On Sunday Melissa and I paid a visit to Andrew and Jennifer Scott after dropping the boys off at sleepaway camp. We jeebed, feasted, and probably drank a little too much. Ten people joined in on a beautiful late afternoon deep in the Catskills. Andrew said "the wines seemed to enjoy the party too."
First, 04 Ollivier Briords in magnum. A happy palate awakener. A beam of sunlight. Now we're really here.
Ah, a 96 Coulee de Serrant. This vintage, so tightly coiled when young, has finally released, unclenched, mellowed. A bottle opened about six months ago had been good but not great, and not quite clean either. Tonight, it finally delivered the spectacular Savennieres experience it's always had the potential for. Here's to the future, baby!
Andrew brought out three brownbagged 1997 Loire cab francs. Marked A, B and C.
"A" - Cedar, pure red fruit, umami. Smoothly textured and integrated. Almost smokey. Sensual.
"B" - Clear red-fruited nose, touch of darker herbs. Crunchy and tannic, great fruit purity, still youthful and evolving.
"C" - Licorice/mint, black earthiness, bandaid, truffles. Rustic, substantial, nicely tannic, complex.
Somewhere in the bags were these wines:
97 Olga Raffault Chinon "Picasses"
97 Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny "Poyeax"
97 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine "Cabernet"
Can you guess which wine was in which bag? (it's easy but I'm not telling). Hints:
Andrew almost hallucinated over C
Melissa preferred B
I grooved on A
Later we opened a Pierre Bise 96 Rouannieres Coteaux du Layon. I've had good luck with this bottling. When will these be ready? This one hasn't budged. If I can still taste anything in 30 years, 1996 Rouannieres will be there.
On to the new 2011 Eminence Road Riesling, which has just been bottled. It's low alcohol (under 10% I think) and fermented completely dry. Grapes had some botrytis too. It's acidic, lemony-squirt tart, with an earthy finish. Not your mother's cloying pineapple Finger-lakes Riesling. Light texture, low alcohol, gutsy, severe flavor. Haw! Next time I won't drink it on the heels of a Rouannieres. Could go interesting places for those willing to wait.
The Eminence Road 2011 Cab franc is still going through malo, so around midnight we barrel-tasted samples from Andrew's assortment of 3-4 yr French and American oak casks. I think 2011 will be a more tannic wine than the 2010, also more structured. And very good. It could have stuffing enough to make older bones than the 2010 which is drinking so well at the moment.
There were some other wines. Andrew's cherry wine/mead blend, an Alsatian pinot noir, a sparkling chardonnay (just beginning secondary fermentation).
We hope our kids like their camp and we can make this an annual tradition.
First, 04 Ollivier Briords in magnum. A happy palate awakener. A beam of sunlight. Now we're really here.
Ah, a 96 Coulee de Serrant. This vintage, so tightly coiled when young, has finally released, unclenched, mellowed. A bottle opened about six months ago had been good but not great, and not quite clean either. Tonight, it finally delivered the spectacular Savennieres experience it's always had the potential for. Here's to the future, baby!
Andrew brought out three brownbagged 1997 Loire cab francs. Marked A, B and C.
"A" - Cedar, pure red fruit, umami. Smoothly textured and integrated. Almost smokey. Sensual.
"B" - Clear red-fruited nose, touch of darker herbs. Crunchy and tannic, great fruit purity, still youthful and evolving.
"C" - Licorice/mint, black earthiness, bandaid, truffles. Rustic, substantial, nicely tannic, complex.
Somewhere in the bags were these wines:
97 Olga Raffault Chinon "Picasses"
97 Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny "Poyeax"
97 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine "Cabernet"
Can you guess which wine was in which bag? (it's easy but I'm not telling). Hints:
Andrew almost hallucinated over C
Melissa preferred B
I grooved on A
Later we opened a Pierre Bise 96 Rouannieres Coteaux du Layon. I've had good luck with this bottling. When will these be ready? This one hasn't budged. If I can still taste anything in 30 years, 1996 Rouannieres will be there.
On to the new 2011 Eminence Road Riesling, which has just been bottled. It's low alcohol (under 10% I think) and fermented completely dry. Grapes had some botrytis too. It's acidic, lemony-squirt tart, with an earthy finish. Not your mother's cloying pineapple Finger-lakes Riesling. Light texture, low alcohol, gutsy, severe flavor. Haw! Next time I won't drink it on the heels of a Rouannieres. Could go interesting places for those willing to wait.
The Eminence Road 2011 Cab franc is still going through malo, so around midnight we barrel-tasted samples from Andrew's assortment of 3-4 yr French and American oak casks. I think 2011 will be a more tannic wine than the 2010, also more structured. And very good. It could have stuffing enough to make older bones than the 2010 which is drinking so well at the moment.
There were some other wines. Andrew's cherry wine/mead blend, an Alsatian pinot noir, a sparkling chardonnay (just beginning secondary fermentation).
We hope our kids like their camp and we can make this an annual tradition.