Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don, Jay, Jayson, Jeff, Lisa, Seth, Victor
Don and Jeff pour.
Before we begin, Jeff announces that this is going to be an educational flight, not the usual round of 'Stump the Band'.
Don 1: Marguet NV Champagne Brut Nature GC "Shaman 20" - strong taste of apple and a little cider, so an oxidative style (or just bad); and then it's really tart; Jay sardonically asks whether this is natural wine?; not much love around the table... we eventually suss-out that it is partly chardonnay and the spritz is intentional, etc. etc.; at least, Don's innovative use of teflon tape to hermetically seal the bottle worked fairly well // Day 2: this has calmed down quite a lot and come back into better balance; now like a slightly rich champagne, the oxidation and acidity throw mutual support; much improved!
Jeff 1: Berthollier 2022 Vin des Allobroges IGP "Coup de Theatre" - 14%, approx. even blend of jacquere/altesse/roussanne, "concentrated thickness" -Melissa, "weirdly soapy" -Jayson, I find the alcohol and overripe roussanne find a balance with each other but I am pretty much alone in this; even less-loved than the appley-blocky-shrill champagne // Day 2: ...and I still think the quince-y, in your face roussanne sacrifices its waxy-earthy flavors to counteract the alcoholic bitterness
Jeff 2: Bruno Lupin 2022 Roussette de Savoie "Cuvee de l'Acacia" - 12.5%, altesse, 12 months in old barrels, very interesting!: it is rounded, like any wine kept in barrel, but there is no wood taste; we get the fullness and brightness of altesse with an extra silkiness in the texture; need to find out whether anyone is importing this now // Day 2: that is such a good grape!, still has a fine balance of crispness and lingering resin and a whiff of lemon
Jeff 3: Dom. Finot 2022 Coteaux du Gresivaudan "Etraire de la Dhuy" - 13.5%, a rare red grape (maybe 6 ha in production) in the Serine family, spicy red wine with black cherry, white pepper, violets, maybe iron and some vaguely syrah-ish whispers in a gamay-weight package; excellent acidity and everyone wants to try this at the dinner table; frankly, better than I remember it! // Day 2: about the same, maybe the fruit is receding a bit and the acidity is more prominent
Don 2: Dom. de Bellivière 2021 Jasnieres "Les Rosiers" - wow, "clementine!" -Jeff, "remarkably fabulous palate!" -Jayson, golden color, we peg it as a demi-sec chenin and it is just totally on: citrus over stone fruit, chalk and wax, just enough earthy ballast, and so long! // Day 2: it's still fabulous
Jeff 4: Dom. Finot 2022 Coteaux du Gresivaudan "Verdesse" - 13%, a rare white grape (maybe 4 ha in production), a cross of savagnin blanc and an unknown parent, the grapes are green for most of the growing season then go all golden just when fully ripe; "marzipan on the nose" -Seth, good acidity, strongly aromatic which gives Jay the impression that it has some rs, good for the acid freaks hereabouts // Day 2: acidity has fallen away, comes off now more like gruner veltliner
Jeff 5: Dom. Finot 2019 Coteaux du Gresivaudan "Vendange d'Automne" "Verdesse" - 14.2%, 500 ml, this is the 'sec tendre' version (15g rs) but is too alcoholic and the slightly-sweet package does not work // Day 2: the same, the alcoholic bitterness is as potent a flavor as the wine
Don 3: Ch. de Pressac 2015 Saint Emilion - this is Bordeaux, light-medium weight, likely a lot of merlot, the limestone-y finish leads me to guess "St. Emilion?" (yes), the ripeness and youth lead both Jay and Jayson to guess "2015?" (yes), and that is the end of our successful guessing on this wine; Don hints that this is the estate immediately south of Ch. Valandraud but that doesn't help; never heard of this house but who am I? // Day 2: still dark and rich, not overpowering, no noticeable oak, nice wine
Don 4: Ch. de Pressac 1959 Saint Emilion - clearly the same wine but older, lusher, more raspberry on the nose, "a lot of spice" -Victor, this is still opening up while in the glass but we guess anyway... 1980's? (no), 1970s? (no), 1960s? (no), 1959? (yes); OMG, this wine is so vigorous and not yet fully open and it's old enough to retire with a pension! Don tells the story of how he got these bottles from a seller in France who specialized in old bottles, and who ran the occasional sale, and Don would buy whatever he recommended... // Day 2: still one elegant gentleman, pronounced damp earth and cranberries with a little black raspberry and a sliver of orange peel, wow
Don 5: Moulin Touchais 1985 Coteaux du Layon - sweet chenin, kinda simple, some rubber or pencil eraser on the nose but clean on the palate, takes us a while to remember this house // Day 2: same
Nice time. See you again zoom.
Don and Jeff pour.
Before we begin, Jeff announces that this is going to be an educational flight, not the usual round of 'Stump the Band'.
Don 1: Marguet NV Champagne Brut Nature GC "Shaman 20" - strong taste of apple and a little cider, so an oxidative style (or just bad); and then it's really tart; Jay sardonically asks whether this is natural wine?; not much love around the table... we eventually suss-out that it is partly chardonnay and the spritz is intentional, etc. etc.; at least, Don's innovative use of teflon tape to hermetically seal the bottle worked fairly well // Day 2: this has calmed down quite a lot and come back into better balance; now like a slightly rich champagne, the oxidation and acidity throw mutual support; much improved!
Jeff 1: Berthollier 2022 Vin des Allobroges IGP "Coup de Theatre" - 14%, approx. even blend of jacquere/altesse/roussanne, "concentrated thickness" -Melissa, "weirdly soapy" -Jayson, I find the alcohol and overripe roussanne find a balance with each other but I am pretty much alone in this; even less-loved than the appley-blocky-shrill champagne // Day 2: ...and I still think the quince-y, in your face roussanne sacrifices its waxy-earthy flavors to counteract the alcoholic bitterness
Jeff 2: Bruno Lupin 2022 Roussette de Savoie "Cuvee de l'Acacia" - 12.5%, altesse, 12 months in old barrels, very interesting!: it is rounded, like any wine kept in barrel, but there is no wood taste; we get the fullness and brightness of altesse with an extra silkiness in the texture; need to find out whether anyone is importing this now // Day 2: that is such a good grape!, still has a fine balance of crispness and lingering resin and a whiff of lemon
Jeff 3: Dom. Finot 2022 Coteaux du Gresivaudan "Etraire de la Dhuy" - 13.5%, a rare red grape (maybe 6 ha in production) in the Serine family, spicy red wine with black cherry, white pepper, violets, maybe iron and some vaguely syrah-ish whispers in a gamay-weight package; excellent acidity and everyone wants to try this at the dinner table; frankly, better than I remember it! // Day 2: about the same, maybe the fruit is receding a bit and the acidity is more prominent
Don 2: Dom. de Bellivière 2021 Jasnieres "Les Rosiers" - wow, "clementine!" -Jeff, "remarkably fabulous palate!" -Jayson, golden color, we peg it as a demi-sec chenin and it is just totally on: citrus over stone fruit, chalk and wax, just enough earthy ballast, and so long! // Day 2: it's still fabulous
Jeff 4: Dom. Finot 2022 Coteaux du Gresivaudan "Verdesse" - 13%, a rare white grape (maybe 4 ha in production), a cross of savagnin blanc and an unknown parent, the grapes are green for most of the growing season then go all golden just when fully ripe; "marzipan on the nose" -Seth, good acidity, strongly aromatic which gives Jay the impression that it has some rs, good for the acid freaks hereabouts // Day 2: acidity has fallen away, comes off now more like gruner veltliner
Jeff 5: Dom. Finot 2019 Coteaux du Gresivaudan "Vendange d'Automne" "Verdesse" - 14.2%, 500 ml, this is the 'sec tendre' version (15g rs) but is too alcoholic and the slightly-sweet package does not work // Day 2: the same, the alcoholic bitterness is as potent a flavor as the wine
Don 3: Ch. de Pressac 2015 Saint Emilion - this is Bordeaux, light-medium weight, likely a lot of merlot, the limestone-y finish leads me to guess "St. Emilion?" (yes), the ripeness and youth lead both Jay and Jayson to guess "2015?" (yes), and that is the end of our successful guessing on this wine; Don hints that this is the estate immediately south of Ch. Valandraud but that doesn't help; never heard of this house but who am I? // Day 2: still dark and rich, not overpowering, no noticeable oak, nice wine
Don 4: Ch. de Pressac 1959 Saint Emilion - clearly the same wine but older, lusher, more raspberry on the nose, "a lot of spice" -Victor, this is still opening up while in the glass but we guess anyway... 1980's? (no), 1970s? (no), 1960s? (no), 1959? (yes); OMG, this wine is so vigorous and not yet fully open and it's old enough to retire with a pension! Don tells the story of how he got these bottles from a seller in France who specialized in old bottles, and who ran the occasional sale, and Don would buy whatever he recommended... // Day 2: still one elegant gentleman, pronounced damp earth and cranberries with a little black raspberry and a sliver of orange peel, wow
Don 5: Moulin Touchais 1985 Coteaux du Layon - sweet chenin, kinda simple, some rubber or pencil eraser on the nose but clean on the palate, takes us a while to remember this house // Day 2: same
Nice time. See you again zoom.
