I guess that not many people know that wine is made near St.Pierre-sur-Dives in Normandy at the estate, Les Arpents du Soleil, which we visited about a week ago. We purchased a sample case with some Auxerrois (white), Pinot Gris, Melon de Bourgogne and Pinot Noir. The enthusiastic, erudite and loquacious owner, Gérard Samson, gave us two tastes of his 2014 Pinot Noir, one from new barrel and the other from cuve d’inox. I was particularly impressed by the latter, medium weight and very pure and finely fruity with a touch of spice. Predictably the sample from the barrel was somewhat smoky but the oak component was not aggressive. The final cuvee will be made up from a blend on the two. The bottle in my sample case is 2012 and I am impatient to open it. I hope to have found here an excellent substitute at a friendly price for village Burgundy. We also tasted Auxerrois ’11 and ’10, the former tenser with mineral backbone and the latter more gracious and complex. Here is a TN on the Melon de Bourgogne cuvée opened with dinner at home.
NV Les Arpents du Soleil Bleu - France, Normandy (4/20/2015)
Not so good as a previous vintage of this cuvée (this one was 2011 but undeclared on label). Crisp and dry but rounder and not so mineral as a good Muscadet; its fruit had a strong green apple component and there was a hint of rawness. The better part of the evening's pairing was the succulent oysters from Utah beach, which bid fair to be the best I have had. Thanks to the vineyard's owner, Gérard Samson, for putting us onto the track of these; very promising Pinot Noir there, BTW. This wine quite good.
Living in Normandy, I feel frustrated by the lack of choice in non-French wine and, indeed, the choice of French wine is nothing like so rich as I found in Belgium. So spurred on by the Italian white or light WF, I finally bit the bullet of cross-border ordering and bought an assorted Italian dozen from Milan, some TNs from which have already appeared in the WF thread. Encouraged by the logistic efficiency of the Milan order, I placed an order for 3x3 from Portugal, Spain and Germany at an apparently French site, where on receipt it transpired that the parcel was shipped from Germany. Here is a TN on my first bottle opened from the German shipment.
2013 Pazos de Lusco Rías Baixas zios - Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas (4/22/2015)
Maybe the best Albariño from Rias Baixas I have had. Medium bodied, crisp, fresh and very dry showing juicy white fruit, saline minerals, crisp acidity and grippy backbone with just a hint of tender grapeyness which I associate more with the Portuguese side of the frontier. I don't believe that there is much to be gained by ageing this wine. Very good.
The rest here are recent local purchases or wines from the depth of my cellar.
2009 Henri Germain et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet (4/7/2015)
I can't find a TN but I recall being bothered on a bottle a year or two ago by a dry caramel finish most likely from undigested oak treatment. That unpleasant note has now disappeared and it has become a very pretty wine, indeed for me, a model young village Chassagne. Medium body with plenty of roundness and lovely kirsch sprinkled PN fruit, tobacco tinged spice, minerals and the right firmness on the finish. The only fault; it was my last bottle. Very good.
2014 Domaine des Pothiers Côte Roannaise Référence - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Côte Roannaise (4/8/2015)
Deliciously quaffable in the manner of a good Beaujolais of the year, from which I would have trouble distinguishing it. Light/medium body, lively red fruit of red currant type but quite savoury, gritty minerals and crisp acidity, moreish for me but, warning for akin palates, my wife found it tart. Good.
2004 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (4/10/2015)
This is a objectively a very good wine but has more obvious sugar than I like in a Kabinett. Indeed there was a slight burnished taste like demerara sugar which didn't suit a cold seafood platter. However there was the usual delicious Grünhaus white fruit, petrol tinged minerals and marked mouth-watering acidity leading to a balanced wine which might work well with a more exotic or richer pairing. Still quite primary in flavour and should develop in complexity as more time passes.
1996 Château Poujeaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (4/12/2015)
Each bottle of Poujeaux '96 seems better than the previous. This one was singing with full throat and bids fair to be my best bottle of Poujeaux alongside a '90 and an '82. There were generous claret aromas of plum, black currant, earthy minerals with a typically fresh edge. The velvety textured palate was full/medium, fresh, mouth-filling with a round fleshy underlay, mature claret’s understated sweetness of fruit offset by lively and tangy but non-astringent acidity and supported by firm but well covered tannic structure towards the decently long finish. Punching well above its cru bourgeois weight. Excellent.
2011 Camin Larredya Jurançon Sec La Part Davant - France, Southwest France, Jurançon Sec (4/17/2015)
Delicious as expected from this source. Colour quite deep yellow. Nose expressive and quite floral with passion fruit, pineapple, wax and minerals. Medium+ bodied dry palate with juicy fruit, minerals, crisp acidity and underlying tender slightly honeyed notes suggesting a sweet wine trying to emerge. Good length and backbone and moreish with treacherously discreet alcohol (14%). Very good.
2000 Domaine l'Aiguelière Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux Côte Rousse - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux (4/19/2015)
I defy anyone to identify this as being from Languedoc in a blind line-up. Indeed IMO it would have a very honourable place in a Côte-Rôtie line-up. Deep and still vigorously youthful carmine red. Fragrant nose of griotte cherry, grilled meat and touches of violet and metal. Medium+ bodied and silkily textured palate of still quite primary cherry infused fruit, fine minerals, lively acidity, faint touches of spice overlaid by similar aromatics to the nose's and a gentle slightly saline backbone. Elegant and very good.
2012 Domaine Cheysson Chiroubles La cote 400 - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chiroubles (4/21/2015)
This is my idea of what Chiroubles should be. Medium/light body and full of red fruit, sour cherry and damson in particular, gravelly minerals, lively acidity, a touch of gracious (non-analysable) sweetness, saline backbone and good length. The whole exudes finesse and lively charm. Good+ and good QPR at €7. I've bought more bottles.
2010 Château de Coulaine Chinon - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (4/23/2015)
Served cool during a warm spring evening there were delicious flavours on this medium bodied Chinon of red fruit, noble forestal green edge, graphite, wet leather and grainy minerals together with lively moreish acidity and some firmness on the finish, which was a tad short. The brett allergic may object to the wet leather but I love it at this modest level. Good+.
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