Posts Tagged ‘food pairings’
MWG January 10th tasting (1/7): Fleith’s Crémant d’Alsace
The MWG recently spent an enjoyable evening with La QV’s Cyril Kérébel tasting through an impressive and wide-ranging selection of the agency’s new arrivals, all of them private imports. We wet our whistles and whet our palates with an Alsatian sparkler.
Crémant d’Alsace, Domaine Fleith ($30.75, 6 bottles/case, La QV)
A blend of biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (65%), Riesling (20%) and Pinot Noir (15%). The producer’s website appears to indicate that the grapes are botrytized, though I can’t say I detected any botrytis aromas or flavours.
Pale yellow with electrum glints and a fine bead. Yellow apple, yeast, lemon, chalk and a white floral note. Bright in the mouth, dry, complex and pure. Soft, caressing effervescence. Long, lemon-pithy finish. Delicious and refreshing: light enough to serve as an aperitif, substantial enough to accompany the first course if it’s something like coquilles Saint-Jacques. (Buy again? Gladly.)
Blot on the Loire
Bourgueil 2009, Mi-Pente, Domaine de La Butte ($35.00, 10903684)
Jacky Blot’s top Bourgueil cuvée. 100% Cabernet Franc from vines averaging 50 years of age. The estate practises lutte raisonnée (often translated as sustainable farming). Yields are kept low: 30 hl/ha in 2009 for the entire estate vs. the authorized 55 hl/ha, though probably more like 15–20 hl/ha for this cuvée. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Fermented in wooden vats with no added yeast or chaptalization. Once-daily punch-downs and regular pump-overs. Matured for 16 months in a mix of old and new barrels. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Complex, dark, umami, intriguing nose: dried wild cherry, fruitcake, leaf mould, soy sauce, slate, tobacco leaf, a hint of blanched rapini, coconut, leather and sawed wood. Rich and fluid on the palate. The sweet-tart fruit transitions to a spicy mid-palate underpinned by tannins that seem soft until you chew the wine. The finish is long, astringent and bitter-edged, like you’ve chomped down on a cherry pit. A flavour not unlike blackberry tea lingers long. Delicious and fascinating. The ripeness of the fruit and tannins means it’s approachable now, though the structure, balance, complexity and freshness (that acidity!) also indicate age-worthiness (up to a decade or two, according to the winemaker). A disappearing must-buy for lovers of Cabernet Franc.
At table, the wine worked well with – but was arguably too grand for – a chicken stewed in vinegar. A better food pairing would be roasted, stewed or flavourfully sauced red meat (even lamb), game or, especially in a few years, guinea fowl.
Riesling rules
If the photographs of dishes in Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s excellent new Jerusalem: A Cookbook leap out at you, the one of the crazy-good and super-easy Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak (adapted recipe follows) may be the long-jump champion. The combo of citrus, fennel (blubs, seeds and spirits) and a hint of sweetness present a wine-pairing challenge that Riesling seems uniquely qualified to meet.
Alsace 2009, Riesling, Grafenreben, Domaine Bott-Geyl ($27.80, 11778037)
100% biodynamically farmed Riesling from the Grafenreben lieu-dit in Zellenberg. The manually harvested whole bunches are gently and slowly pneumatically pressed. The resulting must is allowed to settle for 24 hours. Fermentation with native yeasts begins two or three days later and can last up to six months. When fermentation is complete, the wine is racked off the lees. No chaptalization or fining. 13.5% ABV.
Bone dry. Slight fizz at first. Among the most crystalline Rieslings I’ve encountered. Considerable extract and biting acidity. The ripe fruit is lemony and has a lot of pith. As the wine breathes and warms, it gains green apple and peach notes. The fruit quick-fades on the finish, leaving bitter minerals, a hint of hard caramel and maybe, just maybe, a whiff of petrol.
A fine bottle. The clerk I queried about the wine hadn’t tasted it but thought it would be a step toward off-dry. We should have looked more closely at the label, which bears a useful dry-to-sweet scale rating the wine 1 out of a possible 10. In any event, the flavours and weight worked well with the chicken, though a slightly less dry wine would have made for an even better match.
Considering the oyster
The good people at oenopole recently invited a number of local wine and food bloggers and writers to a workshop, possibly the first in an occasional series focused on pairing wines with a single food. In this case the food was raw oysters, Coville Bays to be precise. Impressively fresh and impeccably shucked, the medium-sized, meaty bivalves were some of the briniest I’ve tasted. Aside from four white wines, all that was on the table were mollusks on half shells, lemon wedges and bread – about as straightforward as it gets.
Bourgogne 2010, Sœur Cadette, Domaine de la Cadette ($18.25, 11460660)
In this vintage though maybe not for long, a négociant wine. 100% organically farmed Chardonnay. Slow-pressed, fermented in stainless steel with natural yeast. Matured 12 months in stainless steel tanks. Lightly filtered before bottling. 12.5% ABV.
Light lemon, chalk and quartz with a lactic note. Fresh and bracing on the palate, the fruit (lemon and green pear and apple) discreet. Taut with a tension between acidity and minerals. Long, clean, appetizingly sour finish. You won’t find a better brisk and minerally Chardonnay at the price.
> Lean and bright on its own, the wine was richer, rounder and fruitier with the oyster. A good match.
VDP des Cyclades 2011, Atlantis, Argyros ($16.65, 11097477)
Assyrtiko (90%), Aidani and Athiri (each 5%) from ungrafted vines. Fermented in stainless steel vats with selected yeasts. 13.0% ABV.
Rainwater on stones, crystal lemon, a hint of herbs. Denser than the Sœur Cadette but much less fruity, the sharp-edged minerals and trenchant acidity here softened by the wine’s weightiness. A saline tang flavours the finish. If possible, even better than the excellent 2010. Unbeatable QPR.
> A superb pairing, a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The wine’s minerality and brininess echoed the bivalves’ while its acidity cut their richness. In contrast to the Sœur, the wine’s flavour was little transformed by the naked oyster, though adding a few drops of lemon juice did bring out the otherwise shy fruitiness.
Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Pascal Doquet ($43.25, 11528046)
100% organically farmed Chardonnay from the communes of Bassuet and Bassu. Vinified entirely in stainless steel. Matured six months, three of them on the lees. A blend of three vintages. 12.5% ABV.
Faintly floral, candied lemon, chalk, lees. Crisp and delineated yet soft and caressing. The flavours are clean and pure. Dry, the sweetness coming only from the fruit. Leaves on a mineral note. Beautiful and, once again, offering tremendous value.
> If an oyster transformed the Sœur Cadette, here it was the wine that transformed the oyster, amping up its seawater taste (iodine, saltiness, even fishiness). As these were already exceptionally briny oysters, that was perhaps too much of a good thing; I suspect the Champagne would work better with a milder oyster. As before, a squirt of lemon sweetened the wine.
Champagne grand cru 2002, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Brut, Pascal Doquet ($74.00, 11787291)
100% organically farmed Chardonnay from the Le Mesnil sur Oger vineyard. Based on the 2002 harvest (65%) with 35% reserve wines from 2001. About a third of the wine is matured in casks, the rest in tanks. 12.5% ABV.
Classic, refined champagne nose of brioche and yellow apple. Light, even ephemeral on the palate yet rich, complex, layered. Soft, fine effervescence. Some fruity sweetness is apparent on the attack; otherwise very dry. A load of minerals on the long finish. So elegant. A complete and beautiful wine comparable to blanc de blancs costing up to half again as much.
> Interacted with the oysters much like the non-vintage did, though a little less forcefully.
A last-minute addition:
Bourgogne 2011, Les Saulniers, Domaine de la Cadette ($47.00/1500ml, oenopole, six bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Chardonnay from a single parcel located on a path once used by salt smugglers, whence the name. Sorted on the vine, slow-pressed, fermented with native yeasts in wood and stainless steel vats. Lightly filtered before bottling.
Stony, ashy nose with some lemon/lime zest. Fluid. Dry. Pure. Weightier and rounder than its little sister though still acid-bright. Full of green apple, sweet lemon and mineral flavours. Long, clean finish. Tasty.
> Naked oysters made an acceptable pairing, lemoned oysters a better one.
As the crowd chatted and prepared to leave, the cork was popped on a magnum of the always delicious and refreshing Bisol Prosecco ($19.10/750 ml, 10839168; $40.25/1,500 ml, 11549349). Didn’t take notes but the fact that it didn’t taste like a letdown after such an excellent sequence of whites should tell you all you need to know.
MWG November 22nd tasting (5/5): Three Zins and a Syrah
Like many North American wine lovers, I cut my teeth on California wines. I used to buy them regularly; these days, hardly ever. Part of the reason is my evolving palate. But it’s also true that the wines have changed. With a few blessed exceptions, they’ve gotten bigger, heavier, fruitier, sweeter, oakier, more alcoholic, less refreshing, less food-friendly and, oddly, less characterful. Early vintages of Ridge’s Geyserville, including some legendary ones, regularly clocked in at 13% ABV or less. Martini used to make a light, supple, relatively pale Zin as quaffable as a Beaujolais. Good luck finding wines like those these days. Anyway, when reading these notes, bear in mind that these wines aren’t really up my alley anymore. And, as the tasting showed, people with palates more receptive to the fruit-driven New World style will probably find them more interesting than I did.
Zinfandel 2009, East Bench, Dry Creek Valley, Ridge Vineyards ($29.75, 11817690)
100% Zinfandel (rare for Ridge) from dry-farmed vines planted in 2000 and 2001. Destemmed, crushed and fermented with native yeasts and twice daily pump-overs. Pressed after ten days’ maceration. Matured 13 months in American oak barrels, 20% new. Lightly sulphured at crush and during maturation. Lightly filtered at bottling. 15.2% ABV. This is Ridge’s fourth vintage of the wine.
Textbook Zin. Bramble berries, fresh fig, oak, spice, dried black tea. Rich, smooth and balanced. Fluid despite the weight. Built around an intense core of pure, unjammy fruit, with just enough acidity and tannins to avoid galumphingness. Dry, the high glycerin levels notwithstanding. Flaring finish. (Buy again? Maybe a bottle to go with grilled lamb next summer.)
Lytton Springs 2009, Dry Creek Valley, Ridge Vineyards ($42.25, 00513929)
71% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Syrah, 6% Carignane from dry-farmed vines some planted recently, others as far back as 1901. Destemmed, crushed and fermented with native yeasts and occasional pump-overs. A small amount of tartaric acid was added to a few very ripe lots. Pressed after eight days’ maceration. Matured 14 months in American oak barrels, 18% new. Lightly sulphured at crush and during maturation. Lightly fined”to moderate tannins.” Lightly filtered at bottling. 14.4% ABV.
Plum, spice and a hint of modelling clay. Similar to but deeper, broader and weightier than the East Bench. Pure, savoury fruit. Oak present but in check. Heady but not hot. Good structure and a long finish. Unfortunately, at this point it’s heavy and unrefreshing, less than the sum of its parts. Maybe time will improve things. (Buy again? Nope.)
Zinfandel 2009, Brandlin Vineyard, Mount Veeder, Peter Franus ($38.75, 00897652)
92% Zinfandel, 8% Charbono, Mourvèdre and Carignane from old, dry-farmed vines. Fermented 12 days at a relatively cool 80ºF (27ºC). Macerated 14 days before pressing. Matured 17 months in French oak barrels, 35% new. 15.5% ABV.
Blackberry and peppermint with sweet and savoury spice in the background. Smooth, satiny texture and not a lot of structure: this is mostly about the fruit, which is pure, sweet-and-sourish and given some depth by dried wood flavours. Dry, especially on the long, alcoholic – though not hot – finish. (Buy again? Only if in the mood for a full-bore Zin.)
Syrah 2009, Estate, Santa Ynez Valley, Beckmen Vineyards ($29.20, 11746941)
100% biodynamically farmed Syrah from eight different clonal selections grown in Beckman’s Purisima Mountain vineyard located in Ballard Canyon. The various lots were gently crushed and cold-soaked for two to five days. Fermented five to ten days with native yeasts and thrice daily punch-downs. Basket-pressed. Matured ten months in French oak barrels, 35% new. 14.6% ABV.
Appealing though un-Syrah-like nose: gingerbread, cassis and plum with some slate in the background. Full-bodied but fluid and fresh, due largely to its bright fruit and brisk acidity. Vanilla oak is noticeable but not cloying. To my palate, the flavours evoke a baked plum tart. Decent structure and length. While not a fan of the all-about-fruit style, I admit this has a certain charm. (Buy again? Probably not, though fans of California wines shouldn’t hesitate.)
MWG November 9th tasting: report (5/5)
Vacqueyras 2009, Cuvée Azalaïs, Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux ($28.25, 11796420)
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and Cinsault from 35- to 40-year-old vines, organically farmed but not yet certified as such (the 2010 vintage reportedly will be). Manually harvested. Destemmed. Fermented in concrete vats with native yeasts and daily pumping over. Matured a minimum of six months in large barrels. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 14% ABV.
Plum, garrigue, spice. Fluid and nicely structured, with welcome acidity and fine tannins that linger through the finish. Initial salty plum and fig sweetened and deepened, with leather, minerals and licorice adding savour. Long. An excellent, terroir-driven Vacqueyras, about the best pairing imaginable for a garlic- and herb-scented leg of lamb. (Buy again? Yes.)
Naoussa 2009, Terre et Ciel, Domaine Thymiopoulos ($28.40, 11814368)
This 100% Xinomavro is a blend of organically farmed grapes from three parcels and 40- to 70-year-old vines. Fermented in stainless steel vats with native yeasts. Matured in a mix of Burgundy barrels, 20% new. Bottled unfiltered, unfined and with a small squirt of sulphur dioxide. The estate, which has been in the Thymiopoulos family for generations, used to sell its grapes to Boutari. Now-30-something Apostolo had other ideas: he attended wine school, stopped selling grapes, started making wines under his own name and began converting to biodynamic farming. 14.5% ABV.
We’re not in the Rhône Valley anymore, Toto: marked aromas of V8 juice, black raspberry jam, kirsch and menthol. Rich but not heavy fruit and a velvety mouth-feel. Dry. The initially raspy tannins soften as the wine breathes. Long, black cherry and earthy/slatey finish with spice notes. Not exactly my style but, along with its younger sibling, easily the best Xinomavro I’ve tasted. Will be interesting to see what some bottle age brings. (Buy again? If in the market for an exotically flavoured, fruit-forward but savoury and balanced wine, yes.)
Lirac 2010, La Dame Rousse, Domaine de la Mordorée ($22.00, 11690836)
A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah from 40-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Destemmed and given a long maceration. Fermented for 30 days at 34ºC (93ºF). 14.5% ABV.
Leather, spice, plum and eventually kirsch. Started off well – dry, tannic, structured, ripe – but seemed to take on weight and flatten as it breathed. That heaviness and two-dimensionality together with the alcoholic heat made for a distinctly unrefreshing mouthful. Many people love Mordorée but I’m about ready to give up on it. (Buy again? No.)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2009, Cuvée Réservée, Domaine du Pégau ($75.00, 11521354)
80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre and 10% other varieties permitted in the appellation. Manually harvested. Fermented with the stems for ten to 14 days with native yeasts and twice daily pumping over. Slowly pressed. Allowed to settle over the winter, then racked into old oak barrels. Blended just before bottling. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 14% ABV.
Horsehair, garrigue, turned earth, hint of tar, savoury meat, black fruit. Rich, dense and very ripe yet quite acidic. Structured though the tannins are fine. Long with a little kirschy heat flaring on the finish. At this point early in its life, lacking cohesion and devoid of charm. Unlike the 1995, which was as approachable and seductive in its youth as it was a year ago, this bordered on galumphing. Obviously a thoroughbred and likely to evolve into something impressive. But Pégau used to be thought of as one of the more “feminine” Châteauneufs, and I have a hard time imagining anyone ever using that descriptor for this wine, even 15 or 20 years down the road. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Fou des Fous
Damien Coquelet has Beaujolais in his veins. Stepson of renowned natural Beaujolais producer Georges Descombes, he began working in the family’s vineyards and cellars when he was five and has been making his own wines since 2007, when he was 20. His juicy Morgons, more immediately accessible than his stepfather’s, and silky Chiroubles are well-nigh irresistible and his Beaujolais-Villages can stand comparison with the best.
Three years ago, Coquelet was visiting La QV, the agency that respresents him here in Quebec, when he flipped over some organic charcuterie made by Fou du Cochon in La Pocatière. A summit of artisans ensued and, shepherded by La QV’s head honcho, Cyril Kérébel, the idea for Fou du Beaujo was born: an easy-drinking vin de soif, the kind of wine we all wish Beaujolais nouveau would be, designed expressly to go with saucissons and terrines. After experiencing both Fous together at Foodlab last night, I can confirm it’s a marriage made in heaven.
The first Fou du Beaujo vintage, the 2009, and maybe the second were sold exclusively in Quebec. But good things are hard to keep a lid on and the wine is now also found in Japan, Germany and, reportedly, select bistros in France. Rumours are also circulating of an impending arrival in the U.S.
Beaujolais 2011, Fou du Beaujo, Damien Coquelet ($19.25, La QV, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of organically farmed Gamay from several Coquelet parcels (all in Morgon in 2010). Fermented with native yeasts. Like Beaujolais nouveau, it undergoes semi-carbonic maceration. Unlike Beaujolais nouveau, it is overwintered in concrete vats before being bottled in May or June with no filtering, fining or added sulphur. 12.5% ABV.
The dictionary definition of natural Beaujolais could have this as its illustration. Red and black berries and maybe some violets over an earthy/slatey bass note. A whiff of barnyardy funk quickly blows off (carafe the wine for half an hour if that sort of thing bothers you). Light-bodied and fluid with ripe, tangy fruit, a faint tannic rasp, fat-cutting acidity and a hint of something darker and more minerally in the background. Ends on a tart, vine-sappy note that has you lifting the glass for another mouthful. Serve lightly chilled.
Nebbiolo and quail
Earlier this week I attended a tasting led by Aldo Vacca, the managing director of the world’s best wine co-op, Produttori del Barbaresco. The focus was on seven of the Produttori’s 2007 Barbarescos, including six single-vineyard bottlings, and I’ll post a detailed report on them soon. Today, though, a heads-up.
A second shipment of the latest vintage of the Produttori’s entry-level wine, the Langhe Nebbiolo, has just hit the SAQ’s shelves. The first shipment sold out in a matter of days; if anything, this will go faster. You’ll find my tasting note below and a recipe for a pitch-perfect pairing – pan-roasted quail with pancetta and sage – after the jump.
Langhe 2010, Nebbiolo, Produttori del Barbaresco ($22.00, 11383617)
100% Nebbiolo from young vines (Vacca told me that, though Langhe DOC regulations don’t require it, all the grapes come from the Barbaresco DOC). Fermentation with selected “Barolo” yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Macerated on the skins for 22 days. Matured six months in very large oak barrels. No fining, light filtering, minimal sulphur dioxide.
Bright, aromatic nose of bitter cherry and spice with hints of earth, minerals, tar, rose and old wood. Medium-bodied. Fluid and silky. The fruit is pure and ripe with a faint underlying bitterness. Fine, lacy tannins and tangy acidity provide structure and balance. Long, softly astringent finish. So charming, so beautiful, so easy to drink. A QPR winner.
oenopole trade tasting (2/4): Camerlengo
Trained as an architect, the ebullient Antonio Cascarano switched to farming in 2000 in order to save his grandparents’ three-hectare estate, Camerlengo (“chamberlain”), which is located in the commune of Rapolla, near the village of the same name, on the northeast flank of Monte Vulture in northern Basilicata. There he grows grapes, chestnuts and olives (for reportedly excellent oil) in volcanic soil that’s rich in silica and potassium. The relatively high altitude (400–500 m) ensures a large difference between day and night temperatures, one of the keys to maintaining acidity in grapes. All farming is organic and practices in the cellar are as non-interventionist as possible.
IGP Basilicata 2011, Accamilla, Camerlengo
The first vintage of Antonio’s first orange wine. A blend of Malvasia (70%), 10% Santa Sofia (aka Fiano) and 20% other local grapes, fermented with native yeasts and made like a red wine, with extended maceration on the skins and pips. Aged in chestnut botte. 12% ABV. This sample was drawn from the barrel a couple of days before the tasting; the finished wine will be available from oenopole this spring.
Hazy tawny yellow. Nose of straw, sun-baked stones, yellow fruit and dried flowers. Lighter and more fluid than expected. Savoury and dry, with summery fruit and sprightly acid. Soft tannins and a floral note emerge on the long finish. Delicious.
Aglianico del Vulture 2009, Antelio, Camerlengo ($25.95, oenopole)
100% Aglianico from 30-year-old vines. Manually harvested in late October and early November. Fermented with native yeasts, macerated 25 days. Matured in a 50-hl Slavonian oak botte. Unfiltered and unfined. Lightly sulphured on bottling for stability during transportation. 13% ABV.
Rich ruby maroon. Initial rubber blows off leaving red fruit, slate/graphite and hints of dusky flowers and spice. Medium- to full-bodied. The fruit is rich and sweet, devoid of heaviness, rooted in earth and minerals. The tannins – just a little raspy – are especially apparent on the finish. More upfront, less layered and long than the Camerlengo; then again it’s $12 cheaper and available. The wine’s refined rusticity made it a great pairing for lamb breast braised with tomato and white beans.
Aglianico del Vulture 2006, Camerlegno, Camerlengo ($37.75, oenopole, NLA)
100% Aglianico from 40-year-old vines. Manually harvested in late October and early November. Fermented with native yeasts, macerated 25 days. Matured in a mix of second, third and fourth vintage French oak barriques. Unfiltered. Lightly sulphured on bottling for stability during transportation. 13% ABV. Unfortunately for us, oenopole’s entire shipment has been snapped up by local restaurateurs.
Unusual, delicious nose: red fruit, spice, floral (musk rose?), stones, hints of tobacco. Smooth, medium- to full-bodied. The slim core of sweet fruit is underpinned by mostly resolved tannins, giving the wine a supple, velour-like texture. A faint astringency marks the lingering, savoury finish. Lovely. Among the most elegant Aglianicos I’ve tasted.
oenopole trade tasting (1/4): Jacques Lassaigne
In the run-up to the Salon des vins d’importation privée, oenopole held a couple of trade tastings led by their visiting winemakers and was kind enough to offer non-trade me a seat. Unfortunately, Arianna Occhipinti and Elena Pantaleoni (La Stoppa) were detained by hurricane Sandy, though they did make it to town in time for the various other activities.
The tasting began with three champagnes from the house of Jacques Lassaigne and presented by Jacques’s son and the current winemaker, Emmanuel. Planted to Chardonnay and a little Pinot Noir, the approximately five-hectare estate is located in Montgeux, a chalky hill in the southernmost part of the appellation. A small quantity of grapes is also purchased. All the grapes are organically farmed and the wine-making is as natural as possible. Disgorgement is performed monthly, surely one of the reasons why all the wines taste fresh.
Champagne, Brut, Blanc de blancs, Les vignes de Montguex, Jacques Lassaigne ($55.00, oenopole)
Always a blend of wines from two successive vintages and several parcels. The vintages here were 2008 (27%) and 2009 (73%). 15% is matured in cask. Emmanuel Lassaigne describes it as an aperitif wine, a role it performs supremely well, though it also makes a killer accompaniment for sushi.
Electrum to the eye. Pleasing nose of lemon, green melon, minerals, yeast and a lactic note. Super fine, tingly effervescence. Quite dry. Light lemon over a chalky substrate. Lingering savoury note. Clean, bright, refreshing.
Champagne 2005, Jacques Lassaigne ($105.00, oenopole)
No barrel or dosage. No sugar added during disgorging.
More golden. Richer, sweeter, winier nose redolent of yellow apple. Soft effervescence with bigger bubbles. Mouth-filling but not heavy. Comes across as less acidic and mineral-driven than the Vignes de Montguex, though that’s due to the richness of the fruit, not to any lack of minerals and acidity. Excellent balance and complexity of flavour. Broad, deep and long. Beautiful now but also capable of improving with time in the cellar. My favourite of the three.
Champagne, Extra Brut, Blanc de blancs, La Colline inspirée, Jacques Lassaigne (price to be announced but probably over $100, oenopole)
A blend of 2007 and 2008. Vinified and aged on the lees in used white Burgundy barrels. In the past this has been bottled only in magnums, though this year oenopole will have some standard 750 ml bottles.
Bronzer. Complex bouquet: golden apple, citrus, chalk, toast, brioche, a faint floral note and a hint of souring milk. The softest and fleshiest of the three. Some sweetness on the attack but dry on the finish. Oxidizing sour apples, candied citrus zest and lingering crystals. Long, round and layered. Less structured than the Millésime 2005, but no less appealing: a deluxe vin plaisir.
Brett happens 