Coulee de Serrant 2005

[georg lauer]

At lunch today at Silvertone in Boston I stumbled upon the 2005 Coulee de Serrant for $44 (!). I resisted first (needs to be decanted a while, you should not bring this on your colleagues, you should come back with serious wine friends etc etc), but after two bottles of a really nice spanish Muscat got me in the mood, I ordered a bottle.

The reaction of the totally non-wine geek audience was telling. Had they demanded frequent refills of the other wine before, it was now pretty silent on this front. The wine smelled like a barrel of turpentine and the taste showed some alcohol. It was not an easy drink. After 15 minutes or so the thing totally changed. Gone was the turpentine and gone was the heat. Reminded me a lot of a Vin Jaune, just lighter. Other people liked it more at that stage, though not all of them.

I had hoped to take the rest of the bottle home to taste later, but once it started improving we just finished it off. I will be back to try it with better treatment.

Silvertone is such a fantastic place for trying interesting wines without breaking the bank. I should go more often.

 

[Bill Lundstrom]

originally posted by georg lauer:
Coulee de Serrant 2005At lunch today at Silvertone in Boston I stumbled upon the 2005 Coulee de Serrant for $44 (!). I resisted first (needs to be decanted a while, you should not bring this on your colleagues, you should come back with serious wine friends etc etc), but after two bottles of a really nice spanish Muscat got me in the mood, I ordered a bottle.

The reaction of the totally non-wine geek audience was telling. Had they demanded frequent refills of the other wine before, it was now pretty silent on this front. The wine smelled like a barrel of turpentine and the taste showed some alcohol. It was not an easy drink. After 15 minutes or so the thing totally changed. Gone was the turpentine and gone was the heat. Reminded me a lot of a Vin Jaune, just lighter. Other people liked it more at that stage, though not all of them.

I had hoped to take the rest of the bottle home to taste later, but once it started improving we just finished it off. I will be back to try it with better treatment.

Silvertone is such a fantastic place for trying interesting wines without breaking the bank. I should go more often.

i wonder if this is the same vintage that the plcb (penn liquor control board) was blowing out for $30 something a bottle last year. i passed because i thought they showed some heat exposure. yours sounds like a more interesting bottle.

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

This wine was sold at a ridiculous discount at Crush and Sherry-Lehmann a few months ago (like $30) and I picked up just three. Wish I had picked up many more, because the one I opened was terrific (after an overnight decant). No sign of the oxidative notes that many complain about in recent vintages.

 

[Yixin]

Just picked up 6 bottles of the 1995 at auction for closer to $60 after commission. I think my sink is looking forward to some action.

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

originally posted by Yixin:
Just picked up 6 bottles of the 1995 at auction for closer to $60 after commission. I think my sink is looking forward to some action.

You epicurean masochist, you.

 

[Rahsaan]

I resisted first (needs to be decanted a while, you should not bring this on your colleagues, you should come back with serious wine friends etc etc)...

These debates can be quite tough. But it sounds like at least you have some fun-loving colleagues to go through several bottles at lunch. Not sure my colleagues would do the same during the work week. (Myself included).

 

[georg lauer]

originally posted by Rahsaan:

I resisted first (needs to be decanted a while, you should not bring this on your colleagues, you should come back with serious wine friends etc etc)...

These debates can be quite tough. But it sounds like at least you have some fun-loving colleagues to go through several bottles at lunch. Not sure my colleagues would do the same during the work week. (Myself included).

Well, this was a rare exception (unfortunately). But I had somebody leave my group so we had a late lunch Friday afternoon. Obviously the day pretty much was over afterwards.

 

[Matteo Mollo]

It shows just how little of that wine they actually sell. I saw that wine at that wildly low price at S-tones about 8 months ago or more. I said to myself, self,you must go back and drink one. Allas, i have not yest had the chance. Good to know it is still there. (Yes, the 05s got a sharp and welcomed discount).