Wow + added Mercurey

S

Sharon Bowman

Sharon Bowman
I think I'm posting so much all of a sudden, after some lackluster and brutishly laconic months, because Chris is back from the dead. Is this some kind of voodoo doll thing?

I can feel the strings pulling. The joints creaking. My fingers are typing, almost of their own accord.

As for wine, I discovered a great young producer of Mercurey, Philippe Garrey. I had an 07 Mercurey 1er Cru "Chassires"; suave pinot fruit and under 20! Way better than the 06 Barthod Bourgogne I had yesterday. I know, it's only a Bourgogne, but it was more costly than said Mercurey, and Barthod! (Now available in Paris.)

Luckily, a wine store in the 1st arrondissement, Spring Boutique, spearheaded by a young Amerloque, has invited Garrey to town to have his wines a'tasted, Thursday. Which I will do.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

Luckily, a wine store in the 1st arrondissement, Spring Boutique, spearheaded by a young Amerloque, has invited Garrey to town to have his wines a'tasted, Thursday. Which I will do.
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Will Spring Boutique supplant Aug in your affections, Sharon? It might be enough to make me traipse out to the 1st if so.

Mark Lipton
 
They have dried orange blossoms, which make a lovely infusion and help sauces if used deftly. Good wine. Lousy tasting space.
 
originally posted by MLipton:

Will Spring Boutique supplant Aug in your affections,
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On my one visit, it's a fine spot but they have a long way to go to displace Aug in the world. But there is interstitial room for them that is not being occupied by the great places like Aug.
 
Well, if we're comparing them to actual wine shops, they're less good. It's more of a "I must have Nigerian carob right now" sort of place. Very American, I guess.
 
Thor, you were there on launch night. There was a huge throng; by the end, one couldn't move, and indeed many people moved outside (and continued to pour and drink). It's not like that for tastings.

Mark, it's actually a tiny boutique, but the wine choices are great: you'd pretty much want to drink everything they have. I agree with Joe that it really does have its place, for what it offers. So, not the scope of the big hitters, but a nice little place to get a bottle. And they are setting up weekly tastings with winemakers. A Vajra tasting a few months ago was great, as was a recent R. Legras champagne. Looking forward to the Mercurey.

As noted, it also sells other goods: flours, legumes, spices, as well as sausages, hams, cheeses. What's better is that they've recently reconfigured the layout of the store. It's improved; it was cramped and ungainly and is now better organized, with its refrigerated section way at the back of the long space.
 
That was launch night? Geez, I should have received an engraved plaque or something.

The problem was where they put the wine: back in the narrowed, arrow-shaped rear of the place. Very difficult to get back there even if one arrived at the unpopulated beginning, which I did. Getting the tiniest pour meant body-fencing with everyone, including those manning the bottles.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Luckily, a wine store in the 1st arrondissement, Spring Boutique, spearheaded by a young Amerloque, has invited Garrey to town to have his wines a'tasted, Thursday. Which I will do.
Click to expand...

Did the other wines live up to the promise?
 
I missed it, unfortunately!

But fortunately, for the truands among us, he's coming back, exceptionally, next week. So I get my second shot.

More excitingly... No, that will have to be food for a new post.
 
Late to the discussion, Sharon, have you tried Villaine's Mercury (Montots)?

Also, do you usually like Barthod's Bourgogne? There's some around here now, though not for long, I warrant.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Late to the discussion, Sharon, have you tried Villaine's Mercury (Montots)?

Also, do you usually like Barthod's Bourgogne? There's some around here now, though not for long, I warrant.
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Sharon is on a permanent hiatus
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Late to the discussion, Sharon, have you tried Villaine's Mercury (Montots)?

Also, do you usually like Barthod's Bourgogne? There's some around here now, though not for long, I warrant.
Click to expand...

I'm not Sharon, but I have a fair amount of experience with Barthod.

The wine is terrible. Avoid.
 
Man, VLM, why was I not informed? I could have saved my euros for some jars of organic carrot baby food or something.

Ian, to answer your questions, I do like Villiane's Montots. The above-mentioned Barthod Bourgogne was my first, and it wasn't any good, fwiw.
 
Worth plenty, thanks.

Re: Montots, also thanks. I'm eager to try more of Villaine's wines, but there isn't much inventory around from older vintages, and the Montots is supposed to be a vin de garde.
 
never sure if i'm missing some inside joke here, but i love the wines of barthod. haven't had the 06 bourg rouge yet, but an 05 i had a few months ago was amazing.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Late to the discussion, Sharon, have you tried Villaine's Mercury (Montots)?

Also, do you usually like Barthod's Bourgogne? There's some around here now, though not for long, I warrant.
Click to expand...

I'm not Sharon, but I have a fair amount of experience with Barthod.

The wine is terrible. Avoid.
Click to expand...

Things started to go wrong after 2000/2001. Although there are some 2002 that are ok.
 
I was underwhelmed with the Spring selection. But it's a nice neighborhood spot. Auge has nothing to worry about. One is worth the detour, the other you can cross the block for. What's the guys name who works in the store---from San Francisco? After my blog post on it back in Feb. I'm afraid to show my face.
 
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