Trinquevedel 2013

Having tasted a lot of rose the last 18 months between travel and the FWS Provence Masters Course, I go back to my rose roots and say Guillaume has hit a home run with 2013. The nose, the fruit, the spice, the acidity, and the alcohol are perfectly balanced. This is a "rose de maceration," not saignee, nor a rose de nuit. Perfectly dry.

Great wine. Only about 2200 cases imported by Kermit Lynch.

Domaine Bart

Fabulously typical. Medium ruby. Red fruits, smoke, pepper, and a bit of mushroom. Velvet tannin. Just great. 

Bad wine

Had two bad bottles from Wine Access tonight. One was a Morgon and the precious bottles wer fine. It seemed to have substantial TCA. The second was this cult bottle Sunce. The benevolent tasting note is: cloudy, dull ruby. Very forward aromas of acetone and some weirdly spicy thill. Acid is entirely out of balance relative to the limited, tart, immature red fruit. Finish produces an overwhelming desire to regurgitate, and unfortunately is long. 

I'll try another bottle in a day or two to confirm that this is not just poorly made. But, for the moment, I just write this off to bad wine. 

Pinot- Old World vs New World

Chateauneuf du Pape video clip on YouTube.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=f6yPH_mytcY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Df6yPH_mytcY%26feature%3Dshare

This is a very nice 4 minute summary of the grapes and the terroir. Well worth watching if one wishes to understand a bit about this AOC.

Valentine's Day Wine

So this was a celebration evening at our favorite American French bistro. Decided to start with a Champagne Louis de Sacy Rose NV which went with the amuse and the first couple courses. Followed that with the "special wine." Although it is 11 years old there was minimal color separation and the wine was a nice, brilliant medium ruby. The initial aromas were spicy red fruit and a hint of toasty oak. With time the tertiary aromas of mushroom and forest floor evolved. Nice polished tannin background. Tasted again this morning and there was further development of the tertiary aromas. Province is that this came directly from the Latour cellars last year. 

I probably should have had them decant this last night to get its full impact at dinner. 

Kudos to a la Maison on a great special meal. Great food, perfect presentation. Menu is still up on their web site. 

www.alamaisonbistro.com

Try this.

Le Millésime

1 Rue Traversière, Chambolle-Musigny

+33 3 80 62 80 37

Roussillon

Utterly perfect

Domaine la Garrigue

Lunch at les Florets with the family's wines. Rose today, and unfortunately it is not imported. Vibrant pink. Nose of raspberries and strawberries. Perfect balance, with acidity to match the meal. Look at the legs in the photo. Next stop will be the domaine to taste through a flight. 

This evening's flight

Great way to start Bordeaux- Le Wine Bar 19 Rue de Bahutiers, www.lewinebar-bordeaux.com

The point here is that the format allowed a really neat flight of wines to be assembled. If one looks at the bottle list it is extensive. The by the glass list covers the range nicely with some typical examples. 

The owner and staff are involved. The place is just plain fun, with nice food and great wines. Recently had an excellent write up in wine spectator. We absolutely will return. 

Burgundy Night at Farmer and Fisherman

This is what happens when one shops wisely and cellars well. Fabulous older wines; the Chassagne Montrachet is fully mature, caramel colored, and with fabulous tertiary aromas and flavors. Another spot where a buy and hold strategy delivers rewards. Thank you Dick and Doranne. 

Lunch at La Tour des Vents, Bergerac Rouge

So we are here a couple of times in 2005 and it was my first thought in planning this trip. Great lunch and have a nice local wine. So why does this qualify as a "Wines for the rest of us?" Bergerac AOC is east of Bordeaux and St Emilion on the right and left banks of the Dordogne. Cepage is typical for the region. Price is substantially less; this is quality and value. 

This is a clear medium purple with a  touch of color separation at the edges. 

Nose is clean. Fruits are dark red and black, with blueberry in the background. Spicy black pepper. Maybe a hint of red roses. Vanilla. Biggest is the cedar and tobacco/cigar box. 

Tastes follow the nose. Tannin is velvety and softens with time in the glass. Acid and alcohol are medium. Finish is medium long. 

The wine is well balanced and I like it. It is typical for the region. It would not be fair to put it next to the top Classed Growths or St Emilion Grand Cru Classe, but it sure holds its own against the rest. 

Cepage is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. I am trying to local the percentages, but I suspect there is a good bit of Merlot in this. 

This is an excellent full bodied wine at a very good price. And, it worked great with the meal. 

1970

Fabulous 1970- clear tawny, clean nose of cedar, tobacco, pepper and a hint of dried black fruit. Still well balanced with soft tannins, nice acidity, and a complex finish. This wine has aged well.

Domaine les Aphillanthes

This is a very nice southern Rhone white blend which I would strongly recommend for those who like Viognier. It would be great with a white meat, but I find it good with cheese and a baguette too!

The producer has a nice range of wines, some of which I have tasted and all of which I have enjoyed.

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.