TN: Recent tastes

[Florida Jim]

Pasta with veggies and deconstructed pesto (all the ingredients of pesto, added separately):

2002 Jadot, Moulin-à-Vent Chateau des Jacques:

Relatively closed but showing precision and power atypical of Beaujolais; focused, powerful and young Burgundy-like in the mouth but with somewhat more juicy fruit and a fine grained texture; medium length, somewhat closed finish. Immense potential but requires further cellaring. 13% alcohol, imported by Korbrand Corp. and about $20 on release; it would be hard to find a higher quality wine at that price.

Sautéed veggies with sausage:

2001 Edmunds St. John, Los Robles Viejos:

Also showing young and undeveloped (other bottles have showed more development) with good southern Rhône character and a glass-smooth texture; long finish. Needs time. 14.2% alcohol and about $27 on release; considering the amount of time this evidently needs to open up, I have all I need.

Crackers and cheese:

1989 Chat. Lynch Bages:

Still sporting a vegetal aspect to the nose and palate although it isn’t overwhelming and the depth of the wine as well as its texture is simply remarkable. Layered chocolate and berry flavors; if the green dies out I can see this being a pretty spectacular bottle. 13% alcohol, imported by Wildman and about $40 on release; I bought a lot.

Pasta with shrimp and arugula:

2004 A. & M. Tissot, Chardonnay:

My favorite wine right now, this is beautifully pure, ripe and complex with a mineral backbone and a long, sumptuous finish. 13% alcohol, imported by Potomac Selections and about $23; terrific wine for the price.

Crackers and cheese:

2005 Chanrion, Côte-de-Brouilly:

In a great place today with a worsted texture, delineated fruit and earth flavors, a note of cinnamon “red-hots,” with excellent balance and sustain. I don’t doubt that this will develop in the cellar but it is delicious right now. 13% alcohol, imported by Kermit Lynch and about $15; under-priced.

Cesar salad with crusty bread:

2004 de Villaine, Bourgogne (blanc) Les Clous:

A touch sulfurous (which doesn’t blow off); not as good a showing as the last bottle but still, varietally correct, mineral infused and precise. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Kermit Lynch and about $20; this bottle was not worth it; others have been.

Grilled chicken with spinach pesto, onion marmalade and roasted peppers:

2004 Dom. Leroy, Bourgogne:

Rhubarb, cherry and earth tones, reticent; clipped in the mouth with flavors that follow the nose but are mostly earthy; medium length but not much flavor there. Entirely closed and unhappy about being opened now – nothing at all like the first couple bottles I tasted (which were exciting); HOLD. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Leroy Inc. and about $67 on release; not worth it today.

Best, Jim