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Sharon and Mark raid Lavinia, Paris
- Thread starter Sharon Bowman
- Start date
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
That's the big joke. Many of the same references, yet appreciable price differences between Aug and Lavinia.
I see it in a more positive way - Marc Sibard has his way with the big supermarket, and Japanese tourists are picking up Pacalet instead of - I dunno - Bouchard.
Apropos of our price comparisons yesterday: the '07 Ste Anne Bandol Ros that was outrageous at 24,20 at Lavinia was a merely expensive 17,00 in Aug's catalogue. They also give major props to the Dutheil sisters: Il y a ces viticulteurs qui depuis trente ans ont impos une autre ide du vin, fonde sur une comprhension nouvelle de l'hygine et de la microbiologie: Marcel Lapierre Morgon, Ren Jean Dard et Franois Ribo Mercurol, Pierre Overnoy en Arbois, les Dutheil de la Rochre Bandol. Not bad company to keep!
Mark Lipton
Yes it was, because they had an agreement with Aug from the start. But Marie-Louise's input has strengthened the trend further - or so it appears to me. This extends to Spanish wines too, now.originally posted by Rahsaan:
It was pretty strong from the beginning, was it not.
The prices are more uneven than excessive, I'd say.
Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
Mark, looking forward to trying the Dutheil sisters' wines. Will of course post.
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Sharon and Mark raid Lavinia, ParisMark Lipton was on the right track: that of the Eurostar, heading to Paris for a lunch that would turn out to be the stuff of 19th century people of leisure.
Now, Mark's got the handwritten notes, but I've got the pics (to verify names on labels, and no mistakin' Breil for Breuil, mind) as well as the elephantine memory, of course (Mark, you'll correct my errors, no?).
OK, I can take a moment to respond now, having landed safely in Lyon and regaining a (semi-)functional Internet connection. So, let's have at it. We'll start with the photo: who is that guy anyway?
The back story: When I had assembled my plans for a business trip to England and France, I realized that there was a Monday in London going unfilled by business, so what better use to make of it than to Eurostar over to Paris for an afternoon of vinous fun with Sharon? Sharon proved agreeable (a theme repeated throughout the day), so the plan was set. Alas, Eurostar proved to be the weak link, as a delay in transit scotched our plans to lunch at Willi's, where Granite du Clisson was served BTG, but Sharon resourcefully relocated the lunch to Lavinia's palais du vin, and so it went:
2006 Stphane Tissot Ctes du Jura Chardonnay Les Argiles du Lias - Well, this was absolutely ice-pick great. Hard, mineral, linear, brilliant wine that was utterly Chardonnay yet not at all Burgundian nor New World; a golden monorail of a wine, letting off curiously curlicue-y steam. Stainless steel.
The deal at Lavinia is to order food upstairs, then proceed downstairs to the retail space to find the wine. Although Sharon was graciously deferring to me on the choice, and I was hopelessly dithering, the decision was made when I entered the Jura section. After years of reading FL Jim's paean to Tissot's Chardonnays, I selected one to try. What a unique rendition of Chardonnay! In texture, it combines the linearity of Chablis with the richness of Burgundy, while altogether different from either, not to mention worlds away from CA. With minerality and fruit, perhaps the only off note was the sense of alcohol, despite the 13% ABV. Subjectively, at the end of lunch, I was convinced that it was more than the stated ABV.
2006 Ren Mosse Anjou "Le Coin d'Hyrome" - bleargh... Chenin... Anjou... Residual sugar... Good body, smoky, like grattons (crunchy little duck pieces in congealed duck fat) and quince jelly, but not my personal cuppa.
It's a sign of my slight inebriation from lunch that I let Siren Sharon talk me into loitering around the Enomatics on the ground floor for some more sipping without spitting. This is probably the best use of Enomatics that I've yet seen, maybe because there are some interesting wines inside. I felt that this wine was slightly muted on the nose, with perhaps a hint of oxidative character. It was big, with slightly oxidative notes and perceptible RS, but not one of my favorite renditions of Chenin. Maybe I've been drinking too much Huet, or maybe it's the vintage showing its presence, but I'm not moved, though not as offput as winegirl.
2006 Chassorney Saint-Romain Combe Bazin white - this, on the other hand: oooh, sweet spot. Oooh, super sweet spot of Cte de Beaune in its offhanded flick of, "Yeah, I know." Without the superflabby Meursault stripperiness. This is the third time I've had this wine, and I look forward to the next times eagerly.
It's not clear to me that a lack of stipperiness is a good thing, Sharon, but on to my impressions. Quite spicy in the nose, with some citrus and a buttery hint of ML. Lean and clean with plenty of fruit and that ML note in the finish. Another winner Chardonnay.
2007 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph Les Mres white - Hey, since when does white Saint-Joseph have a shape-shifting nose that starts out Sancerre and then hovercrafts over to Alsace Pinot Blanc? Finally, this bright, white floral offering was an utter Pinot Blanc stand-in. Nice, strange, light, young, Rhne? Nah, but whatever.
What is this? White flowers and minerality that is straight out of the Pinot Blanc playbook (and, as an aside, I have on more than one occasion found similar characteristics in Sauvignon). Acidic and lean, with modest fruit, it still seems like PB. Altogether weird (but pleasant) rendition of St. Joseph blanc.
2005 Jaboulet Hermitage "Chevalier de Sterimberg" - granted, the Hermitage is young, and the walnut notes are still in their embryonic persimmon (Mark, help, it's not persimmon) stage. This is still opulent, magistral stuff. Utterly unctuous, yet structured. Heavy-hitter.
Here we go with typicity. Wax and butterscotch in the nose to me. Sharon, your description sounds like you're smelling tannins -- a neat trick -- but maybe it's some weird organoleptic reaction to what I call waxiness. Like most Marsannes, this wine is too big and floppy for my tastes, but it'd be more interesting I'm certain with a decade in the cellar.
Sharon then even volunteered to accompany me to Caves Aug, one of my favorite places to shop for wines, and we spent a thoroughly enjoyable 20 minutes or so perusing their selection before my impending departure forced me to bring the visit to a close and repair back to London with my newly-acquired treasures, an '04 Vir Cless from Dom. Valette and an '04 Jacqure from Duspasquier on the strength of Sharon's enthusiastic endorsements and an '05 Brouilly from the right Descombes and an '06 Morgon from a producer unknown to both us (Joseph Chamonard) but which the very reliable guy behind the counter gave his imprimatur to.
To any Disorderist traveling to Paris, one could do a whole hell of a lot worse than seeing if Sharon's got some time to share wine with. True, her hunchback and Tourette's syndrome may prove offputting to some, but who wants to hang out with someone who can't tolerate the occasional rabbit punch or hurled excrement anyhow? I can't thank her enough for taking time out for lunch and shopping with me.
Your intrepid reporter,
Mark Lipton
an '06 Morgon from a producer unknown to both us (Joseph Chamonard)
Have you opened it yet?
Sounds like fun.
Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
originally posted by MLipton:
Setting the Record Straight
2006 Stphane Tissot Ctes du Jura Chardonnay Les Argiles du Lias
... perhaps the only off note was the sense of alcohol, despite the 13% ABV. Subjectively, at the end of lunch, I was convinced that it was more than the stated ABV.
Actually, it said 13.5% on the bottle, but even then we thought it felt like more.
Thanks for the pro writeup! You seem to lose your way at the end, but hopefully my name will not be permanently besmirched.