2013 Jacques Depagneux Chiroubles Domaine de la Boisselière - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chiroubles (2/19/2016)
A very attractive savoury charactered Chiroubles full of sharp red fruit, mainly red currant and strawberry, ivy, grainy minerals, tangy acidity, grippy backbone and good length.
2000 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (2/21/2016)
A few years I attended two or three horizontals of CndP '00 and at least once there were deviant flavours on Clos des Papes, so I opened this bottle with some misgivings. I need not have worried. Fine pristine colour and nose complex but subdued at first. The palate was quite full bodied and up-front in shape showing opulent red and dark fruit with a sweet tinge but enlivened by more acidity than I expected after a recent Beaucastel '00 and complemented by savoury secondary notes and hints of spice, liquorice and game. This last came out on the lingering finish and led to excellent pairing with venison. Very good.
2014 Laura Semeria Cour-Cheverny Plénitude - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Cour-Cheverny (2/24/2016)
This is a brightly focussed wine made from the Romorantin grape and is full of tension. Medium+ body, white fruit with a lot of citrus, underlying roundness, full of minerals and crisp acidity and sustained by good backbone, this is drinking beautifully in the first bloom of youth but I imagine that it will take on a lot of complexity with the years. Very good.
2014 Mas Amiel Côtes du Roussillon Villages Pur Schiste - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (2/25/2016)
Unsurprisingly very much in the same mould as preceding vintages and I can repeat most of my '13 TN with only a few changes. Colour is deep red and the nose shows dense dark fruit tinged with raspberry and a hint of liquorice. The palate is medium/full but from memory less heavy and fleeter of foot than the '13. It shows lots of dark fruit laced with spice, marked mineral notes, fresh acidity and again a little liquorice and raspberry and backbone. The 14.5% alcohol is unobtrusive. Indeed this bottle was moreish and hard to resist finishing in one go. Good+
1996 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny La Marginale - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (2/28/2016)
Either I or the wine has changed since my last bottle in 2011. Colour is quite pristine, the red fruit aromas remain refined and attractive with a lot of raspberry, minerals are invigorating but there seems to be a loss of bloom with makes the acidity seem much more apparent especially on the finish which becomes quite astringent when some distance away from the last mouthful of veal Marengo and Selles-sur-Cher cheese. Simple bottle variation, the effect of 4+ years more ageing or pairing induced palate variation? Still good and classy but was so much more.
2004 Fontodi Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (2/29/2016)
Fontodi is one of my favourite Chianti estates but this bottles was marred by a rather oxidative aroma of sour green cabbage. This was insufficiently marked to prevent this medium/light bodied wine's being enjoyable for its red fruit, slight varnish touch, minerals and lively acidity. This may be a one-off flawed bottle but, on the other hand, it may be the way that most of these '04s are evolving. It was my last bottle, so I cannot check. The '01 was certainly a lot better at a similar age.
2002 Château Talbot - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (3/6/2016)
This was disappointing. Many of the ingredients were there to make a nice Talbot, medium body, red fruit, fragrance, grilled meat and cedar touches and underlying roundness but the wine was unbalanced by astringent metallic acidity. Hardly good.
2013 Château de Coulaine Chinon - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (3/7/2016)
Medium- bodied, nice fresh red fruit, grainy minerals with hints of pepper and leather and, due probably to the vintage, high but juicy and appealing acidity. I guess that this wine is not for ageing but I may buy more for the near term. Good.
2010 Château du Coing de Saint Fiacre Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Comte de St. Hubert Vieilles Vignes - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (3/10/2016)
This is a deliciously crisp and sharply focussed medium- bodied Muscadet with some intensity of citrus fruit, sea breeze minerals and saline backbone. Still tasting very fresh and in spite of its sixth year has not yet taken on creamy undertones. Good+.
2013 Domaine de Moncèze Faugères - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Faugères (3/11/2016)
A rather rustic medium+ bodied Faugères, Syrah led I think, showing brambly fruit, spice dominated by anise and liquorice touches towards the finish. Modestly priced (c.€7) but I hesitate about buying more.
1996 Château La Tour Carnet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (3/12/2016)
A very enjoyable medium+ bodied claret dating from the estate's pre-Magrez era. Colour still vigorous, nose expressive with fresh fragrant red fruit, hints of leafiness, cedar and leather, slightly marred by a metallic note. Palate classically shaped and harmonious with good depth of gracious fruit, minerals, mouth-watering acidity and still firm tannic backbone on the finish. I guess that this can go on for many more years. Very good.
2013 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Plein Sud - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (3/14/2016)
This is not only an unusual wine, it is also very fine. Light in colour and quite light in body, it is mouth-filling and long and has a distinction and elegance which recalls champagne with brighter and more perfumed fruit, similar minerality and moreish acidity and enough backbone to accompany scallops followed by veal cordon bleu. Another winner from Ganevat. I'd buy a lot if it were not for the price, €40.
1993 Louis Violland Beaune 1er Cru La Montée Rouge - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (3/15/2016)
A bit of a "curate's egg". Colour shows little browning but quite light at rim. Nose at first pour shows lovely mature Pinot fruit but is rapidly swamped by rusty metal. The medium bodied palate is better and quite youthful seeming with the mature Pinot fruit more dominant and rust a background element, minerals, still very lively acidity and quite firm backbone. If it were not for that rust appearing with exposure to air, I would think more mileage here. Just good.
1999 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (3/17/2016)
This is really harmonious and lovely. I think that I could mistake it for a Vosne-Romanée cru were it not for a slightly sharp edge to the cherry component and hints of peppered grilled meat. Medium+ bodied, beautifully shaped, good depth and length, velvety texture, still lively dark fruit and lively acidity, earthy minerals and gentle backbone. Excellent.
2012 Graci Etna Rosso - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (3/18/2016)
This is much more gutsy than my previous experience of Etna from Terre Nere where I noted "quasi-Burgundian elegance". There has been some positive evolution since a bottle a year ago. Colour quite deep. Nose was less shy with dark fruit and an iron streaked earthy touch. The palate was still mainly savoury but with some sweetness peeping through, medium/full bodied with dark fruit, more plum than cherry, fresh iron tinged acidity, earthy minerals, texture becoming more velvety and good tannic backbone with liquorice hints. Good.
2001 Domaine Belle Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Louis Belle - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (3/20/2016)
A definite let-down after last Thursday's superb Graillot Guiraude '99 and it could be that but for that recent memory I would find more to enjoy. Colour still quite pristine. Nose mainly meat juice sprinkled sour cherry. Medium - bodied palate and rather simplistic showing mainly bright fruit and bright acidity with just a little pepper and backbone. Easy to drink. Quite good.
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