2003 Domaine les Grandes Vignes Coteaux du Layon Sélection de Grains Nobles

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  8/28/2007, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (Coteaux du Layon SGN Grandes Vignes) 2005 Loire Dear Friends, In honor of David Schildknecht's Wine Advocate Loire review and as a show of support to the many vintners in France set to harvest the worst vintage in 50 years, here are a few things you may be interested in. These are the last few cases I could muster as we’ve already over-stepped our welcome with most of our 2005 allocations - all will arrive in 2-3 weeks with a shipment from France. The list below represents the unknown Loire - an undiscovered treasure trove of some of the lowest priced/highest quality wines in their category and they are going to look like gold in a few years when the Loire has little if any wine from 2007 to sell. With the impending reality that there may be no 2007 vintage at all in much of the Loire (and other regions for that matter), the 2006s are looking very good indeed and these few remaining 2005s go without saying. Many old-time vintners I’ve talked to cannot remember a vintage this poor - ever. They give no hope to an Indian summer or last gasp of sunny weather to help the crop, it’s just too late. I will see for myself next week when I am in France - stay tuned... All are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and in very short supply in the US: 2005 Domaine Les Grandes Vignes Anjou Blanc “Varenne du Poirier” STRICT LIMIT 6/person From 100% biodynamic fruit (as are all of the Grandes Vignes wines), this is a beautiful but unusual Anjou sec. This dry white Chenin Blanc will captivate with its slate lime and quince flavors on a frame of taut acidity and sifted dry extract from the 2005 vintage. This wine leaves a direct and linear impression on the palate and would be an excellent choice as a foil to rich, buttery dishes. They raise part of this wine in used barrels to give the final blend a very interesting mix of flavor and structure. Tough to have enough wine like this in your cellar and it should age for at least the next 3-6 years. Even Jacqueline Friedrich has been won over by Les Grandes Vignes (and she is not shy to criticize)... 2005 Domaine Les Grandes Vignes Coteaux du Layon “Le Pont Martin” STRICT LIMIT 6/person An incredible 11% alcohol masks this multi-award winner’s incredible depth - one of our most popular 2005 Loire sweet wines and a wine I had to dig into the wineries library to source more of. They were not happy as we’ve already sold so much of this but I promised to bring in some of their fruit compote that they produce – not really a huge sacrifice considering we were going to offer it anyway. This wine has layers of unctuous white fruit and spice just waiting for time to offer its impending array of complexity. Nature graced this site with a nearly perfect example of the vintage in 2005 - all it needs is a spot in your cellar rack. Top Liger d’Or (Gold Medal) winner at the 2007 Loire Expo. 2005 Domaine des Forges Coteaux du Layon Chaume “Les Onnis” EXTREMELY LIMITED Ok, this wine is really special and it’s very tough to get. This is the winery’s top wine and it is huge step up from the regular “Chaume 1er” bottling - I had to pay extra but it was worth it. Full of nervosity and tensile strength, this is one of the top wines of the vintage in Coteaux du Layon and it would be tough for me to pass this up in favor of something like Quarts du Chaume from 2005 as it is not nearly as sweet but possesses the complex inner mouth qualities of pure minerality and sea deposits that are unique to this growing district. Think of this as a top low-pradikat Auslese GKA - should be at peak 6-10 years down the road and last for another 10 at least. ..and this extra treat that I thought many of you would be interested in more of: 2003 Domaine Les Grandes Vignes Coteaux du Layon “SGN” (500ml) EXTREMELY LIMITED Is this the best-priced SGN in the Loire? For a 500ml? Compared to something like Zind Humbrecht SGN, this Chenin Blanc is a mouthful of honey and fruit waiting to explode on your palate. If dessert wine is your calling card, keep the pancreas medication close by and dive in...250g RS. A serious indulgence that deserves a special night. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire9610 Loire9620 Loire9630 Loire9640