Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  11/1/2007 (link)

  (Gauthier Chatenay Chiroubles VV) 2005 Vielles Vignes Dear Friends, Many of you keep asking for more 2005 Loire reds and 2005 cru-level Beaujolais before they are gone so I’m going to keep looking for small stashes of wine here and there until the vintage has been exhausted (which is about now - most are on to 2006 at this point and are even talking about 2007 - yikes). As I’ve said many times over the past year or two, 2005 Beaujolais represents one of the very best bargains in red wine since 1982 Mouton was at a decent price (well, maybe not that good but you get the point). I realize this style is not for everyone but Gamay can be your friend if you just allow it to explain itself. In a vintage like 2005, that explanation is easier for a larger audience to wrap their arms around as the wines are packed to the gills with deep red fruit, minerality and moderate cool tones (instead of the oft-found fruity-tooty candy-cane elements that are absent in the vintage). This is what I would consider to be a go-to house selection and that’s exactly what I did last week with a pasta prepared for guests (I roasted vegetables in the oven first - they included a whole container of cherry tomatoes that are stirred into the mixture of peppers, fennel, sliced onion, pounded garlic with the skin still on, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper - the cherry tomatoes remain whole until the last ten minutes or so where they split and start to caramelize on themselves creating a “sauce” - this is then combined with a small amount of olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper - the real thing not flakes - that has lightly sauteed in a large saute pan. Add good quality orecchiette, a bit more sea salt and enjoy.) I think my dinner guests are always expecting me to pull out the 1970 Latour or something and I often get a few looks of bewilderment when a simple Beaujolais or Saumur is pulled from the rack but these are the wines I believe in and these are the wines I drink myself (see my story about the sommelier and 2004 Chateau Barraillots for a similar look of bewilderment). If I’m not going to drink the wines myself, why would I offer them to you? Laurent Gauthier has crafted this delightful wine for our dinner table from 60-90 year old vines and it is as pure as any 2005 I’ve tasted. This is Gauthier’s most expensive wine (equal or above the Morgon VV) and it remains rocky and low in alcohol (12.0-12.5%). The 2005 vintage has blessed this wine with the balancing extract and sap that gives the right hand something to feed the left hand, which is a key difference between 2005 and preceding years like 2001 or 2004. If you enjoy old-world wine of terroir, this is a lovely example and a wine that will cleanse your palate as well as leave you refreshed and not burdened by a whack of ethanol. I know this price-level is very important to many of you and we are trying to do our part by making less money on some of these lower priced wines so you still have affordable everyday wines to enjoy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a delightful accompaniment to pasta with roasted vegetables or a multitude of other entrees you can dream up. ONE OFFER ONLY at this price level - this is the last of the 2005: 2005 Domaine Laurent Gauthier “Chatenay” Chiroubles Vielles Vignes Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Burg8430