Nice development towards mushrooms, minerals, herbs and spice with a hint of jamminess to the red berries. Quite an interesting personality with fresh acids, light body and a good limestone structure. Enjoyable to drink on its own, would also hold for a few years. Gamay (40-65%) and pinot noir, perhaps with a small dash of côt and/or cab franc (together allowed up to 15% by the appellation). Ecologically grown grapes.
Nose shows good typicity of the grape and the region - raspberry, violets, liquorice and granite - and some charm in a cool vintage context. No signs of the dreaded aroma yeast 71B. Taste is light, fresh, high on acids and a bit low on fruit with a short, tart finish. Needs food to do its best - flatfish à la meuniere would be a good choice. Biodynamic farming under Demeter certification.
Textbook white bordeaux with a pure and lovely vanilla pear/white peach nose, some semillon richness, not dominated by neither sauvignon blanc nor oak. Refreshing and uplifting taste with good acidity and fruitiness. Easy to use as an apéritif, or with lighter fish courses. Made from ecologically grown grapes. 50% sauvignon blanc, 30% sémillon, 20% muscadelle.
Pure, fresh and stony chardonnay with no perceptible oak but lots of fresh limestone acidity, minerals and a hint of spritz. Nice and simple, although quite elegant, and still very young. Try with oysters. Made from organically grown grapes. AB-certified (Ecocert) and certified biodynamic (Demeter) since 2006.
Serious sauvignon blanc without any over-the-top aromas. Fresh, pure, minerally, spicy, well balanced and quite long. Good seafood wine. Made from organically grown grapes. Might be a little romorantin and menu pineau in there too.
Interesting and mineral nose with development towards tobacco leaves, ashtray, gunflint and yellow apples with some oxidation/acetaldehydes. Waxy, complex and quite rich taste. Have lost a bit of its acid edge, seems to be on its way downhill. Not bad at all - full of character and personality - but probably better two years ago. A mix of menu pineau, chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Ecologically grown grapes. Without competition the highest original pricetag of the outlet lot.
No lack of bordeaux character on the nose. Quite oaky, with good development towards earth and mushrooms and some green cab franc notes among the merlot. Taste is short on fruit, tannins and charm, too oaky for its own best but still a drinkable wine if not analyzed too closely. Needs a few hours to show its "best". Ok for casual drinking with or without food.
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Côtes de Thongue
Quite good nose with a bit of southern funk and garrigue. Quite substantial taste that shows good balance although it could do with more freshness. Promises to drink nicely with a kitchen of garlic, black olives and provencal herbs. A blend of mourvèdre, grenache and cabernet sauvignon. Ecologically grown grapes.
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon
Now this is a serious wine - although a bit rustic. Good development with lots of chocolate, brown farine sugar, black cherries, blackberries, raisins, spicebox and scorched earth. Well endowed taste, full-bodied with lots of ripe fruit, tannins and spice. 14,8% alcohol but no heat. Ecologically grown grapes. Numbered bottles, this was no. 1396. A lot of bang for the bucks.
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Saint-Chinian
This just might be the best wine in the Vinik "outlet" tasting. Lots of ripe fruit and garrigue, impeccable balance and well-integrated spicy oak treatment. Still on the young side, it could do with one to five years of cellaring, but would also perform very well on any table today. Judging from the speed the bottles empty, this most definitely is a public winner. Château Bousquette farm five hectares of vines, organically tended since 1972. The harvest yield for this cuvée is 25 hl/ha. L'Absolu is brought up during one year in barriques for the mourvèdre, and in tanks for the grenache and carignan.
This is not for the faint of heart. Fresh and pure nose without any oaky flattery at all. Good acids, medium fruit and quite severe tannins that call for a really long airing and/or a dinner with lots of animal fat. Restaurant quality meat and a risotto with marrow bone would be a good idea. Not a charmer at the moment, could do with some years in the cellar. Classic-style wine from 100% tannat, 100 year old ungrafted vines and organically grown grapes. A contender for ugliest label ever.
2008 Domaine de Veilloux Cheverny Rouge 86 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Cheverny
Nice development towards mushrooms, minerals, herbs and spice with a hint of jamminess to the red berries. Quite an interesting personality with fresh acids, light body and a good limestone structure. Enjoyable to drink on its own, would also hold for a few years. Gamay (40-65%) and pinot noir, perhaps with a small dash of côt and/or cab franc (together allowed up to 15% by the appellation). Ecologically grown grapes.
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2008 Bernard Vallette Beaujolais Lachassagne 84 Points
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais
Nose shows good typicity of the grape and the region - raspberry, violets, liquorice and granite - and some charm in a cool vintage context. No signs of the dreaded aroma yeast 71B. Taste is light, fresh, high on acids and a bit low on fruit with a short, tart finish. Needs food to do its best - flatfish à la meuniere would be a good choice. Biodynamic farming under Demeter certification.
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2007 Château Ferran Blanc 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Textbook white bordeaux with a pure and lovely vanilla pear/white peach nose, some semillon richness, not dominated by neither sauvignon blanc nor oak. Refreshing and uplifting taste with good acidity and fruitiness. Easy to use as an apéritif, or with lighter fish courses. Made from ecologically grown grapes. 50% sauvignon blanc, 30% sémillon, 20% muscadelle.
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2007 Céline & Laurent Tripoz Mâcon-Vinzelles Les Morandes 85 Points
France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Vinzelles
Pure, fresh and stony chardonnay with no perceptible oak but lots of fresh limestone acidity, minerals and a hint of spritz. Nice and simple, although quite elegant, and still very young. Try with oysters. Made from organically grown grapes. AB-certified (Ecocert) and certified biodynamic (Demeter) since 2006.
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2008 Domaine de Veilloux Cheverny 86 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Cheverny
Serious sauvignon blanc without any over-the-top aromas. Fresh, pure, minerally, spicy, well balanced and quite long. Good seafood wine. Made from organically grown grapes. Might be a little romorantin and menu pineau in there too.
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2004 Domaine de Veilloux Cheverny Argilo 86 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Cheverny
Interesting and mineral nose with development towards tobacco leaves, ashtray, gunflint and yellow apples with some oxidation/acetaldehydes. Waxy, complex and quite rich taste. Have lost a bit of its acid edge, seems to be on its way downhill. Not bad at all - full of character and personality - but probably better two years ago. A mix of menu pineau, chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Ecologically grown grapes. Without competition the highest original pricetag of the outlet lot.
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2004 Clos Chante l'Alouette 81 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion
No lack of bordeaux character on the nose. Quite oaky, with good development towards earth and mushrooms and some green cab franc notes among the merlot. Taste is short on fruit, tannins and charm, too oaky for its own best but still a drinkable wine if not analyzed too closely. Needs a few hours to show its "best". Ok for casual drinking with or without food.
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2006 Les Chemins de Bassac Côtes de Thongue Camille Léonie 85 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Côtes de Thongue
Quite good nose with a bit of southern funk and garrigue. Quite substantial taste that shows good balance although it could do with more freshness. Promises to drink nicely with a kitchen of garlic, black olives and provencal herbs. A blend of mourvèdre, grenache and cabernet sauvignon. Ecologically grown grapes.
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2004 Domaine Joliette Côtes du Roussillon Cuvée Montpins 87 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon
Now this is a serious wine - although a bit rustic. Good development with lots of chocolate, brown farine sugar, black cherries, blackberries, raisins, spicebox and scorched earth. Well endowed taste, full-bodied with lots of ripe fruit, tannins and spice. 14,8% alcohol but no heat. Ecologically grown grapes. Numbered bottles, this was no. 1396. A lot of bang for the bucks.
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2008 Château Bousquette Saint-Chinian L'Absolu 89 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Saint-Chinian
This just might be the best wine in the Vinik "outlet" tasting. Lots of ripe fruit and garrigue, impeccable balance and well-integrated spicy oak treatment. Still on the young side, it could do with one to five years of cellaring, but would also perform very well on any table today. Judging from the speed the bottles empty, this most definitely is a public winner. Château Bousquette farm five hectares of vines, organically tended since 1972. The harvest yield for this cuvée is 25 hl/ha. L'Absolu is brought up during one year in barriques for the mourvèdre, and in tanks for the grenache and carignan.
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2005 Domaine de Barbazan Madiran Vieilles Vignes 88 Points
France, Southwest France, Madiran
This is not for the faint of heart. Fresh and pure nose without any oaky flattery at all. Good acids, medium fruit and quite severe tannins that call for a really long airing and/or a dinner with lots of animal fat. Restaurant quality meat and a risotto with marrow bone would be a good idea. Not a charmer at the moment, could do with some years in the cellar. Classic-style wine from 100% tannat, 100 year old ungrafted vines and organically grown grapes. A contender for ugliest label ever.
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