The French are coming! The French are coming!

Yesterday the city of Fayetteville (NC) was celebrating the birthday of its namesake, the Marquis de La Fayette (the actual birthday is September 6, but the city celebrates on a Saturday. I was out-of-town during the daytime celebration (at an art show in Durham) but got back to town in time for an evening wine tasting at the downtown location of The Wine Cafe (another location in Hope Mills, NC). Three French wines were available for a free tasting.

Triple Zero a Jacky Blot sparkling Chenin Blanc, Mountlouis, the Loire Valley Quite tart but interesting to try. No chapitalization or dosage.

2010 Paul Blanc Riesling, Alsace. A dry Riesling that was quite bracing but a good pairing to the Tomme Fermier cheese available to accompany it. The cheese was also from Alsace.

2008 Bachelet-Monnot La Fussiere (Rouge) 1er Cru, Beane, Burgundy. At around $35 a bottle, I may go back for a couple bottles of this.

The Wine Cafe has three wine dispensers that offer four wines each (12 choices in all) for tastes, half glasses, or full glasses. I tried a Macon that was surprisingly golden in color and...

2008 St. Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Brilliant ruby color. Cherry/berry bordering on black fruit such as black cherries. A bit tart and puckery on the mid-palate. Nice, but not as smooth as the nose led me to expect. Long finish. Upward potential seems good. Some roundness and solidity. I may go back for a couple bottles if still available in October (price was over $50.) I have some 2007 and earlier CdP but none from 2008 on.

The store has been open downtown for about 10 months but I didn't visit there until this week. I purchased a 2009 LaRue Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast having loved the 2010 at the West of West Festival. They don't have the 2010 yet. They also carry a number of South American and Spanish wines and I bought two bottles of the 2009 Can Blau Montsant, a blend of Syrah, Garnacha/Grenache, and Mazuelo. The shop sells artisan cheeses from France, Italy and the Netherlands and New England but I haven't purchased cheese there yet.

Triple Zero a Jacky Blot sparkling Chenin Blanc, Mountlouis, the Loire Valley Quite tart but interesting to try. No chapitalization or dosage.

Perceptions differ and so do bottling runs, but "tart" is not a descriptor which I would apply to my bottles of Triple Zéro. FWIW here in my TN of a bottle opened last December which coincides with my precious experience.

Triple Zéro NV - Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, Jacky Blot once again confirmed itself as one of my favourite bubblies from outside Champagne. The nose was biscuit and slightly creamy and the palate was crisp, fruity, mineral and quite full with a slight tenderness which surprised with zero dosage; 16/20+++.