lars makie
lars makie
or My Old Vines Are Older Than Your Old Vines
About a week ago I made plans to take the kids to Detroit to see my parents and let them have some grandparent time (and let me see some old friends). After a series of emails trying to figure out a good time to meet up, I was able to get a ballpark time to have some wines with Mr. Putnam Weekley. As he is working at a busy restaurant in Detroit, he wasnt sure when hed be off, but gave me a rough estimate and that was good enough for me.
Putnam had mentioned on his blog a new crepes place in Detroit not far from Slows that sounded nice. So, before the wine, I figured I try it out. Its called Le Petit Zinc and it is really great. I talked to Charles the owner, and I guess the place has only been open about four months now. I had a Nutella crepe and some coffee, both of which were really good. Its in a completely random location, but has an oasis feeling that makes you feel very far from Detroit. I highly recommend checking it out if youre ever in Detroit. I wish him the best of luck.
After that brief detour, it was over to Slows to a very informal jeebus with Putnam. While I waited for him to finish with work, I passed the time with a glass of 2006(?) Clos du Tue-Boeuf Rouillon which was a welcome way to ease out of a long weekend. It was bigger than I had expected, never having had it before, but not in a thick kind of way; more in a deeper and darker and warmer kind of way. I think I got some cinnamon on the nose at a point. I wished Id had ordered some ribs to go with it.
At that point, Putnam had clocked out and was ready to get into the wine. Up first was a bottle that I brought in from Chicago because I didnt think you could get it in Detroit and wanted to see how it compared to the 2005 and 2006 versions. The 2007 Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas was white-hot straight out of the gate. It was laser-like in its precise attack on the palate. It was a mouth full of rocks and seashells bathed in a light lemon-orange citrusy bath. It made you scream. It made you want to call someone and get oysters delivered (if only there was an oyster guy you could call; like the guy you call when you need pot). It was also years too early to be drinking this wine. That being said, I loved it and will love it even more in a few years. We also gave some non wine-geek people a taste and they loved it as well. Compared to the 05 and 06, it seemed to live in a world closer to the 06; a little more linear and lithe and precise than the slightly bigger 05. As it warmed and opened up a bit, it started to show more depth and complexity on top of the bracing acidity.
Next up was something that Putnam brought up from his secret stash located in the underbelly of Slows. I dont know a lot about the 2005 Cascina Degli Ulivi Montemarino but I do know enough to say that I really liked it. A lot. A google search + google page translation tells me that it is made of 100% Cortese from one of the highest hills in Gavi (I could have this wrong, if so blame Google) and is aged in oak barrels (must be quite neutral as I didnt get much oak at all) on its lees for 11 months. It had a wonderfully funky nose and on the palate I got almonds and apricots and minerals. The texture was like cashmere next to the Do Ferreiro.
We then moved onto a couple reds. It was at this point that Putnam got his dinner of ribs which was great timing as I thought both reds might go well with the ribs. Luckily for me, he was nice enough to offer a taste of the ribs to see how it went with the wines. We were split as to which one we felt was the better match. We opened the lighter red while we were waiting outside, which was fairly cold, so it might not have had the best of starts. Maybe the 2007 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine Gamay was closed (?), as I thought it a little light and lacking and wasnt getting much out of it. I struggled to get much of anything on the nose and it was all mineral all the time on the palate; zero fruit. Im reserving judgment on the wine though until I drink the bottle I bought for home. The other red was one I brought with me and was something I bought recently because I thought it might be good. The 2006 Jean-Francois Merieau Cot Cent Visages sounded like it would be something right in my wheel-well: Malbec from Touraine by a guy making natural wines. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. It was ok, but maybe I wasnt in the mood. It smelled super funky and earthy/dirty but to me it tasted muted. Like there was fruit there but it was like it was covered in gauze; it gets a meh from me. Though I did feel that it worked quite well with the ribs. Maybe it just needs food; it definitely stood up to the bold flavors well enough. The ribs/Tue-Boeuf Gamay combo is one that Putnam strongly stands behind. Color me a touch skeptical as I thought it got a little lost, but then again it could have been the particular bottle.
Putnam saved a bottle of 2006(?) Clos du Tue-Boeuf Le Petit Buisson for last as he felt that the touch of residual sugar it has would be best dealt with almost as a desert wine. I have to say it was interesting and Im glad to have had a chance to taste it. That being said, I wasnt exactly a fan. It was a bit hot, in an alcoholic way and had an oxidative thing going on that wasnt hitting me right. Unfortunately I cant remember too much of the fruit profile; grapefruit perhaps. Speaking of wheel-wells, this one seemed to hit Putnam in all the right places. Hopefully hell chime in and give his take on everything. As I said then, I would love to try this again with some Thai food. I thought this screamed to be alongside some Pad Thai.
After we had tasted through everything, it hit Putnam that we should have started with the reds and then gone into the whites. He said he had seen a certain wine importer do tastings like that with great success.
All in all a great way to end a lovely weekend back in Detroit. Many thanks to Putnam for hanging out and opening some damn good wine. Unfortunately, he forgot his camera so itll have to be all words this time. Oh, and before I forget, Slows is not a BYO, it just happens thats where Putnam is working and they were kind enough to let us sit at the bar and drink.
About a week ago I made plans to take the kids to Detroit to see my parents and let them have some grandparent time (and let me see some old friends). After a series of emails trying to figure out a good time to meet up, I was able to get a ballpark time to have some wines with Mr. Putnam Weekley. As he is working at a busy restaurant in Detroit, he wasnt sure when hed be off, but gave me a rough estimate and that was good enough for me.
Putnam had mentioned on his blog a new crepes place in Detroit not far from Slows that sounded nice. So, before the wine, I figured I try it out. Its called Le Petit Zinc and it is really great. I talked to Charles the owner, and I guess the place has only been open about four months now. I had a Nutella crepe and some coffee, both of which were really good. Its in a completely random location, but has an oasis feeling that makes you feel very far from Detroit. I highly recommend checking it out if youre ever in Detroit. I wish him the best of luck.
After that brief detour, it was over to Slows to a very informal jeebus with Putnam. While I waited for him to finish with work, I passed the time with a glass of 2006(?) Clos du Tue-Boeuf Rouillon which was a welcome way to ease out of a long weekend. It was bigger than I had expected, never having had it before, but not in a thick kind of way; more in a deeper and darker and warmer kind of way. I think I got some cinnamon on the nose at a point. I wished Id had ordered some ribs to go with it.
At that point, Putnam had clocked out and was ready to get into the wine. Up first was a bottle that I brought in from Chicago because I didnt think you could get it in Detroit and wanted to see how it compared to the 2005 and 2006 versions. The 2007 Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas was white-hot straight out of the gate. It was laser-like in its precise attack on the palate. It was a mouth full of rocks and seashells bathed in a light lemon-orange citrusy bath. It made you scream. It made you want to call someone and get oysters delivered (if only there was an oyster guy you could call; like the guy you call when you need pot). It was also years too early to be drinking this wine. That being said, I loved it and will love it even more in a few years. We also gave some non wine-geek people a taste and they loved it as well. Compared to the 05 and 06, it seemed to live in a world closer to the 06; a little more linear and lithe and precise than the slightly bigger 05. As it warmed and opened up a bit, it started to show more depth and complexity on top of the bracing acidity.
Next up was something that Putnam brought up from his secret stash located in the underbelly of Slows. I dont know a lot about the 2005 Cascina Degli Ulivi Montemarino but I do know enough to say that I really liked it. A lot. A google search + google page translation tells me that it is made of 100% Cortese from one of the highest hills in Gavi (I could have this wrong, if so blame Google) and is aged in oak barrels (must be quite neutral as I didnt get much oak at all) on its lees for 11 months. It had a wonderfully funky nose and on the palate I got almonds and apricots and minerals. The texture was like cashmere next to the Do Ferreiro.
We then moved onto a couple reds. It was at this point that Putnam got his dinner of ribs which was great timing as I thought both reds might go well with the ribs. Luckily for me, he was nice enough to offer a taste of the ribs to see how it went with the wines. We were split as to which one we felt was the better match. We opened the lighter red while we were waiting outside, which was fairly cold, so it might not have had the best of starts. Maybe the 2007 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine Gamay was closed (?), as I thought it a little light and lacking and wasnt getting much out of it. I struggled to get much of anything on the nose and it was all mineral all the time on the palate; zero fruit. Im reserving judgment on the wine though until I drink the bottle I bought for home. The other red was one I brought with me and was something I bought recently because I thought it might be good. The 2006 Jean-Francois Merieau Cot Cent Visages sounded like it would be something right in my wheel-well: Malbec from Touraine by a guy making natural wines. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. It was ok, but maybe I wasnt in the mood. It smelled super funky and earthy/dirty but to me it tasted muted. Like there was fruit there but it was like it was covered in gauze; it gets a meh from me. Though I did feel that it worked quite well with the ribs. Maybe it just needs food; it definitely stood up to the bold flavors well enough. The ribs/Tue-Boeuf Gamay combo is one that Putnam strongly stands behind. Color me a touch skeptical as I thought it got a little lost, but then again it could have been the particular bottle.
Putnam saved a bottle of 2006(?) Clos du Tue-Boeuf Le Petit Buisson for last as he felt that the touch of residual sugar it has would be best dealt with almost as a desert wine. I have to say it was interesting and Im glad to have had a chance to taste it. That being said, I wasnt exactly a fan. It was a bit hot, in an alcoholic way and had an oxidative thing going on that wasnt hitting me right. Unfortunately I cant remember too much of the fruit profile; grapefruit perhaps. Speaking of wheel-wells, this one seemed to hit Putnam in all the right places. Hopefully hell chime in and give his take on everything. As I said then, I would love to try this again with some Thai food. I thought this screamed to be alongside some Pad Thai.
After we had tasted through everything, it hit Putnam that we should have started with the reds and then gone into the whites. He said he had seen a certain wine importer do tastings like that with great success.
All in all a great way to end a lovely weekend back in Detroit. Many thanks to Putnam for hanging out and opening some damn good wine. Unfortunately, he forgot his camera so itll have to be all words this time. Oh, and before I forget, Slows is not a BYO, it just happens thats where Putnam is working and they were kind enough to let us sit at the bar and drink.
