Spring Swing Through France-Random Wines Tasted or Imbibed
Burgundy, Alsace, Paris
Tasted Saturday, April 14, 2018 - Wednesday, April 25, 2018 by drwine2001 with 434 views
Introduction
I have separated out wines that we drank or tasted at more ambitious wine dinners or larger formal domain tastings; those bottles are noted elsewhere in separate tasting events. The rest of the things below were other bottles we came across during a highly enjoyable trip blessed by fine weather that allowed us to spend many hours outside walking to help burn off the vinous and gastronomic excesses!
Flight 1 (47 Notes)
Closing
I might as well end with a highly original assertion-it is possible to dine and drink very well in France! Can't wait for the next opportunity.
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut Réserve
France, Champagne
(4/14/2018)
Deep yellow. Full, black fruited, toasty, moderate dosage. Average, not that lively.
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2015 Bouchard Père et Fils Côte de Beaune Villages
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Beaune Villages
(4/14/2018)
Medium red. Some soil, spice, ripe red fruit, and a whole lot of oak.
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2012 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
(4/15/2018)
After a corked bottle of this that took a while to figure out, this was everything you’d want it to be. Clear medium ruby. Evolving nose of flowers, cranberry, and raspberry. Medium, elegant feel with crackling acidity and soil. Young, extremely promising, and it just kept getting deeper and more interesting with each sip. Ideally hold for at least another 5 or 6 years.
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2009 Benjamin Leroux Clos St. Denis
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos St. Denis Grand Cru
(4/16/2018)
Medium ruby, little evolution. Marvelous, explosive nose of mixed red and black fruit and spice joined later by herb and licorice. Sappy feel, wonderfully crisp cranberry acidity. Ready now, altogether delicious, fresh fruit with no 2009 flabbiness. Tannin mostly resolved. Although early reviews mentioned the wood, this seems to have been well incorporated. Outstanding Morey Grand Cru.
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2015 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
(4/16/2018)
Pale yellow with a glint of green. Right off the bat, a rich scent of pear and cut Golden Delicious apple. With an hour of air, some floral and iodine notes. This starts off open and ripe with fabulous texture and weight, but the finish rings with crushed rock, and after being open, it is clear there is more acidity and structure than are immediately apparent. This is at least excellent, probably better than that, but I imagine that it will peak somewhat earlier than this cuvée does in leaner years. Enjoy now before it becomes less friendly or in 5-6 years.
On the second day, still quite ripe impression and atypical for Chablis.
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2014 Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos St. Denis Grand Cru
(4/16/2018)
Sometimes it's just a 2 Clos St. Denis day-I wish that that were true more often, but that's how it turned out today. At any rate, compared to the Leroux from a rounder vintage, this was more linear and strict, but what a fine line it was. Medium weight, more elegance, slightly brambly, a core of bitter cherry and soil. This picked up sweetness and some weight as it sat out, and the tannins, while substantial, are fine enough to not extinguish the pleasure this offers today. I think that given plenty of time, this will be a great 2014 in a very classic mold.
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2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
(4/17/2018)
Pale yellow. A blast of wood and pineapple gave way more flower and citrus. Again, on the palate, rich, lactic, creamy entry, and then with some air, brighter orange and more of the minerality I would expect from the year. For someone who does not drink many Côte de Beaune Grand Crus, the oak remained very noticeable throughout, although it did calm down quite a bit. While this is excellent and just a baby, there was nothing about it that would make me chase this at the prices asked.
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2014 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
(4/17/2018)
Translucent red. Red cherry and smoke. Light and lacy, but what intensity! Delicate red fruit with sneaky sweetness and just a touch of menthol. Finely tannic finish and soil from start to finish. A gorgeous Chambolle that is shockingly good now.
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2014 Jean-Claude Bessin Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/18/2018)
Light yellow. All of the saltiness of great Chablis with moderate body. Just not the intensity or amplitude of the best Valmur.
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2012 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
(4/18/2018)
Deep color. Ripe aromas with some briary Lambrays stemminess. Medium weight but excellent coverage. Chocolate richness but strong acidity, and it quickly blossomed spicy red fruit, pepper, and a ton of soil. Drinking extremely well now and in the top tier of the many vintages of this that I have tried.
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2015 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis Vent d'Ange
France, Burgundy, Chablis
(4/18/2018)
Nice texture and weight. Ripe citrus, less Chablis structure. Good base wine.
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2015 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 1er Cru Beauregard
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
(4/18/2018)
Medium weight. Less fruity and much more saline than the Vent d’Ange. Very good.
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2015 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
(4/18/2018)
Still in tank. The best of the 2015’s we had today, combining its ripe citrus fruit and silky feel with more authoritative acidity and minerality for some tension. Excellent Premier Cru.
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2015 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
(4/18/2018)
Average ripe vintage wine with nice orange fruit but not a lot of zip.
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2015 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
(4/18/2018)
Also rich and broad but better Chablis saline brothiness. Ready.
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2015 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/18/2018)
A step up in intensity and structure compared to the Premier Cru wines, although this is still obviously from a warm vintage.
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2015 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/18/2018)
Leaner, cooler, and more green citrus than the regular Bougros of the same vintage. Now this is more like it.
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2014 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/18/2018)
Wow, what a shock to the palate after the 2015’s!
Incredibly precise lime and stone that just slices through the mouth. Not a big wine but young and tightly coiled. A great Chablis that should age for 2 decades. This has to be one of the best Fevres I’ve experienced.
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2013 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/18/2018)
Rich, complex, and brothy, but it had a distinct truffled note that makes it seem overly advanced. Or maybe it is just an exotic element from this difficult vintage?
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1994 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune
France, Alsace
(4/19/2018)
Deep yellow. Utterly complex aromas even for Clos Ste. Hune-peach, honeysuckle and black tea. Not much petrol. Medium weight, but as I said 5 years ago, the glycerine sap gives the misleading sense of sweetness. Fantastically fresh fruit, outstanding acidity and soil, and great cling for a long finish. This wine is now glorious and in full bloom, at least from this perfect Alsatian cellar. I underestimated it early, but it has developed magnificently. It also didn't hurt to be be drinking it on a beautiful terrace on a freakishly warm spring day.
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1994 Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive
France, Alsace
(4/19/2018)
Golden color. Honey, spice cake, and a beacon of pure apricot fruit. Rich but falling short of being too syrupy since the acidity is superb. Quite sweet but great balance and length. It does not pound the table with the more pungent varietal qualities of this grape. Just outstanding full throttle dessert level VT in extraordinary shape at age 24.
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2002 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
(4/19/2018)
Deep ruby 90% out to the rim. Explosive melange of aromas-dark red fruit, some brambly stemminess and menthol, spice, and soil. Big, assertive, powerful wine. Full bodied, medicinal black cherry, a boatload of earth, very firm acidity, and still dry tannins. The main hint of oak was in the quality of the tannins at the very end. Seems to have all of the typical Clos Vougeot elements and hardly a fully resolved 2002. While a gutsy, fully enjoyable mouthful tonight, it really could benefit from another decade in bottle. Impressive.
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NV Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(4/20/2018)
Disgorged October, 2017. Yellow with brown tinge. Oxidative notes, hay, and wheat. Medium body, creamy feel. Dry, bitter citrus, tingling stony finish. More spice and ginger as it warms and opens. While I’d prefer a scooch less of the caramel, in true Selosse fashion, it is dynamic, freshens as it goes, and in the end is superb.
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2010 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
(4/20/2018)
Decanted for 90 minutes before being served. Dense and just about opaque. The one constant thing about the aromas was a beacon of violets that gushed out at first and was almost as notable 2 hours later. At first, very assertive fennel and stemmy elements, but these backed off to show more black and blue fruit and become altogether less aggressive. Full bodied but not as massive as the 2009. With time, it amazed me with its harmony and suppleness for such a young Clape. Bitter chocolate, mixed fruit, strong acidity, licorice, and round, ripe tannins. What a wine! This should easily last for 40 or 50 years. Essence of Northern Rhone Syrah.
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2013 Kientzler Riesling Geisberg
France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
(4/21/2018)
Half bottle purchased at the domain. Light yellow greenish. This is one lean, dry wine. Biting acidity, lime, and herbs. With time, orange peel and quinine creep in. It does not have the buffering material of the '14s, so it comes across as pretty severe. This makes the Trimbach wines look like kids' stuff. Stay away if you are not a serious rock and acid hound!
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2014 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
(4/21/2018)
Pale with green tint. Perfect balance of lemon and sea breeze on the nose. This is the leanest, most Chabisien, and least "Ravenesque" Raveneau we've tasted this trip. That is to say that there was no wood showing and the texture was less glycerine than usual. However, the flavors, acidity, and precision were fantastic, particularly on a hot Parisian night. Great drive, high on the refreshment scale, and I'm sure it will flesh out over time. The structure predicts a long lifespan.
After being open overnight, it has more floral aromas and some lactic/waxy richness while retaining its acidic core.
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2012 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
(4/21/2018)
I could not resist ordering this in a stiflingly warm restaurant but am so glad that We did. Deep purple. A nose that could only be described as "Syrah's greatest hits"-violets, smoke, blackberry, boysenberry, mint, fennel, and who knows what else. Just incredibly exciting. A full, sweet palate with endless layers of fruit set off by excellent acidity and a sense of soil that differentiates it from equally concentrated New World Syrah. A tour de force that should turn heads for another 30 years and may never close down along the way. Absolute joy!
On the second night, the fruit is less exuberant (but still incredible), the acidity is more noticeable, and loamy minerality has come to the fore. Even more impressive, and now it bears a greater resemblance to the 2010 Clape that we drank last week.
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2016 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Satellite
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
(4/22/2018)
Pale green tint. Attention-getting scents of lemon and orange zest. Lighter than many Mellot wines and no trace of wood. Bright, pure citrus flavors, fine acidity, and a finale of crushed stone. No lack of intensity despite the lighter body. Ooh, I wish I had some oysters with this-oh wait, we did, and that's exactly why we ordered this bottle. Perfect pairing. No problem holding this for several years, but crackingly fresh and good now.
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2012 Trimbach Riesling Reserve
France, Alsace
(4/21/2018)
Light yellow. Nice lime and mineral without the excess fat of the vintage. Very good at this level.
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2014 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
(4/21/2018)
Light ruby. Light weight, tight. Tart red fruit and green herbs. Excellent and focused. Not as forthcoming as some other 2014's we've had this week during our travels.
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2015 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Clos de la Roche
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
(4/21/2018)
Medium ruby. Very ripe cherries. Medium weight. Almost overwhelming ripe fruit with a snidgen of earth thrown in. Not very distinguished. This is the kind of wine that worries me about 2015 reds. Who knows, maybe it will burn off its corpulence with more time.
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2000 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile Sélection de Grains Nobles
France, Alsace
(4/21/2018)
Medium yellow. Petrol and botrytis tones. Medium weight, peach and apricot, very good acidity (better than in the regular Frederic Emile bottling from ths year as I recall). Excellent length, pretty subdued sweetness for an SGN wine, but this Trimbach after all. Interesting, excellent, and should handle another 5 years in bottle with ease.
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1990 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile Vendanges Tardives
France, Alsace
(4/23/2018)
Golden. Uplifted aromas of petrol and faint fruit. Obviously denser than regular Frederic Emile, but just off dry. Definitely not a dessert VT wine. You feel more than taste the fruit. Superb acidity gives it amazing freshness, drive, and length. Very fine minerality as well.
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1991 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
(4/23/2018)
Tasted side by side with a '93 Trapet Chambertin. Light red with faded rim. Beautiful combination of sweet red fruits, gentle soil, and mint. Prototypical weight for Gevrey Grand Cru, this was the far more elegant of these 2 wines. I've never tasted this wine before, but at least at this age, the fruit was succulent and did not have the tart cherry bite I associate with young Griotte. Continued to improve and become more sinuous and complex after 2 hours in the decanter, which makes me think that this already seductive wine still has more in the tank. A beauty from an underrated year.
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1993 Domaine Trapet Chambertin
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
(4/23/2018)
Tasted next to 1991 Drouhin Griotte Chambertin. A blast of volatile acidity that dissipated somewhat but never went away. Also some nutty funk that I think was a bit of oxidation. All that said, the wine steadily improved out of decanter for 90 minutes and then began to dry out. More meaty and mineral than the Drouhin, and lacking the lovely red fruit of that wine. Both shared a mint/menthol element, although it faded more in the Trapet over time. I wonder if this was as good a bottle as it can be. This was old style Burgundy that must have been pretty rough going when it was young. Quite good but getting long in the tooth.
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1989 Léon Beyer Riesling Comtes d'Eguisheim Selection de Grains Noble
France, Alsace
(4/23/2018)
Half bottle. Remarkable medium yellow color for its age. Clear botrytis perfume and some peach. Lighter weight and not very sweet for an SGN wine. Classic older style, beautiful focus. Reminded me of Trimbach in how discrete it was. Even out of a half bottle, this was only in its early maturity.
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2014 Hubert Lamy Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
(4/23/2018)
Light yellow. Mix of attractive floral aromas and not so appealing sulfur. Lemony and chalky, excellent texture although the wood is noticeable. This was good, but I prefer the steely purity of the top Lamy St. Aubins.
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2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
(4/23/2018)
Light yellow. A hint of match stick but mostly lemon and white flowers. Light to medium bodied, sharp, underripe lemon on the palate. Very 2014. It comes across as tart right now, but I hope that this will ameliorate with time. I preferred its purity to the more heavily wooded Lamy we had earlier today.
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2014 Xavier Monnot Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
(4/23/2018)
Saturated ruby. Blackberry fruit on both the nose and palate. Light, crisp, cranberry tartness, full of soil. Honestly, it is overbalanced to acidity and seems pretty meager for a Premier Cru. Needs time to see which way this will go.
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2017 Arnaud Lambert Saumur Brézé Clos de Midi
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
(4/24/2018)
Light yellow. High acidity, lighter, earthier Chenin Blanc. Definitely not a fruitier style. Good but needs time to resolve the acidity.
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2015 Jean Foillard Morgon Eponym'
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon
(4/24/2018)
Red. Red fruit aromas. Nice ripe but light attack followed by bright cranberry and soil. I love the tartness and bite for a ‘15. Nicely rendered wine.
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2015 Domaine Heitz-Lochardet Pommard 1er Cru Clos Poutures
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
(4/24/2018)
Light muddled red. Nose with some barnyard funk and candied red fruits. Light to medium weight. This leads with tons of soil and is complemented by fine acidity and moderate tannins. Certainly elegant and not austere now. Discrete ripeness for 2015. Love the savory complexity and the fact that the ripeness is held in check, but I wonder about the level of brett and whether that will do this in over time.
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2014 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/24/2018)
A bottle purchased at the domain and dragged around since then. Pale yellow/green. Nose of underripe lemon and flowers. Medium weight and compact, but great sugar/fruit balance, purity of flavors, driving acidity, and soil-filled finish. Our taste of this in Chablis was no fluke; this is the real deal. Great young Chablis that should improve for a decade given its pristine core.
Second night after recorking, just as fresh and strong. Great material here.
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2006 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
(4/25/2018)
Light colored, lemony, lean, and dry. Young and refereshingly bracing-the most mineral Peters Chetillons I have had. Excellent, just give it time to become outstanding.
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2010 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
(4/25/2018)
Bright light yellow. Mixed up nose of Chabis tide pool and plenty of sulfur which took time to recede. Eventually, some apple and pear as well. No problem with the broad, voluptuous feel, but I was surpised that there was not more acidity. Hard to read right now, but we could not help wonder if this was not the best example of this. At the very least, it needs a good bit of time to sort itself out and release the sulfur.
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2009 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
(4/25/2018)
Lighter ruby with some lightening. Forward nose of red and blue fruit, anise, and soil. Medium weight, invitingly open and supple, no excess fat, and deeply imbued soil. Delicious, but it has more structure than it seems at first, and it shut down noticeably after being open for several hours.
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1989 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles
France, Alsace
(4/25/2018)
Golden with perfect clarity. Oh my, what aromatics! Honey, perfume, apricot, and just enough lychee to make you think of Gewurztraminer. Gorgeous balance with surprisingly strong acidity for the year and the varietal. Medium weight, moderate sweetness, seamless feel, and much more intensity than the Kientzler SGN last night. Extraordinary late harvest wine which could drink well for another 5 years. Bravo!!
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