Tag: French Wines

Union Grands Cru Bordeaux NYC 2024

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The Union Grands Cru Bordeaux is an organization representing 131 Grand Cru Chateaux of Bordeaux. They promote the wines of the top estates with a yearly world tour showcasing the current vintage.

In the United States the tour has taken them to Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and on January 22 to New York City. The wines they poured are the current release which is the 2021 vintage.

The event was held as it has been for several years now at Cipriani at 110 West 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan. Cipriani is an event space housed in a former back that was built when banks were built to impress with vaulted ceilings and lots of marble.

The wines at the tasting were still very young at this point, which I understand but it is a good way to get an overview of that particular vintage and on how the vintage is coming along and on how the wines may age in the long term.

Bordeaux has been lucky with a string of very good vintages in the past few years. In good vintages there is so much good juice grown in that region that there is plenty of good wine coming out from even the third, fourth tier and cru bourgeois estates.

Unfortunately, that streak came to an end with the 2021 vintage. It was a challenging and uneven year. For the most part I was getting a lot of tart, red cherry juice notes on many of the wines with nothing anywhere ready to drink at this point. 

Fortunately, when things are not so good in the vineyards for the regular wines means that the conditions were good in Sauterne and Barsac for the Botrytis mold to grow. There were about half the producers pouring these dessert wines at this event that they’ve had in the past but what I tried was well balanced.

Some of what I sampled:

Pessac-Leognan

Chateau CorbonnieuxDomaine de Chevalier
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

Saint Emillion

Chateau CanonChateau Canon La Gaffeliere
Chateau La GaffeliereClos Fourtet
Chateau Pavie Macquin

Pomerol

Chateau BeauregardChateau Le Bon Pasteur
Chateau ClinetChateau Le Gay
Chateau Petit Village

Margaux

Chateau Brane CantenacChateau Dauzac
Chateau Cantenac BrownChateau Kirwan
Chateau Prieure LichineChateau Rauzan Gassies
Chateau Siran

Saint Julien

Chateau BeychevelleChateau Branaire Ducru
Chateau GloriaChateau Gruaud Larose
Chateau LagrangeChateau Leoville Barton
Chateau Leoville PoyferreChateau Gloria

Pauillac

Chateau BatailleyChateau Clerc Milon
Chateau d’ArmailhacChateau Duhart Milon
Chateau Grand Puy DucasseChateau Haut Batailley
Chateau Lynch BagesChateau Lynch Moussas

Saint Estephe

Chateau Cos LoboryChateau Lafon Rochet
Chateau de Pez Chateau Phelan SEgur

Haut Medoc

Chateau Coufran

Sauternes/Barsac

Chateau Doisy DaeneChateau Guiraud
Chateau de Rayne VigneauChateau La Tour Blanche

Cruise Ship Tasting 2023

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I recently went on a vacation. I wanted to check off another item on my bucket list one of which was to take a ship across the ocean.

I took a 13-day repositing cruise which is where the cruise ships touring European ports head to the Caribbean and South America for the Winter season.

The ship I booked on was the Norwegian Cruise Lines “Getaway” and we shipped off from Southhampton, England stopping at ports in France, Spain and Portugal before heading due West to our final destination, New York City.

If you’ve ever taken a cruise before then you know that there are several restaurants on board and that there are professional Sommelier on hand to help guests with their wine orders.

On this cruise, those Somms held wine tasting classes and I attended a few of them.

This was one of those classes and at this class and they poured three French wines paired with cheese.

2021 LaDoucette Pouilly-Fume

Medium gold with a greenish tint, green herbs and honey notes on the nose, medium bodied with balanced acidity ending with some asparagus notes on the finish. Paired with goat cheese.

2022 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

Clear dark purple, crushed rock. crushed raspberry and some leather on the nose, fruity, dry and chalky with nice acidity. Paired with Brie.

2022 Cellier des Princes Chateauneuf du Pape

Clear medium red with an amber rim, cooked vegetable on the nose, tight, dry with licorice notes ending with firm, toasty tannins. Paired with Camembert.

James Suckling’s Great Wines of the World NYC 2023

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The James Suckling Great Wines of the World tasting event took place on June 15 & 16 and was held at the Altman Building event space at 135 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

James Suckling is a journalist, wine and cigar critic that has established online wine and cigar related websites.

This was a two day walk around tasting of highly rated wines from 195 producers from the top wine regions of the world.

As per usual when I attend a tasting with this volume of wines, I focused on Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet but sampled wines from other regions as well.

Old World

2012 Bertani Amarone (Veneto): Clear light brick, earth and dark chocolate on the nose, silky black leather on the fruit, great balance.

2015 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric del Fiasc (Piedmont): Clear light brick, toasty tar on the nose with dusty fruit ending with firm tannins.

2015 Chateau Leoville Las Case (St Julien): Clear medium brick, pretty nose of tar and leather, tight red fruit ending in mouth puckering tannins.

2016 Chateau Malatric Lagraviere (Graves): Opaque medium red, ripe crushed black fruit on the nose with silky red fruit and firm tannins.

2016 Phelan Segur (St Estephe): Opaque medium red, dusty crushed rocks on the nose with dusty black fruit ending with silky tannins.

2017 Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear medium red, smoky red cherry on the nose, silky and spicy fruit with a long finish.

2017 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light red, barnyard notes on the nose, tight with earth notes on the fruit, nice balance.

2018 Phelan Segur (St Estephe): Clear dar red with a brick rim, tobacco and graphite on the nose, tight dusty fruit with bitter cherry notes on the long finish.

2018 Chateau Meyney (St Estephe): Opaque dark red, ripe camphor on the nose, dark and juicy with bitter almond notes, long finish.

2018 Chateay D’Issan (Margaux): Clear dark red, closed nose of strawberry. dusty, bright red fruit, good balance.

2018 Chateau Gran Puy Ducasse (Paulliac): Opaque medium red, tar and ripe black fruit on the nose, dusty, silky red fruit with a balanced finish.

New World

2009 Clos de los Siete (Mendoza): Opaque dark red, crushed ripe red fruit on the nose, chewy dark red fruit, silky tannins.

2017 Secret Door Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Vally): Opaque dark red, tar and ripe red fruit on the nose, juicy, silky black fruit with a long finish and nicely balance.

2018 Newton Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, dried herbs and crushed rocks on the nose, concentrated and silky ending with firm tannins.

2019 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Red Rock Terrace” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red. smoky black fruit on the nose, silky bright red fruit with a tarry, balanced finish.

2019 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon “Volcanic Hill” (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, perfume of tar and crushed rocks, juicy fruit with tar and black licorice notes ending with a tarry, moderate to long finish.

2019 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mtn. (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, closed nose of dirt and dark chocolate, chewy, dark chocolate fruit, with a good grip

2019 BV Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red. minty dark chocolate on the nose, concentrated with dark chocolate notes ending with silky tannins.

2019 BV Cabernet Sauvignon “George de Latour (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red with a purple rim, dirty camphor on the nose, tight, concentrated dusty fruit with a good grip and a long finish.

2020 Garzon Single Vineyard Tannat (Uraguay): Opaque dark red, smoky dark chocolate on the nose, chewy fruit with slate notes and silky tannins.

2022 Chacra Pinot Noir (Patagonia): Clear light purple, crushed blueberry on the nose with crushed blueberry fruit ending with nice silky tannins.

La Paulée de New York 2023

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La Paulée is a centuries old tradition of the end of harvest feast for the vintners and workers. The modern version began in 1923 when the Mayor of Meursault in Burgundy invited friends from the nearby domains to his winery for the celebration.

This tradition was brought to the new world in 2000 when the Daniel Johnnes, the sommelier of Montrachet restaurant at the time, created the modern-day version in New York City.

It began as a one-day event and is now a week-long event this year from February 24 to March 4. It’s a series of wine tastings and wine dinners culminating with the Grand Tasting on Saturday March 4.

I attended the Grand Tasting on Saturday where over 100 white and red Burgundy were poured from the 2020 vintage which is the latest vintage to be released.

The event was held at the Chelsea Piers sports complex in Pier 60 restaurant overlooking the Hudson River on the west side on Manhattan.

No one would call this vintage “opulent” by any means. I thought that the reds had some nice red fruit but, not surprisingly, very hard edged at this stage. I would love to taste them a few years down the road after they have had a chance to settle down.

The whites on the other hand, for the most part I was getting very pretty aromas but with very light fruit and good acidity. I suppose light and delicate would be a good way to explain them.

In any case it was an enjoyable afternoon drinking some of the best wines in the world.

2020 Vintage

Caroline Morey Chassagne Montrachet “Chambrees”: Light gold, big nose of tropical fruit with tropical fruit notes on the light finish. 

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru: Light gold, toast and honey on the nose, mouth filling moderate fruit, nice balance. 

William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos”: Light yellow, floral nose, moderate fruit with crisp acidity, good balance. 

Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune 1er Cru “Clos de la Mousse ” monopole: Clear light brick, soft leather on the nose, silky red fruit ending with silky tannins, long finish.  

David Duband Echezeaux Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, roasted vegetables on the nose, gritty and chalky black fruit ending with firm tannins.

Domaine Arnaud Mortet Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, sweet, dusty spice on the nose, silky dark fruit ending with silky tannins. great balance.

Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru: Clear medium brick, leather and tobacco on the nose, silky dark fruit with a long, balanced finish. 

Domaine Duroche Gevrey Chambertin: Clear medium purple, sweet spices on the nose, silky red fruit and a great balance. 

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru “Santenots”: Clear medium red, forest floor on the nose, dense black fruit ending with big tannins on the long finish. 

Domaine Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru “Les Roncieres”: Clear medium purple, crushed black cherry and spice on the nose, juicy black fruit with firm tannins.

Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. George 1er Cru “Les Saint Georges”: Opaque dark red, dark leather and mint on the nose, cherry dark fruit with gritty tannins and a nice mouth feel. 

Domaine Derey Freres Marsannay “Les Genelieres”: Clear medium purple, crushed red fruit on the nose, silky red fruit ending tight and tannic. 

Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Villages Rouge: Clear light purple, earth and wood on the nose, juicy with tight and silky tannins.

Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Village Rouge “La Rue des Foins”: Opaque medium purple, black leather on the nose, silky black fruit ending with silky tannins, great balance. 

Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay: Clear medium purple, nice perfume of tar, violets and tobacco with red fruit ending with firm tannins. 

Domaine Hudelot Noellat Vosne Romanee 1er Cru “Les Suchots”: Clear dark purple, crushed red fruit and damp earth on the nose with tight, dark fruit and gritty tannins. 

Domaine Meo Camuzet Nuit St. Georges 1er Cru “Aux Boudots”: Clear medium purple, roast meat on the nose, tight red fruit with crisp acids. 

Caroline Morey Chassagne Montrachet Rouge: Clear light purple, roast meat on the nose, silky fruit, tight tannins. 

Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru “Clos des Mouches”: Clear light purple, cherry and earth on the nose, juicy red fruit with leather notes, moderate tannins and acid. 

La Tablée NYC 2022

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The La Tablée tasting was held in New York City on November 19 of last year and featured the wines of the Rhone Valley of France.

The term La Tablée denotes the meal celebrating the end of harvest, similar to Burgundy’s La Paulée and not surprisingly, the folks who ran this event also run the New York La Paulée event.

The Rhone is divided into the Northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone. In the north, Syrah is the primary grape used. Those wines are wines that California wine drinkers would love since they tend to be beefy wines with notes of roast meat and bacon on the nose.

In southern Rhone they are legally able to use up to thirteen varietals with Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah doing the bulk of the work for the red wines. At this tasting I tried Chateauneuf du Pape that were 100% Grenache.

The tasting was held at City Winery located at 25 11th Avenue at Pier 57 overlooking the East River on the west side of Manhattan. With large picture windows overlooking the river, there was plenty of natural light in the room. The venue didn’t get overcrowded that afternoon but that was probably due to the price of the ticket than the perceived quality of the wines.

Many of the reds poured were from the 2019 vintage which received a very good score from the wine writers.

Some of the highlights:

Southern Rhone

2019 Domaine Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape “Tradition”: Clear light purple, red fruit with some earth on the nose, juicy and spicy with a nice balance.

2019 Domaine Roger Sabon Chateauneuf du Pape “Prestige”: Opaque dark purple, chalk and crusted stone on the nose with juicy black fruit and notes of green herbs, nice balance.

2019 Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape “Vieilles Vignes”: Clear medium red, crushed rocks on the nose, juicy, chunky dark chocolate fruit, good balance at the end.

2020 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape “Chaupin”: Clear medium purple, toasted bread and crushed red fruit on the nose, silky, spice red fruit, great balance.

2019 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape “Cuvee Reservee”: Clear medium red, spicy tar on the nose, silky, tarry and spicy fruit ending with firm tannins.

2012 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape “Cuvee Laurence” ed jeroboam: Clear medium brick, pretty perfume of bacon and earth, silky, earth fruit, balanced with some bitter cherry on the long finish.

2019 Domaine de la Monardiere Vacqueyras “Vieilles Vignes: Opaque medium purple, ripe red fruit on the nose, chewy, silky, ending with firm tannins.

2019 Chateau de Beaucastel Gigondas “Clos des Tourelles”: Clear medium red, cigarette smoke on the nose, juicy red fruit, nice balance.

Northern Rhone

2019 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie “Brune et Blonde”: Clear medium red, gun metal and roast pork on the nose, sweet fruit of milk chocolate ending with a great balance.

2011 Jean Michel Gerin Cote-Rotie “Les Grand Places” en magnum: Cloudy medium red, sweet, minty nose, moderate fruit of leather, drops a bit but drinking nicely.

2019 Jean Michel Gerin Cote-Rotie “La Vialliere”: Clear medium purple, damp earth on the nose, tasty, silky black fruit, geat balance.

2019 Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage ‘La Guiraude”: Opaque medium red, smoky roast meat on the nose with tart, purple fruit.

2020 Cave Julien Cecillon Saint-Joseph “Babylone”: Opaque dark red, red leather on the nose, dark, earthy fruit, great balance.

2020 Cave Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph “Serines”: Clear medium purple, toasted notes on the nose with chewy leather notes on the fruit, nice balance.

Barell Tasting Of 2020 Burgundy

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On April 5th I was invited to attend a barrel tasting of 2020 Burgundy. Specifically, the 2020 Burgundy in the portfolio of Fredrick Wildman & Sons distributor.

The tasting was for members of the trade and was a great opportunity to get some sort of idea how the 2020 vintage turned out as well as the opportunity to sample some of the finest wines in the world.

The whites are already bottled while the reds were just out of the barrel. My impression of the vintage was that the whites were drinking beautifully now, just enough fruit with balanced acidity. The reds were fruit forward, some were drinking nicely right out of the barrel, but lacked the structure for long term aging. The reds are definitely wines to be enjoyed sooner than later.

The tasting was held at Quality Bistro restaurant at 120 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

White

2020 Chateau Fuisse Pouilly Fuiseé “Tete de Cuvee”: Medium gold, closed nose of honey, medium fruit with a nice balance.

2020 Famille Vincent Bourgogne Blanc: Light gold, floral nose, medium body with tropical fruit notes, nice balance.

2019 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay Blanc “Source des Roches”: Light gold, green herbs on the nose, juicy, melon notes, good grip.

2020 Domaine Faiveley 1er Cru Puligny Montrachet “Champs Gains”: Medium gold, honey and tropical fruit on the nose, medium fruit with melon notes and honey with lemon curd notes on the finish

.

Red

2020 Domaine Jean-Luc Burguet Bourgogne Rouge: Clear light purple, green herbs on the nose, chewy young fruit with a nice grip.

2019 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay “Les Grasses Tetes”: Clear medium purple, green herbs and crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy, smoky, silky red tannins, long finish.

2020 Domaine Humbert Freres Fixin Vieilles Vignes: Clear medium purple, cigar box on the nose, chewy, silky red fruit, nice grip.

2020 Domaine Humbert Freres Gevrey Chambertin: Clear light purple, tobacco smoke on the nose, silky, dusty red fruit and balanced. Nice wine.

2020 Domaine Meo Camuzet Nuits St George: Opaque medium purple, crushed blueberry and tree bark on the nose, chunky black fruit with slate notes, nice acidity.

2020 Domaine Meo Camuzet Vosne Romanee 1er Cru “Les Chaumes”: Opaque dark purple, roast meat notes on the nose, silky red fruit, slate notes, good grip.

2020 Domaine Virgile Lignier-Michelot Morey St Denis 1er Cru “Faconnieres”: Opaque dark purple, green herbs on the nose, chewy with tobacco and slate notes on the fruit, firm, silky tannins.

2020 Domaine Virgile Lignier-Michelot Clos de al Roche Grand Cru: Opaque dark purple to black in color, silky, chewy red fruit ending with slate and silky tannins.

2020 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Cazetiers”: Opaque medium purple, tar and crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy and dense, black licorice, silky tannin with bitter almonds notes on the finish.

2020 Domaine Faiveley Corton Grand Cru “Clos des Cortons”: Opaque dark purple, barnyard and crushed black fruit on the nose, silky and dense with a hit of tannin and some heat at the end.

2020 Olivier Leflaive Volnay 1er Cru “Clos de Angles”: Opaque medium purple, crushed rock notes on the nose, chewy fruit with slate and firm tannins.

2020 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru “Clos des Epeneaux”: Opaque dark purple, silky red fruit, moderate tannins and acids.

2020 Domaine Michel LaFarge Volnay 1er Cru “Clos du Chene”: Clear light purple, a perfume of violets and tobacco, juicy and smoky with moderate tannins and acid.

2020 Domaine Dominique Gallois Gevrey Chambertin “En Justice”: Opaque dark purple to black in color, slate and roast meat on the nose, juicy red fruit.

2020 Domaine Labruyere Moulin a Vent “Le Clos Monopole”: Opaque dark purple, green herbs on the nose, silky dusty fruit, good balance.

La Paulée de NY: Verticals Tasting 2022

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La Paulée de New York is Daniel Johnson’s homage to La Paulée de Meursault, a three-day long end of grape harvest festival held in Meursault, Burgundy in France. The festival itself was a revival of the end of harvest banquet that the medieval monks threw for their growers and workers.

Mr. Johnson brought that festival to New York in 2000 and after a one-year hiatus it’s back in New York City. It’s several days of tastings and wine dinners featuring the red and white wines of the Cote d’Or of Burgundy.

They threw two tastings, the Grand Tasting in which they poured 100+ wines from the current vintage release, and the Verticals Tasting in which each producer poured at least three different vintages of their wine.

I attended the Grand Tasting in March 2020 which was held just a few days before the lockdown, it was the last major tasting for me for almost two years. This year they were showcasing the 2018 and 2019 vintages to make up for the lost year. This year I didn’t attend that tasting but was able to make it to the Verticals Tasting. It was a little smaller in size than the Grand Tasting but was a great opportunity to drink Burgundy with some age to them. It was well worth the 10am start time.

The tasting took place at the event space Second in the Eventi Hotel at 849 6th Avenue in Manhattan.

Some highlights:

White

2011 Domaine du Duc de Magenta Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru “Clos de la Chapelle”: Light yellow, toasty nose, roasted nuts and lime on the finish.

2012 Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos “Clos des Hospices” en magnum: Dark gold in color, ripe tropical fruit on the nose, dusty, nutty on the finish.

2014 Bouchard Pere & Fils Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru: Light yellow with honey and cinnamon on the nose, mouthful of fruit with a nice balance

2015 Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret Chablis 1er Cru “Les Butteaux”: Light yellow with a floral nose, nice balanced fruit ending with a firm finish

Red

2006 Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru: Clear light red, tar and cigar box on the nose with earthy, tobacco fruit and a long finish.

2007 Benjamin Leroux Volnay “Clos de la Cave du Ducs” Monopole: Clear light brick, beautiful nose of earth and barnyard with tobacco and cigar box notes on the long finish.

2009 Chandon de Briailles Corton Grand Cru “Les Bressandes” en magnum: Clear light red, plummy tobacco on the nose with silky bright red fruit and green herbs on the finish.

2009 Domaine Faiveley Echezeaux Grand Cru: Light brick, crushed raspberry and earth on the nose, silky red fruit ending with silky tannins and a long finish.

2010 Domaine Simon Bize Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru “Aux Vergelesses”: Clear light brick, cigar box on the nose, bright red fruit ending with mouth coating tannins.

2010 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru: Clear light brick, tar and tobacco on the nose, silky, earthy fruit with firm acids and tannins at the end.

2010 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru “Aux Brulees” en magnum: Clear light brick, crushed blueberry on the nose, red toasty fruit with a silky finish.

2011 Domaine Faiveley Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru “Les Saint Georges“: Light brick in color, cigar box on the nose, nice balanced fruit with a long finish.

2011 Derey Freres Fixin 1er Cru “Les Hervedets”: Light brick, cinnamon, smoky tobacco and ripe fruit on the nose, chewy and nicely balanced with a long finish.

2011 Pierre Morey Pommard 1er Cru “Grand Epenots”: Clear light red, closed nose of crushed black fruit and dried herbs, silky red fruit with a nice balance.

2012 Antoine Donnedieu Clos de Tart Grand Cru monople: Clear light red, barnyard and green herbs on the nose, tight and tart.

2013 Domaine d’Eugenie Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru “Brulees”: Clear light red, perfume of crushed red fruit and cinnamon, bright red fruit with some earth notes on the finish.

2014 Domaine Jean Marie Fourrier Vougeot 1er Cru “Les Petits Vougeot”: Clear light brick, pumpkin spice on the nose, silky red fruit ending with silky tannins.

2014 Jerome Galeyrand Gevrey-Chambertin “En Croisette”: Clear light brick, toasty, earth nose, chewy black licorice fruit ending balanced and long.

2015 Yvon Clerget Pommard 1er Cru “Rugiens”: Clear medium red, crushed black fruit on the nose, ripe and chewy black fruit ending with silky tannins.

2015 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru “Chevrerz”: Clear light red, red smoke on the nose, silky red fruit with a nice balance.

Some Bordeaux 2022

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Traditionally at this time of year many of the wine and spirit distributers have their portfolio tastings. These tastings are open to members of the trade who will make buying decisions or for those who need to educate themselves on the products of a particular distributer. They can show up and browse the portfolios for something in particular or to search for something new. Some of the tastings showcase the whole portfolio in which case there may be 100+ wines and spirits available to sample. Sometimes they have smaller, more intimate tastings that showcase a niche category.

On March 2nd one of those distributors, Fredrick Wildman & Sons held an invite only small tasting of some of their upper tier Bordeaux from their portfolio. It was a mix of current releases (2018) with some older vintages that were available for sale. When Bordeaux is drinking well, it’s a nice experience.

The tasting was held at Benoit restaurant located at 66 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

Some of what I sampled:

2014 Chateau Carbonnieux (Pessac-Leognan): Dark red with a purple rim, tobacco and crushed red fruit on the nose, silky and chewy red fruit, beautifully balanced with a long finish.

2018 Chateau Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Leognan): Black with a purple rim, nose of sweet tobacco, chewy black fruit, silky tannins with a great balance.

2015 Chateau Troplong Mondot (St.-Emilion): Black with a purple rim, toasty crushed black fruit on the nose, silky and chewy with a long finish.

2018 Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere (St.-Emilion): Dark red to black with a purple rim, dark chocolate and sweet tobacco on the nose, silky red fruit with crisp tannins at the end, long finish.

2018 Chateau Clos de L’Oratoire (St.-Emilion): Black with a purple rim, sweet strawberry on the nose, dense and tight with a tight finish.

2016 Chateau Gazin (Pomerol): Black with a purple rim, toasted oak on the nose, chewy and tight with silky tannins.

2016 Chateau Jardin de Petit Village (Pomerol): Black with a purple rim, toasty red fruit on the nose, chunky black fruit ending with a good dusty grip.

2010 Chateau Lascombes (Margaux): Dark red to black with an amber rim, perfume of tar and dark leather, silky dark fruit with a beautiful long and balanced finish.

2015 Chateau Cantenac Brown (Margaux): Dark red with a purple rim, smoky nose, tight with green olive notes on the firm finish.

2016 Brio de Cantenac Brown (Margaux): Dark red with a purple rim, big nose of cigar smoke, tight with bell pepper notes on the firm finish.

2014 Chateau Lagrange (St. Julien): Dark red to black with a purple rim, nose of sweet tar, black leather and cigar smoke, dense and tight with wet slate notes, tight acids at the end.

2014 Chateau Leoville Poyferre (St. Julien): Dark red to black, sweet perfume of tobacco, mint and crushed black fruit, chunky with silky tannins with dark chocolate, black fruit and bitter bark on the finish.

2015 Chateau Talbot (St. Julien): Dark purple, brambly nose, chewy with dried leaf notes, balanced with a long finish.

2018 Chateau Leoville Barton (St. Julien): Dark red to black, crushed strawberry on the nose, chewy and dusty green fruit ending with moderate tannins and acids.

2018 Chateau Gloria (St. Julien): Black with a purple rim, stinky nose of crushed black fruit, chewy black fruit with a good grip and long finish.

2018 Chateau Branaire Ducru (St. Julien): Dark red to black, sweet nose of pixe stick and green fruit, silky, dusty black fruit ending with moderate to low tannins and acids.

2016 Chateau Lynch Bages (Pauillac): Black with a purple rim, mint, tobacco and some barnyard on the nose, tight with silky tannins and crushed rock notes on the fruit.

2014 Chateau Phelan Segur (St. Estephe): Black with a purple rim, crushed black fruit and mint on the nose, tight fruit that lighten ups at the end.

2015 Chateau La Croix Bonis (St. Estephe): Dark red, nose of sweet spice and tree bark, dusty, silky tannins with a good grip.

Grand Crus of St-Emilion Tasting

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The Association De Grand Crus Classes De Saint-Emillion held their 2021 tasting tour in the USA on November 8th in New York City and in San Francisco on the 10th.

In New York the event was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion event space at 123 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

Bordeaux is one of the most famous wine regions in the world with many well known classified growth wines. The Appellations and vineyards are on the right and left bank of the Gironde estuary. The wines are blends of legally permitted varietals but mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot.

On the Right Bank the most famous communes are Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. While they are permitted to use the classic Bordeaux varietals, a distinguishable characteristic of the wines of the Right Bank is that Merlot is the predominate grape in the blend.

At the tasting the Chateau were showcasing their 2018’s along with another older vintage. I was getting a lot of nice aromatics but not surprisingly the wines were hard as nails at this point. Like most Bordeaux they will need a few more years in the bottle to become approciable.

Some of the wines I sampled:

Chateau Chauvin

2015: 80% Merlot. Opaque dark red with an amber rim, black fruit and crushed rock on the nose, silky fruit with green olive notes on the dusty finish.

2018: 88% Merlot. Dark red to black, crushed black fruit and spices on the nose, juicy black fruit with firm tannins.

Clos des Jacobins

2016: 80% Merlot. Clear medium brick, perfume of black olives and oak, tight dusty tannins on the red fruit.

2018: 80% Merlot. Opaque dark red, graphite and crushed red fruit on the nose, peppery black fruit with firm tannins.

Couvent des Jacobins

2015: 85% Merlot. Dark red to black with a purple rim, sweet perfume of tar and tobacco, silky black fruit with bitter almonds on the firm finish.

Chateau Dassault

2016: 73% Merlot. Opaque dark red, tar and black plum on the nose, chewy black fruit with olive notes on the firm but balanced finish.

2018:75% Merlot. Opaque dark purple, sweet perfume with burnt notes with ripe vegetable on the finish.

Chateau de Ferrand

2016: 80% Merlot. Opaque dark red with a purple rim, crushed rocks and graphite on the nose, chewy black fruit followed by big tannins.

2018 73% Merlot. Opaque dark red, crushed black fruit on the nose, green olives on the fruit with firm tannins.

Chateau Faugeres

2011 85% Merlot. Opaque dark red, black olives, mint and tar on the nose, minty red fruit, getting some heat at the end.

Chateau Fleur Cardinale

2016 74% Merlot. Clear dark red, ripe fruit notes on the nose, silky red fruit, moderate long balanced finish.

2018 74% Merlot. Clear dark red, perfume of crushed red fruit, juicy with bitter almonds and firm tannins on the finish.

Chateau Fonplégade

2015 95% Merlot. Clear dark brick with an amber rim, black olives and tar on the nose, tight, dark fruit with a mouthful of tannin.

2018 90% Merlot. Opaque dark purple, sweet perfume of violets, tight red licorice fruit with firm tannins.

Chateau Franc Mayne

2011 90% Merlot. Opaque dark brick with an amber rim, perfume of black olives and violets, dusty firm tannins with gun metal notes on the fruit.

2018 90% Merlot. Dark red to black, crushed dark fruit and black licorice on the nose, juicy and tannic.

Chateau La Marzelle

2012 75% Merlot. Black in color with a purple rim, toasty notes on the nose, chewy, juicy dark fruit with firm tannins on the long finish.

2018 75% Merlot. Dark red with a purple rim, cooked fruit and crushed rocks on the nose with red fruit on the crisp finish.

Chateau Villemaurine

2016 80% Merlot. Opaque dark red, perfume of tobacco and crushed dark plums, green herbs on the red fruit with firm tannins.

2018 80% Merlot. Opaque dark red, red flowers on the nose, concentrated red fruit with firm tannins.

2018 Belles Grives Beaujolais Morgon

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

 

 

Beaujolais is the southernmost district in Burgundy. While Pinot Noir is king in most of Burgundy, here the Gamay grape is the primary red varietal. In the hierarchy of Beaujolais the Crus are at the top of the quality pyramid. There are ten: Julienas, Chenas, Moulin-A-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Regnie, Cote de Brouilly and Brouilly. I think that the Cru Beaujolais are underated wines with a good price to quality ratio.

 

2018 Belles Grives Beaujolais “Morgon

Clear medium red, dusty red fruit and cherry candy on the nose, juicy with green herb notes on the fruit, tightens at the end with silky tannins. Feeling some heat at 14.5%.