2005 Puzelat-Bonhomme Touraine Pouille

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  4/14/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (POUILLE Puzelat) Pouille Dear Friends, For those of you that search for the cerebral and ponderous in wine, this one's for you. If you derive delight in questions left unanswered or puzzles with a few pieces swept under the rug (intentionally or not) the Pouille will elevate your senses to a piqued level. This wine is a rabbit pulled out of a hat and a little tidbit of "wow" from Thierry Puzelat. It is a perfect parcel of his Pouille cuvee with mysterious nooks and crannies left intact. Typically a lovely wine, the interesting aspect of this is not the quality, it's the vintage...2005. Thierry's been sitting on this wine, waiting for the perfect time to release it (the 2006 Pouille has been out for over a year) and now's the time. With a load of lightweight 2007 and 2008 Loire reds hitting the market from most regions, Mr. Puzelat makes a statement here with a behemoth of organic massale Gamay from arguably the finest vineyard in all of Touraine (next to Clos Roche Blanche). Without dipping into my bag of T.S Eliot inspired hyperbole, all that needs to be said is... This wine is quite outstanding. I drank my entire personal allocation (one bottle) over three nights and (unlike many Puzelat wines) it continued to deepen and fester (in the best sense, of course) like a caged bird of prey waiting to be fed. This wine combines the incredible depth of long-term biodynamic fruit in a great red wine vintage with the cool (even ice-cold) stone and liquid rock quality of this very specific vineyard. Elegance, power, weight and weightless extract all make an appearance - it's tough for me to make a comparison but think 2005 Breton Perrieres meets the very best of Clos Roche Blanch Gamay (circa 1996) and you will start to see more clearly. I realize the Breton is Cabernet Franc but you get the idea. A delight today but should be even better by 2013-2015. Only 50 cases of this amazing little treat are available for export (he didn't produce much). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - this parcel is directly from the cellar with perfect provenance: 2005 Thierry Puzelat "Pouille" (Gamay) (2005 is the most desirable vintage for red wine in this area since 1989, 1996 and 2002) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire6588