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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….

Chateau Faurie de Souchard 2010, Saint-Emilion, France

06 Sunday Dec 2020

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The 13th Virtual Wine tasting included this Right Bank Merlot. It was stunning, mature and a hit. The wine is at peak, the color showing a bit of bricking on the rim. The nose is classic Bordeaux- Earthy, smoky, molasses, black fruit jam, leather, tobacco, licorice, cloves…. that’s a lot of descriptors from the panel. On the palate it was delicious, even dreamy as one member piped out. Black cherry, blackberry, tobacco, mushroom and leather were really the key components. The wine is still robust, with very well integrated tannins and a hint of acidity. The mouthfeel is great and lingers on the decent length finish. On my 20 point scale it got 19. Technically speaking, it is a 93 point wine in my book, way higher than the pros rated it back in the day. 2010 was a great year for the Clarets and this example is showing how well the wines have held up and how they have evolved so nicely. Drink till 2025 and for $35 buy a case if you can find it. 5 stars. Salut….

Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Cuvee Predilection Methode Traditionnelle Brut 2016, Loire, France

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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Light gold with small bubbles.  On the nose it is briny with tons of floral undertones and a hint of sweetness.  On the palate it is very fizzy with notes of baking spices, muted stone fruit flavors and a touch of summer flowers.  I’m not getting too much out of this wine unfortunately.  It gets 86 points from me with a drink till 2024 window. 2 stars for this $23 sparkler. Salut….

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2020, France

27 Friday Nov 2020

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Once a year (the third Thursday in November to be precise) the French release the Beaujolais Nouveau. Super bright shade of purple, totally opaque.  The nose is very fruity- black cherries, blackcurrants, cherry cola and sassafras.  The palate is lively with lots of purple fruit, gobs of acidity and some licorice notes. Primal, this wine is meant to be drunk right away, yet it seems to have a bit of stuffing in there that may allow it to cellar for a year or two.  There’s a sour cherry note that carries this wine through to the medium length finish.  I’m thoroughly enjoying it.  The Nouveau movement started as a marketing ploy, got very popular in the 80’s and waned a bit of late.  It’s a fun, basic wine that is nearly perfect for Thanksgiving and is easy to drink.  Gamay based wines are served by the bucketload in the bistros of Paris, normally chilled ever so slightly they make a great red for a hot summers lunch.  This one will fill that role nicely in the coming 12 months.  87 points. $13 and 3 stars. This brand changes the label every year, cool stuff. Salut….

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2003, Pauillac, France

27 Friday Nov 2020

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It’s Thanksgiving today and I am opening some stunners tonight, this was the first red. Nearly black in the glass and opaque AF.  This wine is blowing me away on the nose- cassis, tobacco, leather and the umami of dried mushrooms.  On the palate this Bordeaux beauty is at peak.  The primal fruit has given way to the most amazing tertiary notes that we can only hope to taste in mature wine.  Earth, funk, leather, Maduro tobacco, rich cassis and a hint of tannins on the very back end.  It is stunning, graceful, developed and powerful in a staid manner.  I’m floored that this mediocre, hot vintage has held itself together for 17 years and rewarded my cellaring in such an amazing manner.  95 points for tonights bottle which is a massive step up from the last time I drank a Magnum of the stuff. You can read my original notes here. Not cheap, nor is it easy to find- at $150 for a regular size or close to $350 for the big boy. 5 stars with a drink now window. Yummm. Salut….

St. Audette Nuit Pinot Noir 2019, Pays d’Oc, France

24 Tuesday Nov 2020

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This Pinot hails from the Pays d’Oc region in France. It is light purple and see through. The nose has light red fruit notes, boysenberry and a dusty earth component. On the palate it is richer than expected. Red raspberry, bramble and a cherry reduction with some lithe acidity greet me. The mid palate continues the red fruit theme with just a hint of tannin. The finish is very smooth and nicely balanced. Although not a very complex wine, it has some weight and good fruit flavor to handle many dishes. Roast chicken comes to mind, as does Salmon on the grill. I would drink till 2023. 90 points and for $20 it gets 4 stars. Salut….