2014 Château Courac Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun (12/19/2016)
This S.Villages Rhône is more about elegant sweet cherry tinged fruit than spicy power. No more than medium bodied it adds to the fruit suave texture, some meat, a little garrigue, fresh acidity and kirsch sprinkled gentle but firm backbone. More elegant, less full, I think, and less obviously alcoholic than the 2013 this time last year. Good wine and very good QPR at c.€7.
2015 Alain Triboulet St. Véran Le Clos - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, St. Véran (12/20/2016)
A very nice lively and juicy St.Véran with white fruit, minerals, lively acidity, some underlying roundness and decent length. Good+.
1998 Domaine de la Grange des Pères Vin de Pays de l'Hérault - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault (12/21/2016)
Aromas of varnish mixed into the candied fruit and even a hint of cabbage suggest that VA and oxidation were beginning to take over this bottle but it remained fascinating and complex with medium/full body, good length, velvety texture and notes of English malted fruit cake. The overall effect was a bit Musar-like without quite the same elegance. Very good in spite of the faults.
2015 Jean-Luc Colombo Côtes du Rhône Rossinant - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (12/22/2016)
This is my first bottle from Colombo since the '90s when I was put off by the way in which he converted potentially characterful Cornas into anonymous internationally styled wine. This basic CdR is good. Medium bodied with attractive savoury tinged sour cherry, tangy acidity, earthy minerals, some backbone and no overt signs of sophisticated élevage. Should I give his Cornas another try?
In France and Belgium the main Christmas festive meal is on Christmas Eve but, as a Briton, I am unable to forgo my bird on Christmas Day. This year there were six of us at table on Christmas Eve but only two of us on Christmas Day. Here is a picture of the empties after Boxing Day.
NV Sadi Malot Champagne 1er cru Chardonnay Brut Authentique - France, Champagne (12/24/2016)
Just brief notes on several bubblies with Christmas Eve dinner. This came first and was quite fruity and sweeter and more porty on the finish than I expected due perhaps to 7g dosage. But refreshing and good.
NV Drappier Champagne Blanc de Blancs "Signature" - France, Champagne (12/24/2016)
Very slightly more tension and minerality than the Sadi-Malot with less fruit and, I think, dosage. Good.
2002 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année - France, Champagne (12/24/2016)
We had two bottles here, which were rather different, the first being more evolved and less focussed. Both were quite full bodied for Champagne but nevertheless elegant with mature white fruit, cream, fine minerals, some secondary flavours, fresh acidity and a slight porty touch in the firm backbone towards the finish. However, the first bottle showed a touch more openness and fat but also added a faint overlay aroma of vanilla which could have fooled me as being a sign of poorly digested oak ageing, improbable in a 14 year old wine. The second bottle very good.
2011 Cazes Les Clos des Paulilles Banyuls Traditionnel - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Banyuls (12/24/2016)
Not quite the finesse of most Maury which I have had. There was deep colour, some attractive and dense red fruit with fresh acidity brought out by the pairing of rich chocolate based buche but there was also a raw note on the finish. It will be interesting to see if the remainder in the bottle improves. Quite good.
PS: 24 hours later and served slightly cooler at c.12°, the focus had improved and the raw note was no longer perceptible. Assessment raised to good+.
PS 12/28/2016: More depth and richness. Definitely a wine which needs air.
1997 Dominique Laurent Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (12/25/2016)
I have not much to add to my previous TN. This was suave, seamless and elegant GC Burgundy with medium/full body, well developed Pinot fruit, light spice and minerals, fresh acidity and long finish. The wine showed no metallic development this time perhaps because it did not linger in the glasses but it only just asserted itself against the not very demanding Christmas pairing of stuffed capon. Very good.
1998 Alain Voge Cornas Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (12/26/2016)
This reminded me of old school Cornas of a generation ago but with less rough edges. Medium/full bodied, it showed a savoury character consisting of sour cherry, olives, grilled meat, faint leather, earthy minerals and tangy acidity with backbone and decent length. Plenty of life left in it. Invigorating and very good.