Breaking tasting notes from Real Wine Assault, Seattle
- Thread starter BJ
- Start date
Chris Coad
Chris Coad
I'm having browser trouble: not seeing notes. Mac OS 10.4.11, Safari 3.2.1. Thx Pburo.
Chris Coad
Chris Coad
Still problems, bleh. I hate Safari.
Putnam Weekley
putnam
Man, I'm packing a bag and driving out there now
Who has a sofa I can sleep on?
I want that to be my life
Who has a sofa I can sleep on?
I want that to be my life
lars makie
lars makie
I don't know if I want that to be my life, but I do think I'd like to go drinking with the two guys in the last picture. They look like they're having a good time.
Putnam Weekley
putnam
I'll try and time it with the next assault cycle.
I'm preparing to squat foreclosed sofas here, so no hot water. Does your dwelling come with fire?
I'm preparing to squat foreclosed sofas here, so no hot water. Does your dwelling come with fire?
here are some impressions from yesterday.
First, it was a little slice of heaven in Seattle Wednesday, getting to talk with the vignerons, whose wines have become a luxury and a staple for me.
The setting was perfect, uncrowded, and relaxed. Each Vigneron had their own table consisting of a barrel with a table top, with multiple bottles open to taste.
I started with Domaine de la Pepiere, and had the chance to talk with Marc Ollivier. He is the real deal, and probably should be given the legion of honor for what he is doing for Muscadet.
Muscadet Sur Lie 2007 was open and expressive, with lovely balance between seashell, citrus, and lees. Drinking great at the moment, and pretty remarkable for the vintage.
Muscadet Sur Lie 2008 was reserved, a little tart, and showing a lot of yeasty leesy flavors. It hasn't been bottled officially yet. Should be a good one, this was a little hard to read.
Muscadet Clos des Briords 2007 was richer than the regular 07, with a completely different mineral aspect than the regular cuvee, less fruit at the moment, and a diesel aspect that I don't remember tasting in Briords before. This needs some more time to come together, but I liked it.
Gras Mouton 2008 is a single vineyard Muscadet from gneiss and clay soil. It is from one of the five vineyards that used to go into the Cuvee Eden, which Marc isn't making anymore. He thinks the vineyard for Gras Mouton was the best of the five, and for fans of melon grown on gneiss this should be a great bottle to taste. There was a little more fruit in the nose compared to the other wines, but also this was very young with some dissolved CO2.
The next table was also a real treat to meet and taste with Jean-Paul Brun. I was doubly lucky yesterday, as Shawn Mead was tasting the Terres Dorees wines the same time I was there. JP Brun is another whose work should qualify him for a medal.
Both the 2007 and 2008 Beaujolais Chardonnay were poured. The '07 is lively, fresh, with a citrus edge to its apple fruit. The '08 was closed, more reserved, but seemed to be in balance.
Also there were bottles of the 2007 and 2008 Beaujolais l'Ancien to try.
The 2007 was expressive and drinking well, with a little mineral edge to its tart red fruit. More of a classic lean style than the 2 prior vintages, and should be a good early drinking wine. The '08 was a little closed and the tannic structure was prominent.
I loved the 2007 Cote de Brouilly here. Darker fruits, with doughy yeasty mineral side and just enough chewy tannin to give it some backbone. I could drink a lot of this.
The FRV100 Rose was lightly petillent, demisec, and gossamer. Perfect for brunch or picnics. Made in the Methode Ancestrale without chapitalization.
Like Bugey Cerdon, it makes me smile.
The fun continued at the next table with Alain Coudert of Clos de la Roilette. He explained to me that the Cuvee Tardive is a selection of grapes from older vines that average around 80 years of age, but from the same vineyard as the regular Fleurie.
The 2007 Fleurie was already well developed and had a nice floral aspect to the nose. The 2008 Fleurie was less developed, but was more open than the 2008 from Terres Dorees. There was more fruit and less floral side in this young just bottled wine.
The 2007 Cuvee Tardive was a little tight, but showing a darker side to the fruit and more minerals. Good concentration and length. Alain said he likes to drink this one 4-5 years after bottling, but they can age much longer. I liked this one a lot, and plan on putting some bottles in the closet to age.
Matthieu Baudry was pouring 4 wines from Domaine Bernard Baudry at the next table. For me these wines were a highlight, and I think this Domaine really captures the essence of Chinon.
2007 Chinon Les Granges was open and lively, with fresh brambly fruit with some tobacco leaf, with light structure that makes it easy to drink now. Matthieu said you don't need a steak to drink this one, and I agree. Classic bistro Chinon.
There were 2 vintages of Chinon Clos Guillot, 2005 and 2007. This vineyard is on a slope, with younger vines planted on a mix of clay and limestone soil. The '07 was a little closed and tannic. The 2005 was darker in color, surprisingly open, nose of dark brambly fruit, concentrated, good acidity and very polished tannin structure. Long minerally finish. A taster next to me said this reminded her of Bordeaux. I loved this, but it might seem too polished and ripe for some.
The 2007 Chinon Les Grezeaux was another winner for me. The nose was intense, minerally, with good darker fruits. This cuvee seems like it is always tasty and accessible when young and the '07 is no exception.
From Chinon to Bourgueil, the next table had Pierre Breton pouring wines from Domaine Catherine et Pierre Breton.
The highlight for me was the 2006 Bourgueil Perrieres. It had good deep fruit, concentrated, and lots of pent up energy. It was big and structured which seems typical for Bourgueil, but the tannins had a lot of finesse also. Definitely a wine to buy and put away.
Another standout here was the 2006 Bourgueil Franc de Pied. It had a wild complex nose of earth, mineral, bark, and dark fruits. Also this had a very nice texture and feel in the mouth. A unique wine.
The 2007 Trinch! will please Trinch fans. A nose of twigs and fruit, it is easy to drink now, but has enough tannin that it will last a few years.
The 2006 Galichets was dark and tannic, a little impenetrable, and not easy to get a read on.
It was a great pleasure to have the chance to meet and chat with Eric and Christine Nicolas, from Domaine de Belliviere. They were very friendly. It was also a chance to check in on some of their epic wines from 2005, which for the most part were showing very well.
The wines started with the 2007 Jasniers Rosiers. For fans of dry Chenin, I get the feeling 2007 might be a good year for you. This wine was dry, with quince fruit, dried flowers, and light minerals. I like it.
Next came a few from 2005. The whites all seemed demi sec to full on moelleaux sweetness. The wines stand out to me for their incredible textures and great balance. Most of the sweeter wines avoid getting too heavy or cloying.
2005 Coteaux du Loir Esparses has 20 grams of residual sugar. It was little closed aromatically, with good length and balance in the mouth.
2005 Rosiers had a ripe quince paste nose with some botrytis. Smooth texture and long finish.
2005 Jasnieres Calligramme was the star of the show for me. 30 grams RS with incredible balance, minerals and length. Also some botrytis here. Grand Cru level here.
2005 Coteaux du Loir Effraie had a vegetal aspect to the nose and was my least favorite of the bunch. Also big RS here, 50 grams IIRC.
Next were two red from Pineau d'Aunis.
2007 Coteaux du Loir Rouge Gorge was sprightly, peppery, some pleasant green flavors, and medium sized. A big difference from the 2005.
2005 Hommage a Louis Dere had a wild nose with meat, pepper, and minerals, and just a little fruit. Very appealing and unusual.
I asked Christine about Les Giroflees, one of my favorite rose wines they make from Pineau d'Aunis. She said in the last few vintages the quantity of red grapes were down, and they only had enough to make the red wines. She said they add CO2 to the wine at bottling, to cut down on sulfites, and preserve the fruit. Hopefully there will be a new vintage of the rose soon.
Next were two wines from Domaine du Closel/Chateau des Vaults. Evelyne de Jessey was pouring. She is friendly and very elegant in person and it was a great pleasure to talk with her. I asked her about the differences of Savennieres now compared to 10 years ago. She mentioned they are paying a lot more attention to the vineyards, getting riper fruit and using more sustainable practices, but the big difference she thinks is in the cellar. The reason Savennieres is more approachable at a younger age is they are using much less sulfites than before, which makes the wines more agreeable young.
2006 Savenniers la Jalousie had a reserved nose, but a pleasant taste.
It seemed a little closed.
2005 Savennieres Clos du Papillon was also aromatically little shy, but had good concentration and length. Plenty of material here.
At a long table Kevin McKenna had a big assortment of wines open to try.
The highlights here for me were the two Champagnes, Larmandier-Bernier Brut Blanc des Blanc 1er NV and Ulysse Colin Extra Brut des Blancs (2005). The Larmandier Bernier was a little more expressive today, but the Ulysse Collin was superb too. Fine balance of fruit and brioche flavor.
The 2006 Francois Chidaine Vouvray Clos Baudoin was really good also. Sec tendre to demi sec level, with exceptional balance and mouthfeel, and tons of minerals.
I'm not a huge Condrieu fan, but I could happily drink the Eric Texier 2007 Condrieu Janrode. Exuberant playful apricot skin nose, it gets serious in the mouth as it is dry and structured, with good acidity and also some minerals. A great Condrieu.
There were plenty more wines, but I had to leave at that point.
Sorry for the length of the post.
Brad, I have sullied the purity of your thread. If you want, I will remove this drivel from here.
First, it was a little slice of heaven in Seattle Wednesday, getting to talk with the vignerons, whose wines have become a luxury and a staple for me.
The setting was perfect, uncrowded, and relaxed. Each Vigneron had their own table consisting of a barrel with a table top, with multiple bottles open to taste.
I started with Domaine de la Pepiere, and had the chance to talk with Marc Ollivier. He is the real deal, and probably should be given the legion of honor for what he is doing for Muscadet.
Muscadet Sur Lie 2007 was open and expressive, with lovely balance between seashell, citrus, and lees. Drinking great at the moment, and pretty remarkable for the vintage.
Muscadet Sur Lie 2008 was reserved, a little tart, and showing a lot of yeasty leesy flavors. It hasn't been bottled officially yet. Should be a good one, this was a little hard to read.
Muscadet Clos des Briords 2007 was richer than the regular 07, with a completely different mineral aspect than the regular cuvee, less fruit at the moment, and a diesel aspect that I don't remember tasting in Briords before. This needs some more time to come together, but I liked it.
Gras Mouton 2008 is a single vineyard Muscadet from gneiss and clay soil. It is from one of the five vineyards that used to go into the Cuvee Eden, which Marc isn't making anymore. He thinks the vineyard for Gras Mouton was the best of the five, and for fans of melon grown on gneiss this should be a great bottle to taste. There was a little more fruit in the nose compared to the other wines, but also this was very young with some dissolved CO2.
The next table was also a real treat to meet and taste with Jean-Paul Brun. I was doubly lucky yesterday, as Shawn Mead was tasting the Terres Dorees wines the same time I was there. JP Brun is another whose work should qualify him for a medal.
Both the 2007 and 2008 Beaujolais Chardonnay were poured. The '07 is lively, fresh, with a citrus edge to its apple fruit. The '08 was closed, more reserved, but seemed to be in balance.
Also there were bottles of the 2007 and 2008 Beaujolais l'Ancien to try.
The 2007 was expressive and drinking well, with a little mineral edge to its tart red fruit. More of a classic lean style than the 2 prior vintages, and should be a good early drinking wine. The '08 was a little closed and the tannic structure was prominent.
I loved the 2007 Cote de Brouilly here. Darker fruits, with doughy yeasty mineral side and just enough chewy tannin to give it some backbone. I could drink a lot of this.
The FRV100 Rose was lightly petillent, demisec, and gossamer. Perfect for brunch or picnics. Made in the Methode Ancestrale without chapitalization.
Like Bugey Cerdon, it makes me smile.
The fun continued at the next table with Alain Coudert of Clos de la Roilette. He explained to me that the Cuvee Tardive is a selection of grapes from older vines that average around 80 years of age, but from the same vineyard as the regular Fleurie.
The 2007 Fleurie was already well developed and had a nice floral aspect to the nose. The 2008 Fleurie was less developed, but was more open than the 2008 from Terres Dorees. There was more fruit and less floral side in this young just bottled wine.
The 2007 Cuvee Tardive was a little tight, but showing a darker side to the fruit and more minerals. Good concentration and length. Alain said he likes to drink this one 4-5 years after bottling, but they can age much longer. I liked this one a lot, and plan on putting some bottles in the closet to age.
Matthieu Baudry was pouring 4 wines from Domaine Bernard Baudry at the next table. For me these wines were a highlight, and I think this Domaine really captures the essence of Chinon.
2007 Chinon Les Granges was open and lively, with fresh brambly fruit with some tobacco leaf, with light structure that makes it easy to drink now. Matthieu said you don't need a steak to drink this one, and I agree. Classic bistro Chinon.
There were 2 vintages of Chinon Clos Guillot, 2005 and 2007. This vineyard is on a slope, with younger vines planted on a mix of clay and limestone soil. The '07 was a little closed and tannic. The 2005 was darker in color, surprisingly open, nose of dark brambly fruit, concentrated, good acidity and very polished tannin structure. Long minerally finish. A taster next to me said this reminded her of Bordeaux. I loved this, but it might seem too polished and ripe for some.
The 2007 Chinon Les Grezeaux was another winner for me. The nose was intense, minerally, with good darker fruits. This cuvee seems like it is always tasty and accessible when young and the '07 is no exception.
From Chinon to Bourgueil, the next table had Pierre Breton pouring wines from Domaine Catherine et Pierre Breton.
The highlight for me was the 2006 Bourgueil Perrieres. It had good deep fruit, concentrated, and lots of pent up energy. It was big and structured which seems typical for Bourgueil, but the tannins had a lot of finesse also. Definitely a wine to buy and put away.
Another standout here was the 2006 Bourgueil Franc de Pied. It had a wild complex nose of earth, mineral, bark, and dark fruits. Also this had a very nice texture and feel in the mouth. A unique wine.
The 2007 Trinch! will please Trinch fans. A nose of twigs and fruit, it is easy to drink now, but has enough tannin that it will last a few years.
The 2006 Galichets was dark and tannic, a little impenetrable, and not easy to get a read on.
It was a great pleasure to have the chance to meet and chat with Eric and Christine Nicolas, from Domaine de Belliviere. They were very friendly. It was also a chance to check in on some of their epic wines from 2005, which for the most part were showing very well.
The wines started with the 2007 Jasniers Rosiers. For fans of dry Chenin, I get the feeling 2007 might be a good year for you. This wine was dry, with quince fruit, dried flowers, and light minerals. I like it.
Next came a few from 2005. The whites all seemed demi sec to full on moelleaux sweetness. The wines stand out to me for their incredible textures and great balance. Most of the sweeter wines avoid getting too heavy or cloying.
2005 Coteaux du Loir Esparses has 20 grams of residual sugar. It was little closed aromatically, with good length and balance in the mouth.
2005 Rosiers had a ripe quince paste nose with some botrytis. Smooth texture and long finish.
2005 Jasnieres Calligramme was the star of the show for me. 30 grams RS with incredible balance, minerals and length. Also some botrytis here. Grand Cru level here.
2005 Coteaux du Loir Effraie had a vegetal aspect to the nose and was my least favorite of the bunch. Also big RS here, 50 grams IIRC.
Next were two red from Pineau d'Aunis.
2007 Coteaux du Loir Rouge Gorge was sprightly, peppery, some pleasant green flavors, and medium sized. A big difference from the 2005.
2005 Hommage a Louis Dere had a wild nose with meat, pepper, and minerals, and just a little fruit. Very appealing and unusual.
I asked Christine about Les Giroflees, one of my favorite rose wines they make from Pineau d'Aunis. She said in the last few vintages the quantity of red grapes were down, and they only had enough to make the red wines. She said they add CO2 to the wine at bottling, to cut down on sulfites, and preserve the fruit. Hopefully there will be a new vintage of the rose soon.
Next were two wines from Domaine du Closel/Chateau des Vaults. Evelyne de Jessey was pouring. She is friendly and very elegant in person and it was a great pleasure to talk with her. I asked her about the differences of Savennieres now compared to 10 years ago. She mentioned they are paying a lot more attention to the vineyards, getting riper fruit and using more sustainable practices, but the big difference she thinks is in the cellar. The reason Savennieres is more approachable at a younger age is they are using much less sulfites than before, which makes the wines more agreeable young.
2006 Savenniers la Jalousie had a reserved nose, but a pleasant taste.
It seemed a little closed.
2005 Savennieres Clos du Papillon was also aromatically little shy, but had good concentration and length. Plenty of material here.
At a long table Kevin McKenna had a big assortment of wines open to try.
The highlights here for me were the two Champagnes, Larmandier-Bernier Brut Blanc des Blanc 1er NV and Ulysse Colin Extra Brut des Blancs (2005). The Larmandier Bernier was a little more expressive today, but the Ulysse Collin was superb too. Fine balance of fruit and brioche flavor.
The 2006 Francois Chidaine Vouvray Clos Baudoin was really good also. Sec tendre to demi sec level, with exceptional balance and mouthfeel, and tons of minerals.
I'm not a huge Condrieu fan, but I could happily drink the Eric Texier 2007 Condrieu Janrode. Exuberant playful apricot skin nose, it gets serious in the mouth as it is dry and structured, with good acidity and also some minerals. A great Condrieu.
There were plenty more wines, but I had to leave at that point.
Sorry for the length of the post.
Brad, I have sullied the purity of your thread. If you want, I will remove this drivel from here.
scottreiner
scott reiner
great notes! i can't wait for tuesday. but then brun in the store on sunday... gregoire and pierre at the 10 bells on monday... its all too much!
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Thanks, Marc. (I feel a cold coming on so I don't know whether I'm going to be able to taste anything this Saturday.)
Steve Guattery
Steve Guattery
I opened a bottle of this last Saturday. I often have problems with young reds, but I found this very drinkable at this point. The color has the tell-tale Gamay purple tint. The nose has the Gamay note that reminds me of fountain pen ink, along with herbal/spicy notes. It's mildly tannic, much less so than I found the 2006 at the same stage, and the finish is decently long in spite of its youth. The next day what remained had closed up tight. I look forward to trying it again in a couple of years.
Interesting that they were pouring the 2006 given that the 2007 is out. I quite liked two bottles of the 2006 I drank last year. Haven't tried the 2007 yet; I'll post a note when I do.
I found this to be cloyingly sweet in contrast to the 2004, which was nicely crisp. The rs numbers explain why.
Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
The 07 Rouge-Gorge was such a pretty, light-footed thing.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Did you try the Louis Derre?
Steve Guattery
Steve Guattery
My "cloying" comment applies only to my experience with the 2005 L'Effraie; for the record, I liked both the 2005 Les Rosiers and Rouge Gorge, and had no problems with their rs levels. I haven't tried the Belliviere 2007s yet, but look forward to it.