WTN: Real Wine Assault

REAL WINE ASSAULT - K&L Wines, San Francisco, Cal. (3/25/2006)

The tasting tent at K&L was absolutely packed, to my surprise. I couldn't believe how many folks I didn't know, although I recognized quite a few from Dee Vine, as well as Mike Filigenzi!

• 2004 Domaine de la Pepiere (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Cuvée Eden - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
  $14, Piny, salty, and lemony, in addition to being stony, crisp, and nice. Here's hoping that wasn't the magnum talking because I bought two single bottles. Very Good.
• 2004 Domaine de la Pepiere (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
  $11. Stony, crisp, nice. Good+.
• 1999 Domaine de la Pepiere (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
  $16. Flatter, longer in the finish but less interesting. Good+.
• 2004 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir L'Effraie - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Coteaux du Loir
  $23. 100% chenin blanc. Pine, cat pee, crisp. Good+
• 2004 Domaine de Bellivière Jasnières Les Rosiers - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Jasnières
  $29. Off-dry, sugar seems to cover up modest pine and grass. Good.
• 2004 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir "Le Rouge-Gorge" - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Coteaux du Loir
  $23. Striking herbality, pine, and if not for a smoky note, has quite a similar nose to the previous two wines. Good+.
• 2004 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Hommage à Louis Derré - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Coteaux du Loir
  $33. More depth, still not that compelling. Good+.
• 2004 Domaine du Closel Savennières La Jalousie - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
  $20. With this wine, I learned that Jalousie is pronounced as if it has a 'z' in it. Served too warm? Grass but little else. Good.
• 2004 Domaine du Closel Savennières Clos du Papillon - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
  $26. Just off-dry, floral, pretty, Very Good.
• 2003 Domaine du Closel Savennières Moëlleux Clos du Papillon - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
  Hot, flabby, and not that interesting. Good.
• 2004 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  $16. Crisp, well-developed Sweet Tart aroma and flavor, Very Good.
• 1992 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  Sulphurous, which blows off to reveal a wine not all that different from its 2004 sister, though it's just starting to turn to maturity and has a longer finish. Very Good.
• 1988 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  Price N/A. Now we're talking. I get perhaps 1 mL in my glass, but that's enough to enjoy vivid quince, rubber, and an array of interesting aromas. A real eye-opener, rated Excellent.
• 1976 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  Price N/A. While not as intense, this is the only one I would call mature. Green onion, road tar, Indian spices, kumquat, a hint of VA, all these and more make an appearance, even after the glass is empty! Also Excellent.
  
  Still, it brings up a point: Who is going to wait for these wines? I'm twenty-eight, and I can't fathom putting away a case and waiting 30 years for it to mature. This is wine to put away for your kids. Actually, that's a good idea. It would just be getting good when they'd be ready to enjoy it. Speaking of aging this wine, the cork was covered in ugly black mold, and not only was it not soaked through, it was so sound I was unable to break it with my fingers. Clearly, the storage at the domaine is impeccable, which should be figured into any aging curve.
• 2003 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée de Novembre - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  $19, Balanced for a 2003, good nose.
• 2004 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Sauvignon - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
  $13. Super grassy, but I didn't find it interesting. Good+.
• 2004 Clos Roche Blanche Gamay Touraine - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
  $13. Stony, herbal, but the fruit is complex, like plum jam made with a gentle hand. Very Good.
• 2004 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Pif - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
  $15. Well-balanced, but is it closed? Not much here. Good.
• 2004 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Rouge Cot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
  $17. Similar to the Pif, I'm swirling and smelling but just not getting any. Good.
• 2004 Frank Peillot Roussette du Bugey Altesse de Montagnieu - France, Savoie, Roussette du Bugey
  Fun nose of bubble gum, strawberries, off-dry. Aromas not quite carried onto the palate, but it's charming. Very Good.
• 2002 Franck Peillot Bugey Mondeuse - France, Savoie, Montagnieu, Bugey
  Price N/A. Violet aromas, exotic spices, Good+.
• 2004 Jean-Paul Brun Beaujolais Blanc Terres Dorees - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais
  $15. Minerals, full-bodied relative to the other wines, good arc in the mouth. However, it isn't quite as good with oysters as the Muscadets. Very Good+.
• 2004 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie
  $19. Burgundian, earthy and herbal, a little frisson in the mouth, Very Good.
  
  The K&L guy (a French Canadian) thinks this will be ready in 2-3 years. I'll see what happens to the two bottles I bought. Three years, that long I don't mind waiting.
• 1999 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie
  Price N/A. Perfume! So, so different (though also from a better year), elegant and long, this almost seems like mature Burgundy. Very Good+.
• 2004 Jean-Paul Brun Beaujolais l' Ancien Vieilles Vignes Terres Dorees - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais
  $15. Pine, celery, some fruit, well-balanced, Good+.
  I've also had the 2002, and I just don't know what people see in this wine. From the descriptions I read, I would love it, but like the Clos Roche Blanche wines, there doesn't seem to be much there there.
• 2004 Château d'Oupia Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Les Heretiques - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault
  $10. 100% carignan. Nice, also slightly vibraty, but too simple in flavor. I had this earlier in the year and found it essentially the same. I've not yet had a carignan that was interesting on its own, and this doesn't break the streak. Good+.
• 2004 Château d'Oupia Minervois - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Minervois
  $11, %60 syrah. Smells like syrah but again I'm missing aromatic complexity. This was another one I really wanted to like but couldn't seem to find anything in. Good.

None of the remaining wines were really worth mentioning, and I was getting tired after hours of tasting. Thankfully, the crowd really thinned out, and I was able to enjoy some of the "greatest hits" and chat with the assembled geeks.

Walt
Posted from CellarTracker

Aaagh, the famous Pepiere! I hear that the `04 vintage is on the way here. Its getting to have a cult following you know!!
There is a discussion elsewhere here ref. the Closel.

Great notes, Walt! Thanks for taking the time to get it all down on paper (and on the computer).

Mike

You seem quite lukewarm on lots of these wines, do you usually care for the Belliviere wines? CRB? I haven't had the former yet in 04, but I thought some of the latter were quite good in 04, and even only from just-opened snippets. But, I guess tasting environments can be difficult. Or are they not your style?

Rahsaan,

With the exception of the one bottle each of the 2002? Brun Beaujolais rouge and the 2003 Clos Roche Blanche Gamay, I'd never had any of the wines before. Obviously, it's a difficult tasting situation to be outside in a tent with thirty wines and only an ounce to sample, but a number were very good, and I brought home quite a few. My affection for the Muscadets (not even mentioning trocken riesling) should indicate that I don't mind light-bodied wines with minerality instead of gobs.

That said, I was unimpressed with the CRB offerings except for the Gamay. For me, it wasn't a style issue such as too little fruit, too much minerality, etc., but simple a matter of not much in the way of aroma. I didn't pick up anything in the way of earth, depth, complexity, or the other things I was hoping for. From reading notes by you, Thor, Coad, et al., perhaps my expectations were too high, but those were my impressions.

How about this, you pick a bottle available at K&L and tell me what food to prepare it with, and I'll give it another shot.

Walt

Aaagh, the famous Pepiere! I hear that the `04 vintage is on the way here. Its getting to have a cult following you know!!
There is a discussion elsewhere here ref. the Closel.

It has been `here' awhile. I bought some from K&L some time ago.. including a magnum of the Cuvee Eden that I have been wanting to open; now, with the notes, I'm itching to get home and try it. These are always dependable and tasty wines for what they are. And they are what they are..

That said, I was unimpressed with the CRB offerings except for the Gamay...a matter of not much in the way of aroma. I didn't pick up anything in the way of earth, depth, complexity, or the other things I was hoping for.

I don't know, I'm no expert on the 04s and I've always preferred the Cot and the blends to the gamay, but I know others go ga-ga for the Gamay. But, any experimention with CRB is usually not too difficult, as the prices are so friendly..

Were there any theories being offered at the tasting as to why the aroma was so shy?

Speaking of the Ollivier assortment of muscadet, has anyone had the '04 Moulin de la Gustaie? It just hit the shelves around here but I havent picked any up yet.

Speaking of the Ollivier assortment of muscadet, has anyone had the '04 Moulin de la Gustaie? It just hit the shelves around here but I havent picked any up yet.

Good entry-level gneiss-soil Muscadet. More typical of the apellation than the Domaine and Briords bottlings. Better with less briny oysters, Kumamotos, for instance.

My heart is with the granite terroirs, though.