11/23/2016 - markfitz wrote:

Decanted this for 2 hours. Shook the f**k out of it too as I've never met a wine before that was as reduced and gassy. Had tried this a month or so ago without any preparation. This was infinitely better. Much smoother and rounder. Actually tasted of a decent Syrah! Not necessarily my preferred producer but there is certainly something there.

12/24/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Attacked one of these out of curiosity and was handsomely rewarded. Classic Chenin with some extra richness lurking underneath. On it as is but will only improve, give or take the usual random factors that make predictions a mug's game.

11/21/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Struggled with this one. Totally reduced. Incredible amounts of gas in the wine. No amount of vigorous shaking could disperse it. Much of interest lurking underneath but a bit of a mess as is. Needs 2 or 3 years to sort itself out but I'm sure it will come good.

10/16/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Absolutely bang on at the moment. Will only get better over the next couple of years. Love this wine.

8/14/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Still backward, slightly four-square and linear. Certainly won't fall apart. May well gain something with more time, though I enjoyed it all the same.

7/8/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Coming into its stride now, filling out, gaining some weight. On a par with most of the last few years efforts except maybe the '10 which has a bit extra. Lovely stuff.

6/12/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Good on the nose from the off. Surprising acidity on the finish. Don't remember that from before. Wait an hour or two for this to open up. Goes missing in action with a roasted rack of lamb. Afterwards by itself a right proper little wine again. Still plenty of upside here I feel.

4/7/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Perhaps I owe an apology of sorts here. The wine has certainly come around from its lumpy stage. There is a richness in the mouth now. There is length and maybe a touch too much oak. Maybe it is actually in a closed phase because there are remarkably few flavours.

Certainly not the grapefruit explosion of the last time. More time needed to see where it's heading. Still lacks acidity but decent with curry and the alcohol wasn't bothersome.

4/5/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Dark fruit. Extracted. Has layers of fruity flavour mixed with oak and minerals etc but overall lacks freshness for my taste. There is some acidity deep down if you really go looking but the balance is tipped in a way that I find tiring.

Whilst it does taste like a Northern Rhone, a slightly super-charged one at that, there is something just a bit international about it. Still young, it has time in hand to prove me wrong but there are other producers I am more aligned with, without the need for time to iron out any differences of opinion.

Happy to drink it again but would be slow to part with the green.

1/24/2015 - markfitz wrote:

Lovely stuff. Starting to hit the sweet spot but with loads of time in hand.

12/29/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Decided to open another bottle for comparison. So it turns out the first bottle was corky despite the DIAM enclosure. But the story doesn't end there. Despite being better, the second bottle is also decidedly average. Mushrooms on the nose. A bit of body on the mid-palate and nothing on the finish. A Loire Pinot of dubious distinction would be preferable. There is so much better for the money that this doesn't bear thinking about. Actually, after a while I revise my opinion, this is just about as bad as the first bottle with no obvious faults.

12/29/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Met the vigneron at the Mer et Vignes Salon '14 in Tours. Thought he was an arsehole. Seemed totally disinterested in the wines. A more passionless man I couldn't have imagined. Only tasted the Reds and wasn't convinced by any of them. The '09 was probably the most energetic but out of interest to see how they might age I chose the '06. On retesting at home I think they are even worse. High toned, thin, simple and dull. DNPIM.

12/16/2014 - markfitz wrote:

This is a proper little wine. It is never going to be grand but it shows what Syrah can be, without any fuss at all. Dark fruited, even a little wild, this is a supple, easy quaffer which finishes with ripe tannins and a hint of acidity. A light, clean, well judged wine for the money.

12/15/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Starts well. Shows ok on the nose but with much promise. Big on the palate, showing red fruits and Vosne spice. Long with some meaty tannins. Left this to decant for three hours. If anything it closed right up in the meantime. By about the 5 hour mark it relaxed and found a silkier texture. I'd leave this another couple of years or maybe a longer decant (or a shorter one!). Seemed to catch it at an in-betweeny phase though the quality is evident.

10/1/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Initially has a nice Rhone nose. Almost silky and Burgundian on the palate. Modern in approach but shows much promise without quite convincing. Never quite gets there but close. Another year or three could provide the magic.

9/20/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Much more in the groove than the last time. Give it plenty of air and it is not a half bad Burgundy experience. A couple of years and it will be better again. Serious Savigny that is only beginning to strut its stuff.

8/30/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Shows some piercing pineapple flavours. There is still a touch of smoky oak and a finish of some length and finesse. Still more to come from this but really enjoyable now

7/25/2014 - markfitz wrote:

The real deal. And at that it is still too young. Another 3 or 4 years at least is probably ideal. But at the same time, it is so exquisitely balanced that waiting would be a chore. I'd love another dozen bottles. Or maybe another two dozen.

7/16/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Red-fruited and bloody juicy. A little spice on the finish that stretches out with some alluring, almost Burgundian acidity. For the price this is a knock-out!

7/16/2014 - markfitz wrote:

A huge step up from the entry level cuvee. This is 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 20% Syrah. I live in Touraine and have drunk a shed-load of Cab Franc. I tend to fall in and out of love with it, finding the best of it, like Baudry, quite rewarding but it generally has an austerity that I can't get past.

My real love is Northern Rhone Syrah. This is one of the few combinations of the two I've seen and answers a question I've pondered: whether crossing them would be interesting?

I don't know if it is the more Southern location but I would swear this was Syrah dominant. The longer it's open the better it gets and if it had St Joseph or Crozes Hermitage on the label I'd have nodded in approval. A lovely drop that is exactly to my tastes.

5/24/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Starts with a great nose, dark Syrah fruit and lovely acidity on the finish. The texture in the mouth has something Burgundian going on. Left the bottle open in the cellar for 90 minutes and it rounded out but firmed up becoming less edgy and interesting. It was never short of delicious but also never recaptured the initial interest it had shown. I'm not sure if it needs more time or a longer and more vigorous decant. I've a feeling a year or two would do no harm.

5/2/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Takes a while to open out. Starts off acid dominant but there is enough substance here to round out with air. The nose never quite takes off but isn't bad. Shows some potential for the future. Somewhat rugged and masculine in style.

4/16/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Didn't move me as much as I hoped. Starts a little wild but calms down quickly and rounds out. If I crossed a modern styled Cahors containing a dash of Merlot aimed at easy drinking with a decent Loire Cab Franc, this is the kind of wine that would result. Liked it but didn't love it.

4/12/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Tastes like a Corbieres from a moderate Co-op. Dirty on the nose. Oak dominant which also gives a little roughness when I'm sure it's meant to be smooth. Oak smothers the finish too. May have left the wood-chip tea-bag in a little too long on this brew. Not my style of wine. No life or zip to it.

4/11/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Very much in the style of the 2010. Starts quite aggressively sharp with lemony flavours. With some air and a raise in temperature it starts to fill out on the midpalate, giving a textural feel that only good chenin and riesling can muster. A few times I got a grapefruit thing too but it wasn't off-putting (normally a flavour I associate with sauvignon blanc which I hate). Really good with Hake and Asian style veg (cabbage, sweetcorn, onion and garlic with a dash of oyster sauce). The most telling thing is that the bottle disappeared impossibly fast.

4/5/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Probably the best version of this wine I've tried but just a little young still. Hold another year or two for maximum pleasure: open now and you wont be disappointed. The nose isn't quite as wild as normal but everything else is there and more besides. In fact the acidity is almost Burgundian and though it rounds out with a bit of time, quite refreshing.

4/2/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Should have paid more attention to my own note. Fuller, richer, more acidic, more tannic, much more powerful and backward than I remember. Still rather mute on the nose, all the excitement happens on the palate and off into the finish. Rather stiff and linear at the moment though not without pleasure. Lots of red fruits, bitter cherry and redcurrant. Assuming a good bottle, another 3-5 years easy.

2/21/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Shows much the same character as before but seems more generous, with a little extra fruit (cool fruit) giving a slightly rounder feel in the mouth. The first Loire Red I've actually enjoyed in a while.

2/14/2014 - markfitz wrote:

A cracking little wine from a vintage I've actively tried to avoid thus far. The colour is striking at first as it's much darker than expected: barely transparent. Overall the flavour is red fruited and tasty. Everything about this wine is in proportion, balanced and right. With time it unfurls, revealing more depth and body finishing with something a touch bitter.

The most striking thing is that despite all the deliciousness, there is no way this wine is at peak. Five or six years could really let it shine, enhancing the aromatics and bringing the palate beyond the obvious fruit. Time will tell.

2/14/2014 - markfitz wrote:

Generally I don't like Spanish wines, finding them too oaky and lacking acidity. Generally I don't like modern producers. This looked like a modern bottle that was a bit too designer, focussing on the packaging to the detriment of the contents. So I came to it with low expectations in the place of any knowledge.

It's actually lovely. There is something a bit charcoal-like on the nose, not a million miles from Cab Franc. On the palate there are sweet, ripe red and black fruits which are overtaken by a finish that is mineral with a nice touch of oak, tangy tannins and an upsweep of acidity which brings freshness. There is an energy to this.

It reminds me of some Portuguese wines I've enjoyed from Alentejo more than anything I've had from Spain. I've no idea how the grape varieties compare but given the chance I'd go for this again. Lovely now and I'm sure it's good for a year or two. Beyond that I've no idea.

12/31/2013 - markfitz wrote:

This was a gentle sort of wine that felt just right. I was worried it was too young but it is hugely enjoyable now and has time on its side. It starts with sweetish red fruits, quite round, then a sharper cherry undertone sweeps upwards and shows a cut of acidity. Great with venison, celeriac and roasties cooked in beef fat. With a few hours air it gains a touch of depth as it started on the thin side. Not bad at all.

12/27/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Shows signs of reduction; Otherwise bang on the money. Perhaps some sweet fruit but not excessively so. Nice follow through onto the finish. Much rounder than I remember from previous vintages. Value for money.

12/27/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Had to have another shot at this. Surprising in some ways. Quite rounded and smooth. Not wild at all but showed some cool fruits, followed by tart acidity, a stoniness and some tannins. Really quite enjoyable if not mindblowing. Probably too young but game all the same.

12/26/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Straight off the cuff this was lovely. Only a faint nose but that changed with a swirl. Then there were bright red fruits leading into a slightly tannic finish. But herein lay the excitement. The tannins melted away to show juicy acidity which in turn faded to show more tannin which in turn brought more acidity: a wine with waves of sensation. However, after an hour or two it kinda closed up, bizarrely becoming more rounded but less interesting. Then the very last glass, at about the 6 hour mark showed its potential again. Probably drank it too young but has glimpses of what I'm chasing.

12/26/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Quite big and rich in flavour. A little sweetness on the finish which was no bad thing with scallops, then after that, some foie gras. Opens out with more time. Actually the last glass was the best which isn't to knock that which went before. High quality. Like it a lot.

12/13/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Good Pinot nose. Loads of cherry fruit but not too sharp, remaining round in the mouth. Lots of ripe tannins. The flavour really lingers in the mouth finishing with a spicy edge. Maybe lacks some acidic cut but still a delicious wine.

12/7/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Was looking forward to tasting this again. Pulled the cork. A large, wine stained fissure ran the length of the cork. There were signs of seepage and mould under the foil. No obvious signs of being corked but all the fruit was stripped. Showed some signs of minerality and long, ripe tannins. After a while that unwelcome musty flavour developed. Bugger it!

12/7/2013 - markfitz wrote:

NIce pleasant Burgundy if disappointing for a Vosne. Red fruits leading into some darker tannins with a nice lick of acidity. It doesn't set the heart alight but it goes down easily. Not quite dilute but somewhat pasteurised. Maybe it was just too young and something more majestic will grow with time, as it was quite balanced but I doubt its potential to put on weight and develop complexity on this showing.

11/18/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Already settled down and downright delicious to drink, showing that bit of extra complexity compared to a couple of months ago. Still has a way to go too. Lovely little wine.

9/6/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Nose is wild and dark, maybe bordering on reduced but it draws me in. Gentle fruits on the palate with some length and tannins if you go searching. Opens out after about two hours. Maybe lacks acidity but that doesn't stop my enjoyment. Will probably be better in a year or two. Beyond that is more of a gamble as the plastic cork (solid black, in the style of nomacorc) doesn't inspire confidence, which may be a totally unfounded prejudice on my part. However, i'll stock up with a few more bottles for early-ish drinking.

8/27/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Ripe, rich, old-school chenin. Reminds me of Foreau's Vouvray. Has good body and acidity though there are other prodcers i'd prefer. On opening there is a prickly CO2 sensation. Perhaps a shake of the bottle would open up the fruit some more. Will try that next time.

8/27/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Sweaty nose and not too interesting. Blows off somewhat after an hour or so. Better chilled. Hot day here (30°C). Second day it is more rounded but flat, lacking cut and acidity for my taste.

8/21/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Faint nose. Sour cherries on the palate. Quite a long and tannic finish. Seems lacking something at first but opens out after an hour or so. The longer it is open the better it gets, though no real complexity develops. This strikes me as a real proper wine that is only starting to wake up for business. Come back in 3-5 years.

7/12/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Slightly oaky to start. Lovely honeyed mouthfeel. Good length. Gets more complex as it warms up. Scorcher of a day here (30°C+) so served cold from the fridge. Will be buying more.

7/12/2013 - markfitz wrote:

A new producer to me but well worth checking out. This demi-sec is in a similar vein to Pinon's Trois Argiles, which is one of my favorites.

7/12/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Despite the blend of Cab Franc and Côt, this tastes of quintessential Cab Franc. it's tight, focused, superb wth food and a bargain at the price.

7/12/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Dark fruits, smooth on the palate. Very slick and polished. Maybe lacks acidity on the finish but thats a minor quibble.

7/12/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Starts out mute, somewhat dilute but showing good length. Opens up after 2-3 hours and improves for beng chilled. Will be leaving the other bottles alone for a couple of years. Confident good things will happen in time as the structure seems to be masking the fruit and aromas.

6/19/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Dark fruits and meat on the nose. Silky and smooth in the mouth. Tannins and acidity on the finish if one searches. Slips down all too easily but will improve over the next 2 to 3 years.

5/30/2013 - markfitz wrote:

Closed. Not a lot to say.