Variety

Florida Jim

Florida Jim
2007 Drouhin, Chablis:
At room temperature, this village wine has a grand cru nose; the palate does not live up to that but it is not disappointing either; a pretty Chablis with lemon oil and seashore scents and flavors. As soon as this got the least little bit cool, it became half the wine. (At room temp.) with grilled chicken and Caesar salad, outstanding. $24, retail. (Room temp. here was 67° F.)

2009 Stéphane Tissot, Arbois VV:
Poulsard at 12.5% alcohol; the first night, this was mediocre; not a bad wine but without character or interest. The second night, it had good character but was mostly about structure. My guess; it requires substantial time in the cellar. The second night, it was nice with cheese which seemed to clean up some of the tannins.

1999 Mt Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve:
Smells like good 1990’s Bordeaux, tastes like an older Tuscan blend. An odd, but not unpleasant, showing. Nothing flamboyant or oaky but the fruit is a bit sweet to be convincing.

2007 Edmund Vatan, Sancerre Clos la Néore:
13% alcohol; as with most great wines, a series of paradoxes: complex yet integrated, bright but smooth, flavorful but understated, long yet clean. I get the feeling that the grapes became everything they always wanted to be. Nothing out of place, nothing askew or inflated; just a pure and balanced example of nature and craft in sympathy. With goat cheese and crackers, sublime.

2006 Georges Vigouroux, Cahors Antisto:
Although I do not read French, it appears from the website that this is malbec from Argentina (at least in part). 14% alcohol and about $15, retail. My impression is of both over-ripe and under-ripe fruit in a big tank with oak chips; and I will be the first to say, I may be entirely wrong. But the sour note is there in the nose and to a lesser degree, in the mouth, as though someone wanted to cover the green with new wood, and, the fruit is attenuated in several ways. An unpleasant nose; a forgettable palate.

Best, Jim
 
I checked out the Antisto (as it is correctly spelled) web site; the Antisto series is a line of wines, mostly made of Malbec, from various terroirs; the one you had is 100% Malbec from Cahors, not Argentina. The Antisto Mendoza is 100% Malbec from Argentina, and the Antisto Buzet is 30% Malbec/70% Cabernet Sauvignon from Buzet.


Vigouroux runs a huge concern based in Cahors covering several domaines, and many of the wines (though not all) are overly modern and simple in affect and aim for appeal to a broader, international audience.
 
Always enjoy your chablis notes, Jim...but had trouble deciphering your temp control situation. How did it get the least bit cool, for example?
 
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
Always enjoy your chablis notes, Jim...but had trouble deciphering your temp control situation. How did it get the least bit cool, for example?
Quick trip to the fridge.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
You were seeking improvement?
Experimenting.

FWIW, I find myself enjoying my whites closer to room temp. and my reds closer to cellar temp. these days.
There are exceptions, but this trend seems ongoing - hence, you may wish to adjust the value of my notes accordingly.
I blame Levi.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
You were seeking improvement?
Experimenting.

FWIW, I find myself enjoying my whites closer to room temp. and my reds closer to cellar temp. these days.
There are exceptions, but this trend seems ongoing - hence, you may wish to adjust the value of my notes accordingly.
I blame Levi.
Best, Jim

Gotcha. It would (to me) be an odd situation where a cellar temp wine got cooler at room temp, but I felt like checking. And agreed about tasting temps...vinho verde might be a bit less fun at room temp, but that's the only real exception that comes to mind right off the bat...
 
1999 Mt Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve:
Smells like good 1990’s Bordeaux, tastes like an older Tuscan blend.
That's a good capsule description of what I like in a maturing cab from the Mt.Veeder AVA. You ARE becoming Californian.

2006 Georges Vigouroux, Cahors Antisto:
Although I do not read French, it appears from the website that this is malbec from Argentina (at least in part). 14% alcohol and about $15, retail.
If it is in part from Argentina, it can't be labeled Cahors. I'll refrain for now on my rave about Cahors notion that it should tie itself to the fortunes of Argentine Malbec.
 
I had the basic ("vulgar") version a couple weeks ago. It was likeable in the sense that "because I've rarely ventured into malbec or cot wines, I could only distinguish it wasn't another grape". Plodding, yes. DNPIM, no.

Price was not painful...ergo...i.e..... (or...what was that line in "Get Shorty"?)
 
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