Bad palate day

S

Sharon Bowman

Sharon Bowman
Went to Lavinia today to inquire about shipping implements and was momentarily distracted, with a co-conspirator, by the tasting machines.

Yet, contrary to my previous visit immortalized in some tasting notes and a splendid photo of Mark Lipton, here everything I tasted today was off.

I swear it wasn't the Hollywood chewing gum.

I tasted a 2007 Villemade Cheverny "Clos du Meunet," which was a mix of Sauvignon and Chardonnay. While Villemade's "Bodice" Cheverny and his romorantin "Acacia" Cour-Cheverny are always heady delights, this was pure dreck. Thin, awful, yucky, anonymous. Help!

Tasted a 2005 Philippoz Chardonnay "Les Daillets" Ft de Chne from the Valais, Switzerland - oaky awful chardonnay. Oh, no. Oh, oh, no, please. Lots of body, but lots of oak.

Tasted a 2006 Abalo Mndez Ras Baixas Albario that was the highlight of all. Deliciously light on its feet, with a pithy bitterness at the end and an incredibly, incredibly persistent finish. Graceful, light, super juice.

Tasted a (yes) 2004 Chteau Mouton-Rothschild which made me want to throttle all of the Bordeaux estate holders. What is this thin, awful, green, tannic, desolate brew? Sorry, but it was worse than a Clos des Roches Chinon (which has gone downhill into undrinkability).

Tasted a 2006 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph "Les Mres," 'cause all the cool kids are drinking Saint-Joseph these days. It was terrible. Tannic. Worst syrah anonymity. Next.

Tasted a 2006 Gramenon "Hauts de Gramenon" with more hope. Dashed. Loamy, organic-y badness.

This is when I packed it in and purchased a 2006 Pacalet Saint-Aubin "Murgers de Dents de Chien" white and high-tailed it away.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Bad palate dayWent to Lavinia today to inquire about shipping implements and was momentarily distracted, with a co-conspirator, by the tasting machines.

Yet, contrary to my previous visit immortalized in some tasting notes and a splendid photo of Mark Lipton, here everything I tasted today was off.

I swear it wasn't the Hollywood chewing gum.
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Tres bummer, Sharon. These were from the Oenomatics? Any possibility of bacterial contamination? What argues against that, I suppose, is that these wines were all "off" in different ways.

Better luck next time,
Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Sorry to read your comment on the Gramenon - they have been one of my favorite Rhone joints in the past, along with St. Cosme.
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I know! I'd been looking for it to be my savior from the Saint-Joseph. Alas.

But the usual Gramenon and other bottlings are always so good. Don't know what this one is, or why it's so off.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
Tres bummer, Sharon. These were from the Oenomatics? Any possibility of bacterial contamination? What argues against that, I suppose, is that these wines were all "off" in different ways.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The Albario was lovely, whereas the others were not. OK, if I had a palate that liked "modern-style" oaked chardonnay, the Philippoz would have been up my way, but no.

The reds were more disconcerting for their failure.
 
Yesterday was a generally (but not uniformly) bad day for me down here in Cte d'Or (due, I think, to visits to a couple of producers who like to overcrop and overchaptalize; any day would have been bad). Today was pretty good. On Weds, I met up with another journalist at DRC and he asked if Tuesday had been a bad day for me, as it had for him -- it was not bad for me. So it goes.
 
i've gone thru btls and been disgusted too...last time i blamed it on the crushed garlic in my salad

good tequila makes a nice pacifier tho in cases like this
 
Tasted a 2005 Philippoz Chardonnay "Les Daillets" Ft de Chne from the Valais, Switzerland - oaky awful chardonnay. Oh, no. Oh, oh, no, please. Lots of body, but lots of oak.
Click to expand...
Perversely, I'm kind of impressed that someone in Switzerland managed to make a fat, oaky Chardonnay. No one out here in California makes a harsh, austere, boney acidic white that could serve as mignonette with oysters.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
Tasted a 2005 Philippoz Chardonnay "Les Daillets" Ft de Chne from the Valais, Switzerland - oaky awful chardonnay. Oh, no. Oh, oh, no, please. Lots of body, but lots of oak.
Click to expand...
Perversely, I'm kind of impressed that someone in Switzerland managed to make a fat, oaky Chardonnay. No one out here in California makes a harsh, austere, boney acidic white that could serve as mignonette with oysters.
Click to expand...
Global warming combined with fancier winemaking. I don't mind if the valaisans pump up their chardonnays, as long as the Petite Arvines and Humagne Blanches remain slick and the Fendants fresh. Fat, oaky Cornalin on the other hand is a shame.
I wonder why Lavinia would have this Chardonnay listed? Maybe they had to purchase it in order to also get some of the more particular stuff.
 
Sorry, but it was worse than a Clos des Roches Chinon (which has gone downhill into undrinkability).

Sharon are you referring to the 89 Clos des Roches Chinon that Lavinia was selling a few yrs ago? I have tasted it twice and was never really impressed-so now it is OTH? TIA.

mark meyer
 
The same domain, but I was referring to more recent offerings.

If memory serves, they keep them for a few years before putting them out, so may be on 2002 right now. Do not recommend.
 
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