2005 Domaine aux Moines Anjou-Villages Aux Moines

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  11/23/2007, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (MOINES Anjou Village) UPDATE: Notes from France The big news this week (apart from having to ride a bicycle through Paris because none of the metro trains are running) is that the 2007 Bordeaux vintage is saved! At the Paris Expo I’ve run into a number of vintners who claim that the last half of September saved the entire growing season and that they will make delicious wines. One Third Growth owner that I have become somewhat friendly with told me their wine will be “on par with 2001 and 2002” and that “we had to drop and thin as much as 70% of the crop but the grapes left were excellent - prices will be high, of course, due to such a small crop but surely the consumer will understand? There was so much rain all summer that we had to use 3-4 times the amount of chemicals and mold inhibitors on the grapes that were left, to insure the consumer would have something of quality” - now that’s progress. After this statement was uttered, he quickly asked if I was going to quote him on the mold inhibitor proclamation (knowing my stance on natural winemaking - he realized he had let this slip to the wrong writer) and I said I would do so anonymously. He urged me to reconsider and that “It isn’t fair to characterize all of Bordeaux with my statement” and I said “I think the consumer can make up their own mind and do their own research - your statement may just make them more aware of a potential challenge with the vintage and if a Chateau as prominent and famous as your own took the above measures, chances are there is something to be aware of on a broader basis”. He grumbled and walked away - I guess we won’t be getting an allocation of their wine anymore. What we will have is a better understanding that (at least at one Chateau) they will do whatever is necessary (including the use of nearly outrageous levels of chemicals and inhibitors) to prop up the notion that the vintage is one to purchase. 2007 is the vintage that was saved? I don’t think this needs any further comment. More to come from Paris and environs... -Jon Rimmerman ***************************** Moines Dear Friends, There’s nothing like being on the spot and offering you the wine as fresh as can be and that’s what we’re doing below. Lots going on here in Paris with one strike after another and protests that are reminiscent of the 1960’s in the US. It seems that every group has a voice and they are not afraid to shut down one service after another to make their point. Unlike in the US where the government would most likely step in after a day or two of unrest, the French government seems content to let each group have their moment. November in France is the traditional protest/strike month and this year is especially active. With the Metro out of service, Paris has an uncanny grey/winter-time feel of what it must have been like circa 1900, where bicycles are everywhere and Parisians traverse the city on foot, slogging through damp streets and fog like a scene in Henry and June. Maybe you see neighbors you’ve never said hello to and the conversation leads to a friendship that was long overdue? Every circumstance in life has a chance to prove its point, to awaken instead of dim - whether you choose to look up instead of down is the question. The Paris Expo is particularly active this year and conversation is as much about wine as it is about politics, life and retirement at 55 (a French right of passage for many). In the midst of this, a wine that has never been exported to the the US stood out for me today - the limited production 2005 Domaine aux Moines Anjou Village “Aux Moines”. It is one of the last 2005 Loire reds to come to market and it personifies the vintage - lightly tannic, layered and laced with wet stone aromatics - the natural mineral tone of the Franc smells of fruit and earth with a well-framed core of ripeness balanced by deft acidity. This is a medium bodied, astute representation of when too much is not a good thing and when “just right” means pulling back on the throttle to let the vintage and wine speak for itself (which is what they’ve done here). A lovely wine for everyday that can cut through your winter dishes as well as cleanse your summer palate. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY (I secured the last 30 cases available of the 2005 - the 2006 will be released next spring) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a reminder that the Loire represents value like no other top region in France. 2005 Domaine aux Moines Anjou Village “Aux Moines” Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire9892