347 replies to this topic

[Chambolle]

Chateau de Fosse-Seche. Les Tris de la Chapelle. Saumur blanc. 2008.

From the website of the domaine:

Dernière sélection de tris manuels; grappes totalement atteintes de pourriture noble (pourri plein). Vinification en blanc sec et élevage durant douze mois en barriques. Vin de grande garde, riche, complexe, puissant, fin. (10 hl/ha)

http://www.chateaufosseseche.fr/

Fruity. Dry. Very dry. Deliciously dry. An elegant touch of oak. A lightness on the tongue that yields to nice layers of mineral and lemongrass and acidity. An absolutely lovely expression of Chenin.

With a dressed salad of tomatoes, avocado, tiny shrimp and arugula. Followed by blinis a la Russe faits maison, saumon norvege fume et les oeufs de saumon.

The result: Healthy Happiness.

[Sneakeater]

Brought a bottle of Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett 2008 to dinner at a friend's house.

Very nice.

Very very nice, in fact.

[Anthony Bonner]

Brought a bottle of Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett 2008 to dinner at a friend's house.

Very nice.

Very very nice, in fact.

I'll second that (not that I was at the friends, but that this wine is very very lovely) I actually like the fact its under screwcap because I'm much more likely to drink it now rather than sitting on it for a few years.

[Chambolle]

Domaine Bruno Clair

I like to support domaines that are run by good people. I like to support Domaine Bruno Clair.

We arrive. We're late, as usual. We descend, not with Bruno, but with Brun. Philippe Brun, that is, the winemaker. For those who don't know, he's relatively well known and quite respected in winemaking circles. He's also a real down to earth guy, a very knowledgeable wine guy and a guy you wouldn't mind hanging out with and talking for a bit. I've tasted with Philippe before.

He tells us that we're lucky because some (relatively) famous wine journalist was catered to earlier in the afternoon and lots of 2009 bottles are open and waiting to be quenched. I advise Philippe that we are ready, willing and able. Allons-y ...

Vins rouges
2009 Marsannay "Les Vaudenelles"
2009 Marsannay "Les Longeroies"
2009 Marsannay "Les Grasses Tetes" (yes, even Marsannay exhibits terroir variation. All are good, but choose Les Longeroies if possible)
2009 Chambolle Musigny "Les Veroilles"
2009 Morey St Denis "En la rue de Vergy"
2009 Vosne Romanee "Les Champs Perdrix"
2009 Gevrey Chambertin
2009 Savigny les Beaune 1er cru La Dominode (yow! better store that bottle for a while ...)
2009 Gevrey Chambertin 1er cru Clos du Fonteny
2009 Gevrey Chambertin 1er cru Cazetiers (you know, I just not a giant Gevrey fan. I've tried and I've tried and I've tried ...)

Let me help explain some stuff to any Burgundian beginners out there.

Here is the first important thing to know - there is lots and lots of crappy, mediocre Burgundy out there. Oh wait, that sentence was incomplete. Let me try again. There is lots and lots of crappy, medicore, EXPENSIVE Burgundy out there. And if you drink a few bottle of that stuff, rightly so, you will just scratch your head and remain mystified why people spend good money after bad on crappy, mediocre wine. Hence, what to do?

Here's my advice. Start slow.

Buy Jean Marc Joblot's Givry wines - red or white. Or, buy Bruno Clair's Marsannays. If you have the choice: Les Longeroies are #1, Les Vaudenelles are #2. (Why? Because if you buy these Marsannays, you are probably going to drink them with a week of the purchase, if not within an hour or two. Les Grasses Tetes is a bit more tannic and doesn't show as well immediately.)

Okay, back to the tasting.

We have been talking with Philippe about lots and lots of good stuff. Gosh, I learn a lot from this guy! He shrugs and says that's all the 2009s that are open. I'm thinking "You must have a corkscrew around here, don't you? Shouldn't we be opening the rest of them?", but I say "Philippe, if we were to try one other wine that might be showing nicely right now, what might you recommend?" Ah yes, Philippe does indeed have a corkscrew !

2007 Vosne Romanee "Les Champs Perdrix" (yeah, it's a bit more expressive, but I'm not loving it)

I decide to push my luck a bit. "Philippe, my friend here is new to this whole Burgundy thing. I try to verbally explain to him how these wines seriously evolve with time, but he thinks I'm inventing and he's not a true believer. Final request, can we dig down a little deeper into the cellar and make him one of us?" I smile.

Philippe says "D'accord. Here's what we're going to do. I'll dig a bit and get a bottle. You guys simply have to guess what it is. If you're wrong, you buy it. D'accord?". He smiles. I stop smiling. My friend is now frowning. I pretty sure Philippe is joking, but I'm not totally sure, hence I'm thinking rapidly.

My very next thought is that old joke about being in the woods and camping with a friend. All of a sudden, a brown bear arrives. I tell my friend to run and I start running like a son of a gun. He says "Chambo, you can't outrun a brown bear." I respond "I know, but I don't have to. I just have to outrun you!" With that in mind, I addressed my buddy and said ...

"Here's what we're going to do. Let's play 20 questions. First one who asks a question (or states a statement) that results in a "No" response, loses."

The wine is poured. The wine is now spinning clockwise in our wineglasses. We all sniff. Wow! Seriously interesting, complex, evolved nose with muskiness and earthiness and mushrooms and ... My friend glances at me with a smile and eyebrows raised. I'm picturing a big brown bear gnawing on his thorax.

He starts "This is a red wine from Burgundy?". Philippe rolls his eyes and doesn't even respond.
I immediately interject "This is not a Marsannay yet it's from the northern Cote de Nuits". Philippe nods approvingly.
My soon-to-be-swallowed friend proceeds "This wine is less than 12-14 years old?"
Philippe is about to shake his head and end the game, but I again interject.
I state: "Ca, c'est impossible. This wine is at least from the early 90s and I know it's not a 1990!"
Philippe smiles and yields up a "Tres bien fait!"
Chambo's on a roll now and he continues: "And furthermore, in 1993 ..."
Before I had a chance to finish my thought and explain why I knew this WASN'T a 1993, Philippe interupts me.
Philippe says "Impressive! You are absolutley right! 1993 Gevrey Chambertin 1er cru Clos Saint Jacques."
Without missing a beat, I look over to my half-eaten buddy, put on a seriously smug face and say "Pas mal, eh?".

We ascend.

[Sneakeater]

Brought a bottle of Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett 2008 to dinner at a friend's house.

Very nice.

Very very nice, in fact.

I'll second that (not that I was at the friends, but that this wine is very very lovely) I actually like the fact its under screwcap because I'm much more likely to drink it now rather than sitting on it for a few years.

That's exactly the way I feel about it. The screw cap forces (encourages) me to drink up rather than be anal about it as I normally would.

Also, the fun part: having noticed the screw cap, I think my friends were SHOCKED at how good the wine was.

[nuxvomica]

a very lovely 07 Tournelle Trousseau des Corvees. i love their wines. i was told to give it an hour and, in a highly uncharacteristic move, was actually able to leave it alone for more than that. drinking beautifully.

on the other hand, 09 Raccaro Malvasia was a disappointment, way too oak happy and just not ready to drink. and the 14% alc showed. should have been left alone for quite some time. hate when sales people are not upfront about it.

[Sneakeater]

Trousseau has GOT to my single favorite summer red.

Even if you give it an hour, you've got to keep it slightly chilled.

[nuxvomica]

Trousseau has GOT to my single favorite summer red.

Even if you give it an hour, you've got to keep it slightly chilled.

yup, mine too. and yes, a little chilled. although i had trousseau from the 80s that was a whole other animal

[Sneakeater]

Ooooooooh. I've never had an old Trousseau.

[nuxvomica]

Ooooooooh. I've never had an old Trousseau.

searching for it in a cellar with no light with bornard and another winemaker was fun too

that was such a great fucking trip, dying to go back

[balex]

Is this the right thread for wine in restaurants too? Anyway ..

A wine made from Refosco called Vignai da Duline “Morus Nigra" 2005 from Friuli.

Very dark in colour but misleadingly so as it was very thin in a good way. Light, slight tannins,
very good acidity, rather like a less heavy bodied Cote Rotie, with a slight smokiness/grilled meat.

[nuxvomica]

some of my favorite white wines this weekend (in descending order):

2001 Montbourgeau L'Etoile Cuvee Speciale

2007 Scholium Prince in His Caves

2007 Cascina Degli Ulivi Montemarino

also, a Manhattan rye/vermouth taste off (Rittenhouse/Dolan won). Also, tons of fun with Portuguese-inspired cocktails with grappa-like aguardente with Chambord/Cassis and lime - delicious stuff but ran out of all the aguardente we brought from Lisbon in the process so need to find more oh, and some 20-year old tawny port from the trip that got polished off. very much regret not buying more madeira while there either

[Chambolle]

2004 Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits Saint Georges La Charmotte.

and about 10 others ... hiccup ...

[Sneakeater]

I'm not drinking it anytime soon, but I have to brag that a friend of mine just came back from a trip to southern Italy, and she brought me a bottle from this vineyard she said she just sort of stumbled upon with no knowledge or advance planning -- and it turned out to be

Emedio Pepe 2000

"Oh," she said when I gleefully grabbed it from her when she gave it to me. "You've heard of it?"

[Chambolle]

A 2004 Domaine Rene Engel. The exact details of the wine are not my interest here.

There are those who say that fine wine is like poetry. I can accept that.

And then there are those bottles of wine that have a fine poem inscribed on the back label. That was the case with my 2004 bottle. (I believe that all 2004 Domaine Rene Engel bottles have this poem, but I'm not sure)

Sadly, the domaine no longer exists due to the death of Philippe Engel in 2005:

http://www.bbr.com/p...aine-rene-engel

The back label reads as follows:

A Philippe (1955-2005)

Un voilier passe.

Je suis debout au bord de la plage.
Un voilier passe dans la brise du matin
Et part vers l'océan.
Il est la beauté, il est la vie.
Je le regarde jusqu'à ce qu'il disparaisse à l'horizon.
Quelqu'un à mon côté dit : « Il est parti ! »
Parti vers où ?
Parti de mon regard, c'est tout.
Son mât est toujours aussi haut,
Sa coque a toujours la force de porter sa charge humaine.
Sa disparition totale de ma vue est en moi, pas en lui.
Et au moment où quelqu'un près de moi dit
« Il est parti ! »,
Il en est d'autres qui, le voyant poindre à l'horizon et venir vers eux,
S'exclament avec joie : « Le voilà ! ».

William Blake

The final line of the poem was seemingly left off:

C'est cela la mort. (That is death.)

A beautiful poem. A beautiful eulogy. A beautiful wine.


Side note: Quick googling shows that there is some confusion as to whether this is indeed a Blake poem.

Who wants to find a definitive source that confirms (or not) that this French poem is indeed a translation of William Blake's words ?

I am standing on the sea shore,
A sailboat passes in the morning breeze and heads out to sea.
She is beauty. She is life.
I watch her until she disappears over the horizon.
Someone at my side says: "She is gone."
Gone! Where?
Gone from my sight, that is all.
Her mast is just as tall,
Her hull still has the strength to carry her human load.
Her total disappearance from my sight is in me, not in her.
And at the moment when someone near me says,
"She is gone",
There are others who, seeing her appear on the horizon and coming towards them,
Cry with joy: "There she is!"
This is death.