Paul and Sandy Jaouen played kind hosts to this years baconpalooza a week ago this past Saturday, timed to coincide with the bounty of fresh tomatoes coming from their garden. Lovers of BLT's gathered to try various brands of bacon and to drink a little wine, too. Bacon brands represented were the North Country Smokehouse apple smoked, from New Hampshire, Vande Rose Farms applewood smoked, from Iowa, both of which were deemed top of the class, a good head and shoulders over the next two, Surry Farms hickory smoked, from Virginia, which was deemed by most to be too salty and Trader Joe's applewood smoked, which many found too sweet.
There were a lot more wines present than I took notes on, or even tried because it was a fairly hot and humid day, but here's what I have. Maybe some others that attended can add their notes?
1998 Müller-Catoir- Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Pfalz
Deep gold in color and showing more advanced than normal, or as it should. While still tasty, and offering up grilled peach and tropical fruit flavors and aromas, this has clearly seen some heat along the way. NR (flawed)
2008 Huët- Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Salvation on a hot and humid day. Precise and invigorating with quince, almond, mineral and yellow fruit flavors and aromas. It's showing a surprising amount of residual sugar for a Sec and a quick check later on the stats chart I got at the domaine confirms that there's actually13.5 g/l in it. As a comparison, there's only 8.5 g/l in the '09 and 6.0 g/l in the '05. That said, the wine is brilliantly balanced. Just a delight to drink. Solid A-.
2010 Domaine Bernard Baudry- Chinon Rosé - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Another revitalizing energy drink. This just perks you up with it's refreshing purity, it's zippy balance and it's crunchy bright red fruit and mineral character. Probably my favorite rose from 2010. A-.
2009 Jean Foillard- Morgon Côte du Py - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon
Nano whips out a Cabernet bottle wrapped in paper and asks us to guess. Fruit forward, with black and red fruit, no real tannins but good acidity. I'm the only one that guesses Gamay and am feeling confused and silly when he opens it to reveal a bottle of '89 Lafite, but am then vindicated when he tells of the switcheroo. Yeah me. This bottle was actually surprisingly fruit forward and softer than other bottles I've had with a little less mineral showing, though, as it turns out, Michel had also brought a bottle and that showed more structure and mineral. A-.
2001 Domaine Jasmin- Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
This is showing a bit more ripeness than what normally comes from the domaine, with black fruit, bacon and light herb and olive notes. A touch softer than usual, which I think is a good thing as I sometimes find the acidity can be a bit too high with not enough framework to support it, but the wine falls off a little on the back. Two bottles I had of the '01 in California this past July should a little bit better follow through and maybe a tad more vibrant. A-/B+.
1990 Ch“teau Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
This bottle showed poorly. Also served double blind, it was disjointed and a bit harsh with the tannins and acidity seemingly at odds with each other. This wine normally shows a good amount of black fruit, but I found the fruit in short supply here. A little bit of tobacco, but a too strong bitter green note dominated the wine and while I've never noticed any woodiness in this wine previously, this bottle showed a good deal. A C+, but I don't think this is a representative bottle, though it's not corked or cooked.
2001 Clos des Papes- Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape
A delicious wine just hitting its prime drinking window. This bottle is showing a little bit more expressively than one I had at the LA offline in July, with more of a black fruit character. Good weight and balance with a nice interplay between the fruit and its usual dance partners, garrigue and spice. It picks up hints of baked earth with air. Would've been better in cooler weather, but it certainly beats a sharp stick in the eye. A.
Some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
The group.
Claudia, Paul and Michel.
Jay being way too boisterous.
Michel and V with Sandy and Scott in the back.
You know you’re in Joisey when you see this parked in the driveway.
Buffalo wings to get things started.
Help yourself.
A killer blt made with Vande Rose.
A killer blt made with North Country.
Scott has some condensed Côte-Rôtie.
Some whites.
A delicious Rose.
Some reds.
Nano and Claudia.
Scott does his best True Blood imitation on Anne-marie.
Nano and Sandy.
There were a lot more wines present than I took notes on, or even tried because it was a fairly hot and humid day, but here's what I have. Maybe some others that attended can add their notes?
1998 Müller-Catoir- Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Pfalz
Deep gold in color and showing more advanced than normal, or as it should. While still tasty, and offering up grilled peach and tropical fruit flavors and aromas, this has clearly seen some heat along the way. NR (flawed)
2008 Huët- Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Salvation on a hot and humid day. Precise and invigorating with quince, almond, mineral and yellow fruit flavors and aromas. It's showing a surprising amount of residual sugar for a Sec and a quick check later on the stats chart I got at the domaine confirms that there's actually13.5 g/l in it. As a comparison, there's only 8.5 g/l in the '09 and 6.0 g/l in the '05. That said, the wine is brilliantly balanced. Just a delight to drink. Solid A-.
2010 Domaine Bernard Baudry- Chinon Rosé - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Another revitalizing energy drink. This just perks you up with it's refreshing purity, it's zippy balance and it's crunchy bright red fruit and mineral character. Probably my favorite rose from 2010. A-.
2009 Jean Foillard- Morgon Côte du Py - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon
Nano whips out a Cabernet bottle wrapped in paper and asks us to guess. Fruit forward, with black and red fruit, no real tannins but good acidity. I'm the only one that guesses Gamay and am feeling confused and silly when he opens it to reveal a bottle of '89 Lafite, but am then vindicated when he tells of the switcheroo. Yeah me. This bottle was actually surprisingly fruit forward and softer than other bottles I've had with a little less mineral showing, though, as it turns out, Michel had also brought a bottle and that showed more structure and mineral. A-.
2001 Domaine Jasmin- Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
This is showing a bit more ripeness than what normally comes from the domaine, with black fruit, bacon and light herb and olive notes. A touch softer than usual, which I think is a good thing as I sometimes find the acidity can be a bit too high with not enough framework to support it, but the wine falls off a little on the back. Two bottles I had of the '01 in California this past July should a little bit better follow through and maybe a tad more vibrant. A-/B+.
1990 Ch“teau Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
This bottle showed poorly. Also served double blind, it was disjointed and a bit harsh with the tannins and acidity seemingly at odds with each other. This wine normally shows a good amount of black fruit, but I found the fruit in short supply here. A little bit of tobacco, but a too strong bitter green note dominated the wine and while I've never noticed any woodiness in this wine previously, this bottle showed a good deal. A C+, but I don't think this is a representative bottle, though it's not corked or cooked.
2001 Clos des Papes- Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape
A delicious wine just hitting its prime drinking window. This bottle is showing a little bit more expressively than one I had at the LA offline in July, with more of a black fruit character. Good weight and balance with a nice interplay between the fruit and its usual dance partners, garrigue and spice. It picks up hints of baked earth with air. Would've been better in cooler weather, but it certainly beats a sharp stick in the eye. A.
Some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
The group.
Claudia, Paul and Michel.
Jay being way too boisterous.
Michel and V with Sandy and Scott in the back.
You know you’re in Joisey when you see this parked in the driveway.
Buffalo wings to get things started.
Help yourself.
A killer blt made with Vande Rose.
A killer blt made with North Country.
Scott has some condensed Côte-Rôtie.
Some whites.
A delicious Rose.
Some reds.
Nano and Claudia.
Scott does his best True Blood imitation on Anne-marie.
Nano and Sandy.
