We drink zee French vino
Chez Simo Bistro, Chicago IL
Tasted Monday, October 28, 2013 by KeithAkers with 533 views
Introduction
Matt and I had wanted to get a small group here as the menu looked like it would be fun. The menu leans more towards the rustic side of French cuisine and thus called for wines from more rustic regions.
Flight 1 (9 Notes)
Closing
I'm extremely glad this happened. Not only is the food very good, the price is absurdly low for what you get. Needless to say, Chez Simo is on the main list for return places and I look forward to the next one.
2012 Pichler-Krutzler Grüner Veltliner Frauengärten 87 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Nose: Nice and balanced nose with peaches, pears, snow peas, white fruits, and citrus.
Taste: Medium/light bodied with medium+ acidity. There is a freshness to the tones of citrus, white fruits, peaches, and some snap peas.
Overall: This is a nice grüner, but it's lacking the depth that F.X. can bring.
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2006 Maison Leroy Bourgogne Blanc 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
Nose: There is a waxiness to the nose along with apples, tropical citrus, peaches, and some florals.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acdidity. Well balanced with tropical citrus, apples, waxy notes and peaches. There is a forwardness to the tones with good depth for the level.
Overall: This is a quality Bourgogne blanc. It shows the vintage through its forwardness, but there is very good balance as well.
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2006 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest 85 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Nose: There is a forwardness to the nose with apples, spiced pears, citrus, and a slight touch of minerals. This is lacking some depth as well as lacking some of the chablis character.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity. There is a fatness to the feel with apples, spiced pears, and citrus notes. There is some depth lacking and the tones are on the more forward side.
Overall: I wouldn't have guessed this as a chablis blind. It showed the vintage and it wasn't showing prem-ox. It was a good chardonnay, but this isn't close to the best Dauvissat I've had.
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NV Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuis 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Nose: This is well rounded with baked bread, red apples, citrus tones, brioche, and some pears. There is very good depth with excellent balance.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity. The feel is very refined and creamy with baked bread, mineral tones, brioche, red apples, and pears.
Overall: This was from a 10/10 disgorgement. This shows some real nice refinement to it and the bit of aging has helped that.
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1997 Maurice Écard Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Narbantons 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
Nose: This was very aromatic and perfumed from the get-go with dark red fruits, earth notes, truffles, and some purple florals. This nose has a real elegance and classiness to it that makes it very attractive.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. There is a youth to it, but the palate is very refined with dark red fruits, earth notes, violets, and spice tones.
Overall: This was beautifully balanced. It showed some real poise with a pretty earthen base. This is one of the better successes of the vintage that I've had.
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2000 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Nose: Savory and polished with black fruits, black cherries, garrigue, briary notes, and some violets. This is more based on finesse and is well layered too.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The structure is still showing some youth, bit it is far from inaccessible with black cherries, briary tones, violets, garrigue, and a touch of funk.
Overall: This was drinking very well. It still has a ways to go, but is a lot of fun right now. This is a CdP that leans more on finesse than power with a touch of funk as well.
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2010 Domaine Guion Bourgueil Cuvée Prestige 89 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Nose: Well balanced with bell peppers, red cherries, spices, red florals, and hi-toned red fruits. There is a chunkiness to the tones with it having a classic cab franc profile.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and chewy tannins. The feel is on the elegant side with bell pepper, red cherries, hi-toned red fruits, and some red florals.
Overall: This is a steal of a wine. I had no clue that it was $13 when I had it and this punches well above it's price point. It brings classic Cab Franc tones with good youthful structure as well.
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1999 Château Quinault L'Enclos 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Nose: While the french oak strikes you right away, it feels somewhat in the background along with roasted coffee, dark red cherries, licorice, and some leather notes.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with a smooth and polished feel. There are some tannins there but these feel mostly resolved along with roasted coffee, dark red cherries, oak, and some licorice.
Overall: While this does show some oak, it seems to be relatively in balanced compared to the other tones. This feels like it's s good as it will get as the structure isn't showing itself to still be young.
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2010 Domaine Lafouge Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru La Chapelle Rouge 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru
Nose: Gorgeous and perfumed with violets, earth notes, dark red fruits, red cherries, and some spice tones. The tones seem to waft out of the glass, and while there is a robustness to them, there is also balance and elegance as well.
Taste: Medium bodied with noticeable medium+ acidity and youthful tannins. The structure is certainly there along with violets, spice tones, dark red fruits, and some bits of earth notes.
Overall: This is very young and one of the best Auxey-Duresses I've had. This needs a lot of sleep, but there is a ton to like right now as well.
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