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Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru 2010, Burgundy, France

27 Wednesday Jan 2021

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Tonight I am cooking Venison Loin with cherry reduction, paired with Leek Rosti and Armenian Khorovats (grilled salad). This meat can be very lean, coupled with the sweetness of the sauce requires a deft wine that will not over-tannic the cut, yet allow the sauce to shine. Pinot Noir, in the form of aged Burgundy seems the logical choice.

I last tasted the Jean Fery back in July of 2020. I liked it a lot. This particular bottle has a slight bricking to the hue, showing a lot more age than just 7 months ago. The nose is literally wafting out of the tulip-shaped glass. I get stewed cherry, mushroom, forest floor and wild strawberry- far more advanced than the other bottle. On the palate it is sublime. Smooth, polished and brimming with both primal fruit and the tertiary notes I was hoping would arrive. Soft cherry, bergamot, leather, funk and some cranberry are all present. Lithe tannins are barely perceptible but the acidity is en pointe. The mid palate is a mouth watering affair with layers of fruit and nuance all swirling around. On the finish it retains the tartness but I really get fruit over secondary flavors. The roles have reversed and the acidity of the red fruits, primarily cranberry and sour cherry take over. It is a long ending, 25 seconds at the least. Wow, yummy stuff that is going to rock my dinner. 92 points and 5 stars for this $80 winner. Drink till 2028. Salut….

Zazou Corbieres 2012, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

15 Friday Jan 2021

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As I was ready to check out at my local wine shop I saw this lone bottle with an interesting label. It was on clearance for $13, but the reason I bought it was the name. Moxie and I at one point in our life owned a store with a very similar name. I thought it appropriate to at least give this blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre a try.

It has a somewhat murky edge to it in the glass and shows a touch of bricking. On the nose it is still lively with raspberry, pomegranate and charred cedar notes. The palate is rich and spicy. There is a shot of red fruit alongside some very crispy tannins and a hint of acidity. The mid palate is dry and offers me another taste of red currants, pomegranate and raspberry. The acidity really kicks in on the finish with quick some vigor. The well resolved tannins are surprisingly still evident and I get lots of fruit from this rather basic wine. I would have thought it over the hill by now but it is charming, interesting and still fresh. I am going with 87 points but would drink sooner rather than later. Not much will evolve from here on in. 4 stars are warranted. Pair it with burgers, spaghetti Bolognese or even some grilled meat. Salut….

Château Lamothe Bordeaux Blanc 2019, Bordeaux, France

14 Thursday Jan 2021

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This blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc is a mid shade of gold in the glass. On the nose I get citrus, melon, lychee and ginger. On the palate it offers bright and juicy lemons, pineapple, lychee and some good minerality. The acidity is very well appointed, not too sharp but enough to keep it crisp. The flavors continue to a decent length finish. I am really impressed with the complexity of this wine’s nose. For $15 this is a great summer sipper that will also pair really well with grilled Salmon, Cobb salad or chicken on the charcoal. 89 points from me make it a 5 star effort to stock up on- really yummy stuff. Drink till 2024. Salut….

Chateau Cantemerle ’01, Haut-Medoc, France

11 Monday Jan 2021

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The cork failed on this 20 year old Classed Bordeaux but it’s a dark purple and almost opaque with a touch of bricking.  The nose is classic Claret that is well aged.  Tobacco, raisins, steeped plum and a healthy dose of leather.  On the palate it is a touch sour initially with cherry that gives way to tertiary flavors of cedar cigar box, Maduro and leather.  It’s very mature and certainly delicious.  The tannins are fully integrated at this point so the wine is at peak if not just past.  The finish has a modicum of acidity, the structure that has let this wine last this long. It is the final bottle of a case I purchased in 2003.  It’s sad to see it go but I’m glad I have been able to track its evolution.  92 points from me has been consistent in all my tastings of this wine. The pros went sub 90 back in the early days, I guess they did not think it would hang in there for two decades and evolve so beautifully. If you want to try one, they are available online for about $80. We drank it all by itself , something I would recommend. 5 stars. Salut….

Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas La Louisiane 2018, Rhone, France

03 Sunday Jan 2021

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Tonight is the first Sunday of the New Year, which means we are celebrating 2021 with a standing Rib Roast plus all the trimmings. A juicy, fatty cut like this needs a tannic wine, so I searched for something young that would help temper the Beef.

This Grenache is semi opaque in the glass and a pretty shade of purple. The nose is very inviting- black raspberry, bacon, blueberry jam and a hint of blackberry. Very intricate and complex. The palate is beautiful, with a perfect set of tannins for my meal. The flavor profile is more black fruit with some very well integrated oak nuances. Violets and lavender also come to mind. The mid palate has lush dollops of more black fruit and a tea component. The tannins are really fine grained but ever present for a really delicious mouthfeel. The finish has a definitive blueberry note that I got from the nose. Very complex and swirling, this wine is a treat. I paid $35 for this stunner that scored upwards of 97 points with the pros. I have to say, it is really delicious but a touch young… worthy of at least 95 points which makes it a 5 star effort that I will be stocking up on. I plan to drink until 2028 at the very least. Salut….

Domaine Pascal et Mireille Renaud Vers Cras 2018, Pouilly-Fuissé, France

01 Friday Jan 2021

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This Chardonnay pours a rich gold in color and shows off some nice legs in the glass. The nose is very crisp with lemon rind, green almond, passion fruit and pineapple. The palate is very mineral driven with citrus backing it up whilst melon, more passion fruit and a touch of yeast co-mingle with some lithe acidity. The mid palate is warmer, fuller and less acidic. The flavors are rounder with more of the tropical fruit notes. The finish reverts back to being juicy from the citrus and acidity. It’s quite decent in length to boot. The minerality gives this wine some verve while the fruit shines. It is delicious and will pair beautifully with our shrimp scampi. Drink this 91 point Burgundy till 2029. At $55 it’s pricy and gets 4 stars. Salut….

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Le Côteau de Mon Rêve Gigondas 2017, Rhone, France

29 Tuesday Dec 2020

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Very dark red/purple in the glass. On the nose this Grenache blend gives me some raspberry, game, violets and pomegranate. The palate is exceedingly smooth with layers of dark red fruits. Raspberries, rhubarb, pomegranate, blueberry and Ceylon tea notes are abundant. There is a very lithe tannic component with really mellow, balancing acidity to give this wine a nice mouthfeel. The mid palate goes a touch drier but the fruit components remain the same. The finish has more black tea and is quite dry, the tannins kicking it up a notch. Very smooth still and tasty to boot. Moxie is fixing up some Filets and this was the perfect pairing for the lean meat. I really am enjoying the melange of red and blue fruits as well as the structure of this wine. I’m going with 92 points. The pros went way higher (96 and 95). Lovely stuff that can be had for $30 and gets 5 stars from me. Blended with Syrah and Mourvedre as is typical for Rhone wines. Drink till 2029. Salut….

Chateau Cos D’Estournel 2001, Bordeaux, France

26 Saturday Dec 2020

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It would not be Christmas without an aged Claret. This 19 year old took the honors and I am sure glad I picked it. Wow, what a stunner. I did not take notes but recall the wine looked a dark shade in the glass with no signs of bricking. The nose was astounding- tobacco, leather, earth, steeped plums and cassis. On the palate this wine is at plateau. I cannot even describe the beauty of liquid elixir. It was layered with the tertiary flavors I had smelled plus a surprising dose of dark currants, cassis and cedar. The tannins are fully resolved at this stage of the maturity, sublime being a good descriptor of the mouthfeel. The finish was super long and gratifying. This wine was a home run and has rewarded my patience. I think it still has a few years of life, but like I said- it’s at peak now. I have 6 more bottles in the cellar, lucky me! You could pair this wine with an array of foods, but simply enjoying it on its own would be amazing. I have written about the ’01 Cos before, once in 2012 and then in 2013. I am upping my score to 95 for this $150 beauty and sticking with 5 stars. Salut….

Xavier Vignon ‘Arcane XV Le Diable’ 2015, Vin de France

20 Sunday Dec 2020

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This Mourvedre shows a rich purple color in the glass and is semi opaque. On the nose it is gorgeous, if not different. Bright purple fruits of plum and blackberry with some bacon fat and licorice. The palate is lush with ripe blackberry, smoky oak, lavender and more licorice. The tannins are very much present, really pushing my gums on the mid palate but I am enjoying them- very polished. The dark fruit theme continues and the finish is medium in length with more smoke, game, blackberry and violet. It’s a rich wine with great structure, the varietal usually being part of a blend. I like the expression of fruit in this one and think it will drink nicely till 2030. If you like them young and brawny, drink now or else decant/aerate. The pros went large on this one, 94 points. I give it 92 with a 5 star rating cause you can pick a bottle up for $24. This one is destined for the Sunday Rib roast with all the trimmings. Salut….

Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Primeur Les Griottes 2020, France

08 Tuesday Dec 2020

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I’m surprised at how inky and dark purple this Gamay is in the glass. The nose is very rich with raspberry, strawberry pie and cranberry. It’s reminding me of drinking wine on the Champs Elysee. The palate is red fruit driven and has a fair dose of acidity. Raspberries dominate the mid palate but the acidity starts to overtake on the decent length finish. It’s very satisfying and mid weight. I am pairing it with Chicken Pot pie and salad, should do the trick. This one is meant to be drunk young so slightly chill a bottle and get cracking. 88 points from me and for $14 it gets 4 stars. Salut….