20% of the first wine (if I can call it a first wine, because both of those wines are totally different...) called Belondrade Y Lurton Verdejo Rueda which is aged in 1/4 new French oak barrel (Radoux, Francois Freres, etc...) of 300L (66 gallons) to minimize the oak influence and enhance the wine complexity without affecting the fruit flavors. They produce 35,000 bottles of this wine while they produce about 80,000 bottles of Belondrade y Lurton.

The color is clear, pale yellow with light golden reflects on the rime. The nose is rich, mineral and floral, with ripe lemon and white peach aromas. The palate is very well rounded, clean, integrated, rich, medium to full bodied and unctuous with hints of spice. The finish has a slight touch of oak yet it adds length and weight to this wine.    

Overall, this wine is round,rich and quite lush. I liked it very much but I think that the price could be a bit lower (same for the Clarisa by the way, although I can understand because the red is a small production).  It will pair well with grilled fish or in sauce. 

Enjoy!

LeDom (du Vin)

Find more info at www.DomaineSelect.com and www.BelondradeyLurton.com 

To be continued...

Tasting Session: Noble House (with Anthony Allport & Howard Glick)

2007 Blocks Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand

Suggested retail price $18-$20

Surprisingly, compared to most of the brand coming from New Zealand and despite the very commercially oriented and marketed colorful label, this is a family owned winery... probably one of the last one fighting against giant money making corporate companies that swallowed nearly every vineyards in New Zealand within the last few years.

It is a classic New Zealander Sauvignon Blanc: the grassy and goose berry notes on the nose are quite powerful and inviting. The palate is overall clean, crisp and quite long with a lovely acidity accentuated by hints of citrus - lime flavors lingering in the finish. A good wine in my opinion but it doesn't command such a price. I guess it is the only way to survive for one of the last family owned estate in NZ. 

2007 Strada del Sole Chardonnay Piemonte Castel Boglione Italy

Suggested retail price $16-$19 

A real discovery, this wine was quite intriguing, almost like a compromise between a Jura wine with wild fresh almond notes and a white Burgundy with fruit and depth, complemented with the minerality and the crispiness of a high altitude vineyards white from the northern part of Italy. I loved it. 

The nose boasts notes of golden apple, fresh almond, nut shell, minerals, and floral undertone. Showing a slight touch of oxidation (like a Jura white) that adds dimension, the wine is bright, vivid, with a good combination of yellow fruits, minerals and acidity. Balanced and quite long, it could definitely be enjoyed during the summer, but like Jura, Swiss and Savoie whites, it also the perfect companion for Cheese Fondue and earthy dish (creamy mushroom soup, etc) after a good snow day in the mountains. A Cheese tray with Livarot, Reblochon, Epoisse, Triple Cream will surely be enhances by such a wine. Try it, it is intriguing but very interesting, and quite good I must say (especially in this kind of price range). 

2007 Vini Menhir Novementi Rosato Salento #9 - Apulia Italy

Suggested retail price $14-$17

This 100% Negroamaro rose is lush, creamy, and food oriented, with a wintery mouthfeel. The palate offers a lot of fruit, richness and roundness. It will definitely please the people that drink rose all year old (and not only during spring or summer....). Earthy, fruity and robust enough to support red meats. 

2007 La Planta Ribera del duero Spain

Suggested retail price $16-$19

The entry level of the Arzuagua winery (neighbor of Vega Sicilia) is always an happy moment for me. I have been following this wine for the past 3 or 4 vintages now, and I have always been satisfied overall. 

Granted, some people may say: too rich, on the edge of over ripeness and too much oak.. and I won't say the opposite, but eh, it is a Ribera del Duero after all, and we are far from the old trend of Ribera's rustic and tannic wines. 

The new generations are producing much more fruit forward and heavier style than before. Vega Sicilia and Condado de Haza (some of my favorite wines in this world) are surely making elegant, harmonious and age worthy wines that are more traditional in style. However, Peter Sisseck's Pingus, Bodegas Aalto, Mauro or even Vina Sastre (to name only a few) are in the lead of some of the best wineries in Ribera and they produce much riper, concentrated style.  

La Planta is a dark, spicy, rich, concentrated, strong, inky little wine. Some may found trace of bitterness due to some tannins and the alcohol, but decant it first then drink it with a nice juicy steak on the grill or even better, the specialty of the region, Chuletillas de Cordero (small grilled lamb chops). Fantastic!

Sante!

LeDom

Tasting Session: Domaine Select portfolio 08.21.08

Hi everybody,

Alison from "Domaine Select" (the importer / distributor) came back today with very interesting wines, 2 from China and 1 from Barossa Valley. But let's concentrate on the Chinese wines first.

Special guest of the day, David Henderson, owner and founder of Dragon's Hollow Vineyards, a major winery and wine distribution company in China, was also here to introduce 2 of his wines: an unoaked Chardonnay and a Riesling from his Dragon's Hollow Vineyards 1600 acres winery located 625 miles west of Beijing in the Zhingun province (northern part of China). The winery produces classic international grape variety based wines: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Merlot and Syrah. Out of the 1600 acres, only 200 acres of especially selected parcel of vines are dedicated to produce wines for the international market (roughly 100.000 cases), the rest is sold through the local market. I was really please to welcome David Henderson at the store and found his Chinese wines very interesting. Ant MacKenzie, also winemaker for Mud House and Spy Valley (2 leading wineries of New Zealand, located in Marlborough), has surly something to do with the quality of these wines.

David Henderson invited me to play a blind tasting game of 3 Chardonnays including his Dragon's Hollow Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay. The game was to identify his Chardonnay first, but also to determine if his wine could compete and equal in quality other Chardonnays from elsewhere at the same retail price point (and in my opinion, it did). I didn't know which one was his wine, but after tasting the three wines twice, I was confident in my choice and nailed the right one. Here are the descriptions of the three wines and a synopsis or a resume of the tasting.


1) 2007 Jean-Paul Brun "Terres Dorees" Beaujolais Blanc Burgundy France
Suggested retail price $13-$16

The nose is inviting, clean, fresh and almost creamy with floral hints of chamomile and notes of lemon, honeydew, golden apple. The palate is ample, rich and soft, with a creaminess enhanced by the malolactic fermentation. The finish is quite long and concentrated yet balanced by a great acidity and seems to expand in complexity. This is a lovely example of Beaujolais Blanc that confirms the benchmark position of Jean-Paul Brun as one of the leading producer of Beaujolais (white and red). It also gives a different dimension to Chardonnay and exposes the versatility of this rather common and often neglected grape variety. Highly recommended, one of our favorite Chardonnays at the store.


2) 2006 Louis Jadot Chablis Burgundy France
Suggested retail price $18-$21

The nose is green (greener than the previous one for sure), with more acidity and more minerals. The palate starts with a very good attack showing good acidity, liveliness and fruit, but unfortunately the mid-palate doesn't follow the same path and seems to be slightly unbalanced. The finish is ok, not great and reflects somehow the overproduction and lack of focus of the Louis Jadot brand in general. Don't get me wrong, I do have nothing against Louis Jadot, but I just think that the brand is a bit too mainstream for me and somewhat crowd pleasing for non-connoisseur. Granted, it is often very consistent from a vintage to another, and seems very reliable to some people, but frankly I prefer their higher-end cuvees. I do think that their entry level wines don't meet the connoisseur level and can be easily outmatched by smaller producers offering greater quality wines for the same price or less (even from China...no comment).

3) 2006 Dragon's Hollow Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay China (eastern foot of the "He Lan" Mountain appellation)
Suggested retail price $12-$15

First, I need to admit that this wine was easily recognizable amongst the others because of its texture (not Burgundian at all, with a "je ne sais quoi" of New World touch to it without being over extracted or too ripe), but also because of its bright acidity that reminds me more of some other grape (sort of a sauvignon like mouthfeel).

The nose is bright, clean, fresh with aromas of citrus, lemon peel or zest, green apple and a touch floral. Light on his feet, the palate is refreshing, balanced and clean yet not too complex but very pleasing for a first experience with a Chinese white wine (I tasted some reds before, but no whites until today). The finish is simple and easy going with an excellent balance. Overall, even if a bit light for my taste, I enjoyed it very much and I think my customer will be please to experience such wine. I think that the older the vines will get the better and more interesting the wine will taste. For now, it is rather uncomplicated, discreet and straightforward. I hope that the next vintages will bring more layers of complexity and depth. But in this kind of price range, it remains a very strong value (especially in today's market where everything is so expensive). I just wish that David could have come 3 months earlier, because the lightness of this wine and the vivid acidity that it shows seem to be more appropriate for the Spring and Summer months. Let's just hope that we will have a warm Indian fall. This a wine to discover and to appreciate on salad, oyster, shell fish and grilled river white fish.


After this very interesting tasting game, David poured me a glass of his second wine:

2006 Dragon's Hollow Vineyards Riesling China (eastern foot of the "He Lan" Mountain appellation)
Suggested retail price $12-$15

Dragon's Hollow Riesling is definitely more expressive on the nose than the Chardonnay (although it remains quite discreet and restrain compare to some Alsace or German Rieslings). It displays floral and fruity aromas of white flowers, honeysuckle, white peach and apricot skin mixed with notes of wet stone minerality. The palate is dry (dryer than an Alsace and definitely more than a German Riesling) and offers similar flavors of citrus, lime, honeysuckle and a twist of petroleum. Showing more depth and multiple layers of fruit combined with a great acidity, it appears less mono dimensional than the Chardonnay. Both have a great balance and some interesting features despite the fact that they are both quite light; yet they will surely quench the thirst of someone looking for a fresh, bright, clean and down-to-earth white wine.


In my opinion:

The wines from China just started to arrive on the American market and they are fairly unknown to most drinkers. Fortunately, made out of international grape varieties, they will ease the expected hesitation of the consumers at first.

Unfortunately, for some people, it will just be another Chardonnay or another Cabernet from another country. It may fashion a certain interest at the beginning, but who knows how long is it going to last, especially if they don't rapidly focus on high quality wines.

If they don't start to offer wines made from lesser known (or less commercial) grape varieties, after a while the Chinese wines may end up not selling and not necessarily continue to attract the customers (except may be by curiosity or because the wine is a truly good value compare to other wines from other countries made from the same grape).

They may have to specialize into certain grapes to keep up with the market (like Malbec in Argentina; Carmenere in Chile; Tannat in Uruguay: Shiraz in Australia; Sauvignon in New Zealand; Riesling in Germany; Gruner Veltliner in Austria; Tempranillo and Garnacha in Spain; Sangiovese and Nebbiolo in Italy; Pinot Noir in Burgundy and Oregon; Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Bordeaux and California; etc...only to talk about the most well-known grapes, because they are dozens more coming from the 70 leading wine producing countries in the world).

However, I'm glad that there are quite a few open minded people like David Henderson to lead the way into introducing winemaking and wine tradition in new countries. I wish him luck with Dragon's Hollow Vineyards and will be proud to be one of the first in New York to carry his wines and suggest them to my valuable customers.


The last wine of this tasting was:

2005 The Colonial Estate "Explorateur" Old vines Shiraz Barossa Valley Australia
Suggested retail price $29-$32

After tasting the 2005 Colonial Estate "Envoy" GSM the previous day, I need to admit that I wasn't as please by the "Explorateur". The "Explorateur" has a warm nose with some hints of alcohol, and doesn't seem as attractive on the nose as the "Envoy". It displays interesting and rich aromas of deep dark ripe berries with floral and spicy notes. It is definitely not as elegant (for an Australian wine, don't get me wrong on this one) as the "Envoy". It is bigger, broader and shows much more alcohol than I would like to. The finish has a lot of dark chocolate, mocca, earthy spices and ripe plum tones. Overall, it is not bad, quite well balanced (for an Australian wine...). Although, I can see people getting into it and loving it, it is definitely not my style of wine (I like them fresher, juicier, earthier with more acidity and balance, less ripeness and less oak, but it is only my taste...).

see you soon for some new wine tasting sessions,

cheers!

LeDom

Tasting Session: Domaine Select portfolio 08.20.08

Hi everybody,

Today's tasting constituted of 3 wines from the Domaine Select portfolio (Distributor / Importer).

NV Alfred Gratien Brut Rose Champagne (producer at Epernay, Champagne) France
Suggested retail price $65-$68

Established in 1864, Alfred Gratien is an old traditional champagne house where the champagne is made by the 4th generation winemaker. This so called "hand made" champagne is barrel fermented in small barrel then age for a minimum of 3 years. This Rose is apparently fairly new in the New York market. Made from top quality grapes sourced trough out some of the best producers including some of their own parcels, Alfred Gratien Brut Rose is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. The resulting champagne is a great combination of these three grapes.

Delicate, fresh and clean floral aromas on the nose mingle with rose petals, tight cherries notes and hints of yeast. The palate is elegant, delicate, refreshing, vivid, with a medium to fine mousse. Light on his feet, crisp, fruity, easy to drink, soft and well rounded on the finish, this is an enjoyable, pretty rose champagne with a bright, racy, pink grapefruit attitude. Perfect as an aperitif, for a toast during a wedding or any other type of celebration.


2005 Mas du Goudaneau Cotes du Rhone France
Suggested retail price $14-$17

This wine is made in a new winery built and owned by Helene and Daniel Boulle of Domaine des Aphillanthes, a classic house of the Cotes du Rhone. 2005 is the first vintage released from this new and exciting project. Compare to Domaine des Aphillanthes, Mas du Goudaneau is a slightly more modern style, more fruit forward and less earthy, but still with a twist of traditionalism. They use organic and biodynamic method for this wine. It was fermented then aged in concrete vat with no fining and no filtration before bottling. This pure natural fruit juice with addition of any kind.

A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan, Mas du Goudaneau shows aromas of dark ripe berries, dark chocolate and spices. The attack is ripe and fruity, followed by a soft, rich and smooth mid-palate. Flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, leather, ripe plum and fig fusion nicely in this rich Cotes du Rhone. The finish is long, earthy and structured with very good tannins from the grapes (no oak ageing). A very nice value and good mid-season wine. to enjoy this fall with a nice steak or even a stew.


2005 The Colonial Estate "Envoy" Barossa valley Australia
Suggested retail price $28-$32

There is no need to introduce you to this estate owned by Jonathan Maltus of Chateau Teyssier (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru). This british aristocrat brought his know-how and savoir faire to Australia and now produces, since a few years, Australian wines with Bordeaux flair in the Barossa valley. Often referenced in the famous UK magazine Decanter and praised by Robert Parker, Jr., the Colonial Estate is mixing traditional Bordeaux style vinification with super ripe grapes. The resulting wines are often rich, complex and often more balanced than other already long established Australian wineries (no names) that produce extra over extracted shiraz wines with more than 15% of alcohol.

The nose is not shy, offering ripe aromas of blueberry, cassis, earth, almost floral (blue flowers) notes and spices. it almost seems that the nose has some kind of freshness and minerality, which is rare for a Barossa wine. Despite the slight touch of alcohol toward the end (fairly integrated if you ask me compare to a lot of other barossa valley wines), it is a pretty wine, quite elegant and rich. The finish develops notes of dark chocolate, mocca, and earthy spices. Very well balanced with a great acidity (another rare feature), this wine won my respect. Pair it with BBQ and grilled red meat.

LeDom

Tasting Session: 08.19.08 Germain-Saincrit Wines

Hi Everybody,

Today, I tasted a few Bordeaux wines with Jean-Louis De Castro (the Distributor) and Philippe Germain (part owner and family member) of "Germain-Saincrit Vignerons", a small family business that owns a few Chateaux on the right bank and one on the left Bank in Bordeaux, but also in the Loire Valley.

Jean-Louis always provides me with excellent value wines from France that are produced in small quantity and he is a delight to work with. Philippe is a very enthusiastic owner-producer-winemaker of a little property in the Loire valley called "La Roulerie" that produces fine, elegant and mineral Coteaux du Layon. And he is also, the sales / marketing Directors in the USA for the all the wines that is family produces.

The wines from Germain-Saincrit fully express their Terroir of origin and rarely failed to surprise me by their complexity and texture. One could say that they make wine with one foot in the traditional way and one foot in a more modern approach without being overripe or over extracted. They usually refrain on the use of new oak, except a few rare cuvees, to allow the pure expression of the fruit and minimize the oak influence. For most of the following wines, the fermentation and maceration is done in stainless still tank; for some, the wine undergoes a malolactitic fermentation which is done in stainless steel tank or in barrel, for others there is no malo to keep freshness and vivacity; most of them are organic and some are produced under the biodynamic method. Overall, the word Natural echoes in all of the Germain-Saincrit wines. These little gems are truly good values in today's market (rise of the barrel of petrol, Dollar devaluation compared to the Euro, economy crisis in Europe and USA, etc...).

2006 Chateau Charron Bordeaux (dry white) produce at the estate of the same name, located a Saint-Martin-Lacaussade (northeastern part of Blaye, right bank)
Suggested retail price $9-$12

A blend of 80% Sauvignon and 20% Semillon, this wine was fermented in stainless steel tank, didn't have any malo, and was aged for 6 months in already used oak barrel (of 1,2 and 3 wines). The color is pale with golden reflects. Discreet aromas of fresh grass, blossom, mineral and yellow skin fruit escape from the glass on the nose. The palate is clean, very well rounded, with a nice balance overall and a good acidity, fresh but not crisp, more soft and easy to drink. Although, not as refreshing as an Entre-Deux-Mers-pure-Sauvignon-blanc, it is a wine of more serious constitution, with a bit more depth and substance. A solid white wine at this price. Pair it with poultry and grilled white river fish served with creamy sauce.


2006 Le Peuy-Saintcrit Bordeaux red (located near Saint-Andre de Cubezac, northeastern part of Bordeaux, Right bank)
Suggested retail price $11-$13

Fruity on the attack, with red and dark berries notes complemented by a nice acidity. Quite enjoyable overall but in an old traditional way: the tannins are a bit green and the finish presents some vegetal notes and bitterness. The attack is nice but unfortunately develops too quickly on green and bitter, may a bit of food would enhance and mask the tannins. Somewhat very British market oriented with definitely less fruit than the American market requires. Seems to be accurate for a Bordeaux 2006 vintage, because it was raining during part of the harvest season. May be a bit of time will do good to this wine.


2005 Chateau Peuy-Saincrit "Montalon" Bordeaux Superieur red
Suggested retail price $12-$15

Made from 40-50 years old vines with very small yield and aged in 50% new barrel, this wine offers aromas of ripe dark cherries, fig, leather, with notes of forest floor. It is bright, medium-bodied with a very nice balance. The tannins are not completely integrated, a good sign of youth, time will tell. Overall this wine displays more attractive features than its sibling, with more fruit, depth and length. Somehow a good classic Bordeaux value, just a bit tannic at the moment.


2005 Chateau Peyredoulle 1eres Cotes de Blaye (near Blaye, about 30 miles northeast of Bordeaux, right bank)
Suggested retail price $9-$11

Personally, one of my favorite of the tasting, especially in this kind of price range. For a stainless steel tank fermented and aged wine, it offers plenty of ripe fruit and lot of texture. The attack develops nicely into the generous, ripe, fruity, concentrated, soft and well rounded mid-palate. The finish is nice, quite long and very ripe. Overall, it is a very enjoyable little wine that doesn't offer a lot of complexity but that has a lot of fruit to spare and a very good structure for a wine that wasn't aged in oak.


2005 Chateau Peyredoulle "Maine Criquau" 1eres Cotes de Blaye Vieilles Vignes
Suggested retail price $13-$16

Superb! This special cuvee from Cht. Peyredoulle was for me the cherry on the cake of today's tasting. What a wine! This is how a good traditional Bordeaux should taste like (in my opinion). Made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon hand selected amongst the estate's oldest vines (approximately 75 years old vines), this wine was fermented in stainless steel tank, then aged for about 15 months in partly new big barrels of 400L (called "Fut" which are bigger than the usual Bordeaux barrel of 225L). These Futs are 50% new, 25% 1 wine and 25% 2 wine, to respect the expression of the fruit, enhance the characteristics of the wine and attenuate the wood influence.

The nose is an explosion of second and tertiary aromas created by the harmonious combination of the quality of the grapes and the long aging process in oak. It boasts notes of forest floor, prune, earth, leather, pencil shave, mocca with animal notes, venison and a touch of spice. The palate is extremely well balanced, clean, fresh, medium-bodied, with a lot of character and a vivid acidity that lift the fruit and improve the all structure of the wine from beginning to the end. The long and seamless finish is a delight. I love this wine. And coming from the region of Blaye myself, it is even a bit sentimental and corresponds to a true Bordeaux wine. It will surely age nicely for the next 5 to 8 years, then will probably last for another 10. Wine connoisseur will be happy. Ideal with a grilled rack of lamb, breast of duck confit and venison.


2005 La Roulerie Coteaux du Layon (produce in the village of Thouarce, South of Angers) Loire Valley
Suggested retail price $19-$25

For those of you who do not like very sweet, concentrated dessert wines, Coteaux du Layon is the perfect choice. La Roulerie is the estate of Philippe Germain and his little family. Altough, he likes to talk about all of his family's other wines, he loves his Coteaux du Layon and can't not stop bragging about it. And I don't blame him, because I'm not really a sweet wine drinker, but I loved his Coteaux du Layon when I tried it.

The nose offers discreet notes of white blossoms, unripe apricot, white peach skin, citrus zest and minerals. The palate is fresh, delicate, with a lovely texture and a fantastic balance. The sweetness is elegant and gentle, not too pronounced which for some people may be a default, but I translated it as classy and reserved. The acidity and the minerals combined with the floral and white peach notes play a crucial role for the vivacity and the dentelle like harmony of this wine. Will pair greatly with an apple tart or a lemon cake.

LeDom




PS: Philippe Germain brought also two other wines from his family's estates, but I wasn't comfortable enough (or found too much flaws or enough interest) to buy them and write about them:

One was: 2005 Chateau Peychaud Maisonneuve Cotes de Bourg, a bit ripper than Peyredoulle Maine Criquau, but with less character and less depth, still intereting for $15. The other one was: 2005 Chateau Bertrand Braneyre Haut-Medoc, aged in 100% new oak, there again interesting, nice fruit in the attack but a finish a bit green.