Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  2/21/2009 (link)

  (COSSAIS Montlouis LE VOLAGRE) Le Volagre Dear Friends, A nice surprise arrived after midnight, an allocation of a wine I've been chasing since the cavalcade of 2005 Loire whites made their debut. As one of the more interesting dry wines of a lauded vintage, this Montlouis sec is worth noting (and then some). With a goal of surpassing Clos Rougeard, Stephane Cossais is brash, unpredictable and every bit the rogue but his 2005 Le Volagre already has a legion of underground punks that revere it as the modern emergence of Gaston Huet's ghost. Chidaine may get the distribution in the US but it is Cossais that excites in France - not so much for his superior wine but for its superbly wild style and potential ageing curve (I've heard as many as 50 years for the 2005). Made in a fully extractive, pent up style, this wine is bursting at the seams with a dry Chenin Blanc tonic of what drinks like layered fresh-pressed crystalline must that is still in tank or barrel. This is not a waif-like delicate wine, it is for the very long haul and the patient collector that has time to give this Montlouis its due (in the darkest and coldest corner of the cellar). Those of you that tasted the 1919 Huet at one of our Per Se dinners 3-4 years ago will understand the style Cossais is going for. For a few other opinions, please see (unrelated to us but respected bloggers): (You have to cut and paste this entire, enormous URL into your browser - all of the black and blue text - you can't just click on it or it will tell you "Blog not found") http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://loeilsurlevin.blogspot.com/2008/12/domaine-stphane-cossais-montlouis-37.html&ei=IjafSf42x7-2B-eOlIEN&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=9&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D2005%2BCossais%2BMontlouis%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den <http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://loeilsurlevin.blogspot.com/2008/12/domaine-stphane-cossais-montlouis-37.html&ei=IjafSf42x7-2B-eOlIEN&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=9&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D2005%2BCossais%2BMontlouis%26hl%3Den%26> (this one should be ok to click on) http://jimsloire.blogspot.com/2008/11/stphane-cossais.html HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for rarity and unique expression of Chenin Blanc: This parcel has impeccable provenance directly from the source at about the same price as the cellar door (the fact that a wine like this is still available speaks volumes about the pricing disparity between the greatest white wines of France): 2005 Stephane Cossais Montlouis-sur-Loire "Le Volagre" sec Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire9722