2002 Brégeon, Muscadet:
12% alcohol; bottled in November of 2009, this spent 6 years on the lees; reticent nose that is clearly Muscadet – barely ripe pineapple, citrus, sea-air, lime skin; rich and carrying some weight in the mouth, flavors echo the nose and add white pepper, a vaguely resinous tone and lots of minerals, bright but not acidic, very intense and clean. Shows its promise. BTW, this is much better in a Burgundy stem than anything smaller. Excellent with goat cheeses.
$24, retail.
(Aside: The very best cuvees of Muscadet are the equal of or better than, virtually every white Burgundy I taste that isn’t Chablis. (I should say that Montrachet and its off-spring are too expensive for me, so I exclude those from the comparison.) But these long lees-contact melons are so complex and deep – it has been a very long time since Puligny, etc. have given me so much.)
2008 Quinto do Feital, Vinho Verde Dorado Alvarinho Superior:
13% alcohol; spends one year on the lees and two in tank before bottling, from 70 year old vines, organically farmed, low sulphur – not fizzy like most Vinho Verde; medium yellow and brilliant; apples, leesy, a hint of butterscotch, smoke, stones and very lightly oxidative; bruised apples, resin, minerals and a grippy/leesy feel with slight dissolved CO2; long, clean, and unique. Another semi-orange wine that grabs me both intellectually and as a fine accompaniment to cheese. About $20, retail.
Thanks Tom.
2009 Peique, Bierzo Tinto:
14% alcohol; 100% mencía from 50 year old vines, 2 months on the fine lees, 2 months in bottle; powerful black fruit nose, simple but strong; much the same in the mouth with very dark tones, some mineral, intense and focused but not complex; a tannic but not drying finish, a touch hot (although not distractingly so). Well made and a step above quaffer although no particular character. About $11, retail.
Good with pasta with a vegetable based red sauce.
2009 Bodegas y Viñedos Neo, Ribera del Duero Matiz – Joven:
13.5% alcohol; from 25 to 45 year old tempranillo vines at about 2,000 feet of elevation, no barrel aging; balanced nose of leather, red fruit and spice, nice restraint; similar flavors in the mouth with an overall savory impression – not flamboyant like most jovens I have tried, excellent balance, fine grained structure that is well integrated and good length. A surprise at $11, retail and several quality steps above its price point. I will buy more of this. Imported by Steve Miles Selections. Very good with ratatouille niçoise.
Best, Jim