Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
1999 Girardin Volnay 1er Champans: hearty red, no bricking. Some sour cherries, initially pleasing sappiness, but with air settled down to a decent though unexciting red Burgundy with substance and rubby tannins, but not a lot of expression. Too soon? Unmemorable with NY strip steak.
1999 Luneau-Papin Muscadet L dOr: muted at first and unimpressive but improving over the first evening to a somewhat Puligny-like combination of light richness, together with finesse and complexity, but with an abbreviated finish. Second evening still pleasant but faaaaading.
The 99 has been floating around the Virginia market for the past year or so at a senior price, but I've wanted to try a good muscadet with some age on it. This was interesting and good, but not notably better than a young L d'Or. I've read one commenter write of the 'patina' acquired by older muscadet, and would agree that this is an apt descriptor.
What kind of a year was 99 in the lower Loire?
NV Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle (from magnum): Fine structure and beads, tropical fruits on nose and palate, woven together with modest bits of brioche. A nice drink with some fine attributes, but without the depth and complexity Id hoped for in a wine of this cachet, especially from a bottling purportedly made largely from 96 wine. Superb, however, with Georgia wild shrimp sauted with garlic in butter and oil, served on rye sourdough bread. Food wine?
Tasted about the same on day 2.
2005 Pepiere Muscadet Briords V.V. (from magnum): Pleasant but - weirdly - rather soft and characterless no zingy acid, no savory-mineral dusting, not much there to draw attention. Im a Pepiere devotee but am finding the 05 Briords underwhelming after trying two 750s and a now a mag. This wine gets raves everywhere else, so Im confused. Perhaps it is in a closed phase now (I opened my first bottle about a year ago)?
1998 J.J. Christoffel Urziger Wuerzgarten Auslese *: a venerable treat, good by itself as an aperitif, good with salty cheese apres. Light gold color, pleasantly bready, UW-swampy aroma. AL-sweet aged to mellowness. Little spine now, and I will be drinking my remaining bottles in the coming year.
2000 St. Emillion Chateau Fombrauge: I gave up buying Bx about five years ago, but this bottle was charming: fresh and zesty, hallmark Bx cedar, red fruit flavors with modest St. Emillion plushness. Ive been trying these since about 05 and would say they are at or near peak now. Ideal with simple roast rack of lamb and pommes frites. Very respectable at about $18.
2006 Rollin Haut Cotes de Beaune: Pleasant light-weight Bourgogne, in essence; rather thin, decent acid structure, modest fruit. A bit more weight on day 2 (after rough treatment overnight), so might should age a year or two. At $18 net, not an outstanding bargain. Perfect burger wine. [But see my additional note below!]
1999 Luneau-Papin Muscadet L dOr: muted at first and unimpressive but improving over the first evening to a somewhat Puligny-like combination of light richness, together with finesse and complexity, but with an abbreviated finish. Second evening still pleasant but faaaaading.
The 99 has been floating around the Virginia market for the past year or so at a senior price, but I've wanted to try a good muscadet with some age on it. This was interesting and good, but not notably better than a young L d'Or. I've read one commenter write of the 'patina' acquired by older muscadet, and would agree that this is an apt descriptor.
What kind of a year was 99 in the lower Loire?
NV Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle (from magnum): Fine structure and beads, tropical fruits on nose and palate, woven together with modest bits of brioche. A nice drink with some fine attributes, but without the depth and complexity Id hoped for in a wine of this cachet, especially from a bottling purportedly made largely from 96 wine. Superb, however, with Georgia wild shrimp sauted with garlic in butter and oil, served on rye sourdough bread. Food wine?
Tasted about the same on day 2.
2005 Pepiere Muscadet Briords V.V. (from magnum): Pleasant but - weirdly - rather soft and characterless no zingy acid, no savory-mineral dusting, not much there to draw attention. Im a Pepiere devotee but am finding the 05 Briords underwhelming after trying two 750s and a now a mag. This wine gets raves everywhere else, so Im confused. Perhaps it is in a closed phase now (I opened my first bottle about a year ago)?
1998 J.J. Christoffel Urziger Wuerzgarten Auslese *: a venerable treat, good by itself as an aperitif, good with salty cheese apres. Light gold color, pleasantly bready, UW-swampy aroma. AL-sweet aged to mellowness. Little spine now, and I will be drinking my remaining bottles in the coming year.
2000 St. Emillion Chateau Fombrauge: I gave up buying Bx about five years ago, but this bottle was charming: fresh and zesty, hallmark Bx cedar, red fruit flavors with modest St. Emillion plushness. Ive been trying these since about 05 and would say they are at or near peak now. Ideal with simple roast rack of lamb and pommes frites. Very respectable at about $18.
2006 Rollin Haut Cotes de Beaune: Pleasant light-weight Bourgogne, in essence; rather thin, decent acid structure, modest fruit. A bit more weight on day 2 (after rough treatment overnight), so might should age a year or two. At $18 net, not an outstanding bargain. Perfect burger wine. [But see my additional note below!]
