WTN: Good stuff

2001Bouchard Père & Fils, Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot:
Has come a long way since release when there was so much oak that it dried the mouth; this is gently oaky, more aromatic and forthcoming and starting to reveal some depth to its Volnay character; still a bit drying on the finish but the development here seems to indicate this wine will soak-up its wood over time. One of the rare examples of oak integration I have run across over the past several years. Hold. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Clicquot, Inc. and about $25 on sale near release; I have plenty.

2004 André et Mireille (Stéphane) Tissot, Chardonnay Arbois:
My third bottle out of a recently purchased case and I simply can’t keep my hands off this wine; chardonnay can be achingly beautiful but so often I find that it isn’t – this restores my faith; better than most premier cru Chablis for delivering flavor and flesh but still retaining its clean, mineral driven backbone. A gorgeous wine that begs to be drunk now. 13% alcohol, imported by Potomac selections and about $23; I intend to buy every bottle I can find.

2006 Dom Pepière, Muscadet Clos des Briords:
I know that I am way too early to this bottle for it to show me all its charms but it is still better than 90% of the white Burgundy I have tasted over the last year; a crystalline rendition of the AOC and about as good a white wine as there is in the market today at this price point. Hold or drink. 12% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $15; worth multiples of that.

2005 Sumarroca, Cava Brut Reserva:
Energetic bead, light aromas of pear and mineral, clean on the palate with light flavors that follow the nose and a crisp finish. Not quite as “brut” as I might like but very nice wine. 11.5% alcohol, imported by Frontier Wine Imports and about $10; I’ll buy more.

2005 Philippe Faury, Saint-Joseph:
A medium bodied, round but remarkably complex northern Rhône with all sorts of alluring smells and flavors including raw meat, olive, ash, cherries, smoke and stone – a feast for the senses and one of the reasons my favorite red variety is syrah. A great food wine (we have had it with everything from tuna to steak), a delight all by itself and in no danger of fading any time soon. Just plain excellent. 12.8% alcohol, imported by Kermit Lynch and about $25; I’ll buy more.

Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

2001Bouchard Père & Fils, Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot:
Has come a long way since release when there was so much oak that it dried the mouth; this is gently oaky, more aromatic and forthcoming and starting to reveal some depth to its Volnay character; still a bit drying on the finish but the development here seems to indicate this wine will soak-up its wood over time. One of the rare examples of oak integration I have run across over the past several years. Hold. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Clicquot, Inc. and about $25 on sale near release; I have plenty.

I have a few of the 2000 left, and they too have absorbed the bulk of their oak, and are drinking nicely now. I may have one tonight!

Jim/Anyone,
I seem to recall some mention that Emmanuel Darnaud, who happens to make a Crozes-Hermitage that I'm quite fond of, has or will be assuming some role in the winemaking at Faury. Know anything about that?
'Winger

Jim/Anyone,
I seem to recall some mention that Emmanuel Darnaud, who happens to make a Crozes-Hermitage that I'm quite fond of, has or will be assuming some role in the winemaking at Faury. Know anything about that?
'Winger

I don't know about that but I would point out that there is more than one Faury in the northern Rhone.
Best, Jim

Jim,
From what region does the Tissot come? Is it a Chablis? Is Arbois a vineyard name or a town or commune?

Jim,
Yup, I just checked/searched and found out Darnaud will be taking over at Bernard Faury in Hermitage and St. Joe.
Those Faury's are almost as prevalent as the EARLs
BP

Jim,
From what region does the Tissot come? Is it a Chablis? Is Arbois a vineyard name or a town or commune?

JC, I'm not Jim, but Arbois is an appelation in the Jura region (mountains near Swiss border, I believe).

I hope the '02 Bouchard Cuvee Carnot also absorbs some of its oak,

Thanks, Dale.

Jim,
From what region does the Tissot come? Is it a Chablis? Is Arbois a vineyard name or a town or commune?

Dale got it.
BTW, there is more than one Tissot in the Jura; always helpful to name everybody the same, I suppose. Arbois is a town.
If you are not familiar with the area, you might want to become so. I can't think of a single appellation anywhere that is creating a better variety of natural, character driven wines for reasonable prices. Its reputation was born on vin jaune, which is quite oxidized but the real treasures (for my taste) are the non-oxidized wines made there.
At present, I buy more wine from the Jura then any other region.
Best, Jim

Its reputation was born on vin jaune, which is quite oxidized but the real treasures (for my taste) are the non-oxidized wines made there.

Jim, I love this Tissot also. But I think that the oxidised wines are true treasures also - do try those as well, JC.

-O

I may have had a glass or two of the vin jaune (listed as a Juracon) at a restaurant in DC. I really enjoyed it and would like to try the regular wines also.