Montpellier, France
Tasted Tuesday, January 28, 2014 by isaacjamesbaker with 628 views
Day 2 of the Bio Fair was equally awesome. I started off hitting up some of my favs (Chidaine and Domaine de la Pinte) and then moved around somewhat randomly, tasting whatever jumped out at me. At this point in the trip, I was quite exhausted, so I didn't hit as many producers as I would've liked. Still, some really good wines in the mix.
If I didn't visit Chidaine, I would've never forgiven myself. What a superb slew of Chenin Blanc wines.
Bruno Ciofi is the man, and his wines are so full of character. I was stoked to be able to chat with him for a good 40 minutes or so and taste through some wines that I hadn't seen before.
A blissful and unique Chardonnay. A special selection from limestone and blue marl soils, it smells like dried apricot, clover honey, lemon verbena and crushed rocks. Rich texture but terrific acid and a pure stream of minerals throughout. Yellow apple and green pear fruit are matched with minerals, sage, lemon pepper and mountain stream notes. Such minerality and elegance. Love this stuff.
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Aromas of smoke, sour cherries, pickles, clay and a note that reminds me of red beet. All about the freshness on the palate, with crisp acid and lots of minerals. Tangy sour cherry fruit mixes with clay, tobacco and dried rose flavors. Not quite as good as I remember the 2010, but another delicious Poulsard from Bruno Ciofi.
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Light rose color. Smells like cranberries, rose hips and dried herbs. Such freshness on the palate, with tart berries and red apple peel, matched by notes of roses, dusty road and crushed limestone. So elegant and crisp with a tobacco-laced finish. A blend of Pinot, Poulsard and Trousseau.
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Highly aromatic, with honey, peach and a floral-grass note that reminds me of daffodils and hay. Creamy texture, live-wire acid and such purity on the palate. Nectarine and honeydew melon mix with dried honey and peanut shell. I like to generous feel but it's still precise and elegant.
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Aromas of yellow apple, dried honey, wax and an aroma that reminds of wood after it's been rubbed with that lemon-scented dusting oil, as crazy as that may sound. Tangy as hell on the palate, but full and creamy. Green pear and apricot mix with nutty, dried honey notes. The wine spends 18 months on the lees and five years in barrel, although the oxidation is controlled and not overwhelming.
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Exotic on the nose, rich and waxy with lemon peel, smoke and floral incense. Nutty, complex on the palate with nectarine, dried pineapple and yellow apple. I get some nutty, dried wax notes as well. The oxidation is minor, and as Bruno describes it, this wine is a fresher alternative to Vin Jaune. Really unique and tasty, this would be a great pairing with all sorts of cheese. A blend of 80% Savagnin from 2006 (some of which is oxidized) and 20% Chardonnay from 2008.
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Smells like nuts, hay, dried wax, lemon peel and white pepper. A complex mix of aromas. Full and waxy on the palate, complex, but full of fresh acid. Flavors of almond, lemon oil, sea brine and green olive combine in a unique package. Finish with notes of preserved lemon, nuts and graham cracker crust. Despite the oxidation, it's still fresh and subtle, and not overwhelming given this style. Delicious stuff, I'd love to cellar some for a decade to see what happens.
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Aromas of glazed pear, peach, honey, preserved lemon and an oily-waxy note. Flavors of apricot, sweet pineapple, honey and mixed nuts on a full-bodied frame with lovely acid. I love the combination of freshness and fullness, and the sweetness is much more reserved and balanced than a lot of dessert wines. Caramel-laden finish. Bruno calls this wine Paradoxe because he says it tastes less sweet than it actually is. Delicious stuff.
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Grapefruit and white flowers on the nose. Peachy, green pear, some lime peel flavors. A bit flat though. A blend of Pausa Blanca and Chardonnay.
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Aromas of papaya, caramel and nuts. Rich and creamy on the palate, with mango, papaya, caramel. Six months in new oak shows. A stylistically bold wine, but it's fun.
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Aromas of white peach and white and green pepper. High acid, creamy body, with flavors of lychee nut, white pepper and some mineral notes. Decent length.
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Strong minerals on the nose, smashed slate and lime peel. Superb acid on the palate, such freshness, with flavors of key lime pie, lychee and shaved lemon. A rush of minerals, like lime juice poured over mountain rocks. Great concentration and a long finish, this will do well with age.
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A nutty amber color. Rich apricot and orange marmalade. Very sweet, rich and nutty on the palate. Orange marmalade, apricot jam and baked graham cracker crust. Tasty, but lacking a bit of acid for balance.
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Snuck a few Italians in, as well as a few Bordeaux because the region wasn't very prominent at the fair.
Aromas of strawberries, loam, white pepper and a hint of beef broth. Fresh and tingly on the palate with fine tannins. Cherry and strawberry-driven, with some significant mineral and rose petal notes. Tangy and brisk on the finish. Showing well, but perhaps a few years would help.
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Red cherries, spice and tobacco on the nose. Very fresh and silky with a nice tannin-acid ratio. Cherries, raspberries and red roses mixed with earth and tobacco. Long and elegant, drinking well.
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Dark and meaty on the nose with roasted plum and an aroma that reminds me of caramel corn. Rich and dense on the palate with gritty tannins and low acid. Roasted plums, blackberry jam, mocha and toast. A bit big and burly, a blend of Nero d'Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Aromas of currants, earth, smoke and olive tapenade. So firm and grippy on the palate, with red currant and plum fruit. Soy sauce, olive and mushroom add some complexity. Really compact now, and lacking some acid, perhaps it needs some time.
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Here we go: Aromas of green/black olives, pepper, lamb and roasted plums. Rich but also fresh and silky on the palate, with fine, firm tannins and crisp acid. Red currants and plums blend nicely with lots of olive, iron, roasted red pepper and black pepper. Long life ahead for sure, but I'm surprised at how well this is showing right now.
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I wasn't expecting this to be so damn good, but it really impressed me. Dark berries on the nose, sweet roses, allspice and an aroma that reminds me of glazed ham. Juicy and fresh on the palate with gobs of cherries and raspberries and sweet figs. Earth, clay, lavender and incense add all sorts of complexity. I love the 2011 freshness, this is long and pretty and drinking very well now. Love it.
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Aromas of roasted plums, black cherries, tobacco and pepper. Plum and black currants, tobacco, loam some green pepper and sweet vanilla. Open and modern in its approach, but really well made.
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Deep currant aromas, with violets, loam and vanilla. Pure and fleshy with ripe tannins and medium acid. Juicy and ripe with vanilla-accented berries. Underlying tobacco and forest floor elements. Long, quite complex.
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Sweet plums, vanilla, clove and violets on the nose. Grippy tannins, with rich black cherry fruit and currant jam. A good amount of vanilla and oak, some iron and Fig Newton flavors as well. Needs time.
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Rich and inky on the nose, currant jam, violets and tobacco. High tannins, high concentration, with flavors of currant paste and blackberries. Dark soil, tobacco and charcoal notes. Very young and concentrated, with a finish of vanilla and cedar. Big, needs time to unwind.
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I had dinner with Virgile and his wife the night before and enjoyed their wines, so I stopped by to say hello and try some of the bottles I hadn't yet tasted.
Fresh and clean on the nose, with green apple and clover honey. Nice richness on the palate, but still clean and mineral-driven. Crisp green and yellow fruit with honey and tea notes.
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Aromas of tangy lime, apricot and Brazil nuts. Crisp and clean on the palate with a waxy mouthfeel. Green melon and apricot flavors, with some nut and dried flower elements. This 100% Grenache Blanc is showing some complexity at eight years old.
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Smells rustic and smoky, with earth and charcoal dust covering the red berry fruit. Juicy and fresh on the palate with black cherries, very fine-grained tannins and medium acid. Nice earth, charcoal and chestnut flavors. For an entry-level wine, it's showing some nice concentration.
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Smoky berries and rich earth on the nose. Rich tannins, medium- acid. Fleshy red currants, pepper, lamb hide, chestnut shell. Complex and peppery on the finish. Interesting blend of flavors on a solid frame.
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Smoky aromas, a bit reduced, baked berry pie, sweet rose potpourri. Still strong on the palate, with a rich texture. Plummy, a bit baked, like cooked berries in sauce. Some dusty earth, smoke and leather add complexity. Different stuff, not sure how much longer this should stick around, but it's fun.
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This was my first experience with the CdPs of Berthet-Rayne, and it won't be my last. Some really nice wines spanning 2010-2013.
Fresh and floral on the nose. Juicy, richly textured on the palate, but tangy acid. Nice mix of green apple peel, melon rind and honey.
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Tangy berries and earth on the nose. Fine tannins, crisp acid, with flavors of black cherries, cola, clay soil, some leather. Just need a bit more length and complexity.
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Spicy aromas, with pepper, soil, fig paste and plum cake. Densely tannic with solid acid. Flavors of black cherry, coffee, iron, grilled herbs, smoked meat. Maintains a velvety texture, but great concentration. Staying power in here for sure.
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More open than the 2010, with black cherry, rose and violet aromas. Fresh and silky on the palate, with black cherry, earth, root beer, leather, an herbal undertones. This has structure for the cellar, but showing a lot more accessibility than the 2010.
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Earth, smoke, plum cake and charcoal aromas. Juicy and rich on the palate, but firm tannic structure. I get flavors of berry compote, cola and earth. It's a bit dense now, and needs time to open up, but a very attractive young Chateauneuf.
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More depth and intensity than the 2011 Cigalons. Smells of incense, smoke, plum cake, leather, black pepper, very complex. Fleshy and open on the palate, with firm tannic grip, a lip-smacking quality from the acid. Black cherry and currant fruit, some raspberry as well. Secondary flavors of rocks, iron and dried flowers. Complex, lovely stuff.
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Exotic aromas of tobacco, cola, violets, incense and pepper. Freshly textured with rich plum fruit. Tons of earth, fig paste, violets and sweet herbs. A really beautiful wine, it has some cellar potential but showing well young. 50% Grenache and 50% Mourvedre.
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NV François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Méthode Traditionelle Brut 88 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
White flowers, lemon zest and chammomile tea on the nose. Crisp and mineral-driven on the palate, with nectarine and melon rind flavors. Love the oceanic and mineral stream aspects.
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2012 François Chidaine Les Argiles 89 Points
France, Loire Valley, Vin de France
Aromas of white peach and nectarine, mixed with crushed stones and slate. Crisp and pure on the palate, with melon and lime peel. So much mineral and sea shell flavors. Sexy, alive, sure to be long-lived.
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2011 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Bournais 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
I love this wine, and 2011 is another solid example. Floral, peach, nectarine, minerals on the nose. Peach and cantaloupe all over the palate, but also really tangy. Creamy, slightly nutty, with a bit more honey than the Franc de Pied bottling. Great length on the palate, this will open up a lot over the next few years, I'm guessing.
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2011 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Franc de Pied Les Bournais 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
Honey, floral, nectarine, apricot and minerals on the nose. Richly textured, honeyed on the palate with nervy acid and lots of limestone and rocks. Lemon peel and peach flavors, mix with limestone and lychee nut. Long and full yet sleek. For me, this might be just a hair above the regular Les Bournais, possibly a little more long-lived, but is it worth the extra money? Probably not, for me.
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2011 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos Habert 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
Peaches, honey, mixed nuts and crushed rocks on the nose. The palate is rich, but buttressed by clean acid. So full and floral, with complex apricot, peach nectar, nuts and herbal tea. Long finish with dried white flowers and clay soil. I'd like to try this wine with five years on it.
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2010 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Tuffeaux 91 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
Aromas of apricots, honey, yellow flowers and mountain streams. Richly textured, great freshness. Honeydew, nectarine and sweet peaches, along with white tea, flowers and crushed nutshells. Sweet but balanced, a bit low on the mineral content but still incredibly delicious.
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2010 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Moelleux 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
Deep aromatic display of honey, apricots and flowers. Rich and lush, but also balanced and pure, and not in the slightest bit cloying. Love the apricot, nectarine and pineapple fruit, mixed with cinnamon, lanolin oily undertones. Not a lot of minerality, but it's still amazing. One for the cellar for sure.
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2010 François Chidaine Vouvray Moelleux 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Complex aromas of honeycomb, apricot, nectarine and chalk. Juicy and rich on the palate with nervy acid. Flavors of honey-glazed pears, caramel, pineapple and lychee. Not too rich because of an underlying sense of chalk and minerals. Long and complex with a long life ahead.
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