TN: de Villaine & Foucault

S

slaton

Slaton Lipscomb
2007 A. et P. de Villaine Rully Les Saint Jacques
Initially nutty and autolytic, but with air this gives way to cool, pure lean green and yellow fruit, lime zest, saline/salt, and intense, chalky minerality. Firm acid, good weight and just overall a striking wine, tensile and pungently mineral, with not a drop of wood on display. Highly recommended to rock lovers everywhere.

2002 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny 'Le Clos'
Very closed at first, but quickly blossomed with 20-30 minutes of air to reveal a developing nose of ripe darkish red berry fruit, cedar, vanilla and a touch of brett. Lovely suave, silky-textured palate with flavors following the nose and some modest wood apparent. Moderate depth and length. For a bit this strongly resembled something villages-level from the Cote de Nuits, both texturally and in flavor profile, although with time more typical herbal cabernet franc notes joined the party. Overall it's a very good if not great wine that's in a fine place for current drinking; I'll definitely start accelerating my pace with these.
 
I think that the Burgundy classification system is more right than wrong, but if ever one wanted to make a case for its ridiculousness, it would be the wines of de Villaine, which I've been following for nearly 30 years. Three regional (Bourgogne) appellation wines, and three Cte Chalonnaise village-level wines, and that's all. And each of them superb, year after year (well, I confess I didn't like the 2003 whites -- go figure! ;) ).
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
originally posted by Arjun Mendiratta:
Autolytic...nice word.
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What's it mean?
Best, Jim
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Self-digestion, literally.

Yeast enzymes eat yeast proteins, freeing amino acids (giving more umami mouthfeel). Some risk of reduction, depending on variety and many other factors.

But the wiki is pretty good.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
I think that the Burgundy classification system is more right than wrong, but if ever one wanted to make a case for its ridiculousness, it would be the wines of de Villaine, which I've been following for nearly 30 years. Three regional (Bourgogne) appellation wines, and three Cte Chalonnaise village-level wines, and that's all. And each of them superb, year after year (well, I confess I didn't like the 2003 whites -- go figure! ;) ).
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I have this feeling that Aubert de Villaine could probably make decent wine in Missouri if he put his mind to it.
 
doesn't he do something in Sonoma already? Never had the wine, but I seem to recall something about that.

On edit: Found the website (www.hdvwines.com), I'm not sure how much involvement he actually has, and I still have no firsthand experience, although their pricing seems ambitious, especially in the context of the de Villaine pricing for the french wines. But it is in Napa.
 
I lack the depth of experience with California chardonnay to offer any personal opinion, but friends who taste widely & make wine in California seem to think very highly of the fruit from Hyde vineyard.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
I have this feeling that Aubert de Villaine could probably make decent wine in Missouri if he put his mind to it.
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I thought Missouri was supposed to have some "decent" spots for wine. At least from Norton.
 
Loves the Rully St. Jacques. It was my white Burgundy epiphany.
I think Slaton wins the contest for descriptive word this year.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
So, to flesh out the descriptor a bit, what do amino acids arising from yeast self-digestion taste like?
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Ever had Champagne? Those toasty, bread-like, yeasty elements are the products of yeast autolysis. And Muscadet SeM "sur lie" wines also have a touch of yeast autolysis to them.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by mlawton:
doesn't he do something in Sonoma already? Never had the wine, but I seem to recall something about that.

On edit: Found the website (www.hdvwines.com), I'm not sure how much involvement he actually has, and I still have no firsthand experience, although their pricing seems ambitious, especially in the context of the de Villaine pricing for the french wines. But it is in Napa.
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I've had one HdV Chardonnay, the '04 Hyde Vyd, and found it unacceptably oaky. Others (FL Jim, perhaps?) have informed me that this is not the norm for their wines, so take that comment with however much salt you deem appropriate.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by MLipton:

I've had one HdV Chardonnay, the '04 Hyde Vyd, and found it unacceptably oaky. Others (FL Jim, perhaps?) have informed me that this is not the norm for their wines, so take that comment with however much salt you deem appropriate.

Mark Lipton
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I guess the question is, when did you have the wine? My experience is that the Chardonnay generally shows simpler and oakier the longer you age it. Which isn't to say it doesn't last. I had the 2000 Chardonnay a year or so ago, and it was still holding it's own. Just that the wine loses whatever would make you say "Boy, this is just like a fuller bodied Meursault!" that is has upon release, and becomes simpler with time.

Your experience may vary.

And HdV in red is to be passed on, in my opinion.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
Ever had Champagne? Those toasty, bread-like, yeasty elements are the products of yeast autolysis. And Muscadet SeM "sur lie" wines also have a touch of yeast autolysis to them.

Mark Lipton
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Once or twice. These flavors are characteristic of high-chardonnay Champagnes, que no? Where are they in high-pinot Champagne? Are they just overlaid by more prominent flavors from the pinot fruit?

Is this the source of bread's bread-like, yeasty flavors, or does the baking process break down the bread yeast cells in a way that leaves similar constituents?

Thanks.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
originally posted by MLipton:

I've had one HdV Chardonnay, the '04 Hyde Vyd, and found it unacceptably oaky. Others (FL Jim, perhaps?) have informed me that this is not the norm for their wines, so take that comment with however much salt you deem appropriate.

Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

I guess the question is, when did you have the wine? My experience is that the Chardonnay generally shows simpler and oakier the longer you age it. Which isn't to say it doesn't last. I had the 2000 Chardonnay a year or so ago, and it was still holding it's own. Just that the wine loses whatever would make you say "Boy, this is just like a fuller bodied Meursault!" that is has upon release, and becomes simpler with time.
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Sorry, it was the '03, tasted in June '06. All I got from it was oak and butter, not exactly my favorite flavor profile. If there was fruit in this wine, it was completely submerged underneath the window dressing. Not an experience likely to motivate further exploration on my part.

Mark Lipton
 
Are autolytic flavors only those associated with Champagne, or can the word also be applied to a wine that tastes yeasty, like some more radical natural wines, especially orange ones that spend a lot of time on their skins?
 
Let's just say it: it's fun to write and say "Foucault". Immediate cred, all around, from an array of sectors.
 
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