2015 Domaine Pierre Luneau Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Fief des Noëlles - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (11/16/2016)
Bracing and refreshing Mucadet full of citrus fruit, lively acidity, salty minerals and backbone with enough underlying roundness to pair well with nicely fresh merlu fish. Good.
2014 Cuvée de l'Empi Crozes-Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (11/18/2016)
I was wondering whether to mark this bottle as flawed because of an aroma which reminded me of asbestos on a building site in the bad old days. However after about 15 minutes in the glass the offending aroma dispersed so I conclude that it was a manifestation of reduction which I haven't met before leaving the wine much as in my previous TN, namely agreeable but unremarkable.
2013 Domaine les Maisons Rouges Jasnières Domaine les Maisons Rouges L'Eclos - France, Loire Valley, Jasnières (11/19/2016)
This is now coming out of its closed phase and is developing as I hoped with my first bottle just about two years ago. The nose again shows lively aromas of apple, pear and quince, albeit a little shyly at first, and the medium bodied dry palate shows great purity and adds flinty minerals, lively acidity, a nice underlying roundness and growing complexity. Very good but my last bottle, alas.
1995 Château Beauregard - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (11/20/2016)
I can repeat almost verbatim a TN from May 2012 and, yes, I already thought it at its peak then. Estate planted in 1995 with Merlot 62%, CabFranc 30%, CabSauv 8%. This was a lovely Pomerol; the bouquet was beautiful and still fresh with some complex red fruit, particularly sweet cherry veering to kirsch and gentle mineral touches. The palate was medium+ bodied and harmonious with good depth, mature fruit with roundness and opulence from Merlot and classy freshness and a savoury touch from the Cabernets, some secondary notes of forest floor and a quite long finish well supported by mature tannins. At its peak, I think. Very good.
2015 Domaine des Souchons Morgon - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (11/21/2016)
This has been reliable QPR Morgon at c.€6 in the last three vintages. Without side by side comparison, I feel that this 2015 is fuller and fruitier but less mineral and tense than the two preceding vintages and a bit less to my taste. But good.
2014 William Fèvre Petit Chablis - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Petit Chablis (11/22/2016)
Immediately on opening I smelled that touch of sea breeze which complements seafood so well and ripe citrus notes and steely minerals came to complement it. The palate was medium/light bodied with great purity of juicy fruit, more minerals, a touch of underlying roundness, mouth-watering acidity and saline backbone more refined than in the 2013. Good+ and good QPR at <€10 indicating a repeat purchase if still available.
2012 Clos du Bois de Menge Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas (11/23/2016)
I was less pleased with this bottle than the previous two. It is still true to describe it as full/medium bodied but quite light on its feet with a certain finesse, lively in fruit and in acidity with pepper, spice and minerals and a quite firm finish. However this time I found it a bit too easy going for my idea of Gigondas and it seemed dominated by an undemanding pairing of a creamy stew with guinea fowl and ham. A question of mood and/or of bottle evolution?
2015 Château Tour de Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers - France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers (11/24/2016)
I liked this less than my memory and notes of the 2014. Likewise lively with fresh fruit and acidity but there was an ointment like touch which palled. Caveat: I attended a big tasting earlier in the day and my palate may have been tarnished.
2014 Château La Reyne Cahors - France, Southwest France, Cahors (11/25/2016)
This 2014 is 8 months younger than the 2013 was at the time I had that but it is drinking just as well and my then TN is just as applicable. In spite of its youth it has real virile and slightly austere Cahors character. Medium bodied, savoury dark fruit, minerals, tangy acidity and firm liquorice sprinkled backbone. My guess is that it will ultimately turn out more gracious than the 2013. Good wine and excellent QPR at €6.
2014 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (11/26/2016)
This is my first experience of this highly regarded estate and I confess to a little disappointment. There was plenty of focus, intensity, minerality and moreish acidity but also some tartness towards the finish. Time may bring more bloom and complexity and I defer conclusions until I have had more experience.
2014 Domaine Gauby Côtes du Roussillon Villages Les Calcinaires - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (11/27/2016)
IIRC this is the first Calcinaires which I have had since the 2005 vintage, which I greatly enjoyed for its purity of fruit, minerals, tension and digestibility, quite rare in Roussillon. This bottle of 2014 was marked by aromas of sweaty horse, which I enjoy in moderation as here, but which are likely with time to become much more prominent if they are due to brett. The back label advises that this wine should be kept at less than 15*C due to absence of fining and filtering. I bought this bottle from a store where the temperature was at least 20°C, which may have brought out this deviation. This bottle just about good now but I guess that others are potentially much better if properly kept.
PS: I have found some archives which show that I had 2007 and 2006 as well as 2005. At least one of the bottles of '07 was marked by barnyard aromas.
2013 Château du Moulin-a-Vent Moulin-à-Vent Les Terrasses du Château - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent (11/28/2016)
Medium+ body, good savoury fruit, minerals and firm backbone but marred at present by vanilla notes from élevage in new oak barrels. I am so far unconvinced that any Gamay, even M-à-V, benefits from this sort of treatment but maybe I'll change my mind if I manage to keep my hands off the remaining bottle for a few years.
2015 Domaine Cauhapé Jurançon Sec Les Vignes de Silène - France, Southwest France, Jurançon Sec (11/29/2016)
This is an exuberant young dry Jurançon bursting with white fruit, including mango and pineapple, abundant minerals, underlying roundness, lively acidity and a burnished honeyed touch, so not bone dry. At present there is some alcoholic burn (14%) on the finish which detracts a little from the whole. Good.
1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (11/30/2016)
This is undoubtedly very good but I'm not one of those who considers either Beaucastel or indeed most CndP as one of the world's great wines. Colour deep and dark. Nose quite shy but with attractive anise and herbal aromas. Palate quite full bodied with dark complexion, not a lot of primary fruit but quite complex notes including tar, chocolate, spice and a little liquorice, enough acidity for balance leading to a strong finish with a slight bitterness which I would attribute to alcohol, if the announced degree were not a quite modest 13.5%. I like more brightness in a wine and it is this lack which makes me wonder if there is much future in this one contrary to opinions which I have read from other people.
Posted from CellarTracker