Three dinners with wine

[Florida Jim]

With Caesar salad and vegetarian lasagna:

2002 Anselmi, Capitel Foscarino:

Not your typical Soave; fat and viscous with good depth and strong flavors despite being wrapped a little tight. Excellent concentration, structure and persistence; could use a year or two in the cellar.

About $16, retail.

&

2000 Falesco, Montiano:

Lush but not over-the-top, balanced flavors, no overt oak, good persistence. I was prepared to dismiss this (as I have several other vintages of Montiano) but this was delicious. For drinking immediately.

About $28, retail.

With pasta with gorgonzola:

1999 Belle Pente, Riesling:

My daughter’s favorite wine, my daughter’s favorite food and my daughter sitting next to me to enjoy both. It may not be the match others would choose, but it was perfect for me.

About $12, delivered.

With baby bok choy, jasmine rice and grilled wild salmon all sauced with a ginger-garlic-red pepper broth:

2002 Huet, Vouvray Demi-sec, Le Mont:

Oh my!

There are many reasons and ways to love wine; seldom are they all exceeded in a single glass. Words fail me; the best I can say is that I hope you have a chance to taste this wine at some point along your way; certainly it will last and develop over a very long time. Supreb with the food.

About $30, delivered.

Best, Jim

[Chris Kissack]

Jim

2002 certainly is a superb vintage for the Loire, and Domaine Huet made full use of the excellent weather to turn out some lovely wines. I visited the domaine last year and tasted an extensive range of their wines. Strangely, though, it didn't include the one you tasted - perhaps they had sold all their stock of the Le Mont Demi-Sec already! I won't reproduce all my tasting notes (available in my Domaine Huet profile), but here are the other 2002s tasted:

Domaine Huet Vouvray Haut Lieu Sec 2002: This is a clean, mineral wine on the nose. Currently very tight on the palate, but with racy acidity. This will develop more character and weight with time. Good, potentially very good.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Haut Lieu Demi-Sec 2002: Very expressive on the nose. On the palate this is fuller and richer than those from Le Mont. Nevertheless it has poise and balance also. Another stunner from the 2002 vintage. Very good, potential for improvement.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2002: Predominantly mineral aromas on the nose, like crumbled, chalky rocks - a terroir note perhaps - with a touch of classic wet wool to round it out. A faint tingle of dissolved carbon dioxide on entry. Otherwise it's round, mouthfilling, but very bright and minerally on the palate. Quite rich, but cut through by a firm citrus acidity. Clearly shows the quality of the 2002 vintage. Good, potentially very good.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 2002: Aromas of melons over stones on the nose. A lovely palate – it has poise and elegance rather than power. It is full, expressive, and has a wealth of fruit. The complexity will come with time. Balanced acidity. This is a lovely wine for drinking over the next decade whilst waiting for other wines from what is obviously a great vintage to mature. Very good, potential for improvement.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos de Bourg Moelleux Première Trie 2002: Giving little on the nose but fruit and mineral nuances and an obvious purity. A fabulous weight and texture on the palate. Much more flavours than the nose would suggest, and exquisitely balanced. This is brilliant. What a vintage! One for the cellar. Excellent, potentially outstanding.

BWs

Chris Kissack

[Andre]

28 $ is a very good price for the Montiano.

We pay around 40$ for this wine in Israel while most Italian wine prices are similar or cheaper than the ones in the States.

I adore the work of Falesco and I find Montiano as the leader of the pack.

[Florida Jim]

I adore the work of Falesco and I find Montiano as the leader of the pack.

Andre,

Riccardo Cotarella is not my favorite consulting eonologist; no more so than Michel Roland, but I think he has run enough "experiments" at this property to begin to have a feel for the vineyards; at least this wine would indicate so. Several vintages in the past were far too oaky and disjointed for me. Although I will say, their front line products have always been impressive for the money.

One thing about the 2000 Montiano; it is completely ready to drink tonight. I doubt seriously that there is anything to be gained by cellaring this.

Best, Jim

Edited March 21, 2004 by Florida Jim (log)

[Florida Jim]

Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos de Bourg Moelleux Première Trie 2002: Giving little on the nose but fruit and mineral nuances and an obvious purity. A fabulous weight and texture on the palate. Much more flavours than the nose would suggest, and exquisitely balanced. This is brilliant. What a vintage! One for the cellar. Excellent, potentially outstanding.

Chris,

My thanks for your notes; sounds like you can't go wrong.

I have not found the Première Trie yet for sale in the states; it is certainly one I would love to have but I suspect that it will go quickly to folks with a far longer track record of buying Huet wines than I.

Best, Jim

Edited March 21, 2004 by Florida Jim (log)