TN: 2004 Clos Roche Blanche Ct

S

slaton

Slaton Lipscomb
Gorgeous nose of violets, fresh purpley fruit, celery stick and something like (but not) white pepper. Weightless in the mouth, like so much water, but with lovely layered flavors of violets, fresh purple berry fruits, earth, celery spice. I'm struck by the gentle extraction and freshness. There are tannins but they are subtle and effortless; this is drinking off-the-hook well. I was in the mood for an elegant, pretty Loire red and this more than delivered. For what it's worth, this was decanted 30 minutes and consumed over a couple of hours, and initially there were some off notes of cider vinegar that vanished with about 15 minutes of air. Drink or hold - but if you have more than one bottle, you really should drink some.

This is the kind of wine I could drink on a regular basis, but tragically it was my only bottle.

So how does In KO We Trust compare to this? My only previous touchstone is the Pepiere Ct which for me was a lot less interesting, in 2005 anyway.
 
Never had the Cot, but a few months ago I went through a couple bottles of the '04 Pif. I was really happy with it; can't remember too much other than liking it a bunch and being sad when my supply was drained. I hope to find some more.
 
I also had a great bottle of this recently.

I think it's fine to start drinking this wine. I'd only keep some around out of curiosity, not out of any conviction that they'll get better, not that it isn't a possibility. I really don't know for sure, but I'm not sure 2004 is the vintage for old bones.

I have a lone bottle of 2002 I plan on drinking in the near future. Maybe with Bwood this weekend.
 
Hi Lars!

The case of 2005 Cot that I planned on drinking in 2010 is almost gone. Someone, (Mr. Miller?) on Therapy gave me permission, something about young vines being blended into it, it still has many years in it though, I think ...

There's some 2006 CRB Cabernet at the Michigan wholesaler. I have an interest in flogging it so I won't say what I think of it.
 
originally posted by Putnam Weekley:
Hi Lars!

The case of 2005 Cot that I planned on drinking in 2010 is almost gone. Someone, (Mr. Miller?) on Therapy gave me permission, something about young vines being blended into it, it still has many years in it though, I think ...

There's some 2006 CRB Cabernet at the Michigan wholesaler. I have an interest in flogging it so I won't say what I think of it.
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Hey Putnam! Great to see you posting here... Go ahead and hype it up, flog away I say.
 
Well, I'd be surprised if the 2004 didn't make old bones. At least I'll try to hold out on mine for a while (though after this note I guess I'll have to crack a bottle sometime soon).

And yes, the 2005 was a blend of old and young vines, the reason there was no Pif that year. I'm still holding some but fewer than the 2004.

I think I only have 2 or 3 of the 2002. I may try one in 2010.
 
originally posted by lars makie:

Never had the Cot, but a few months ago I went through a couple bottles of the '04 Pif. I was really happy with it; can't remember too much other than liking it a bunch and being sad when my supply was drained. I hope to find some more.
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The 04 Pif was fantastic! I went through a couple of bottles a month in the past few months until it was gone.

Theres still a decent supply of 2005 Cot at my local that I plan on depleting this autumn. Ill post a note soon.
 
This is a relief. I thought besides Alice I was the only one who drank this before it was 10 years old.

The 2007 La Pepie Cot is fun and fantastically easy to drink, despite the garish orange label with the X eyed chicken.
 
Clos Roche Blanche cot is a wine to hang onto. Opened a '97 just last week, it is terrific and will only get better. The wine is very flowery with a wonderful tannic texture. Even in difficult years it seems to be able to age well--the '99 and '98, for instance, are also very good now though the '99 needs a few more years to unwind.

And speaking of Clos Roche Blanche, the other day we drank the 2007 sauvignon blanc and it is, as usual, a delight. But at the same time the wine seems to be missing something. And I think that something is a natural cork. And speaking of the Clos Roche Blanche sauvignon blanc; I was unable to get at my wine for . . . a while and then some mold grew on the cardboard boxes so I had to go through everything, wipe down the bottles and put them in new boxes. Anyway, there, among the mislabeled surprises, was some 1997 sauvignon blanc. Honestly I'm afraid to open one. The bottles are intimidating me. I feel I should probably give them back to Catherine and Didier, or submit them to the French government to be archived somewhere. It's a dilemma.

Best,
Kay

p.s. And speaking of speaking of Clos Roche Blanche I also uncovered some '97 gamay which we opened along with a couple '97 Beaujolais Morgon to celebrate Sal's recent retirement. Just for fun the wines were bagged and I am sad to report I could not pick out the wine grown in limestone (in my defense it was a party and I was cooking so I wasn't really being that analytical). The old gamays were all quite similar. The Desvignes had a menthol thing going and tasted Rhone like, the Savoye VV was structured and the clear favorite of the evening, and the Loire wine was the most floral. All were remarkably vibrant and very enjoyable.
 
originally posted by Kay Bixler:
Hi guys . . .Clos Roche Blanche cot is a wine to hang onto. Opened a '97 just last week, it is terrific and will only get better. The wine is very flowery with a wonderful tannic texture. Even in difficult years it seems to be able to age well--the '99 and '98, for instance, are also very good now though the '99 needs a few more years to unwind.
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Well, I had my last bottle of 1998 a few years ago and I don't think it was going anywhere better than where it was.

I think that there is a difference between peak and setpoint. Just because a wine reaches a point where it maintains for quite a while is not the same as getting better. Now, I will admit that this is personal preference. I seem to tend to like my wine earlier than many other posters here. I'll have another bottle of the 2004 soon, it may just have been the last bottle I had that seemed so evolved, this is also possible.
 
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by Kay Bixler:
Hi guys . . .Best,
Kay
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Kay lives!!!

I knew the balloning accident was a cover story! Man, how did you ever escape from Cheney's secret underground lair?
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Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. You have forgotten the famous Free Kay Bixler! jeebus at Inside to raise money for her legal defense and free her from Guantanamo. I think everyone at said event should congratulate themselves at having helped effect her release. You, however, are condemned to haunt Jones St. until Inside reopens and you can arrange a jeebus there.
 
originally posted by Kay Bixler:
Hi guys . . .Clos Roche Blanche cot is a wine to hang onto. Opened a '97 just last week, it is terrific and will only get better. The wine is very flowery with a wonderful tannic texture. Even in difficult years it seems to be able to age well--the '99 and '98, for instance, are also very good now though the '99 needs a few more years to unwind.
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You're absolutely right about these three wines. And it is wonderful to hear from you again, Kay. Please go ahead and have one of the '97 Sauvignons. The wine begs you to have it, and wants nothing to do with the French government.

And speaking of Clos Roche Blanche, have you come across anything from 1996?

Best,
Jeff
 
tasted 04 Cot CRB recently, and just loved it; tons of flavour, no fat, fresh, focused.
I'd probably side with vlm in this discussion. Yes it's got wonderful structure, and it does seem unresolved, but I think the constitution of this wine is such that it may bring great joy fairly soon, in a juicy but ever-so-slightly austere way. Sometimes a little structure in the forefront is a part of the wine's ultimate style, rather than a reason to hide it from yourself in the cellar. No harm burying a few bottles, but I think it would be a shame not to enjoy it in the next couple of years.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
Sometimes a little structure in the forefront is a part of the wine's ultimate style, rather than a reason to hide it from yourself in the cellar.
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Well said! I've been thinking a lot about this very point lately.
 
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