Wine Focus for December 2017: France!

2001 Chateau Bouscasse Alain Brumont Madiran, SW France.

Cellared at least ten yrs here chez Bob. Thought about a year ago I should think of opening but this Focus is a good time eh.

Very dry cork, hard to extract. Good level, decanted 2 hrs, 14% alc, cost think around $30 Cdn? 90% Tannat.....Cab Sauv/Franc in the mix.
Still excellent color, not much sign of bricking. Impressive aromatics here with earthy tones,leather, plum, raspberries, "some spice" from across the table.
Initial entry thought is wow..opened at the right time. Hint of soft tannins but some sweetness, medium-bodied, long length, plum quite apparent. Delicious but wine did not hold up too well overnight with a sense of drying out?

2001 Chateau Bouscasse Alain Brumont Madiran, SW France.

Cellared at least ten yrs here chez Bob. Thought about a year ago I should think of opening but this Focus is a good time eh.

Very dry cork, hard to extract. Good level, decanted 2 hrs, 14% alc, cost think around $30 Cdn? 90% Tannat.....Cab Sauv/Franc in the mix.
Still excellent color, not much sign of bricking. Impressive aromatics here with earthy tones,leather, plum, raspberries, "some spice" from across the table.
Initial entry thought is wow..opened at the right time. Hint of soft tannins but some sweetness, medium-bodied, long length, plum quite apparent. Delicious but wine did not hold up too well overnight with a sense of drying out?

Nice! In my limited experience more recent vintages of Montus and Bouscassé have veered in more international direction losing some of their personality. Still good wine though if one can accept that.

2014 Pierre Matrot Bourgogne Chardonnay;medium straw color with a nose and palate of pear fruit and a bit of minerality. Lots of acidity in this wine so might be a great match for seared scallops or lobster. Not exactly my style but the price was right. I'd still prefer a Newton unfiltered with 10 years on it but that would be 2-3 times the price. Probably easily age 6-8 more years.
abv of 12,5%

[Robin Garr]

Côté Mas 2016 "Rouge Intense" Sud de France Pays d'Oc ($12.99/1 liter)

Dark reddish-purple all the way to a thin, clear edge. Mixed red fruits, with hints of pomegranate and cranberry, plum and raspberry, pleasant but not overwhelming. Bright red fruits carry over on the palate in a fresh, medium-bodied flavor with food-friendly acidity, 13.5% alcohol, and a soft touch of tannic astringency on the tongue. An attractive Languedoc blend of Grenache Noir (45%), Carignan (25%), Cinsault (15%), Merlot (10%) and Syrah (5%). U.S. importer: Esprit du Vin, Boca Raton, Fla. (Dec. 6, 2017)

FOOD MATCH: Really a meat-eater's wine, good with steaks, burgers or chili or roast poultry, although you could make it work in a meatless match with hearty cheese-based dishes.

WHEN TO DRINK: It's not a wine made for cellaring, but the large format and sturdy metal screwcap should hold it for a year or three.

VALUE:
This big bottle is a fine value in the lower teens, but note that many vendors offer it for significantly less; Wine-Searcher.com's average retail drops to just $8.

WEB LINK
Here's an online visit to Domaines Paul Mas in Languedoc, the winery that produces Rouge Intense.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and check prices for Côté Mas "Rouge Intense" on Wine-Searcher.com.


Olivier Minot 2016 "La Boutanche" Beaujolais Gamay ($18.99/1 liter)

This interesting "natural" wine claims zero additives, including no sulfites. It's a clear garnet color, reddish purple at the center and clear at the edge. Its intriguing scent is dominated by wild strawberries at first, then opens up to add a hint of Chambord raspberry liqueur. Strawberries and raspberries on the palate add tart red plums and an intriguing earthy minerality that evokes the scent of damp red clay. It's light- to medium-bodied, but fresh-fruit acidity and soft but perceptible black-tea tannins round it out. Alcohol is not out of line, likely midway in the label's generic 11-14% claim. Nicely balanced, a good food wine. U.S. importer: Selection Massale, Oakland, Calif. (Dec. 7, 2017)

FOOD MATCH: We enjoyed it with a bowl of lightly spicy, earthy chili beans made with pinto beans from Rancho Gordo. It would be a great match with grilled meats or poultry or spicy, but not overly fiery, Asian dishes.

WHEN TO DRINK: Based on its natural status and zero sulfites, along with the lighter-weight screwcap, I'm going to advise drinking this one up soon, enjoying it while its natural flavors are balanced and inviting.

VALUE: At this price for a liter bottle, there's nothing to complain about.

WEB LINK
Importer Selection Massale tells the story of this offbeat producer here.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Wine-Searcher.com includes a couple of hits for the Olivier Minot in this longer list of French wines named "La Boutanche" on Wine-Searcher.com.

Here's a list of U.S. retailers that stock Selection Massale's portfolio.

[David M. Bueker]

La Boutanche is specifically meant to just be a drink ASAP wine. Fun stuff.

2013 Domaine la Milliere CdP vv: very young and dominated by Grenache, good with venison chili but better in 5+ years

[Robin Garr]

The La Boutanche is specifically meant to just be a drink ASAP wine. Fun stuff.

It really was/is fun stuff. I'm glad it showed up here. Gotta drink up the rest of it over the next couple of days while it's still fun.

[David M. Bueker]

2010 Domaine Faury St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (12/8/2017)
Someone posted that they thought this wine was past peak on CT. Ha! Not even close. It’s still an adolescent. It does show lots of wild and spicy tones, but there is still a firm core of red fruit that is not willing to unfold without significant air. The overall balance is lovely, with bracing acids and solid framing tannins. This has at least 10 years of positive development. Drink now with lots of air, or hold for a while.

Nice you can get your hands on some St Joseph David.

Nice you can get your hands on some St Joseph David.

Why do you say that? It's not a particularly small or rarefied AOC.

To try and coarsely categorise the wine types coming out of France .

Excellent summation, Tim

[David M. Bueker]

Nice you can get your hands on some St Joseph David.

Why do you say that? It's not a particularly small or rarefied AOC.

Having shopped in Alberta several times, I sense Bob’s selections are highly limited.

I can get Gonon, Faury and a few others with ease, but I bet the typical good store in Alberta may have one or zero St. Joseph selections.

Nice you can get your hands on some St Joseph David.

Why do you say that? It's not a particularly small or rarefied AOC.

Having shopped in Alberta several times, I sense Bob’s selections are highly limited.

I can get Gonon, Faury and a few others with ease, but I bet the typical good store in Alberta may have one or zero St. Joseph selections.

Ouch.

I guess selections do vary.

2014 Chateau Les Charmes-Godard, Francs-Cotes de Bordeaux (Blanc):
I seldom drink white Bordeaux, but was attracted to this by the high percentage of Semillon at 50%, with the remainder comprised of 35% Sauvignon Gris and 15% Sauvingnon Blanc. This is a very lightly colored wine, with pears, minerals and a touch of caramel on the nose. Has a very crisp but still slightly oily texture, good concentration and length, with quince and bitter orange. Worked well with rich food, it is fine value at $15. 13% abv.

2015 Cote de Brouilly , Domaine du Pavillion de Chavannes:
One of my first bottles of '15 cru Beaujolais. This is quite deeply colored, with youthful magenta tints. Pretty nose, with raspberry and a graphite like sensation. Simple at first, with the lots of cranberry fruit (most TNs for this seem to mention cranberry - including a recent one here by Dale), but as it breathes and warms a bit, a sweeter strawberry/raspberry jam and smoke undertone emerges. Really nice, well balanced and elegant. Good stuff, $18, 12.5% abv.

Loire Cabernet Franc is one of my favourite wine types. It is typically Atlantic in style and from the northerly edge so that it has a very fresh and mineral character. Some examples, especially when young from vintages with a ripeness problem, can be rather raw and vegetal but not this one.

2004 René Noël Legrand Saumur-Champigny Les Rogelins - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (12/9/2017)
A delicious robustly elegant medium+ bodied example of Loire Cabernet franc with deep colour, fragrant bouquet and palate full of mature raspberry tinged red fruit, just a touch of bell pepper, earthy minerals, leather, lively moreish acidity, ripe backbone and decent length. Very good.
Posted from CellarTracker

[Jenise]

2014 Pierre Matrot Bourgogne Chardonnay;medium straw color with a nose and palate of pear fruit and a bit of minerality. Lots of acidity in this wine so might be a great match for seared scallops or lobster. Not exactly my style but the price was right. I'd still prefer a Newton unfiltered with 10 years on it but that would be 2-3 times the price. Probably easily age 6-8 more years.
abv of 12,5%

Matrot white burgs have been showing up at Costco for about half MSRP, most recently the '14 Meursault. A little too fat for me, but hey: $17.

[Jenise]

So Friday was our monthly blind tasting lunch. Most of the wines brought were French.

2006 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses Chardonnay
Pale yellow. One whiff said 'Chablis' but unlike my friend Coop I couldn't hone in on the cru or vintage. Interesting minerally nose, silky on the palate with notes of green apple, pear and white corn.

2002 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl Alsace Gewürztraminer
Sometimes, on first sip, a wine forces you to recognize that you are drinking one of the greatest wines in the world. This wine was one. Almost orange color, bright and intense notes of apricot, clementine, meyer lemon, mango, bay leaf and clove. A nutty, marzipan-like sweetness nudges at your midpalate but ultimately the wine finishes dry.

2004 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence Red Rhone Blend
"Outstanding." Was so busy loving it I failed to write down a single word beyond that. Has all the flavors Rhone lovers crave in Traditional CdP in general and Pegau in particular, and at perfect middle age--evidence of primary fruit remains but it's driven by full secondary development. Incredible aromatics.

1996 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts Pinot Noir
Brick red with plum and cherry fruit, high acid typical of the vintage, and some leathery mature notes. A delight--drinking beautifully right now.

1990 Château Léoville Barton St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
Clearly Bordeaux but slightly poopy, enough to suggest it might be Ste. Estephe. Good on the palate with the herbs etc Coop mentions, but the acidity was a tad high and out of balance for the fruit for a Bdx this age. There's usually a silkiness to the texture of mature Bordeaux, and this didn't have it.

1989 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne Syrah
My wine. Gave it an hour in a decanter to open, it could have used more. Nonetheless a flawless bottle of perfectly mature Hermitage--plum, black currant, tar, roasted meats, garrique etc in harmonious balance. Wish I had more.

2000 Château Giscours Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
Hollow-ish; should have shown better. There was no obvious flaw, it just lacked presence.

[David M. Bueker]

The Barton sounds compromised.

I traded away my 2000 Giscours. Never thought much of it.

Jenise, that Costco Meursault from Matrot sounds like a wine I would buy by the case. Love those "fat' Meursault. No Costco anywhere near me.

[Jenise]

Jenise, that Costco Meursault from Matrot sounds like a wine I would buy by the case. Love those "fat' Meursault. No Costco anywhere near me.

It is great for the price. I bought a few for my cellar too. It's a perfect pairing for French Onion soup.

Guess Tim might be able to add a few notes here? Could not find a reference to Seizh Penn anywhere.
Paul Strange in his book Wines of South West France covers the area quite well.

2010 Clos Cavenac Seizh Penn, Cotes du Marmandais.

Area south of Bordeaux, cellared 3 yrs, $27 Cdn, 14% alc, good nat cork, open and decant, some slight sediment. Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Cot, Abouriou here?

Very nice red ruby color, not much bricking at all. Nose has violets, herb, spice, blackcurrant. Plum and raspberry as it opens up
Initial entry thought is some ripe fruit, tannins still here, "lovely length" from across the table. Certainly not a rustic style of wine forumites! Could use 2/3 more years maybe? Plum, blackfruits, nice fruity mid-palate. Interesting wine from a not well-known appellation. Quite some variation by day 3 but all good.

Bob, the only Marmandais which I have regularly tasted and sometimes bought was from Elian da Ros. They can be excellent and fine ringers at a more democratic price for GC right bank clarets with a little something different probably contributed by Abouriou as well as the terroir.

Clos Cavenac doesn't ring a bell but I'm wondering if it was the then new Marmandais estate owned by a nice middle aged couple whose wines I tasted in Brussels a few years ago. Their wines impressed me and, more significantly, one of the most astute cavistes in Belgium who happened to be at the tasting.

There is a cave co-opérative at Marmande whose wines are mostly drinkable but no more.

[Jenise]

Okay, so I have to retract my Back Up the Truck recco on that Chateneuf from Trader Joe's.

The initial bottle was yes, indeed, just that good. But then I ordered two more cases, and they are not that good. Initially unbalanced, high acid and slightly vegetal, they come around in a way minimalists (including me) enjoy when Andouzed overnight but really, the body and fruit I bought it for (to serve at a dinner for 80 mostly new world palates on Saturday night) just isn't there in the new bottles. DAMN YOU TRADER JOE'S.

[Jenise]

So we weren't planning to have wine last night, but after rolling into our garage from a trip to town and finding the Jag had drained oil all the way in, we needed something. So we opened this Chablis. The other two were from earlier in the week.

2014 Domaine Besson Chablis 1er Cru Montmains Chardonnay
Apple, lemon, slate. Great with our fish, but needs to develop more in the bottle.

2016 Château Coudray Montpensier Chinon Le Grand Bouqueteau Rosé Cabernet Franc
For $17 just a decent quaffer--thirst-quenching but not a lot going on. For the $12 the previous reviewer paid, just fine.

2004 Château Picque Caillou Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
Past peak. Black fruit, tobacco, lots of cocoa, lower than desired acidity, soft tannins with a somewhat chalky texture--made me want to run it through a paper coffee filter.