WTN: Bourdy Baudry Aubert Chevillon Tardieu Delaforce

Notes from a blind tasting lunch.

2013 Conceito Blanco – this was a wine I had picked up for my wife to present. It is made in the Douro by a perfectionist winery and is a field mix of ten different native varietals, fermented and kept in oak. Showing some colour and a very attractive nose with faint oxidative and petrol notes, and a medium body with balanced medium long finish. Pricey but good. Heaviest bottle of the day.

2014 Jean Bourdy Chardonnay Côtes du Jura – another interesting one. Initially a candied grapefruit nose but with a hint of oxidation, fair bit of colour, ending clean and crisp.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard – lots of vanilla in the nose but not excessive. Some melon as well and a ton of acidity but all put together in a mix that worked and melded many things that I don’t like about American chards into a wine that I definitely did like. Well made!

2017 Bernard Baudry Chinon – this cab franc was submitted by the Jura fan. It showed the usual green capsicum notes plus some nice spiciness, and had fairly full body and good length. Ready now.

2000 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles – mid red with clear edges, an excellent Pinot nose that gave spiced red berries and earth and a delicious medium long finish with good acidity. Very nice.

2011 Massaya Gold Reserve – a Bekaa Valley wine from Lebanon made with cab sauv plus syrah and mourvedre, this was quite dark and had a primarily cab nose with hints of rubber and red fruit. Good quality.

1998 Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes – my wine. Lighter colour after the Lebanese entry, more like a dark Burgundy, and a nose of cherry with hints of cinnamon with barnyard hints but not overdone. Smooth and long it was very pleasant drinking, completely ready to go. Good.

2004 Tenuta Col d'Orcia Olmaia Cabernet Col D'orcia – dark with a fairly ripe nose with vanilla and plum. Smooth tannin, mellow and soft now and medium length. Quite good.

1991 Delaforce Porto Vintage Quinta Da Corte – still fairly dark, with a sweet ripe figgy cherry and leather, on palate more raisiny, medium bodied, finishing with some heat. Good choice for a luncheon weight Port. Was surprised that it wasn’t further along in development.

[David M. Bueker]

Nice notes Bill.

That Baudry bottling is always good to go, no matter when I open one. Their 2017 Grezeaux is quite delicious.

Early 2000s Chevillons are generally drinking well, and have been for some time. I only have a small handful left. Should grab one soon.

Always good to see a Baudry note. Not available in AB right now. .

Not available in BC either, except through the private stores - of course at a much higher price than in the US but that pretty much goes without saying. Still a nice wine. I find that you have to watch out with some Chinons - they can be so tannic and lean that they may never come around.Baudry is much more user friendly!

[Jenise]

[quote="Bill Spohn"]Notes from a blind tasting lunch.

2013 Conceito Blanco – I didn't hate this, but your "faint oxidative" was my "fairly oxidative", and oxidative is not a quality I'm generally a fan of but tolerate more or less depending on the food. I probably would have loved this with a French onion soup, but on its own the oxidation was a bit much for me.

2014 Jean Bourdy Chardonnay Côtes du Jura – This wine made the Conceito look good by comparison. I just couldn't get past the nose, which my notes compared to well-worn gym socks.

2013 Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard – With this wine we were out of the darkness and into the light. This is one of my favorite American chardonnays, and now you know why. Unfortunately, it's $$$ price makes it a very rare indulgence.

2017 Bernard Baudry Chinon – what you said.

2000 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles – brownish red, with the spice and wet-dog aroma of good aged burgundy. Really enjoyed this.

2011 Massaya Gold Reserve – the breakdown on the grapes here is 50% CS and 40% Mourvedre, an unusual blend that works so well in this wine you wonder why more don't do it. I really love it (and that's, of course, why I brought it). Also, I enjoyed that without going into the dreaded "international" zone of having no sense of place, it was hard in a blind tasting to instantly relegate it to new or old world origins.

1998 Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes – What you said. I really loved this--it's drinking beautifully right now. I'm also impressed by how you keep whipping out these '98s. The few I owned are, of course, long gone.

2004 Tenuta Col d'Orcia Olmaia Cabernet Col D'orcia – What you said.

1991 Delaforce Porto Vintage Quinta Da Corte – Agreed about the development. Not that I'm a qualified judge of port, but the last '91 Dow I opened was much further along than this was. Very nice.