3 wines with food

[Florida Jim]

With a lunch of turkey slices; raw carrots and red peppers, olives, crackers and cheese:

2003 Dom. de la Pepiere, Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie:

Those looking for austere, steely, acidic Muscadet need not apply; this is ripe, luscious but still bright in the mouth with beautiful floral and sea shell scents; clean, concentrated and long. A delicious bottle of wine that is ready now but will last; for $10! Imported by Louis/Dressner.

With herb and bread-crumb crusted baked cod:

2002 Verget, Saint-Veran “Les Clos”:

Candied lemon scented nose that is both vinous and reticent, some herb tones and ever so slightly volatile; similar on the palate with good balance, little depth and a smooth mouthfeel; medium length finish. Straight-forward, clean, correct and pleasant with the meal but lacking complexity and comes across rather non-descript. Could be from anywhere.

Once again, I am under whelmed by Verget. Imported by The Stacole Co.

2002 Clos Roche Blanche, Gamay:

This has been open for over 40 hours (recorked and put back in the cellar) and has taken on more flesh and depth than when first opened; still distinctly Loire wine with an herbaceous element that plays on both the nose and palate but never really steps over into “green,” this wine seems more like cabernet franc than gamay with the same kind of density, power and structure along with the herb tones often associated with the variety; excellent concentration and balance and good length. A wine that is not, and will never be, for everyone but it is so clearly of its place that I’m almost dancing for joy that I have some in the cellar. A long and idiosyncratic future. Imported by Louis/Dressner.

Best, Jim