WTN: Wines (riesling, bourgueil, cahors)

2004 Prager Riesling Weissenkirchen Achleiten Smaragd
This is wine I can drink. Deep clear and mineral from the beginning. Slim, and carries its midpalate richness bulge very well. The sour herbal flavors are not very complex at the moment, but, the elegant package is darn fun to drink. Please, can I have some more.

2006 Meyer-Fonné Riesling Vin d’Alsace “Pfoeller”
Herbal, rich, full bodied, and broad. But despite all that full-bodied-ness, it is in the brown pear register flavor-wise, and not particularly tropical. Not terribly complex either, but juicy fun with a dollop of sugar on the end to make everything go down easy. Definitely not a re-purchase at the $36 pricetag. But, fun while it lasted.

2006 Meyer-Fonné Riesling “Wineck Schlossberg”
Finer and more structured than the Pfoeller. Similar herbal smell, but not as juicy. This is more elegant and crisp, but also denser and with more deep-rooted depth. Definitely ‘better’ material here. There is also a dollop of sugar to make everything go down easy. This one is much more interesting, but still, at $38, there are plenty of other rieslings I’d rather have.

2005 C&P Breton Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
There is a deep bowl of fruit in this wine. Very very delectable. Deeply deeply fruited but not at all thick or heavy. Strong on that Clarity that I enjoy in Breton, although the downside is at this stage there seems to be “less substance” than in the Baudry wines, for example. Tannins are a bit present and fierce, although not too much for me to enjoy. On day two, much more integrated and fine. I enjoyed it. But, would probably save more for later than I would drink now.

2001 Clos Triguedina Cahors
Brought over by someone else, but, was a pleasant surprise because I actually derived enjoyment from the bottle. Sure it was too dark, too thick, and too soft. But, there were layers to the fruit and some tannins underneath that provided enough grip for me to sink my palate into. Not necessary to purchase, or to voluntarily drink again, but, I enjoyed my few glasses.

Thanks, Rahsaan, I'll pick up a bottle of the Breton next time I go to Chambers. What Baudry would you recommend as a style comparison?

[Jenise]

Strong on that Clarity that I enjoy in Breton, although the downside is at this stage there seems to be “less substance” than in the Baudry wines, for example.

Now this is interesting. I remember opening an 02 Senechal shortly after you'd reported on it, and finding the wine more polished/modern (your "clarity") than I've grown to like in the Baudrys and Joguets. Also more blue-purple in color than ruddy, which would have made me suspect extraction. Definitely wasn't what I would have guessed you'd prefer.

Love your description of the Prager, btw. Before long I will undoubtedly encounter a wine and be reminded of "midpalate richness bulge".

Thanks, Rahsaan, I'll pick up a bottle of the Breton next time I go to Chambers. What Baudry would you recommend as a style comparison?

I don't know about a direct style comparison, Baudry makes fewer wines. Croix Boissee is the Baudry 'Luxury Cuvee' which this isn't quite for Breton. Perhaps you could compare it to "Les Grezeaux" and then you'd really get some stylistic differences, because "Les Grezeaux" usually shows much more of the herbal tobacco side of Cabernet Franc, compared to this more polished version, as Jenise said.

Strong on that Clarity that I enjoy in Breton, although the downside is at this stage there seems to be “less substance” than in the Baudry wines, for example.

Now this is interesting. I remember opening an 02 Senechal shortly after you'd reported on it, and finding the wine more polished/modern (your "clarity") than I've grown to like in the Baudrys and Joguets. Also more blue-purple in color than ruddy, which would have made me suspect extraction. Definitely wasn't what I would have guessed you'd prefer.

That 02 Senechal was crazy, too much brett for me, but I've heard that varies with bottles.

Usually I prefer Baudry, but not necessarily because they are less polished/modern. In fact I don't even know how I would apply those terms across the board to these producers.

Baudry seems very 'modern' in the sense that they are getting plenty of forward fruit into their wines, far from the vegetal Cab Franc of Yesterday's Stereotype. Of course they are balanced with plenty of tannins (especially in the Croix Boissee and Les Grezeaux), so much so, that I understand one of their big winemaking issues is figuring out how to reduce tannins in recent years.

Breton wines are perhaps a little less tannic, so they can seem more 'polished' and I think they are more likely to use new oak. But, what I like about them is the 'clarity' and the weightlessness, which doesn't seem particularly 'modern'. Don't know how this correlates to winemaking practices, but it is roughly how I have them sorted out in my head.