TN: Catching Up Pt. 4

[jrufusj]

CATHCING UP: TASTES FROM THE MERCHANT - Bottom of Ebisu Garden Place (4/13/2006-4/15/2006)

A few recent lunchtime "Here, try this" tastes.

• 2003 Méo-Camuzet Frère et Sœurs Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (4/13/2006)
  Do you care where wine comes from and what it is made from? If not, this wine is for you. Nice ripe “grapes and sun” fruit reminds one of grenache while a hint of pepper and meat makes one wonder how much syrah was blended in. Tasted blind, that’s what my response is. And, if you’re looking for a nice Côtes-du-Rhone, this will fit the bill. It even has enough tannic structure and heft to make it a wee bit “serious” as C-d-R go. Too bad it’s a Burg. Victim of the vintage, I suspect. Not for me.
  
• 2003 Emmanuel Giboulot Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bourgogne Blanc (4/15/2006)
  (Tasted in store, then more in a more leisurely way from a full bottle at home.) A lighter straw yellow than the Chatelaine, this looks younger and fresher. Nose shows ripe apple fruit with a nice undercurrent of citrus and just a hint of something tropical. The palate follows suit with surprisingly good acid and a lean definition that is quite pleasing. Not a lot of complexity or size, but a nicely defined effort for the vintage. My wife is sending me out for more. According to the merchant this is chardonnay blended with pinot gris and pinot blanc. The lighter gris/blanc in the mix definitely shows up in the form of a quenchable fresh element that was missing from the Chatelaine.
  
• 2003 Emmanuel Giboulot Le Grande Chatelaine - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune (4/14/2006)
  A bit of gold depth sneaking into the expected younger straw yellow and a surprising hint of viscosity as one swirls the wine around. Nose is sweet and opulent, but with ripe fruit sweetness, not oak sweetness. There’s also a bit of mineral to go with the tropical fruit. On the palate, more tropical fruit with pineapple and passion fruit. Again, there’s a bit of attractive mineral underneath, but it is all overwhelmed by the ripe, ripe opulence of the fruit. There’s just no acid or any angled edges to put the fruit in relief or bring any freshness. Another victim of the vintage, I suppose.
  

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