Same wine redux

Same wine, same server, great meal this time. Everyone is entitled to an off night.

I hope we can find this one in the States!

Fines Roches

Not much to say, just fabulous.

Great older CDP and a wonderful meal.

Pic St Loup

Great story associated with this property, and basically they were Bio before Bio existed.

Color between ruby and purple.

Nose is just absolutely wild- red and black fruit, spice (cinnamon and pepper).

And then it was just a youthful fruit bomb on the palate. Great balance and a fabulous long finish. That spice just stayed and stayed.

I liked this a lot. The wine list showed a 2008 and we were served a 2010. Researching the wine would suggest a bit more age is in order.

The wine was great but I would only recommend the restaurant because this is on the list.

Tavel

As usual, my preferred rose is again Chateau Trinquevedel, but Guillaume has added another option to his traditional and gastronomic wines. This is a lighter wine, with more citrus and acid, which represents a modern style for the lightly colored reds of Tavel.

I like this term, lightly colored reds. These are wines of maceration rather than of bleeding the must.

They have hit the spot with this new wine. Not as light and pale as a Provençal rose, but fruitier and more citrus than traditional Tavel. Added to the other wines of the portfolio, this fills a necessary slot.

I doubt any will make it back to the States with me, and it is not imported. The wine is designed for local restaurant, cafe, and bistro sale.

Someone has written the book I planned for Tavel. It is well done, and introduces the concept of a pale red wine of maceration. A good way to characterize traditional Tavel.

Lunch at la Mirande, Avignon

Fabulous meal, thank you Antoinette and Otto.

So as a lunch we went with a Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, 2011. There were older offerings, but I am fond of the young CdP whites. Juliette Avril is a relatively old family run domaine.

www.juillietteavril.com

The wine is a pale yellow, with a hint of green.

The nose shows white flowers, ripe pears, and white peach.

The taste follows the nose, with a wonderfully balanced and crisp acidity.

Cepage is Grenache, Roussanne, Clairette, and Bourboulenc.

This is a wine we consistently have liked and drunk young, although the producer indicates it can age for several years.

Tasting Epiphany

This was a once in a lifetime bottle over lunch at Le Montrachet. The year is 2006- of note that also was the year we first visited Bourgogne.

Nice golden color.

Complex nose of roasted pears and citrus. But with each fresh pour from the chilled bottle, there was something more, which was ephemeral and was lost as the wine warmed. White flowers, not roses but lemon blossoms. Amazing complexity.

The oak shows in the mouth, and follows from a bit of vanilla nose.

There is a striking mineral finish with crisp acidity.

Great wine which went with all 8 courses and interludes.

I like to let red wines, particularly young ones, sit and evolve over night. Here in a matter of minutes a middle aged white evolved fabulously.

For those who like Chardonnay which has seen oak, I think this is a reference wine. They got it just right, subtle and sublime.

Producer cubed

Burgundy is all about the producer. But, the hand of the vintner only can take away from what nature gives. This is a deft hand. Prior posts, great young producer.

At last

And next will be dinner.

Ah...

Still has its color but is bursting with primary and tertiary aromatics and tastes. Fabulous balance. Great now, but where will it go?

Cafe Normandie

Wine was great, meal was not. As a 2009 it was a bit of infanticide though.

Thoughts of cote rotie

Smoked meat (bacon) and violets- syrah viogier.

Such a shame I only have one bottle remaining. 2005 and it still drinks young.

Bistrot l'Epic

Great Lirac and a wonderful meal after our Burgundy Master's course review and tasting.

Grenache

Great young wine.

Nice ruby color. Nose of black pepper and red fruits. Taste has the pepper and fruit, and fabulous soft tannin. The wine lingers on the palate and is perfectly balanced.

It is California. Can it age?

Not a Burgundian Chard

So it is a 2002 and was at the price point when I bought it in 2004.

It has gained a bit of color but is still going strong.

Wow is this oaky.

2003 Chateauneuf du Pape

It was hot but not much diurnal temperature variation.

This wine is mature now and drinks like a much older wine.

Nice color separation as it begins to turn brick.

Nose of fig, date, and smoked meat.

Still has nice fruits.

Well balanced, soft tannins, an a nice finish.

I think we will start to go through our 2003's.

Great Burgundian Meal- best view in Philly

After visiting "visions of Arcadia" at the Art Museum we went to the Water Works for dinner. Next to La Croix, this has to be the best venue in Philadelphia. And, the meal was fabulous. But the wine was the star, at $52 for the bottle.

Domaine Cecile Tremblay Morey St Denis Tres Girard 2006. http://domaine-ceciletremblay.com

This just a grand wine, and a bargain on the wine list.

Just beginning to get a bit of color separation- ruby and brick. Very viscous on the glass.

Aromas of red fruit, spice, and forest floor.

Flavor follows through with both primary and tertiary tastes.

The finish is long with just perfect balance.

The wine was presented a bit too chilled, but it is August in Philly so that resolved itself quickly. I recommend the restaurant and the wine.

About the wine maker- this is a relatively young producer with a great pedigree. She produces a full spectrum of wines from Cote de Nuits, but the result from this 0.5ha lieu dit of relatively young vines probably best showcases her talent.

2010 Caymus

Purple.
Black fruits and fig nose.
Black cherry fruit bomb on the palate.
Long fruity finish.
I can't wait to taste this in our annual Caymus vertical.
Yes, I like it.

Another reason to go off the Cru track

Domaine de Cabasse les Deux Angles 2009.

Garnet color. Nose of black pepper, spice, and black raspberry and cherry fruits. On the palate the fruit comes forward, then it finishes with great balance. Long lasting. This is a great young wine from a "named" cotes du Rhone village.

Of note, the entire property looks great and I plan to visit this fall. Restaurant, small hotel, and the winery- this is a great looking southern Rhone property and the wines shine through.

http://cabasse.fr

Rose from the South

Ok, start with a green gazpacho, then add a red and mix. A bit of turkey bacon and a real blue cheese flavor it up. Chill.

Pale rose from Aix en Provence. Nose of red fruits- strawberry and red raspberry. Taste carries through the fruit, with wonderfully balanced acidity and a long finish.

My sense is just perfection. I like Miraval "Pink Floyd" but this 2011 goes a step beyond. Also have some 2010 left, great contrast when tasted side by side.

St Cecile les Vignes

This is exactly why one needs to go beyond the Cru villages to really appreciate the wines. This one is not listed on the producer's web site. Labeling is a pure viognier.

Nice clear straw color. Nose is exceptionally floral and white fruit, but a hint of pepper. The taste has fresh fruits and again the white pepper. Balance and acidity are wonderful. The taste lingers on the palate as a wonderful long finish dominated by white pepper.

Simply a great wine but it only earns a cotes du Rhone label.

State store price is about $16.

This is going in as a daily option for white.

Napa cab revisited

This is beginning to really hit its stride. Over the last couple of years it has seemed a bit too fruity, although quite good. Last night I opened one for the first time in about a year- it is maturing.

Color is still dark, but there is a hint of separation at the edge of the glass. Aromatics are now more complex- cigar and cedar, black cherry, licorice, and subtle vanilla. Taste is balanced with nice fruit and tannin. Finish was long.

I liked this when I bought it, now I am glad I have enough cellared to watch it grow.

In Grenache We Trust

Beautiful ruby color. Red berry and pepper nose. Cherry vanilla palate. Balanced finish.

Great young California Grenache!

Overnight Transformation

Last vintage done by Marcel Lapierre before he was claimed by melanoma. This shows what well managed gamay can do. Overnight it became Pinot-like, easily could be confused with a delicate Chambolle-Musingny.

It was great last night, retasted this morning it was extraordinary.

And it is only 13 years old

So for the holiday I pulled out an older bottle to have at Spring Mill Cafe- but it still had its fruit.

Clefs d' Or is always great. I got a case of this 5 or 6 years ago at a Pa shop for $20/bottle. They did not know what they were selling.

Just getting a bit of brick in the color. Nose has fig, but red and black fruits and a bit of garrigue are in the background. Tannins are soft leading to a grand and balanced finish.

The point here is shopping. One does not always need to spend a lot to get a great and age worthy wine. Now I have to figure out when to open the last 2 bottles.

Gigondas

This is a favorite- they also make Chateau Vaudieu.

It is a bit of infanticide to open the 2009, but I had to try it (particularly after a week of call).

Inky purple. A nose of red and black fruit, with a background of smoked meat and maybe some smoked meat. The tannins are smooth, the acids well balanced, and just a hint of astringency on the end. It finishes in great balance.

This is a great wine and I look forward to it as it matures.

Whoops

Waterbrook. I hate auto-complete.

Tasting at the Guard House Tonight

Great event that had value. Tonight was wines of the northwestern US.

The distributors had some nice white wines, particularly a reisling and a wild blend, both of which had great white flowers, acid, and mineral.

The best of the tasting was the Waterbrook Reserve Merlot. This was great- blue fruits, a bit of vanilla, soft tannins and just the right amount of acid. This has the balance and body to age for a bit.

Bottom line- looked good, smelled good, tasted good, and I liked it all at a good price point via the PA shops.

Have at it.

Vinsobres with a bit more

Famille Jaume is an excellent producer in Vinaobres with a wide portfolio. Shopping our local Pa store today I found Domaine Courtois 2009 by Jaume. Like all of the Jaume wines, this is well made and has a true sense of place. It is an excellent small production cuvée at a superb price.

The parcel is small, 10 acres, and with low yields.

The wine is a dark and bright ruby; it is translucent. The nose gives intense red fruit aromas with a hint of resinous herbs and the beginnings of smoked meat. The finish is well balanced with a nice blend of acid, alcohol, tannin and fruit. As the wine opens the smokiness increases, the tannin softens, and the fruit persists.

This is 60% Grenache and the rest Syrah. It is a great blend. 2009 was a great year in the southern Rhone and this wine shows the quality of the year.

This is a great wine at an exceptional price in Pa stores. It should show well for at least 3 to 6 years, maybe longer.