Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
Two days ago, I attended a tasting of some 15-20 producers who were first brought together by the late, lamented Didier Dagueneau. That sir's wines were there, though he was not.
It was held at the swank Cercle des Armes (some kind of stomping ground for French gov't softs) in the 8th arrondissement.
These are my impressions (in alphabetical order, no less!).
Alliet (Chinon) - the 2007 VV was a perfect, Platonic Chinon; this is what Chinon would be if it never had any weird greenness or attempts at sophisticated overextraction; just classic goodness. However, the 2007 and 2006 Coteau de Noir were a steep fall off a cliff; too much oak on both, I felt, and, lacking the stuffing to hold up to it, they became placeless. Luxury cuve, my eye.
Chermette (Beaujolais) - mm! I drove through the lineup, from a silly, fine and easy 2007 Beaujolais blanc to each 2008 Primeur - which he calls thus, rather than Nouveau, to avoid the stigma - Les Griottes, a classic non filtr, easy drinking pleasure; Beaujolais VV Primeur, more tannic but also suave; 2008 Cuve Traditionnelle, with nice presence and weight; then a 2008 Coeur des Vendanges (i.e. "heart of the harvest"; we can see where this is leading), a very silky affair. After, a 2007 Brouilly Pierreux was very classic in its rendition, while a Fleurie Ponci of the same vintage had sweet fruit and was opulent (n.b. I told him there was a certain American oenophile and now winemaker who had probably drunk 90% of this wine's per year production, which had led to much curiosity and ensuing delight; he purported, however, that it was the English who liked the Ponci and the Americans liked the following); Fleurie Garants, which had more tannins and was less slyly smooth. Finally, a 2007 Moulin Vent Les Trois Roches was serious, fine wine.
Chidaine (Montlouis & Vouvray) - classic, pretty nice in both renditions. I had a few. Please don't ask me to become a turncoat; I'm not supposed to like that chenin stuff.
Dagueneau - a 2007 Buisson Renard was very flamboyant, tender on the palate with an incredible taste of bergamot. The 1998 Pur Sang was still very young-seeming and with some grapefruit & pith. Heading south to DD's Roussillon concern, a 2004 Jardin de Babylone Juranon was absolutely gorgeous (100% petit manseng), with perfect balance. Sweet, delicious and wrong. The best.
Vatan (Sancerre) - 2007 Clos la Nore, hm, nice, but I guess I don't "get" Vatan.
Clos Rougeard (Saumur-Champigny) - 2005 Poyeux was very young and very tannic, with a mean, green streak that was displeasing to me, and god knows I tread with an eager foot on the hallowed grounds of Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-C; 2005 Le Bourg was far more elegant and long, and though still v. tannic, it gave up pleasure; that was more like it.
Graillot (N. Rhne) - holy hell!!! His 2007s are amazing. 2007 St-Joseph was light and gourmand, with an ineffable trace of something like a bit of spice you'd lick off a stamp. And the 2007 Crozes-Hermitage was a marvel of pleasure-giving wonder, just so breath-catchingly heady. Unbefrickinglievable.
Kreydenweiss (Alsace & Costires de Nmes) - v. elegant Costires, esp. early-drinking 2005 Grimaude; Alsaces, pretty standard fare, well-constructed, but did not make my eyes pop.
Plageoles (Gaillac) - NV Mauzac nature, still gross and bitter and sweet (see Wt thread on "crap bubblies"); 2007 Mauzac vert, much more comely and dry (a still wine); 2007 Ondenc, a white from an obscure grape, short on the palate but with some interesting aromatics.
Puffeney (Arbois) - loved, loved, loved 2004 Arbois Savagnin! Mm! Drown me in a vat of this oxidative walnut heaven. The 2005 chardonnay was, however, "typique" Jura, and ugly in that ugly-duckling-that's-never-gonna-grow-up way; 2000 vin jaune had a cool/weird grilled walnut thing going on; and 2006 Poulsard and Trousseau tasted a bit wan, beside the whites.
Roulot (Meursault) - a bunch of 2006s with a weirdly discreet Charmes and a superb Perrires, and nice single-parcel village Meursaults. The regular Bourgogne blanc was even weighty and good. Reconciled a bit w/ Roulot, though I prefer Henri Germain for Meursault (the leaner style but a bit less austere, still). I was surprised, actually, that the Perrires was more generous and giving (though with great structure) than a completely cold Charmes. Cold Charmes! What next?
Selosse (Champagne) - Here to taste were Initial, VO and Il Etait Une Fois (the mistelle, made from grape juice "stopped" with fine de Champagne). The mistelle had changed back to its earlier incarnation, as I had tasted it in April and it was like a Selosse wine but still and sweet; two weeks ago, at the domain, it seemed confited and walnutty and over-sticky. Here, it had breathed again. He had drawn it into a larger bottle, that said. Had he suffocated the thing by putting it into small bottles? (I think they're half-bottles.) Otherwise, before the mistelle: VO was simply perfect, just perfect; vinous, profound, no dosage, deep and heady. Initial, by contrast, is a great entry wine, but its 4.5g/l seems a bit blowsy after VO.
It was held at the swank Cercle des Armes (some kind of stomping ground for French gov't softs) in the 8th arrondissement.
These are my impressions (in alphabetical order, no less!).
Alliet (Chinon) - the 2007 VV was a perfect, Platonic Chinon; this is what Chinon would be if it never had any weird greenness or attempts at sophisticated overextraction; just classic goodness. However, the 2007 and 2006 Coteau de Noir were a steep fall off a cliff; too much oak on both, I felt, and, lacking the stuffing to hold up to it, they became placeless. Luxury cuve, my eye.
Chermette (Beaujolais) - mm! I drove through the lineup, from a silly, fine and easy 2007 Beaujolais blanc to each 2008 Primeur - which he calls thus, rather than Nouveau, to avoid the stigma - Les Griottes, a classic non filtr, easy drinking pleasure; Beaujolais VV Primeur, more tannic but also suave; 2008 Cuve Traditionnelle, with nice presence and weight; then a 2008 Coeur des Vendanges (i.e. "heart of the harvest"; we can see where this is leading), a very silky affair. After, a 2007 Brouilly Pierreux was very classic in its rendition, while a Fleurie Ponci of the same vintage had sweet fruit and was opulent (n.b. I told him there was a certain American oenophile and now winemaker who had probably drunk 90% of this wine's per year production, which had led to much curiosity and ensuing delight; he purported, however, that it was the English who liked the Ponci and the Americans liked the following); Fleurie Garants, which had more tannins and was less slyly smooth. Finally, a 2007 Moulin Vent Les Trois Roches was serious, fine wine.
Chidaine (Montlouis & Vouvray) - classic, pretty nice in both renditions. I had a few. Please don't ask me to become a turncoat; I'm not supposed to like that chenin stuff.
Dagueneau - a 2007 Buisson Renard was very flamboyant, tender on the palate with an incredible taste of bergamot. The 1998 Pur Sang was still very young-seeming and with some grapefruit & pith. Heading south to DD's Roussillon concern, a 2004 Jardin de Babylone Juranon was absolutely gorgeous (100% petit manseng), with perfect balance. Sweet, delicious and wrong. The best.
Vatan (Sancerre) - 2007 Clos la Nore, hm, nice, but I guess I don't "get" Vatan.
Clos Rougeard (Saumur-Champigny) - 2005 Poyeux was very young and very tannic, with a mean, green streak that was displeasing to me, and god knows I tread with an eager foot on the hallowed grounds of Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-C; 2005 Le Bourg was far more elegant and long, and though still v. tannic, it gave up pleasure; that was more like it.
Graillot (N. Rhne) - holy hell!!! His 2007s are amazing. 2007 St-Joseph was light and gourmand, with an ineffable trace of something like a bit of spice you'd lick off a stamp. And the 2007 Crozes-Hermitage was a marvel of pleasure-giving wonder, just so breath-catchingly heady. Unbefrickinglievable.
Kreydenweiss (Alsace & Costires de Nmes) - v. elegant Costires, esp. early-drinking 2005 Grimaude; Alsaces, pretty standard fare, well-constructed, but did not make my eyes pop.
Plageoles (Gaillac) - NV Mauzac nature, still gross and bitter and sweet (see Wt thread on "crap bubblies"); 2007 Mauzac vert, much more comely and dry (a still wine); 2007 Ondenc, a white from an obscure grape, short on the palate but with some interesting aromatics.
Puffeney (Arbois) - loved, loved, loved 2004 Arbois Savagnin! Mm! Drown me in a vat of this oxidative walnut heaven. The 2005 chardonnay was, however, "typique" Jura, and ugly in that ugly-duckling-that's-never-gonna-grow-up way; 2000 vin jaune had a cool/weird grilled walnut thing going on; and 2006 Poulsard and Trousseau tasted a bit wan, beside the whites.
Roulot (Meursault) - a bunch of 2006s with a weirdly discreet Charmes and a superb Perrires, and nice single-parcel village Meursaults. The regular Bourgogne blanc was even weighty and good. Reconciled a bit w/ Roulot, though I prefer Henri Germain for Meursault (the leaner style but a bit less austere, still). I was surprised, actually, that the Perrires was more generous and giving (though with great structure) than a completely cold Charmes. Cold Charmes! What next?
Selosse (Champagne) - Here to taste were Initial, VO and Il Etait Une Fois (the mistelle, made from grape juice "stopped" with fine de Champagne). The mistelle had changed back to its earlier incarnation, as I had tasted it in April and it was like a Selosse wine but still and sweet; two weeks ago, at the domain, it seemed confited and walnutty and over-sticky. Here, it had breathed again. He had drawn it into a larger bottle, that said. Had he suffocated the thing by putting it into small bottles? (I think they're half-bottles.) Otherwise, before the mistelle: VO was simply perfect, just perfect; vinous, profound, no dosage, deep and heady. Initial, by contrast, is a great entry wine, but its 4.5g/l seems a bit blowsy after VO.
