TN: Good stuff

[Florida Jim]

2001Bouchard Père & Fils, Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot:

Has come a long way since release when there was so much oak that it dried the mouth; this is gently oaky, more aromatic and forthcoming and starting to reveal some depth to its Volnay character; still a bit drying on the finish but the development here seems to indicate this wine will soak-up its wood over time. One of the rare examples of oak integration I have run across over the past several years. Hold. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Clicquot, Inc. and about $25 on sale near release; I have plenty.

2004 André et Mireille (Stéphane) Tissot, Chardonnay Arbois:

My third bottle out of a recently purchased case and I simply can’t keep my hands off this wine; chardonnay can be achingly beautiful but so often I find that it isn’t – this restores my faith; better than most premier cru Chablis for delivering flavor and flesh but still retaining its clean, mineral driven backbone. A gorgeous wine that begs to be drunk now. 13% alcohol, imported by Potomac selections and about $23; I intend to buy every bottle I can find.

2006 Dom Pepière, Muscadet Clos des Briords:

I know that I am way too early to this bottle for it to show me all its charms but it is still better than 90% of the white Burgundy I have tasted over the last year; a crystalline rendition of the AOC and about as good a white wine as there is in the market today at this price point. Hold or drink. 12% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $15; worth multiples of that.

2005 Sumarroca, Cava Brut Reserva:

Energetic bead, light aromas of pear and mineral, clean on the palate with light flavors that follow the nose and a crisp finish. Not quite as “brut” as I might like but very nice wine. 11.5% alcohol, imported by Frontier Wine Imports and about $10; I’ll buy more.

2005 Philippe Faury, Saint-Joseph:

A medium bodied, round but remarkably complex northern Rhône with all sorts of alluring smells and flavors including raw meat, olive, ash, cherries, smoke and stone – a feast for the senses and one of the reasons my favorite red variety is syrah. A great food wine (we have had it with everything from tuna to steak), a delight all by itself and in no danger of fading any time soon. Just plain excellent. 12.8% alcohol, imported by Kermit Lynch and about $25; I’ll buy more.

Best, Jim

[HappyLab]

2006 Dom Pepière, Muscadet Clos des Briords:

I know that I am way too early to this bottle for it to show me all its charms but it is still better than 90% of the white Burgundy I have tasted over the last year; a crystalline rendition of the AOC and about as good a white wine as there is in the market today at this price point. Hold or drink. 12% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $15; worth multiples of that.

Glad to hear that the 2006 Pepiere is as good as always. I can't wait to go out and purchase some. Thanks for the report; I'll have to try the others, as well.

Edited December 5, 2007 by HappyLab (log)