WTN's A couple of Good QPR Frenchies

NV Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose Cremant from in Alsace. For $15, very good flavores of red raspberry and a little strawberry carried on a fine persistant bead

2000 Bel Air Bordeaux from Haut-Medoc, also on sale for $15. Lots of smooth dustyand earthy cherry flavors with perfect non-astringent tannins. I should have bought a case of each or more.[/b]

Cool. Have a Bellaire in my cellar. Did you buy it at BevMo?

No I bought it at Calvert Woodley in D.C. and it may be a different wine than the Bellaire you mention.

I had a Bel Air, or BelAir, or Bellaire, a few years ago and when I investigated the name to see what I had, there were several wines named Bel Air or some very slight variation, mostly generic bordeaux types, mostly in the same price range, and I could never figure out which I actually had. Mine was really quite boring.

[Jenise]

Oliver, Brian et al,

Under Bel-Air, with the hyphen, Parker's book lists a Lalande de Pomerol and a Lussac-St. Emilion. Without the hyphen, there's the Premier Grand Cru Classe Belair from St. Emilion, and a Belair-Coubet and Belair-Montaiguillon from Cotes de Blaye and St. Georges-St. Emilion respectively. Additionally, there's a Villa Bel-Air from Graves. Jim's sounds close to what I know the last of those to be, but of course he said Haut Medoc so apparently there's yet another....

Jenise

I bought two bottles of the Lucient Albrecht Brut Rose Cremant along with a Gewurztraminer from Mann at Calvert-Woodley when they were on sale. Finally picked them up in October and will probably open one bottle of the Cremant at Thanksgiving or in early December. Thanks for the notes.

[James Roscoe]

No I bought it at Calvert Woodley in D.C. and it may be a different wine than the Bellaire you mention.

When were you at C-W? I have an order down there I am waiting for them to get together. It includes at least one bottle of the Albrecht rose. Should I add a few more? What about the Bordeaux?

Hi James, I was at Calvert Woodley on Oct. 26-27 and they seemed to have a lot of the Albrecht Rose Brut. I would strongly recommend it as it was much more flavorful than most cheap sparklers. The Bel Air was also there and in abundance. I would also consider the 2003 Ch. Les Grands Marechaux for $17 which I also picked up. RMP gave it a "90" and the description sounded wonderful. I have notf tried it yet.