TN: Manuel in the Cellar (Nov 1, 2014)

J

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don, Chris + Lisa, Jayson, Ray, .sasha, Brad, Jeff

Yr Latin Diddymwr has once again graced our fair shores. We have no wine from Cardiff but we do have some, um, continental bottles we can open.

Today's theme is "Nobody Can Drink Just One":

Franchino 2008 Gattinara - wow nose of roses, fine tannins, if I owned any of this I couldn't keep my hands off it

Chandon de Briailles 2007 Volnay "Caillerets" - Cleverly, I have opened this bottle before I arrive, which is kinda neat since it and I were not together; .sasha shows me the sediment (thrills and chills!); bright red currants and lots of flowers, slightly chalky (or something minerally like that), yum

Pinon NV Touraine Rose Petillant - from the very first shipment to come to the US (so perhaps 10 years old); on entry, it's all tuffeau - chalky, minerally, dried-up - but a vibrant red fruit note appears about halfway through the mid-palate, fascinating and delicious

Clouet 2004 Champagne Brut - so long! honeyed, lots of red fruit and funk, yum

We're having a really good run of bottles so far, but now we get down to business:

Dauvissat 2000 Chablis 1er "Vaillons" - nose is advanced but OK, palate is sherried and gone, bleh

Dom. de Chantemerle 2000 Chablis 1er "Fourchaume" - not too oxidized but watery and weak

Gerard Tremblay 2000 Chablis 1er "Fourchaume" - pale as water but this is good Chablis: stony, shell-y, and so long

Raveneau 2000 Chablis 1er "Montee de Tonnerre" - stones, shells, and a delicate flowery fragrance, but also clearly youthful and needs more time

Dom des Huards (M. Gendrier) 2007 Cour-Cheverny VV "Francois 1er" - zippy, grapefruity, nicely made

Breton 1997 Bourgueil "Les Perrieres" - aggressive green bell pepper nose but much more gentle in the mouth, smooth and pleasant

Breton 2010 Bourgueil "Les Perrieres" - young and ungiving, hold

Raffault 1990 Chinon "Les Picasses" - gorgeous bottle, sexy mix of barnyard and dark red/black fruits

Chevillon 2001 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Les Cailles" - served in a Margaux bottle; mineral, brilliant red fruit, we love it and debate what it is for a while until someone says, "The only way this could be Nuits-St-Georges is top winemaking and a top vineyard."

Chevillon 1997 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Les Bousselots" - vigorous ((that's all the note says, sorry))

Trimbach 1991 Riesling "Clos Ste Hune" - an unspoiled bottle: young, fresh, tingly, wow

As I'm headed out the door a few bottles are pushed into my bag. Day 3: The Tremblay has lost its edge. It's still long and seashell-honey in the finish but basically boring to drink. (I'm cooking with it.) The Chandon de Briaille is all light and flowery, detached from the ground, while the Chevillon has moved closer to blackberry and earth -- and is the better of the two to drink now.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Chevillon 2001 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Les Cailles" - served in a Margaux bottle; mineral, brilliant red fruit, we love it and debate what it is for a while until someone says, "The only way this could be Nuits-St-Georges is top winemaking and a top vineyard."
Click to expand...

"and from a vintage with too much dirt" - was the rest of the statement

how often does nuits reek of venison?
 
Bob Semon brought a wonderful bottle of (was it 85 or 86 Bob?) Olga Chinon Raffault. As a result there was talk that the wine started being made differently around 2000 (though I have liked the 02, though it's still young)and is no longer as good. Does anyone know more about this?
 
We opened a 07 CdB Caillerets last year, together with their Pernand Ile and Corton Bressand, all of which were being liquidated at irresistable prices. I thought the Caillerets was very good, though very young.

Has anyone toyed with their 05 Bretons recently?
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Bob Semon brought a wonderful bottle of (was it 85 or 86 Bob?) Olga Chinon Raffault. As a result there was talk that the wine started being made differently around 2000 (though I have liked the 02, though it's still young)and is no longer as good. Does anyone know more about this?
Click to expand...

The wine is still good. Had the 2002 just this week and it is perfect. I think the daughter took over but I have not tasted anything that seemed out of line with past vintages.
 
You're drinking and liking, I see, a lot of what some people would call spoofed wines, Jeff. How do you feel about that?
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
You're drinking and liking, I see, a lot of what some people would call spoofed wines, Jeff. How do you feel about that?
Click to expand...

Some people? Which people? But not you. Or do you? If so, which wines? Not just Trimbach, I take it. And what might your litmus test be for spoofulation?

I can't help noticing that your posts are increasingly cryptic.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
"and from a vintage with too much dirt" - was the rest of the statement

how often does nuits reek of venison?
Click to expand...
I thought it was you but I did not have a note to confirm.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Bob Semon brought a wonderful bottle of (was it 85 or 86 Bob?) Olga Chinon Raffault. As a result there was talk that the wine started being made differently around 2000 (though I have liked the 02, though it's still young)and is no longer as good. Does anyone know more about this?
Click to expand...
The most radical change chez Olga was around '95 or '96 when they started bottling a complete wine rather than leaving it in vat and bottling on demand. When the daughter (i.e., Olga's granddaughter) and her husband took over the domaine, they gradually made a few changes, upgrading equipment and technical operations, etc. But they continue to make the same wine that Olga herself made (and then, Olga's son).
 
originally posted by .sasha:

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Chevillon 2001 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Les Cailles" - served in a Margaux bottle; mineral, brilliant red fruit, we love it and debate what it is for a while until someone says, "The only way this could be Nuits-St-Georges is top winemaking and a top vineyard."
Click to expand...

"and from a vintage with too much dirt" - was the rest of the statement

how often does nuits reek of venison?
Click to expand...

"Cailles tastes the way I wish grenache tasted." - said by some young man somewhere.
 
originally posted by Jeff Connell:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Bob Semon brought a wonderful bottle of (was it 85 or 86 Bob?) Olga Chinon Raffault. As a result there was talk that the wine started being made differently around 2000 (though I have liked the 02, though it's still young)and is no longer as good. Does anyone know more about this?
Click to expand...
The most radical change chez Olga was around '95 or '96 when they started bottling a complete wine rather than leaving it in vat and bottling on demand. When the daughter (i.e., Olga's granddaughter) and her husband took over the domaine, they gradually made a few changes, upgrading equipment and technical operations, etc. But they continue to make the same wine that Olga herself made (and then, Olga's son).
Click to expand...

Jeff Connell to the rescue.
 
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