Wine list bargains?

[Craig Camp]

So often these days as you scan the wine list each bottle you find you want to drink gets closer and closer to $100 - or well beyond. However, while searching for bargains on the list at Milos in Manhattan, out popped out the wonderful 2002 Savennières Domaine du Closel Clos du Papillon pleasantly priced closer to $50 than $100. This was a fantastic bottle balancing a tense minerality with notes of honey, a touch of Pineau des Charentes, citrus and toffee all tied together by a bracing acidity. Really fine stuff. However, it does not seem to be the hottest wine on the list as it took them about twenty minutes to find it all cold and lonely in the back of the cooler. Too bad, as this wine is clearly more exciting than most of the wines on the list selling for double the price. Of course, the fact that no one, including the staff, had any idea what this wine was is the only thing keeping the price down.

Considering the general character of the list at Milos, I thank Joe Dressner for talking someone into buying this wine. However, I think its time for a wait-staff training on Savennieres if he wants sales to pick up. I am not in Manhattan enough to make an impact by myself.

Another outstanding Savennières bargain recently was the superb 1996 Clos de la Bergerie, Roche aux Moines, which was selling for $44 at the excellent Bayona restaurant in New Orleans. Really a stunning wine mixing rich caramel and honey notes with a steely acidity followed by lingering flavors of mangos, vanilla blended with a firm clean stony finish.

At the exciting No. 9 Park St. in Boston they offer the 2001 Savennières, Becherelle also from Joly also in the $40 range. Already browning, it almost reminded me of a Gravner and is sure to be controversial. Overall I liked it, but it was not in the same league as the first two wines. The richness and acidity never seemed to work well together and sweetness dominated the finish a bit too much. Still all-in-all a decent wine.

[docsconz]

I remembered drinking a lot of Savennieres in Paris six years ago. They were one of the better bargains available even then. Since then I keep an eye out for them and other chenin blancs as they tend to be better values in restaurants.

Joly appears to be somewhat variable in terms of what he puts into a bottle. Have you tried this wine at other times or in other vintages? I have had and love the Coulee de la Serrant, but have never had this bottling.

[Rebel Rose]

Thanks for the notes, Craig. Your descriptions are making me hungry . . .

[jrufusj]

I remembered drinking a lot of Savennieres in Paris six years ago. They were one of the better bargains available even then. Since then I keep an eye out for them and other chenin blancs as they tend to be better values in restaurants.

Joly appears to be somewhat variable in terms of what he puts into a bottle. Have you tried this wine at other times or in other vintages? I have had and love the Coulee de la Serrant, but have never had this bottling.

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I've never had this bottling either, but am a big fan of the Coulee de la Serrant. I recently had the '88 again and it was still bright and vibrant with acid and great white fruit clarity, backed up with bits of dry honey (if that makes any sense), lightly roasted nut, and a small floral element.

I'm not very good with the terminology, constantly confusing "biodynamic", "organic", and the like. Thus, I may not have the words right here. Joly is one of the more prominent biodynamic producers. I've found that biodynamic methods often produce clear wines, terrifically reflective of their terroir, probably due to a generally lower level of grower/winemaker intervention. However, I've also found that, without some of the protective measures that are ruled out by biodynamic methods, there can be a lot of variability. Perhaps this is the issue with Joly.

Take care,

Jim

[Rebel Rose]

Joly is one of the more prominent biodynamic producers.  I've found that biodynamic methods often produce clear wines, terrifically reflective of their terroir, probably due to a generally lower level of grower/winemaker intervention.  However, I've also found that, without some of the protective measures that are ruled out by biodynamic methods, there can be a lot of variability.  Perhaps this is the issue with Joly.

Here is a link to Wine from Sky to Earth: Growing & Appreciating Biodynamic Wine, by Nicolas Joly. I've read it several times, and while it suffers from poor expression and poorer translation, it's still an interesting book, if you're curious about biodynamics.

Certain California wineries, I seem to recall that Fetzer is one, are burying the ashes of bull horns at the end of vineyard rows under a full moon. I forget why. Personally, I was interested in the part (actually I think this was in Rudolf Steiner's books) about getting rid of leafhoppers and other beetles, but I'm not sure I have the time or energy to burn them, sift their ashes, measure the x100 appropriate amounts into water and stir a large tub of this concoction counter-clockwise by hand for two hours while the sun is ascending. I kid you not.

[Busboy]

Ssssshhhhh...you're going to wreck a good thing!

I bought a bottle of Savennieres because it had a cool label and the liquor store guy had taped up a column from the local paper about it. It was the first time in a long time a bottle of $25 wine really changed my life. I should learn more about it, but there are so few bottlings available in DC, I usually just grab whatever the shop has. Including a sweet version once, so be careful.

Great stuff.

[Craig Camp]

I remembered drinking a lot of Savennieres in Paris six years ago. They were one of the better bargains available even then. Since then I keep an eye out for them and other chenin blancs as they tend to be better values in restaurants.

Joly appears to be somewhat variable in terms of what he puts into a bottle. Have you tried this wine at other times or in other vintages? I have had and love the Coulee de la Serrant, but have never had this bottling.

←

The Joly wines have indeed been variable over the years, but seem to have become more consistent in recent vintages. Personally I prefer the Domaine du Closel wines, but you cannot help but admire the passion in the Joly wines.

[Craig Camp]

Ssssshhhhh...you're going to wreck a good thing!

I bought a bottle of Savennieres because it was a cool label and the liquor store guy had taped a column from the local paper about it.  It was the first time in a ling time a bottle of $25 wine really changed my life.  I should learn more about it, but there are so few bottlings available in DC, I usually just grab whatever the shop has.  Including a sweet version once, so.

Great stuff.

←

Don't worry, we don't have to be secretive. Wines with distinctive character will never become popular.

[Brad Ballinger]

I, too, look to the Loire (not just Savennieres) for good wine list options in a decent price range. A local hash house pours the Chateau d-Eprie, which I like quite a bit. I'm also a fan of Joly's wines, but they can be on the sulfuric side when young, and I've had them decanted for that reason.

[2roost]

I recently tasted several 2003 Loire Valley wines and they were all superb - I won't bother with details as my notes have gone walkabout but even basic Muscadet and Vouvray were outstanding. The super hot summer produced depth of flavour that I had never before seen in these wines, I highly suggest trying out this vintage as the summer sippers we all look for.