TN: de Villaine and Thomas

[Florida Jim]

Pasta with marinara sauce with a little cream mixed in:

2004 A. et P. de Villaine, Bourgogne (blanc) Les Clous:

A truly lovely chardonnay; no oak, no RS, no spoof; plenty of varietal flavor, plenty of structure, good balance and a nice crisp finish. Exhibits none of the ills of the vintage (maybe the Côte Chalonnaise did better?); fresh and lively. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Kermit Lynch and about $20, on release; back up the truck.

I had an open bottle in the fridge so I tried it. A really terrific match and one I would never have expected. The cream in the sauce gives it a lactic note and calms the tomato acidity. This wine works very well against that lactic note and harmonizes with those softer flavors. This is not a pairing I would have thought a good idea but it’s a dandy. ‘Learn something new every day.

Smoked salmon spread and crackers:

1999 Thomas, Pinot Noir:

Translucent, pale garnet; underbrush, gun powder, cranberry and wet stones on the nose – complexity to burn and some bottle bouquet; lightweight, smooth, integrated but layered flavors follow the nose and add brown spice and raspberry accents, good depth and great cut, some grip, an elegant and silky texture; and - here’s where the miracle happens – the finish expands in the mouth so that the flavors and complexity grow stronger on the extended finish. I have had very few wines where the flavors became stronger on the finish – I wonder how one does that. Idiosyncratic and not for everyone but one of my favorite pinot noirs from anywhere. 13% alcohol and about $32.50, on release; worth multiples of that.

Chosen because I wanted a data point on my bottles. I have not had much luck with salmon and pinot lately but this combination is astonishing. The wine seems to grow bigger and smoother with the food but not so large as to overwhelm. Quite the opposite, as the smoked salmon flavors become more delineated and interesting. It’s like watching Dwayne Allman and Eric Clapton as twin lead guitars; each driving the other to new heights but never losing the song – a pairing to remember.

(Aside: And speaking of remembering; I had the pleasure of visiting with John Thomas at his winery many years ago. He is a reclusive sort and I was there alone. We tasted this wine out of barrel (and the 2000) and spoke of other vintages, his vineyard and his lengthy search to find the exact piece of ground he finally bought and planted. It was one of those quiet moments when we could simply relax, chat and enjoy. I will treasure it always.)

(The data point: not at peak but approaching it and showing sufficient secondary development that opening a bottle now is not a bad idea. I tried to compare the taste with other major pinot growing areas and I came up lacking – this is Oregon pinot, to be sure, but it is John Thomas’ and his vineyard; to the exclusion of all else.)

Best, Jim