Attendees: Don+Melissa, Jay, Jayson, Seth joins late, Marty, Eden and Scott, (Lisa is stuck at work and Jeff & Victor have conflicts)
I’m pinch hitting as scribe.
This month Jay contributed a bottle to start us off and Eden was maestra for the main event.
2014 Francois Pinon Vouvray “Silex Noir” (12.1%)
Honeyed nose. Tastes barely sec-tendre (even while carrying 15g/l). Well framed, great acidity, a touch tannic, clean, long, the full package. We all like this. Less honeyed on the palate. The fruit is slightly neutral too, pear-ish, which throws me a little off balance if we’re drinking what I suspect. Melissa: “A meal in a glass.” Jayson: “Honeyed.” Not showing much argile and wildflower/tilleul, so maybe not Pinon? The refinement is a touch like Huet here and less what you’d expect in Trois Argiles or Les Deronnieres. Eden gets us to chenin and Marty gets us to Vouvray and Jay confirms it is Pinon. We hit the wall guessing cuvee and vintage. It's 2014 Silex, Pinon’s bottling which to me can resemble premiere cotes - and the cuvee I’m least familiar with. It’s showing dryer than the 2014 Deronnieres. Beautiful wine. Note to noodle, don’t underestimate Pinon’s Silex Noir with a little bottle age.
2014 Bernard Gripa St Joseph blanc “Le Berceau” 100% marsanne
The wine in the glass is pale and muted with a touch of salted caramel. It may need a lot of air. Melissa calls it as from the Rhone and Jayson zeroes in with St. Joseph. Jayson: “Coconutty oak hint in finish.” Southern Rhone? No. Chassellas? No. Gonon? No. The wine isn’t in the mood to tell us much. Several days later it opened up, with a richer texture overall and more personality and twang on the palate. Melissa: “A bit of oak in the aftertaste.” I can’t help but think the wine was testing us and we failed it.
2013 Francois Cotat Chavignol rouge VdF
Gamay? Pineau d’Aunis? WTF?
A verrry interesting question mark stares up at us from the glass. With aromas of cinnamon bark and non-red fruitiness, it is juicy and citrusy and a little spicy. The color is quite red, but there are flavors here from the non-red, possibly rose world. So is it a red or is it a dark rose? Let the final guessing begin: Loire? Yes. Sancerre? Sort of. -whatever that means. Pinot noir? Yes. Chavignol? Yes.
Jayson: “From a cool year.”
Melissa: “A pomander ball with clove and cinnamon in citrus.”
Jay: “Rose or red, a lovely wine.”
I discover later that Cotat blocks malo in this low-production red and because of this is denied the AOC.
2011 Francois Cotat Chavignol rouge VdF
Similarities with the previous wine. Faint whiff of smoke or am I imagining? Medium texture, nice acid balance, becoming floral later, long finish.
Jayson: “That’s different.”
Melissa: “Reminds me of a campfire.”
Jayson: “Candied nose, almost candy corn.”
Jay: “Candy corn that wasn’t destemmed, hah hah.”
2010 Francois Cotat Chavignol rouge VdF
Darker than the previous two wines, and less open aromatically. Lemony mouthfeel with minerally red fruit. Nice structure. We’re now hip to the theme and identify the wine quickly.
Eden: “It wants food. Chevre on a plate would be perfect.”
Melissa: More unctuous than the others.”
Jay: “Love the texture.”
Jayson: “I think the nose will open.”
2015 Bernard Gripa St Joseph rouge “Le Berceau”
Melissa guesses Rhone, Marty gets St. Joseph and Gripa.
It’s 14.5% but doesn’t drink hot at all.
Eden: “Blueberry/blackberry richness. Very giving on both the nose and the palate.”
Jayson: “Rich tannins.”
Seth: “Doesn’t scream syrah. Doesn’t come off as overripe.”
Jay: “Lush, loamy and delicious.”
2003 Croft Vintage Port
Melissa: “Is that PORT?” Rich, slightly candied, youthful, hint of vanilla, integrated fortification, both cerebral and luscious. Drinks well. Becomes spicier with a little air. Several days later the wine was less interesting and creamy-candied-sugary-flabby. Good when opened though, and I imagine it will hold and possibly improve. Outshown by the TF.
2003 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port
Jayson: “A lot of energy - I like it and I don’t like Port. It’s really good.”
Has noticeably more sizzle and intensity than the Croft. Very ripe in the prune direction. A few days later the wine was still great and maybe even better balanced. It should have the raw materials to improve with age for quite a while and make old bones. Super.
I’m pinch hitting as scribe.
This month Jay contributed a bottle to start us off and Eden was maestra for the main event.
2014 Francois Pinon Vouvray “Silex Noir” (12.1%)
Honeyed nose. Tastes barely sec-tendre (even while carrying 15g/l). Well framed, great acidity, a touch tannic, clean, long, the full package. We all like this. Less honeyed on the palate. The fruit is slightly neutral too, pear-ish, which throws me a little off balance if we’re drinking what I suspect. Melissa: “A meal in a glass.” Jayson: “Honeyed.” Not showing much argile and wildflower/tilleul, so maybe not Pinon? The refinement is a touch like Huet here and less what you’d expect in Trois Argiles or Les Deronnieres. Eden gets us to chenin and Marty gets us to Vouvray and Jay confirms it is Pinon. We hit the wall guessing cuvee and vintage. It's 2014 Silex, Pinon’s bottling which to me can resemble premiere cotes - and the cuvee I’m least familiar with. It’s showing dryer than the 2014 Deronnieres. Beautiful wine. Note to noodle, don’t underestimate Pinon’s Silex Noir with a little bottle age.
2014 Bernard Gripa St Joseph blanc “Le Berceau” 100% marsanne
The wine in the glass is pale and muted with a touch of salted caramel. It may need a lot of air. Melissa calls it as from the Rhone and Jayson zeroes in with St. Joseph. Jayson: “Coconutty oak hint in finish.” Southern Rhone? No. Chassellas? No. Gonon? No. The wine isn’t in the mood to tell us much. Several days later it opened up, with a richer texture overall and more personality and twang on the palate. Melissa: “A bit of oak in the aftertaste.” I can’t help but think the wine was testing us and we failed it.
2013 Francois Cotat Chavignol rouge VdF
Gamay? Pineau d’Aunis? WTF?
A verrry interesting question mark stares up at us from the glass. With aromas of cinnamon bark and non-red fruitiness, it is juicy and citrusy and a little spicy. The color is quite red, but there are flavors here from the non-red, possibly rose world. So is it a red or is it a dark rose? Let the final guessing begin: Loire? Yes. Sancerre? Sort of. -whatever that means. Pinot noir? Yes. Chavignol? Yes.
Jayson: “From a cool year.”
Melissa: “A pomander ball with clove and cinnamon in citrus.”
Jay: “Rose or red, a lovely wine.”
I discover later that Cotat blocks malo in this low-production red and because of this is denied the AOC.
2011 Francois Cotat Chavignol rouge VdF
Similarities with the previous wine. Faint whiff of smoke or am I imagining? Medium texture, nice acid balance, becoming floral later, long finish.
Jayson: “That’s different.”
Melissa: “Reminds me of a campfire.”
Jayson: “Candied nose, almost candy corn.”
Jay: “Candy corn that wasn’t destemmed, hah hah.”
2010 Francois Cotat Chavignol rouge VdF
Darker than the previous two wines, and less open aromatically. Lemony mouthfeel with minerally red fruit. Nice structure. We’re now hip to the theme and identify the wine quickly.
Eden: “It wants food. Chevre on a plate would be perfect.”
Melissa: More unctuous than the others.”
Jay: “Love the texture.”
Jayson: “I think the nose will open.”
2015 Bernard Gripa St Joseph rouge “Le Berceau”
Melissa guesses Rhone, Marty gets St. Joseph and Gripa.
It’s 14.5% but doesn’t drink hot at all.
Eden: “Blueberry/blackberry richness. Very giving on both the nose and the palate.”
Jayson: “Rich tannins.”
Seth: “Doesn’t scream syrah. Doesn’t come off as overripe.”
Jay: “Lush, loamy and delicious.”
2003 Croft Vintage Port
Melissa: “Is that PORT?” Rich, slightly candied, youthful, hint of vanilla, integrated fortification, both cerebral and luscious. Drinks well. Becomes spicier with a little air. Several days later the wine was less interesting and creamy-candied-sugary-flabby. Good when opened though, and I imagine it will hold and possibly improve. Outshown by the TF.
2003 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port
Jayson: “A lot of energy - I like it and I don’t like Port. It’s really good.”
Has noticeably more sizzle and intensity than the Croft. Very ripe in the prune direction. A few days later the wine was still great and maybe even better balanced. It should have the raw materials to improve with age for quite a while and make old bones. Super.
