2009 Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fumé

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  6/8/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (JONATHON Pabiot Pouilly Fume) 2009 Pouilly-Fume Dear Friends, If you are looking for excitement in the Loire, I mean groundbreaking excitement from a new source set to push the envelope, let me introduce you to Jonathan Pabiot – the next great hope for Pouilly Fume. Without the smoke and mirrors, It doesn’t hurt that we begin our dance with 2009. I stand by my early proclamation that Pouilly-Fume was the epicenter of the Loire in the vintage and, compared to Sancerre (its close neighbor), it’s almost like night and day. In Sancerre, many of the 2009 wines show an obtuse and warm character with blowsy fruit (although there are some incredible wines as well – you just have to be selective) but in Pouilly Fume, the stars aligned with results that can only be described as “of the ages”. Use whatever analogy you wish but these are wines that must be tasted (and cellared). Never in many years of tasting the wines from the region have I experienced such massive depth aligned with stony and lime drenched fruit as I have with 2009 Pouilly-Fume. Not every wine has this character but a majority of them do with what appears to be two decades of ageing potential pent up in their midst. If you were intrigued by Jean Teiller’s 2009 Menetou-Salon offer a week ago, step right up to the plate as you are about to begin batting practice with a fence pulled in just beyond the shortstop and a pitcher delivering one lob after another. In other words, 2009 Pouilly-Fume is a ballpark built for homeruns. While few like to admit it, with the passing of Didier Dagueneau, Pouilly-Fume is somewhat of a ship without a star captain. The locals loved to complain about Didier and his free spirit while he was alive (not to mention his prices) but in his absence, they feel the void left by the magnate and magnet of Sauvignon Blanc – they feel a palpable sense that some of the grandeur that was lavished on their small slice of terroir has left this world for good....or has it? Not to put any pressure on our young showman, but the world is ready for a new clean-up hitter and Jonathon Pabiot is more than capable of taking the reigns in the region. He is far too modest to publicly desire this role but with personal fans such as Gerard Boulay, it will be tough for him to escape the limelight for much longer... From vines that average 30 years of age on Kimmeridgian marl, Portlandian (chalk), and clay-silex/flint (yes, all three soil types) nearly 10,000 vines are planted per hectare (very dense) and the entire site is ploughed in the 19th century method (i.e. by hand or mule). Only natural yeast is used and the wine is grown, raised and vinified with biodynamic/organic methodology. If you hear the argument that biodynamics is a waste of time, I urge you to present this wine as your entire argument – you will not have to utter a word. With overflowing fruit purity and site specific varietal focus in spades - one sip of this elixir is all you need to be convinced that 2009 is very special indeed. Immediately bright, floral and fabulously stony in presence, the nose is like a periodic table of minerals. Jasmine and white flower notes vie with lime and ground rock – almost like dust coming from a sanding block applied to a wall of flint. The palate delivers more of the same with lime rind and uncanny intensity - hints of kumquats and physalis also make an appearance. I often refer to “lime dusted stones” but this wine is the poster-child for what I am getting at. With 6-12 hours of air, a pear nuance comes forward with even greater cut and persistence keeping things in check. A mouthwatering, salty and stony experience that pulls the taster back again and again as the notes of lime turn to red grapefruit pulp pressed into stone. I guess I like the wine. As our Parisian friend Velo (the Golden Palate with a massive collection of vinous riches) so eloquently put it: “A bottle of 2009 Jonathon Pabiot I opened for a tasting was still drinking well 10 days later, and I finished it with pleasure at dinner. I could have opened any bottle in my cellar, but was quite happy, even overjoyed, to finish this instead”. Enough said. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a newcomer with designs on the top prize. While it’s still and from a vintage like 2009, I will politely get out of the way... FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 36/person until we run out 2009 Jonathon Pabiot Pouilly Fume - (compare at $20-30) Please note: there are at least a dozen Pabiot’s in the local community and half of them are winemakers. Today’s wine is Jonathan Pabiot, not Dominique, J Pabiot, Domaine Pabiot or any of the other entrants. This parcel is directly from Jonathon’s cellar with impeccable provenance. To order: niki@garagistewine.com This wine is set to depart the cave – it will arrive in the summer (please check OARS for local pick up after July 20th). It will ship during the Fall shipping season and will offer splendid drinking now and over the next 15-20 years. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire7399 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.

• By Jon Rimmerman
  6/7/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (JONATHON Pabiot Pouilly Fume) Huet Dear Friends, We offered this wine as part of a 6-pack earlier in the year but I had not tasted it in nearly 6 months - that changed over the weekend when I had the great pleasure of enjoying it over an entire evening (first quite cold and then warmed to room temperature) and again last night - what a wine! Domaine Huet is among my favorite wineries in the world. As I've said in the past, there are times when I'm tempted to place Huet on "desert island" status as my one choice for vinous fulfillment should I be stranded in the next series of Lost. While I'm a red wine enthusiast first, Huet is always in the mix as one of the preeminent first growth estates of Europe and their treasure rarely disappoints, even with 100 year old examples that are shocking and still full of vibrancy. With all the accolades and adoration, what many do not realize about Huet is their staunch commitment to 100% biodynamic and organic Chenin Blanc. Their Vouvray is produced as naturally as possible and they were among the pioneers of the Loire Valley with regard to successful implementation of organics in a quasi-commercial sense. While Huet is far from what most of us think of when we use the world "commercial", they are one of the only entities in the northern Loire (in this case Vouvray) with an acumen akin to Chateau Margaux or Latour - in other words, they mean business - in both a vinous and profit sense. The difference is that, at Huet, profit has never usurped their dedication to the consumer and the simple enjoyment of the evening meal. In addition, it has never interfered with their dedication to offer wine of value and also of great complexity and ageing potential. At Huet, the earth and the health/well-being of the consumer are aligned as one - a lesson many of us could learn from. Which brings us to today's offer... 2008 was the year of demi-sec (off-dry) at Huet and we may as well go straight to Le Mont. Of the three vineyards (Le Mont, Le Haut Lieu and Clos de Bourg) it appears 2008 favored Le Mont and specifically the wines from demi-sec to moelleux. When I say "favored" I don't mean the vintage was decent - in this case "favored" means outrageous and exceptional. If you are experimenting with the finest white wines in the world and desire a natural example that has 40-60 years of ageing potential, let me introduce Huet's 2008 Vouvray Le Mont demi-sec - a world-beater at a fraction of the cost of grand cru white Burgundy or any other white wine with more than 50 years of cellar potential. By the time this wine begins to gracefully fade into the sunset, its asking price in year 2010 will be an afterthought... John Gilman (View from the Cellar): "From the examples I have tasted of the 2008s from Domaine Huet, it seems quite clear that Le Mont has really over-achieved in this vintage and produced an absolutely stellar range of wines. The beautiful and superbly complex nose on the '08 demi-sec from the Le Mont vineyard soars from the glass in a blaze of apple, sweet grapefruit, incipient notes of honeycomb, orange peel, kaleidoscopic minerality and an esthery topnote of bee pollen. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and very snappy, with a rock solid core of fruit, laser-like focus, really a superb expression of its underlying terroir and outstanding length and grip on the racy and transparent finish. A wonderful bottle of Le Mont demi-sec in the making. 2013-2060." (for those of you new to John Gilman, he has an astute, centered palate more in line with Tanzer - he often reviews regions and entrants skipped by others and I highly recommend subscribing to his journal, View From the cellar - JR) If you purchase a case or more of this wine, I would recommend opening one bottle every other year over the next two decades but be sure to save a few bottles for the very long term. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED This parcel has impeccable provenance - it is NOT VIA THE GREY MARKET 2008 Huet Vouvray "Le Mont" demi-sec (NM94) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire9556 2696 2009 Pouilly Fume 2009 Pouilly-Fume Dear Friends, If you are looking for excitement in the Loire, I mean groundbreaking excitement from a new source set to push the envelope, let me introduce you to Jonathan Pabiot - the next great hope for Pouilly Fume. Without the smoke and mirrors, It doesn't hurt that we begin our dance with 2009. I stand by my early proclamation that Pouilly-Fume was the epicenter of the Loire in the vintage and, compared to Sancerre (its close neighbor), it's almost like night and day. In Sancerre, many of the 2009 wines show an obtuse and warm character with blowsy fruit (although there are some incredible wines as well - you just have to be selective) but in Pouilly Fume, the stars aligned with results that can only be described as "of the ages". Use whatever analogy you wish but these are wines that must be tasted (and cellared). Never in many years of tasting the wines from the region have I experienced such massive depth aligned with stony and lime drenched fruit as I have with 2009 Pouilly-Fume. Not every wine has this character but a majority of them do with what appears to be two decades of ageing potential pent up in their midst. If you were intrigued by Jean Teiller's 2009 Menetou-Salon offer a week ago, step right up to the plate as you are about to begin batting practice with a fence pulled in just beyond the shortstop and a pitcher delivering one lob after another. In other words, 2009 Pouilly-Fume is a ballpark built for homeruns. While few like to admit it, with the passing of Didier Dagueneau, Pouilly-Fume is somewhat of a ship without a star captain. The locals loved to complain about Didier and his free spirit while he was alive (not to mention his prices) but in his absence, they feel the void left by the magnate and magnet of Sauvignon Blanc - they feel a palpable sense that some of the grandeur that was lavished on their small slice of terroir has left this world for good....or has it? Not to put any pressure on our young showman, but the world is ready for a new clean-up hitter and Jonathon Pabiot is more than capable of taking the reigns in the region. He is far too modest to publicly desire this role but with personal fans such as Gerard Boulay, it will be tough for him to escape the limelight for much longer... From vines that average 30 years of age on Kimmeridgian marl, Portlandian (chalk), and clay-silex/flint (yes, all three soil types) nearly 10,000 vines are planted per hectare (very dense) and the entire site is ploughed in the 19th century method (i.e. by hand or mule). Only natural yeast is used and the wine is grown, raised and vinified with biodynamic/organic methodology. If you hear the argument that biodynamics is a waste of time, I urge you to present this wine as your entire argument - you will not have to utter a word. With overflowing fruit purity and site specific varietal focus in spades - one sip of this elixir is all you need to be convinced that 2009 is very special indeed. Immediately bright, floral and fabulously stony in presence, the nose is like a periodic table of minerals. Jasmine and white flower notes vie with lime and ground rock - almost like dust coming from a sanding block applied to a wall of flint. The palate delivers more of the same with lime rind and uncanny intensity - hints of kumquats and physalis also make an appearance. I often refer to "lime dusted stones" but this wine is the poster-child for what I am getting at. With 6-12 hours of air, a pear nuance comes forward with even greater cut and persistence keeping things in check. A mouthwatering, salty and stony experience that pulls the taster back again and again as the notes of lime turn to red grapefruit pulp pressed into stone. I guess I like the wine. As our Parisian friend Velo (the Golden Palate with a massive collection of vinous riches) so eloquently put it: "A bottle of 2009 Jonathon Pabiot I opened for a tasting was still drinking well 10 days later, and I finished it with pleasure at dinner. I could have opened any bottle in my cellar, but was quite happy, even overjoyed, to finish this instead". Enough said. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a newcomer with designs on the top prize. While it's still $16+ and from a vintage like 2009, I will politely get out of the way... FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 36/person until we run out 2009 Jonathon Pabiot Pouilly Fume Please note: there are at least a dozen Pabiot's in the local community and half of them are winemakers. Today's wine is Jonathan Pabiot, not Dominique, J Pabiot, Domaine Pabiot or any of the other entrants. This parcel is directly from Jonathon's cellar with impeccable provenance. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire7399