2008 Domaine de Montcy Cour-Cheverny

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  8/1/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (COUR-CHEVERNY Montcy) Cour-Cheverny Dear Friends, On a lazy Sunday morning, my mind drifts off to many places (coffee?) but it is a wine tasted last week that stays in the forefront of my daydream. Laura Semeria is on fire and if there’s a better producer across the board in this area of the Loire, I’d like to see it. Domaine de Montcy has come of age. I’ve watched this burgeoning property grow and experiment over the past four years and they’ve finally reached the top rung in summer 2010. We’ve offered wine from Montcy numerous times in the past and all have their charms and virtues, but the new-release set from Laura (Montcy’s affable owner/winemaker) takes this property to another level - a level reserved for only a few. While much is known about Touraine, the small regions of Cheverny and the even smaller Cour-Cheverny remain figments...even to the French. Where Cheverny specializes in Pinot Noir, Gamay and Sauvignon (and various blends of Chardonnay/Sauvignon), Cour-Cheverny focuses on a single grape: Romorantin. Romorantin is one of the least known of the indigenous white varietals of the Loire and, in many ways, it symbolizes the Loire Valley in general – piquant, textural and gleaming with pent up light – it is mineral-swathed, refreshing and beautifully balanced. Often compared to 1er Chablis (with a unique textural mouthfeel), it is a glorious food wine and, in the hands of Laura Semeria, it is a complete wine with designs of a much higher order. The 2008 Couer-Cheverny is the finest wine ever made at Montcy. It is a stunning bottle of Romorantin, especially at the laughable tariff. It is a wine I could drink 3-4 times/week with a new virtue learned on each occasion – simply by the pleasure of its consumption. Powerful but delicate, stony but rich, oxygen plays with this wine over 4-6 hours with layers of buoyant rock and green Sauvignon-like notes that bob and weave their way around waves of textural harmony. This terroir-laced wine was 100% hand-picked and organically vinified without additions of yeast, enzymes or other - it reflects the Montcy vineyard site exactly as the vintage intended. There was no sulfur used in its production (only the slightest amount at bottling) and it remains fresh as a spring field of daisies ready to dance with the wandering wind. While underpriced for the quality level, Montcy’s Cour-Cheverny is now considered the crème-de-la-crème of the region – it is typically the most costly white wine on area wine lists (at 40.00 Euros or more). Not only does it pair favorably with the lighter fair of the northern Loire, but it presents an in-depth look at a varietal and tiny region that will certainly become more well-known to US consumers over the next decade - much like Pouilly Fume or Sancerre before it. A wonderful wine that deserves our highest accolade. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance (as a personal note of thanks, Laura Semeria sends her best and hopes that you enjoy this wine as much as she does – I’ll let her know in advance that we most certainly will)... 2008 Domaine de Montcy Cour-Cheverny - (compare at $18-22+ in the US, you can look up pricing for the 2007 but 2008 is a better vintage – this is not the regular Cheverny, which is less expensive) FIRST COME FIRST SERVED at this price up to 48/person until we run out (the wine will be at peak in another 12-18 months and last for the next 4-6 years – if you drink it now, open at least 30 minutes prior to serving). To ease the packing puzzle in the warehouse, please try to order in multiples of 3, 6 or 12 (up to 48) – thank you. To order: niki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to depart the cave – it will arrive in September/October (please check OARS for local pick up in October). It will ship during the Fall shipping season. 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 Loire9223 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.