WTN: '01 Cap de Faugeres & Conflicting Feelings on Wine

David, have you had any of the Gruet of New Mexico sparklers? if not you probably should try a few. most are about $15 and I like them quite well. Evan saying that I really am not a huge fan of sparkling wines.

http://www.gruetwinery.com/[/url]

[David M. Bueker]

David, have you had any of the Gruet of New Mexico sparklers? if not you probably should try a few. most are about $15 and I like them quite well. Evan saying that I really am not a huge fan of sparkling wines.

http://www.gruetwinery.com/[/url]

There's a thread about how to pronounce Gruet, and I mentioned in there that I have had several and never been impressed. Last time was 2 years ago. I'm in no way inclined to try again.

David, I wrote to you in this thread before I read that thread, I have replied to you there too, but I will happily say that I will buy Gruet NV at $12-15 per, rather than pay $40-50 for the REAL NV stuff. Different wines for different wine drinkers.

[David M. Bueker]

David, I wrote to you in this thread before I read that thread, I have replied to you there too, but I will happily say that I will buy Gruet NV at $12-15 per, rather than pay $40-50 for the REAL NV stuff. Different wines for different wine drinkers.

FYI, I buy NV Champagne from the small growers (e.g. Jean Milan, Gaston-Chiquet, Chartogne-Taillet...) on DI at around $25 per, which is more than worth it for the significant uptick in quality.

David,

I must say I can't stomach Montrose these days. As far as I'm concerned, the last great vintage at that address happened at some point in the '70s. And these days it seems to be point-seeking, jammy crap.

My disappointments with Bordeaux have been many in recent years. Some trusted old names have seen fit to hire Michel Rolland. Others have gone with different consultants. But they have messed with what I considered true, terroir-authentic, cellarworthy claret. I mean, did you ever think you'd read the words "blockbuster" and "Pape Clément" in the same phrase? Léoville Poyferré, to me the finest terroir in Saint-Julien, is as good as lost under a Rollandian regime. And I hear DDC is being messed with to turn it into something "more immediately accessible".

Of ocurse, there are a few remaining properties making decent, true wines in Bordeaux. But 95% of the joint could just as well be Napa. It's dead to me.

Salon? Well, we had an infamous bottle of '85 last year which was completely flat, brothy and weird when poured, but which over a few hours not only mustered up some citrusy freshness and mineral oomph, it also got itself some effervescence. But I've had plenty of "off" bottles" And it's too expensive to be this risky.

And what, you hadn't noticed my curmudgeonly qualities? I'm one of the few old-school castigators remaining here. Back in the days of The Basement we lost the best ones. And some of them went over and made Therapy. But I remain...

By the way, I'm no fan of Château Faugères and its wines these days. I do remember at some point on the old WLDG writing up a positive note of a '95 Faugères when it had just been released, but since then it's all been downhill. Cap de Faugères has always been rather dull and on the woody side for me. Hell, I even had the winemaker sitting next to me at a dinner in Barcelona a few years ago. I remember that when his grossly overpriced Péby Faugères was poured blind, I said that was coarse, truckerish wine tarted up with wood and the gods know what else to make it titsome and point-deserving. He was rather upset. Josie kept saying ot me that I should stop composing my tasting notes in
viva voce if I wanted to have friends at all in the iwne trade...

Well, not to belabor a point, but have you tried the blanc de noir or the rose? Both are different from the "regular" cuvee (mostly chard).

Sorry I hadn't read your earlier rant, but I can't access this site from work and have little time to devote to reading this board. I usually made a point to read your posts, along with Dale Williams, Jenise, Florida Jim, Manuel Camblor, Rahsaan, and some other folks whose palates I respect, but admit I rarely have the time or inclination to keep up with all posts.

[David M. Bueker]

Oh, no problem. I've tried two or three styles from Gruet.

The NM bottlings from Gruet are a blast from the past for me. It's been many years since I've had any of them (last bottle was probably in Philly a loooooooooong time ago). Now I'm curious... Of course, every time I go looking for "Champagne substitutes" I always draw the same concusion: Best to stick to the real thing. Few from California manage to interest me beyond party quaffin. Ditto for Australia. And, for that matter, the rest of the "New World". Cava, with very few exceptions, tends to be rather boring, too. And considering that almost anyone these days feels entitled to ask for $20 or more for any ol' bottle of dreck, I'd rather Champagne it. There are quite a few very nice and consistent bottlings from small growers and négociants that do the trick in the $20-30 neighborhood.

Of course, there's also sparkling Vouvray to think about. Admittedly, a different sort of bubble. But it can be so beautiful, and age so incredibly well (a few bottles of 1964 Huet Pétillant have proven this in recent memory).

Manuel, sparkling Vouvray!! Now you are talking, there is a good suggestion for an Open Mike!!

Just try the new version of the NV Pinon they have on the shelves at Chambers and tell me it's not trly inspiring stuff... And Huet is on an altogether other level. Tasting Huet's sparklers from 20, 30 or 40 years ago is a revelation. The bubbles fade away with the years (much as they do in Champagne, or any other sparkler), sure, but what emerges in their place is truly extraordinary white wine.

ANd of course, if you're feeling adventurous there are other sparkling wines from the Loire to try. There's Thierry Puzelat's Pétillant Naturel, a weird but fascinating little thing, and Guy Bossard's sparkling sort-of-Muscadet (yep, you read that right).

Oh, and before I forget, jumping to an altogether different region, there was an excellent little $15 Riesling-based sparkling wine I found at Garnet the other day, the Frédéric Mallo, "Special Delivery Sparkling" Cremant d'Alsace NV. Very mineral and with l;ip-smacking citrus. Clean and extremely precise.

NOw, where's that mike you were talking baout?

Guy Bossard's sparkling sort-of-Muscadet (yep, you read that right).

That's the Ludwig Hahn. It's really good stuff.
NV Domaine de l’Ecu (Guy Bossard) Ludwig Hahn, Vin Mousseaux de Qualité (Loire) Imp : Kysela. 12%abv. 45% folle blanche (Gros-Plant), 25% chardonnay, 20% melon de bourgogne (muscadet), 10% cabernet sauvignon. A light and refreshing lemon-lime spritzer with an intriguing characteristic that I just couldn’t put my finger on that night. The next day it hit me that it reminded me of the fresh, cold, salt air aromas outside my folks house down Cape Cod.

I've truly loved the Huet sparklers that I've had but I've only had them young. Sounds like I need to stock up!