2012 Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc

I need to admit that I did not write much for the past 3 years as I’m not tasting as often as I used to and cannot find the time to scribble my sporadic notes anymore, but it is killing me as I love writing and more especially sharing about wine and other experiences like the following one.

What triggered the need to write this little post is a bottle sipped daily over a week by one of my colleagues (while left into a fridge in between) which still tasted surprisingly good after all that time. It was not just good, in fact, I was very impressed.

She was just having her lunch at her desk at the office and I realized she was sipping a glass of white with her shrimp and fish homemade dish. Curious, I approached her and asked if I could try the wine. She aware me that it had been opened for about a week already and was probably not very good; which aroused my Sommelier’s curiosity even more.   

She poured me a glass and bringing it to my nose, my rusty olfactory memories awakened and led the way to the exercise of deduction and dissection that each tasting, blind or not, is. The aromas gently brushed my nostrils to find their way to my bulb wriggling at the idea of being used once again after so long.

Vibrant white floral and citrusy aromas, like grapefruit and lime, mingled with unripe stone fruit and gooseberry notes, discreet vegetal nuances and a hint of mineral zest. Pretty good so far for one week old wine that has been opened and closed and went back and forth from the fridge quite a few times.

Although it had many occasions to get acquainted with air in the last few days, I still gave it a few swirls in the glass, by habits maybe but mainly because it seemed so fresh like if the cork was just removed moments ago.

My taste buds resounded with joyful agitation when the bright and refreshing liquid caressed them on his way to the back of the palate before disappearing in my throat, quenching my thirst for exiting wine and enhancing my knowledge and skills trough such an interesting experience.

Well balanced and harmonious, crisp and light, showing structure and texture complemented by great enhancing acidity lingering in the finish, this wine, reintroducing flavors in the palate reminiscent of the aromas on the nose, was beautifully crafted and surprisingly rewarding even after being uncorcked a week earlier.     

A smile enlightened my face as the distinguished scallop shell of Chateau Carbonnieux appeared to my eyes wide opened ready to unveil the mystery of which producer could have crafted such wine that could resist time and repeated contacts with oxygen with no signs of oxidation after a week.     

I was impressed. I always loved Chateau Carbonnieux, but loved it even more after this experience. Definitely recommended to keep a few of this gem in your cellar, it will effortlessly complement any fish and shellfish dish accompanied with creamy sauce, as well as summery salads and goat cheeses. Love it.  

I had the chance to taste and buy and drink and sell loads of bottles of Carbonnieux Blanc in my 23 years career in direct relation with wine either in restaurant, like in the mid 90s as a Chef de Rang/Maitre D’/Commis Sommelier at the “Relais de Compostelle” in Pessac where it was a “figure de proue” of our wine list mostly featuring the jewels of the Pessac-Leognan Appellation for years; then later as Sommelier/ Head Sommelier / Wine buyer in England in 3 restaurants; then in New York in two boutique stores where I was working in as Head Sommelier / Wine Buyer while managing the store…and even now as a regular buyer.

I also had the chance to meet the humble Perrin family many times in numerous occasions; they are as lovely, gentle and charming as their wines. Late Anthony Perrin was a great man for whom I had much respect and Eric is the one that I now talk to mostly when he is behind the table during tasting telling the story of his wines, he is so approachable and friendly.     

I previously wrote a little post on Haut-Vigneau that you can also read here: http://www.ledomduvin.com/2010/11/2008-chateau-haut-vigneau-pessac.html

Cheers

LeDom du Vin 

Cork Sucked into the bottle 

It has been a long time since i have written anything on my blog, spending too much time on other things unfortunately. However, it happens that for better visual and internal training purposes I draw schemas, principles and procedures. I will from time to time share them with you like the one below.

Usually when warm or when temperatures tend to go up or rise in a wine cellar, the wine inside the bottle expands thus pushing out the cork, yet when it cooled down like below, it contracts and can suck the cork back in. Both will result in allowance of bacteria and oxygen into the wine, which will reduce the flavor and oxidize it, if not completely spoil it.

Drawing by LeDom

Work in Progress...


LeDomduVin a.k.a. Dominique Noël

LeDomduVin: School Grade Equivalents (Class/Age) Comparison Table between the US, UK and French Systems

School Grade Equivalents (Class/Age) 

Comparison Table between the US, UK, and French Systems

This post has nothing to do with wine (it is a wine blog, after all 😁👍🍷). Still, I was looking for a simple (yet detailed) School Grades Equivalents (Class/Age) table between the US, the UK, and the French systems and could not really find one to my liking (there was always something missing), so I created this simple (yet detailed) one:

Creating this comparison table helped me better understand and comprehend the differences between the school grade equivalents in the US, UK, and French systems. I hope it will help you, too.  

Take good care of yourself and your loved ones, especially your kids.  

Cheers! 

Dom 

@ledomduvin, #ledomduvin, #school, #schoolsystems, #schoolgrades, #comparisontable, #education, #knowledge, #lestablesadom, #lescreationsadom

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

Depressed and Protruding Cork

Working on a lengthy project on wine as always and searching for pictures and/or examples that I couldn't find on the internet I decided to draw them myself and share them with you.....this is just the beginning so it looks quite abstract.. but it is a start...

Work in Progress....

LeDomduVin a.k.a. Dominique Noël

Third encounter.....

......when I opened my eyes.... I felt like my head was hurting, bumping....I couldn't remember where I was and when it was....all I remember is a very intense luminosity from above.... cutting me from the rest of the world....unable to distinguish my surroundings... I couldn't see well...blinded by the lights all around....the air was still....not a sound...I was against my will sitting on a dirt path somewhere....my left arm covering my face feeling like the lights were burning my skin...incapable of moving or talking....stock in this position....eyes looking up to try to define what was above me.....but the lights were too bright....what ever it was ...it was massive yet so close to me and the ground....soundless....hovering silently.....it was coming towards me.....

I started to see rays of lights, distorted shapes at first... like tiny bubbles or spheres spiraling down.....a yellow - white circle in the middle was staring at me....like a giant eye scrutinising every inch of my soul deep inside....then I felt like carried in the air by the lights up to this sort of eye ...like an opening.

....then I blacked out....that is all I can remember....was it a dream? But it felt so real....the sensations and emotions....the burned marks on my skin ....on my arms....my face....and this impression that I had lost track of time and reality....what was it?....these images are the only ones that repeatedly come back in my mind....and where am I? What is this place? Who are you people....?

To be continued....

LeDomduVin a.k.a. Dominique Noël

LeDomduVin: 1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits, France

1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits, France

It has been over a year since my last post on my blog, and I have been missing writing. As I no longer have time to mess around and write super long, detailed posts, I will plunge directly into this blog's main subject of interest: wine!

I will start by digging into some old notes I always wanted to post but never really had the time to. Therefore, you may see various posts with wines I tasted at different periods, not necessarily in alphabetical or even chronological order. I wish I could have a website as organized and clean as eparker.com with listings and so on, but for now, I will just deliver these notes in a terrible mess and chaos, just as they come.

1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits, France (price range from 3,200-4,200 Euros a bottle)

Beautiful robe in the glass with a light, youthful, bright garnet color of medium intensity. Mushroom, earth, and soil mingled with delicious red and dark cherry fruit aromas enhanced with floral notes. The palate showed good balance and overall structure but seemed a little tired in fruit and texture, tasting slightly older than it should and a bit faded. The finish also presented some sharpness that was slightly out of place. Tasted on 20.10.2012

Cheers! Santé!

Dom 

LeDomduVin, aka Dominique Noël 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #drc #domainedelaromaneeconti #romaneeconti #latache #burgundy #pinotnoir #grandcru #tasting #tastingnotes

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2014, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

Friday Tasting Session: Champagne again (who knew...?)

Friday Tasting Session: Champagne again (who knew...?)

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée NM Reims France

Over my 20+ years of experience buying, drinking and selling bubblies, I can say that I usually prefer RM (Recoltant-Manipulant) champagnes as they offer more character and personality. Yet, amongst the NM (Negociant-Manipulant) Champagnes, Krug is probably one of my favorite non vintage champagnes in the market, topping the list of my favorite drinks.  It parts from other champagnes for its consistency and quality, offering a smooth profile, elegant manners, racy attitude, well-balanced figures, lingering finish and an overall “lascive” appeal. I love it.  In terms of taste, it is very integrated and refine, with all element in harmony with each other. A must try Champagne, which is the result of a perfect blend of 120 reserve wines from 10 different vintages.

NV Charles de Casanove Champagne Brut Premier Cru RM Reims France

Coming after Krug, Charles de Casanove Premier Cru is definitely drier, leaner and seems to lack of acidity, minerality and smoothness. But the comparison is way too extreme, as we are talking about two totally different champagnes in every way: quality, price and taste. However, a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, this champagne has definitely drier characteristic and lack of body and texture overall. The dry finish is also short and lack a bit of fruit to compensate and add some volume to it. A persistent zesty lemon peel sensation in the back palate could have been more interesting, if it will have been less sour. Overall, it is not very harmonious and does not necessarily trigger my taste buds to try another glass. Shame, as I tasted better samples from this renowned champagne house.

We look into the fridge and found one more Champagne bottle to taste.

When I looked at the label, I said to myself: Champagne is or deadly for man or giving sparkling ideas to women about how to eliminate their husbands, as I'm just about to taste another Champagne from a widow that I never heard of before...

NV Veuve J. Lanaud Reserve Brut Champagne NM Avize France

A blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the traditional blend of the 3 most planted grape varieties in Champagne blended by the “Societe Avizoise des Vins de Champagnes” (which sounds more like a cooperation than a Negociant-Manipulant), this little champagne “de derriere les fagots” was a fantastic surprise. Fruity, soft, very easy to drink, not too complex but not lacking of interest or character or even personality, it offers nice flavors of yellow fruit like apple and pear, with a good dose of toasted, yeasty aromas mingling with mineral and slight floral nuances. The finish could use a bit more acidity to give it a kick and enhance its freshness; but overall really nice and friendly. This crowd pleasing bubbly good for any occasion won’t deplete your wallet.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Friday Tasting: Tarlant "Cuvee Louis" Champagne Extra Brut Marne Valley France

Tarlant "Cuvee Louis" Champagne Extra Brut Marne Valley France

Founded in 1687, Champagne Tarlant is a classic Champagne house located in Marne Valley, more precisely in the little village of Œuilly about 14 kilometers north-west of Epernay and about 40 kilometers south-west of Rheims, the capitale of Champagne.

Tarlant has always been one of my favorite champagne houses, crafting medium to full bodied, complex and rich yet elegant and racy Champagnes from mainly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir planted on their 14 hectares spread out on 4 different "crus", with a total of 55 parcels located in the village of Oeuilly, Boursault, St-Agnan and Celles-lès-Condé.

The Tarlant family feels that it is particularly important that their wines reveal the diversity of the sub-soil, the vineyards and the blends of their estate. Each parcel posseses  its own identity and the various blends bring the complexity and uniqueness to each of the 11 different Cuvees produced.

Recoltant Manipulant (RM) and family run since its creation, Tarlant "savoir faire" consistency and quality were traditionally passed on to each generation with the will to do better than the previous one yet respecting the house taste, profil and character. Currently, Jean-Mary Tarlant represents the 11th generation. He crafted this particular "Cuvee Louis" Extra Brut, which has been named to pay hommage to Louis Tarlant, talented vine grower and winemaker as well as founder of the family estate.

From parcels of vines planted on chalky soil in a "lieu dit" called "Les Crayons", here are some technical facts about today's "Cuvee Louis":

• A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. 
• From 65 years old vines
• A blend of various vintages: 1998 (about 80%), and 1997 & 1996 (for the remaining 20%)
• Only issued from juice from the first fermentation in "Fût de Chêne" (oak barrel)
• No Malolactic fermentation
• Bottled in May 1999
• Disgorged in March 2009
• Roughly spent 10 years on its lees
• Liqueur de dosage at 3g/L (3 grammes of sugar per liter)
• Consequently classified as an Extra Brut

It also says on the back label that it could age further for more than 5 years. However, we are in 2013, and this Champagne is showing so superbly that it could last for another 10 years. I love it. 

Tarlant Cuvee Louis Champagne Extra Brut Marne Valley France

In the glass, it presents a very pale yellow color with light, bright golden reflects. The bubbles were slightly big at first while pouring it in the glass but rapidly became really small, numerous and fast. The nose is fragant, a touch rustic but in a good way, with yellow fruit and "fresh hay" aromas mixed with attractive yeasty, slightly toasted, brioche, mineral and floral notes. The palate is medium to full, rather rich, ample and complex with flavors of yellow fruit mingling with citrus zest and refreshing acidity to balance it. Harmonious, long, flavorful and superbly balanced, the finish is definitely calling for another glass; making this bottle hard to let go and to share. I highly recommend it. On its own or as an aperitif with canapes, but a more complex fish dish with creamy sauce will do more justice to this refined Champagne amateurs delight. And that cleansing, zesty citrus acidity is lingering as I'm writing these last few words, I love it. But this is not a surprise as Cuvee Louis is surely the best of their portfolio.  

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

For more details, go their website at: http://www.tarlant.com 

Friday 22.02.2013 Tasting Session: Champagne

Friday 22.02.2013 Tasting Session: 

Champagne

We tasted 2 small growers from Champagne:

Photo courtesy of www.thewinecollective.com until I post mine. 

1)  Jose Michel & Fils Champagne Brut Pinot Meunier Recoltant Manipulant (RM) a Moussy - Epernay

When pouring the mousse was a bit fat and soapy. However the bubbles in the glass were quite small, fast and numerous. The nose offered aromas of yellow fruit intermingled with yeasty, "briochées", buttery, toasted notes. No real floral or mineral notes as far as I could smell. The palate was rather light and not quite in harmony. The mousse was a bit soapy and fat (here again). Flat at first on the attack, it then developed slowly toward the mid-palate, with unfortunately bitter notes and pink unripe grapefruit like flavors (slightly puckering). Also flat, the finish faded rapidly due to lack of acidity to pick it up. This bottle even presented slight corkiness and metallic nuances that I could not detect until the end of the first sip. Shame, I will have really like to love this Pinot Peunier a bit more than that. The slight corkiness may indicates a bad bottle, maybe. But in terms of Champagne, I never give up, meaning that I will give another chance to this producer before finalizing my verdict. I need to say that I tasted better champagnes from this particular house.  

2)  Paul Bara Chamapagne Brut Reserve Recoltant Manipulant (RM) a Bouzy 

On pouring, the mousse was thinner than the first one. Paler than the first one, it showed really pale yellow-white nuances and multiple really "petite" bubbles. Yeasty with enjoyable toasted, brioche notes mixed with yeallow fruit, apple and pear aromas on the nose. The touch of minarilty and freshness with slight floral nuances were a brizz of fresh air compared to the previous champagne. The fresh, light, bright and crispy palate sparkled with predominant flavors of lime and lemon, very zesty. Well balanced and nicely crafted overall with a twisted lemon skin attitude from beginning to the end. Refreshing as an aperitif or / and with light hors d'oeuvres based with shellfish like fresh oyster. Quite long as I could still taste the finish as I was writing these lines while I had my last sip a few minutes ago. Gentle and easy to drink, this 100% Pinot Noir is not the most complex champagne but it is definitely refined, very enjoyable and easy to come back to, but this is only my opinion, as some of you might prefer a richer and bolder taste. However, I need to admit that I prefer my champagne zesty, fresh and delicate, like a ballerina gently hovering on your taste buds, rather than a fat, buttery and oaky, overly built bubbly.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

To be continued...

Happy New Year 2013

As today is the last day of this year 2012, I just wanted to wish you all the best, health and success for the New Year 2013. 

Happy New Year 2013



And to bring you one last 2012 smile, 
I'd like to share a few intriguing signs found here and there around Hong Kong.

I'm confused? No Cigarettes, only Pipes allowed?.....

How can children play and have a good time outside with so much restrictions in most public parks around town? More especially, if they can't "No Drying of Linen and clothing" and "No hawking"....

Obviously kids who smoke when they play with their "Remote-Controlled Model Car" must be a big problem in Hong Kong, as it is very often the only sign covered by the "No Smoking sign" on the board (see both above pictures)...

Hey! How did that happen? The "No Smoking sign" is now incorporated with the other "No" signs.
What about a bit less restrictions for kids who wants to play in the parks as they are the only gardens and green playground they can have due to Hong Kong lack of space and activity areas? 

Traditional typo....

Hawking anyone?

Happy New Year 2013

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin