Tour de France
After a few tastings without a set theme it was decided that the wines of France deserved a special tasting. After all, what other country has so dominated and shaped the world of wine? France is home to the most expensive and sought after examples of vinous excellence, yet there are still regions that remain relatively undiscovered by audiences outside of France with very little making it into international glasses. With so much variety and quality you could spend most of your time drinking wine from France and not get bored.
With the lure or cheaper high quality New World wines it’s easy to pass on French wines, but the more I come to appreciate les vins de France the more I realize that they offer gustatory experiences that cannot be found elsewhere. If you want to understand Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, or any of the countless varieties that originate in France, you have to try them from where they have the longest history, where they are made better because they have been grown and turned into wine for generations.
Although we covered wines from most of the major regions of France we ended up a little heavy on the Southern regions and didn’t have Champagne or Alsace as planned. In the future we’ll hopefully focus on each region individually.
Burgundy
2005 is widely regarded as one of the best vintages for Burgundy in recent times. Here we have examples from both ends of the Côte d’Or: a Chambolle-Musigny (Côte de Nuits) and Volnay (Côte de Beaune). Both are elegant more ‘feminine’ styles of Pinot.
2005 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes – Frédéric Magnien
Pleasantly perfumed with a floral spice, cherry and raspberry, earthy beetroot, and some Pinot funk (a.k.a. barnyard). Still good after 24 hours in the decanter with its sweet perfume intact and showing more black fruit. This should age nicely a few more years. 88-91 Burghound: red and blue berry, spice, earth, “…structured middle weight flavors that possess lovely detail and nuance though the finish features well integrated but notable firm tannins”. $55.95 91
2005 Volnay – Joseph Drouhin
Round and elegant, this wine has a suave mouthfeel and expressive nose with notes of cherry, wood smoke/incense, light vanilla, loam, and mild barnyard. With air a tar-like scent develops. Like the Magnien Chambolle it also has a sweet fruity perfume characteristic of Pinot Noir. The vanilla, wood smoke and high spice notes show some of the barrel’s influence. I like the interplay of the spice and sweet perfumed notes. $52.55 90
Bordeaux
The best know and most utilized varieties of the region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The most prestigious wines are usually second only to those of Burgundy in terms of price. Although Bordeaux is primarily know for its red wine the appellation of Sauternes has carved out a reputation for making some of the best dessert wines in the world from grapes affected by botrytis.
1994 Château Léoville-Barton
It was nice to have an example that has been cellared for a while. The nose is pretty expressive with sweet cassis, cured tobacco leaf, light herbs and sweet cedar. Strangely has some astringency that appears briefly on the finish before fading just as quickly as it came. The biggest let down with this wine was the abrupt finish (a quick review of the notes at Cellar Tracker revealed we were not the only ones to experience this). 90 Wine Advocate: serious, classic Bordeaux, a 30 year wine. 90 Wine Spectator: berry, chocolate, tobacco, chewy tannins. $98.20 90
2004 Château Guiraud
An okay vintage as opposed to the 2001 (excellent) and 2003 (very good), but this still had more punch than I was expecting. Gobs of beeswax, vanilla, pineapple, spice (botrytis), peach, and even a little Riesling like petrol hiding in there. Not as concentrated as the 2003 Suduiraut (below), but still good. 92 Wine Spectator: spicy, with dried apricot and lemon character. $39 92
2003 Château Suduiraut
Darker and with more body and concentration than the 2004 Guiraud. Good acidity and long finish. Beeswax and lanolin, a fine sweet smoke like element, dried pineapple (this reminded one taster of Bulk Barn bins). 93 Wine Spectator: pecan pie, dried apricot, apples, syrup, dense mouthfeel, long, powerful and spicy aftertaste. 19/20 The Wine Doctor: “Really meaty, ripe and opulently textured. Lovely substance here, fresh acidity, and stunningly precise, persistent flavours. This is divine. Of every wine at the UGCB tasting, this is the only one I would come back to for pleasure rather than reassessment”. 22/25 Wine Journal (.com): “The palate is well-defined, very elegant: poised like a ballerina on tip-toe”, “One of the best wines of 2003”. $44.65 94
Côtes du Rhône
The wines we tried were all from Southern Rhône which are quite different from those of the north due in part to the choice of grapes. In Southern Rhône Grenache takes the dominant role with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and sometimes Cinsault making it into the mix (along with a gamut of minor grapes).
2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Domaine Grand Veneur
I was very impressed by this wine which I think was at the beginning of its peak drinking window. It was impactful with very open aromas of fine spices (pepper) and garrigue with leather, blackberry, almond, cherry, and floral liquorice. Can’t mistake the origin of this wine, it has Châteauneuf-du-Pape all over it. After the tasting I found out that Wine Spectator rated this wine a mere 86 in its buying guide commenting “not complex”. Wine Advocate scored it 90. Once I calibrated my palate my initial score of 95 dropped a bit, but I still think this wine was underrated and doesn’t take into account how well it aged. $30-40 94
2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Clos Saint Jean
Straight out of the bottle it was acidic and lean but quickly deepened and opened up to a dark balanced wine. Blackberry, black cherry, complex spice nuances of garrigue and cloves, and a sanguine undertone (iron, blood). This will age well which was evident from the fact that it tasted great 3 days later showing extra nuances of pine/under brush. 93 Wine Spectator: fig, currant paste, mocha, loam, tar, licorice. 93 Wine Advocate: incense, melted licorice, blackberry, and sweet cherry, the wine is peppery, spicy, “…superb example of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that should drink well for 10-15 years”. $45.95 93+
2004 Gigondas – Château du Trignon
Lots of spicy high notes (white pepper mostly) and a bitter-sweetness that reminds me of dark chocolate (as other tasters also noted). Kind of like a spiced chocolate with Herbs de Provence and fruit. Grows on you. 91 International Wine Cellar: blackberry, cassis, lavender and graphite, long juicy finish. $27.95 89
Languedoc-Roussillon
Often overlooked, this region produces many wines on the same level as Southern Rhône but for much more agreeable prices. There are plenty of bargains to be found.
2004 Barbabelle – Marc Kreydenweiss
This biodynamic wine from the Costières de Nîmes appellation shows Grenache characteristics of spice and raspberry/cherry with some mineral. Nice balance, not overly done. I noticed some salty liquorice candy and cider/tar notes during re-evaluation the next day. There is also some Carignan and Syrah in the blend. Can’t argue with the quality to price ratio here. $12.95 90
2003 Grande Cuvée – Château de Lancyre
It’s easy to confuse this with something from the Rhône with its spice box, cherry gum, bay leaf, chalk and mineral aspects. I thought it was solid, but was missing some depth. 92 Wine Spectator: savory spiced aroma, dark plum, mocha, spice, impressive structure. $27 89
Loire
Seeing as we had enough wine on the table I chose to forgo the Loire Cabernet Franc I’m so fond of and focus on another overlooked varietal that does particularly well in the cooler climes of the region: Chenin Blanc.
2006 Vouvray Demi-Sec – Château Moncontour
This came across with an almost Riesling like minerality and a very expressive, open nose of apple, plasticine, sweetgrass, and flowers. The ripeness is balanced with a crisp acidity (i.e. those who didn’t like any sweetness in their wines were still able to appreciate this) showing evidence of a well timed harvest. One taster noted “first-aid kit” much to our amusement, but I can see where he was coming from, I just chose to call it plasticine (a modelling clay). Quite palate filling and enjoyable. $17.95 92
2003 Coteaux du Layon Saint Aubin – Domaine Cady
Very concentrated with an almost ice wine like power, but not as syrupy. Green ginger, subtle smoky wood spice, with a rich fruit compote of kumquat and apricot. A little chemical spicy note when it warms up, best served cold. Could have done with a touch more acid to liven it up. If you are so inclined, this will age well for a few years. $25.95 90
With the lure or cheaper high quality New World wines it’s easy to pass on French wines, but the more I come to appreciate les vins de France the more I realize that they offer gustatory experiences that cannot be found elsewhere. If you want to understand Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, or any of the countless varieties that originate in France, you have to try them from where they have the longest history, where they are made better because they have been grown and turned into wine for generations.
Although we covered wines from most of the major regions of France we ended up a little heavy on the Southern regions and didn’t have Champagne or Alsace as planned. In the future we’ll hopefully focus on each region individually.
Burgundy
2005 is widely regarded as one of the best vintages for Burgundy in recent times. Here we have examples from both ends of the Côte d’Or: a Chambolle-Musigny (Côte de Nuits) and Volnay (Côte de Beaune). Both are elegant more ‘feminine’ styles of Pinot.
2005 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes – Frédéric Magnien
Pleasantly perfumed with a floral spice, cherry and raspberry, earthy beetroot, and some Pinot funk (a.k.a. barnyard). Still good after 24 hours in the decanter with its sweet perfume intact and showing more black fruit. This should age nicely a few more years. 88-91 Burghound: red and blue berry, spice, earth, “…structured middle weight flavors that possess lovely detail and nuance though the finish features well integrated but notable firm tannins”. $55.95 91
2005 Volnay – Joseph Drouhin
Round and elegant, this wine has a suave mouthfeel and expressive nose with notes of cherry, wood smoke/incense, light vanilla, loam, and mild barnyard. With air a tar-like scent develops. Like the Magnien Chambolle it also has a sweet fruity perfume characteristic of Pinot Noir. The vanilla, wood smoke and high spice notes show some of the barrel’s influence. I like the interplay of the spice and sweet perfumed notes. $52.55 90
Bordeaux
The best know and most utilized varieties of the region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The most prestigious wines are usually second only to those of Burgundy in terms of price. Although Bordeaux is primarily know for its red wine the appellation of Sauternes has carved out a reputation for making some of the best dessert wines in the world from grapes affected by botrytis.
1994 Château Léoville-Barton
It was nice to have an example that has been cellared for a while. The nose is pretty expressive with sweet cassis, cured tobacco leaf, light herbs and sweet cedar. Strangely has some astringency that appears briefly on the finish before fading just as quickly as it came. The biggest let down with this wine was the abrupt finish (a quick review of the notes at Cellar Tracker revealed we were not the only ones to experience this). 90 Wine Advocate: serious, classic Bordeaux, a 30 year wine. 90 Wine Spectator: berry, chocolate, tobacco, chewy tannins. $98.20 90
2004 Château Guiraud
An okay vintage as opposed to the 2001 (excellent) and 2003 (very good), but this still had more punch than I was expecting. Gobs of beeswax, vanilla, pineapple, spice (botrytis), peach, and even a little Riesling like petrol hiding in there. Not as concentrated as the 2003 Suduiraut (below), but still good. 92 Wine Spectator: spicy, with dried apricot and lemon character. $39 92
2003 Château Suduiraut
Darker and with more body and concentration than the 2004 Guiraud. Good acidity and long finish. Beeswax and lanolin, a fine sweet smoke like element, dried pineapple (this reminded one taster of Bulk Barn bins). 93 Wine Spectator: pecan pie, dried apricot, apples, syrup, dense mouthfeel, long, powerful and spicy aftertaste. 19/20 The Wine Doctor: “Really meaty, ripe and opulently textured. Lovely substance here, fresh acidity, and stunningly precise, persistent flavours. This is divine. Of every wine at the UGCB tasting, this is the only one I would come back to for pleasure rather than reassessment”. 22/25 Wine Journal (.com): “The palate is well-defined, very elegant: poised like a ballerina on tip-toe”, “One of the best wines of 2003”. $44.65 94
Côtes du Rhône
The wines we tried were all from Southern Rhône which are quite different from those of the north due in part to the choice of grapes. In Southern Rhône Grenache takes the dominant role with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and sometimes Cinsault making it into the mix (along with a gamut of minor grapes).
2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Domaine Grand Veneur
I was very impressed by this wine which I think was at the beginning of its peak drinking window. It was impactful with very open aromas of fine spices (pepper) and garrigue with leather, blackberry, almond, cherry, and floral liquorice. Can’t mistake the origin of this wine, it has Châteauneuf-du-Pape all over it. After the tasting I found out that Wine Spectator rated this wine a mere 86 in its buying guide commenting “not complex”. Wine Advocate scored it 90. Once I calibrated my palate my initial score of 95 dropped a bit, but I still think this wine was underrated and doesn’t take into account how well it aged. $30-40 94
2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Clos Saint Jean
Straight out of the bottle it was acidic and lean but quickly deepened and opened up to a dark balanced wine. Blackberry, black cherry, complex spice nuances of garrigue and cloves, and a sanguine undertone (iron, blood). This will age well which was evident from the fact that it tasted great 3 days later showing extra nuances of pine/under brush. 93 Wine Spectator: fig, currant paste, mocha, loam, tar, licorice. 93 Wine Advocate: incense, melted licorice, blackberry, and sweet cherry, the wine is peppery, spicy, “…superb example of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that should drink well for 10-15 years”. $45.95 93+
2004 Gigondas – Château du Trignon
Lots of spicy high notes (white pepper mostly) and a bitter-sweetness that reminds me of dark chocolate (as other tasters also noted). Kind of like a spiced chocolate with Herbs de Provence and fruit. Grows on you. 91 International Wine Cellar: blackberry, cassis, lavender and graphite, long juicy finish. $27.95 89
Languedoc-Roussillon
Often overlooked, this region produces many wines on the same level as Southern Rhône but for much more agreeable prices. There are plenty of bargains to be found.
2004 Barbabelle – Marc Kreydenweiss
This biodynamic wine from the Costières de Nîmes appellation shows Grenache characteristics of spice and raspberry/cherry with some mineral. Nice balance, not overly done. I noticed some salty liquorice candy and cider/tar notes during re-evaluation the next day. There is also some Carignan and Syrah in the blend. Can’t argue with the quality to price ratio here. $12.95 90
2003 Grande Cuvée – Château de Lancyre
It’s easy to confuse this with something from the Rhône with its spice box, cherry gum, bay leaf, chalk and mineral aspects. I thought it was solid, but was missing some depth. 92 Wine Spectator: savory spiced aroma, dark plum, mocha, spice, impressive structure. $27 89
Loire
Seeing as we had enough wine on the table I chose to forgo the Loire Cabernet Franc I’m so fond of and focus on another overlooked varietal that does particularly well in the cooler climes of the region: Chenin Blanc.
2006 Vouvray Demi-Sec – Château Moncontour
This came across with an almost Riesling like minerality and a very expressive, open nose of apple, plasticine, sweetgrass, and flowers. The ripeness is balanced with a crisp acidity (i.e. those who didn’t like any sweetness in their wines were still able to appreciate this) showing evidence of a well timed harvest. One taster noted “first-aid kit” much to our amusement, but I can see where he was coming from, I just chose to call it plasticine (a modelling clay). Quite palate filling and enjoyable. $17.95 92
2003 Coteaux du Layon Saint Aubin – Domaine Cady
Very concentrated with an almost ice wine like power, but not as syrupy. Green ginger, subtle smoky wood spice, with a rich fruit compote of kumquat and apricot. A little chemical spicy note when it warms up, best served cold. Could have done with a touch more acid to liven it up. If you are so inclined, this will age well for a few years. $25.95 90
Labels: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire, Sauternes
posted by Jason Zacarias | 8:06 p.m.
<< Home