Community Tasting Notes 5

• David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 points

  January 2, 2024 - Just a quick note as a follow up to mine from last year... this bottle showed no reduction upon opening, but otherwise, structurally and availability of the wine, is pretty similar to last year. Much more vibrancy to the fruit on the start here (likely just due to the lack of reduction). Last year I noted that reductive funk throughout the wine, and none of that is really present here, though it is earthy. Lots of compact fruit and structure, otherwise, with the same imposing (but beautifully so) tannins and acidity. The wine just needs more time to integrate and blossom, but still vibrant and lovely to consume today, but really, the promise is for the future when it's more available. I should try and wait 2-3 years before my next, but this won't peak for 10+.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• RussK wrote: 88 points

  May 7, 2023 - While i liked the 2018, I didn't much care for the 2019. Dirty raspberry candy. Disjointed. I will try another bottle to make sure it was not just bottle variation.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 93 points

  January 28, 2023 - This wine is built for the long haul. The first taste of this was coiled tight and foreboding, but after a couple days after being recorked on the counter, this started to show its vigorous red raspberry fruit, wet gravel, hints of leafy herbs, and sharpened pencil. The tannins are intense but silky and the acidity is high. This is a delicious St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• La Ronde Likes this wine: 94 points

  January 3, 2023 - Very nicely balanced wine of deep complexity, nuance and character. A screaming good deal for $20 off Garagiste. Clearly very age-worthy - I drank this over three nights. Super barnyardy on the first night, more fruit and less funk the second and now on the third, it's showing a preview of what it might be in 10-20 years: Mint, berries and citrus peel on the nose - currant, steeped raspberries with spice, dark cherries and more citrus on the palate. I have two more!

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• David Paris (dbp) wrote: 89 points

  October 24, 2022 - I absolutely LOVED the 2019 Domaine de la Cotelleraie Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, so I was very excited to try this, a single vineyard wine that is Domaine de la Cotelleraie's final vineyard to be harvested. This wine also spends nearly twice as long on the skin, and 18 months in barrel vs just the winter on the regular cuvee. The bottles are closed with an annoying crumbly wax and if you're using a standard waiter corkscrew, it's hard not to drop a few pieces of wax into the bottle upon extraction (and they don't float, making them harder to remove from the first glass pour). This is at least closed with genuine cork vs. synthetic of the standard Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil.
  
  The first presentation on the nose was quite funky, and I suspected was down to reduction, so I just sat there and swirled vigorously for 10 minutes or so before really diving in. Indeed, helpful to dampen the funk. Still, very earthy and soil driven notes, with some deep dark red fruits trying to poke their way through. Vibrancy is present underlying that earth, and it almost smells a little sour. It makes my mouth water like a salivating dog anticipating his meal. Palate entry is very soft and beautifully caressing. Killer texture. Indeed, I get that vibrant acidity that I anticipated on the nose. Very pretty and intense, with more of the forest floor notes, a bitter cherry, and perhaps a stink bug. The finish first smacks of funk, similar to what was first present on the nose. Perhaps there is something bacterial going on here? This is also coupled with intense spicy acidity (which I love), and an old plum. Tannins are firm and present, but still integrated nicely with the fruit. I'm quite surprised by this funk, because the regular cuvee showed none of that; just incredible, vibrant fruit. I was shocked how fruit forward that wine was without any greenness or funk. When this Le Vau Jaumier was first offered I was annoyed I could only request 12 bottles (which I did), and when the reoffer came through minutes ago, I ran down to the cellar to try my first bottle, expecting to immediately order that second case. But... I'm not sure yet. This note has been written with the wine in the glass for 20 minutes, but I did follow it over 5 hours in the evening and it basically remained the same throughout that time. The following day this showed still less funk, but a similar balance of character. A bit surprised this wasn't the standout I expected... look forward to checking back in perhaps two years to see how it's integrating.

  5 people found this helpful Comment

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2019
• Type Red
• Producer Domaine de la Cotelleraie
• Varietal Cabernet Franc
• Designation Le Vau Jaumier
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Loire Valley
• SubRegion Touraine
• Appellation Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 4 (2%)
• In Cellars 169 (78%)
• Consumed 43 (20%)

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