Travels with DJ Steve Part 3, Cabernet Franc

originally posted by robert ames:
anyone dipped their toe in a 2005 grezeaux lately?

Yes, still some rough edges, but can be enjoyed. The 2002 and 2003 are fantastic. The 2004 is just swinging into gear.
 
Have just a singleton of the '04 Grezeaux left, guess I will give it another year or so.
'03 Croix Boisses, still buried.
 
originally posted by richard slicker:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Would it be wasteful to open a 2007 Croix Boisée soon?

No. It is a good idea.

shows tonight like a playful, face licking, puppy dog. good call.

fb.

Opened the bottle Saturday night and had a glass, which was intriguing but not generous. Sunday I decanted the rest for a few hours, tasting every hour or so, and it was still kind of leathery and arid. But with Chicken and pilaf, it was rich and delicious.

This is a common experience for me now with well-made Loire CF-based wines: not much fun to sip alone, but completely brilliant with food. Most interesting.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:

This is a common experience for me now with well-made Loire CF-based wines: not much fun to sip alone, but completely brilliant with food. Most interesting.

That's why Loire CF is such a hard sell to the masses, Ian (even in riper vintages I'm told): it's not a wine to be served as a cocktail. Between that and the more herbaceous qualities of CF, most consumers, even nominally savvy ones, are not so enthralled with the grape.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
originally posted by richard slicker:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Would it be wasteful to open a 2007 Croix Boisée soon?

No. It is a good idea.

shows tonight like a playful, face licking, puppy dog. good call.

Opened the bottle Saturday night and had a glass, which was intriguing but not generous. Sunday I decanted the rest for a few hours, tasting every hour or so, and it was still kind of leathery and arid. But with Chicken and pilaf, it was rich and delicious.

This is a common experience for me now with well-made Loire CF-based wines: not much fun to sip alone, but completely brilliant with food. Most interesting.

my bottle had not endured any long voyages in its life. i dunno if it is relevant or not, but from the sound of things, we experienced completely different results. cab franc is not always on obvious contender for "playful" as a descriptor from me, but this one was. definitely at the joyous, light on its feet end of the spectrum.

where is the doghead? he had a nice line about thinking in terms of bottles, rather than "wines" -- i think that it could do with being inserted somewhere around here.

fb.
 
originally posted by MLipton:


That's why Loire CF is such a hard sell to the masses, Ian (even in riper vintages I'm told): it's not a wine to be served as a cocktail. Between that and the more herbaceous qualities of CF, most consumers, even nominally savvy ones, are not so enthralled with the grape.

i don't doubt ian's experience, but mine was not the kind of thing that would turn off teh punters. rather, it was the kind of wine that gets yixin scatting on his henry miller theme. or quoting jeffrey lewis, anyway.

fb.
 
originally posted by richard slicker:
originally posted by MLipton:


That's why Loire CF is such a hard sell to the masses, Ian (even in riper vintages I'm told): it's not a wine to be served as a cocktail. Between that and the more herbaceous qualities of CF, most consumers, even nominally savvy ones, are not so enthralled with the grape.

i don't doubt ian's experience, but mine was not the kind of thing that would turn off teh punters. rather, it was the kind of wine that gets yixin scatting on his henry miller theme. or quoting jeffrey lewis, anyway.

fb.

I lack such erudition.
 
originally posted by richard slicker:

my bottle had not endured any long voyages in its life. i dunno if it is relevant or not, but from the sound of things, we experienced completely different results. cab franc is not always on obvious contender for "playful" as a descriptor from me, but this one was. definitely at the joyous, light on its feet end of the spectrum.

fb.

Does that mean you drank it in France?

I trust my source pretty well; I'm sure the wine was well-cared for. Maybe my buds are too scarred from years of abuse with jammy cabernet sauvignon to detect the nuance of this bottle offers now. Maybe I just failed to sit quietly with a glass before the meal and give it enough thoughtful attention.

No regrets, in any event: I cherish these wines with meals.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:

Does that mean you drank it in France?

southern germany. i drove the wine back personally, though. in the depths of midwinter.

I trust my source pretty well; I'm sure the wine was well-cared for. Maybe my buds are too scarred from years of abuse with jammy cabernet sauvignon to detect the nuance of this bottle offers now. Maybe I just failed to sit quietly with a glass before the meal and give it enough thoughtful attention.

No regrets, in any event: I cherish these wines with meals.

i'm sure it was "well-cared for" -- but given your note, it is clear that it wasn't what it might (should?) have been. do you have any more?

fb.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Will I make enemies if I ask whether Baudry may possibly bottle for export with more sulfur than for bottles for French destinations?

tübingen. does this mean you cracked another?

fb.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Will I make enemies if I ask whether Baudry may possibly bottle for export with more sulfur than for bottles for French destinations?

I haven't asked. I doubt it.

They are pretty conservative guys. Not reactionaries, but I don't think they seek approval from Pierre Jancou.
 
originally posted by richard slicker:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Will I make enemies if I ask whether Baudry may possibly bottle for export with more sulfur than for bottles for French destinations?

tübingen. does this mean you cracked another?

fb.

No, just reflected on the differences. A pinch of sulfur could possibly account for the muted exuberance I ran into. But Yixin's testimony is evidence that this isn't the case.

Not really related, I was served a 2007 Rougeard Poyeaux at dinner last night by a gracious host. First time I've had a whole glass to myself, and very nice it was, in an early-drinking, 2007 kind of way.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:


Not really related, I was served a 2007 Rougeard Poyeaux at dinner last night by a gracious host. First time I've had a whole glass to myself, and very nice it was, in an early-drinking, 2007 kind of way.[/quote

Until the Politburo gives us a spell-check app:

 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
originally posted by richard slicker:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Would it be wasteful to open a 2007 Croix Boisée soon?

No. It is a good idea.

shows tonight like a playful, face licking, puppy dog. good call.

fb.

Opened the bottle Saturday night and had a glass, which was intriguing but not generous. Sunday I decanted the rest for a few hours, tasting every hour or so, and it was still kind of leathery and arid. But with Chicken and pilaf, it was rich and delicious.

This is a common experience for me now with well-made Loire CF-based wines: not much fun to sip alone, but completely brilliant with food. Most interesting.

I used to sell the James Petit Bourgueill Cuvee des Galluches by telling people not to drink it except in the company of a bit of protein. A most self-effacing wine.
 
originally posted by kirk wallace:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:


Not really related, I was served a 2007 Rougeard Poyeaux at dinner last night by a gracious host. First time I've had a whole glass to myself, and very nice it was, in an early-drinking, 2007 kind of way.

Until the Politburo gives us a spell-check app:


At least one person is listening....
 
Back
Top