Tag Archives: france

Domaine Maillard Pere et Fils Pommard ‘La Chaniere’ 2020, Cote de Beaune, France

06 Monday Mar 2023

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If you read my previous post on our Parisian dinner you will have read that we drank two Pinot Noirs from Burgundy.  This is the second bottle- notes taken were basic as it was dinner!

Deep ruby. Rich aromas of cherry pie, pomegranate , coffee, chocolate and raspberry.  Medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a medium (-) body with flavors of red fruit and silky oak spice carrying through to a medium finish.  92 points from me for this $41 stunner makes it a 5 star wine to seek out.  Salut….

Domaine Maillard Pere et Fils Chorey-les-Beaune 2019, Cote de Beaune, France

06 Monday Mar 2023

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We recently dined at an amazing Parisian restaurant where the entire menu, wine included was extremely reasonable yet of such a high caliber that I will include some pictures.  We drank two bottles of Burgundian Pinot Noir, the first being this Chorey Les Beaune.  I did not want to detract from dinner so very basic notes were taken.

Medium ruby, more extracted than I expected.  Aromas of strawberry, cherries jubilee, a touch of baking spices and some smoke.  Medium (-) tannins and a medium acidity lead to a medium body.  Delicious with flavors of dark cherry, strawberry coulis, baking spice and charred oak on a medium finish. 91 points and for $40 this is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Scallops to die for

Parmesan Filet

Oh, la la

Can you say Souflé?

Perfection on a dessert plate

Chateau Giraud winery visit

05 Sunday Mar 2023

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When Moxie and I booked our trip to Bordeaux I wanted to visit Sauternes- so I looked up my favorites from the past and decided that Guiraud was going to be it.  Unlike many others in the region, they are open on Saturdays, which was the only day we were free.  Overcast skies and winter vegetation could not detract from the inherent beauty of this organically farmed estate.  Our guide was awesome and very informative.  We toured the cellars and grounds with a glass of their dry white in hand- the ‘G’ was spectacular.  A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, it had excellent acidity, balance and length with delicious flavors and aromas that made Moxie claim it to be her favorite dry white ever.  A big statement indeed.

The dry white wine

Our tour took us to the tasting room where we tried the Petite and Grand vins from several vintages.  I savored every drop of these stunningly delicious dessert wines and compared the nuances of each vintage.  The 2014 was my favorite as it was very precise with a freshness that was not evident in the older vintages.  The 1998 was liquid gold, rich and laden with tertiary notes that one hopes for in cellared wines.  The 2005 was in between- showing some youth whilst taking on a smoky note that was very interesting.  I love these wines and purchased two more vintages for my cellar.  Look out for tasting notes in the future!  Overall- this is a must visit winery if you are in the region where you will be warmly greeted and treated to spectacular wines.  Salut….

Laurent Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Sens 2019, Rhone, France

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

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A quick and basic tasting note of this French Syrah- Opaque purple. Fruity nose with florals and ripe fruit.  Black plum, lavender, licorice, coffee.  Medium acidity, medium tannins, full body.  Grippy black fruits with flavors of plum, black cherry, bitter dark chocolate with a shortish finish.  88 points and for $19 it gets 4 stars.  Drink till 2025 with hearty meat stews and grilled game.  Salut….

Chateau Les Ormes-de-Pez 2006, Saint-Estephe, France

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Purchased at the gift shop in Bages, this Cru Bourgeois is part of the Lynch Bages portfolio.  Pardon the abrupt notes, but it is being drunk at our Parisian Air-bnb in glasses that are not optimal.   Medium garnet colored , nose of blackberry, cassis, tobacco, cedar box, classic aged Bordeaux. Delicious with medium acidity and medium tannins that are well integrated with a medium body.  Slightly tart on the back end with black fruit puree and cassis.  Secondary and tertiary flavors of tobacco, cedar lined drawers, smoke and espresso.  Long finish with tart dark fruit- 91 points.  For around $43, you too can taste this delicious and mature wine.  4 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Lynch Bages winery tour

28 Tuesday Feb 2023

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If you know me at all you will know that Lynch Bages is on my top three wines of all time.  I have drunk several vintages and many bottles over the past 25 years of this stunning Bordeaux wine.  When we decided to visit the region, they were the first winery I contacted for a tour.  I must admit the grey overcast and rainy days of February might not be the most picturesque time of the year to visit but there were no crowds and we were greeted by our excellent host at the newly built, ultra modern gravity flow winery.  Lots of glass in the main building allows for ample light and the beautifully appointed offices included a whimsical set of bathrooms replete with some funny cartoons.

Our tour began with in the ‘fermentation room’.  Stainless steel fermenting tanks that are gravity fed by a system of elevators and controlled by computer, very impressive set up.

Next up was a museum of sorts- the old wooden vats and the railroad system they used to employ to fill the barrels with must and also to press the wine.  Some interesting artifacts indeed!

Barrels of wine resting up prior to bottling, smoothing out and picking up secondary notes over time.

Remnants of grape and olive presses are on display outside the vault that holds their library of vintages.

And finally- the moment we had waited for.   The tasting room greeted us with three offerings- the ’15 Ormes de Pez, ’16 Echo (their second wine) and the ’14 Grand Vin.  All drank beautifully and showed the power off this winery as well as its finesse.  Stunning wines to drink made ever more special by the surroundings.

Our tour ended with a visit to their local village where we shopped for wine, drank coffee and thoroughly enjoyed reveling in the moment.  What a special place.  Salut….

A trip to Bordeaux

27 Monday Feb 2023

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Moxie and I took a trip to France which started out in Bordeaux.  Once settled into the hotel we started our wine adventure with a taste of the local wares.  Our bar had a by-the-glass program of several delicious classified Crus that I worked through.  Dinner was fabulous and included a bottle of Graves.  We had to prepare ourselves for the next two days- visits to Chateau Lynch Bages, Cos D’Estournel and Guiraud as well as a pit stop in St. Emilion.  Dining was unbelievable, the wines were impeccable and scenery was pretty cool.  The only drawback being the rain for the first two days.  Overall it was a great three days in wine country followed by a hi-speed train to Paris, passing through the Loire Valley and catching a glimpse of the Vouvray appellation.  Stay tuned for more posts on this amazing trip.  Salut….

Wines by the glass

Our opener on arrival!

the smorgasbord

First full bottle

Amazing Burrata

Grilled Octopus

Delicious vino

The salmon dish

First of many steaks

Braised lamb

OMG

Domaine Bernard Serveau Les Sentiers 2009, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France

23 Friday Dec 2022

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Pale garnet colored, this 13 year old Pinot Noir is starting to show some age.  The nose  is too.  Baked cherry, dried strawberry, caramel, chocolate powder, orange peel, vanilla pod, figs and raisin compote- very layered with primary, secondary and tertiary aromas.  The palate is bone dry with medium (+) acidity and low tannins.  Flavors of dried and stewed red fruit with caramel and cocoa powder dominate.  It’s not as rich or complex as the nose was indicating.  Light bodied it carries through to a short finish that is comprised of tart cherry, cranberry and some caramel.  I was hoping for more from a 1er Cru Burgundy- 88 points with a drink till 2024 window.  It would normally run $50+ and therefore gets 3 stars from me.  We are pairing it with roast Turkey and all the accompaniments.  Salut….

Chateau Cos d’Estournel ‘Les Pagodes de Cos’ 2010, Saint-Estephe, France

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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Our 29th Virtual Wine tasting concentrated on Cabernet Sauvignon and blends thereof so it made sense to include a Bordeaux wine.  I selected this well aged bottle which is the ‘second wine’ of the famed Second Growth- Chateau Cos d’Estournel.  It runs $80 and gets high scores from the pros (92-94).

Deep garnet colored, this wine is showing off its 12 years of age.  Aromas of soy sauce, leather, cedar, cassis, stewed blackberry, forest floor and umami were noted.  On the palate it was dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are well integrated.  Medium bodied, this wine had flavors of black pepper, strong black tea, loam, funk and leather with some dried blackberry notes.  Someone mentioned a Bourbon-like taste and there was some concern over the bitterness.  It is a touch disjointed which lowers the rating imo.  The medium to long finish shows off the pedigree of this chateau.  I enjoyed drinking this 90 point wine but for $80 I can find far more enjoyable wines to drink.  3 stars for the QPR.  I would pair this with a simple Filet steak and gratin potatoes with a side of green beans.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc 2019, Pessac-Leognan, France

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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Last night we drank four wines at the 29th Virtual Wine tasting.  Opening up with both a chilled and room temp serving of this Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon the group found the wine to be a pale lemon color with the textbook aromas of cut grass, citrus and dare I say- cat pee.  Other aromas and flavors included peaches, algae (?), pineapple, grapefruit and lemon curd.  The wine was dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body leading to a short finish.  I think this $45 bottle is worthy of 91 points, slightly shy of the pros who went as high as 94.  It’s delicious now and will keep for a few more years but why wait on this 4 star effort.  Seafood or poached chicken would pair nicely.  Salut….