WTN: Pair of 2002s (Loire red and Mosel Riesling)

This week while doing some searching in my "off premises" storage (because of a labeling mistake I moved a LOT of boxes) I noticed a few boxes that had several things that should be ready (or past ready). Nothing expensive, but some fun things to try.

Thursday we went to dinner at a local French place, treated by some old friends. Besides dinner, they were giving me a check for my organization, as Judy was the executor for the estate of a mutual friend. For once, I decided to be non-geeky, so refrained from questioning producer, vintage, etc on either wine I tried btg. A decent Loire SB, a flabby/short Ardeche Chardonnay.

So Friday I looked forward to something a bit better. I was home alone, thought I was going to grill sausages, and so opened a Riesling, the 2002 JJ Christoffel (Erben) Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett. This was one of the PC blowout bottles, and had a regular cork. Peaches, cherries, and strawberries, with a little edge of spice. Nice flavors, but a little softer and a little shorter than I would have hoped for. Good rather than great, but at $7-8 who's complaining? B

I heated grill, and got ready to cook dinner. The problem was the sausages weren't there. Ah, the appetites of the 21 year old. I pondered defrosting, but ended up turning off grill. And cooking one of the frozen pizzas I had gotten for Dave for nights when we weren't home. OK, not as good as takeout (or near as good as homemade), but by this time I just wanted food. With the pizza I switched, and opened the 2002 Baudry "Les Granges" Chinon. This is Baudry's early drinker, but I must have thought it needed time to stick it in a box for storage. This has handled 5-6 years storage well, ripe and graceful Cab Franc with clean cherry and raspberry fruit, light notes of turned soil, no real tannins remaining. Good acidity, nice length, a pointe for my tastes. No brett this year that I can find (someone had posted on a bretty bottle of a recent vintage). A-/B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.  

2002 Baudry "Les Granges" Chinon. This is Baudry's early drinker, but I must have thought it needed time to stick it in a box for storage. This has handled 5-6 years storage well, ripe and graceful Cab Franc with clean cherry and raspberry fruit, light notes of turned soil, no real tannins remaining. Good acidity, nice length, a pointe for my tastes. No brett this year that I can find (someone had posted on a bretty bottle of a recent vintage)..

Interesting to hear about that. Not sure I've had the Granges with 8 years of age. Maybe some mid-90s versions in the early/mid 2000s. But I agree that it is probably pushing the aging limits. The other 'higher' level Baudrys in 2002 were excellent. I love the vintage profile. And I don't recall any brett that year. Clean ripe fresh fruit. Unique.

2002 Baudry "Les Granges" Chinon. This is Baudry's early drinker, but I must have thought it needed time to stick it in a box for storage. This has handled 5-6 years storage well, ripe and graceful Cab Franc with clean cherry and raspberry fruit, light notes of turned soil, no real tannins remaining. Good acidity, nice length, a pointe for my tastes. No brett this year that I can find (someone had posted on a bretty bottle of a recent vintage)..

Interesting to hear about that. Not sure I've had the Granges with 8 years of age. Maybe some mid-90s versions in the early/mid 2000s. But I agree that it is probably pushing the aging limits. The other 'higher' level Baudrys in 2002 were excellent. I love the vintage profile. And I don't recall any brett that year. Clean ripe fresh fruit. Unique.

In June 2008, I found Les Granges 2000 absolutely lovely and referred to magic.

I too am finding a lot of Loire 2002 Cab Franc delicious in an elegant vein at present. I wrote an enthusiastic TN on a Bourgueil from Amirault a couple or so weeks ago and a Saumur-Champigny from René-Noël Legrand was similarly delicious about a week ago.