Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Last week, Ira brought a wine for Swinton and me to taste blind. It was white.
Not satisfied with my gloriously apt observations so far, Ira urged us to say more about it.
The acidity was too good for most chardonnay. Swinton was trying to decide whether it was Chablis, while I had already moved on to considering Muscadet. Ira answered a few probing questions, the key one being that the wine is not from the Loire. So, no chenin, no romorantin, no melon, no sauvignon blanc that we know well. Fine.
Anyway, Swinton was still determined to make it a Chablis, I was pretty sure that the grapes - whatever they are - did not grow up in a warm place. I'm starting to think about dry furmint when Swinton decides to make Ira end the game.
The bottle is revealed to be...
click picture
Ira is posed with the label in the traditional position for someone who is playing a game without knowing what's in his hand!
- - - - -
Meanwhile, today, I had the cellar to myself so it was just me, a bit of fromage and salame, and Benetiere 2010 Cote-Rotie "Cordeloux": youthful, fresh, open for business, unmistakably N Rhone syrah, purple plums and black raspberry, a whiff of something like white pepper, ripeness well-managed, I'll grant that it lacks the thrust and texture of the very best vineyards but really no complaints; happy to have another bottle.
Not satisfied with my gloriously apt observations so far, Ira urged us to say more about it.
The acidity was too good for most chardonnay. Swinton was trying to decide whether it was Chablis, while I had already moved on to considering Muscadet. Ira answered a few probing questions, the key one being that the wine is not from the Loire. So, no chenin, no romorantin, no melon, no sauvignon blanc that we know well. Fine.
Anyway, Swinton was still determined to make it a Chablis, I was pretty sure that the grapes - whatever they are - did not grow up in a warm place. I'm starting to think about dry furmint when Swinton decides to make Ira end the game.
The bottle is revealed to be...
click pictureIra is posed with the label in the traditional position for someone who is playing a game without knowing what's in his hand!
- - - - -
Meanwhile, today, I had the cellar to myself so it was just me, a bit of fromage and salame, and Benetiere 2010 Cote-Rotie "Cordeloux": youthful, fresh, open for business, unmistakably N Rhone syrah, purple plums and black raspberry, a whiff of something like white pepper, ripeness well-managed, I'll grant that it lacks the thrust and texture of the very best vineyards but really no complaints; happy to have another bottle.