At a recent dinner in Seattle we tried some fresh oysters with some very good Muscadet and Chablis. I have always thought Muscadet was the best with raw oysters, but on this night the Chablis might have been the better match. I didn't take formal notes, just some impressions.
2005 Domaine Vrignaud Chablis Fourchame First time for me trying this producer. I think Bruce mentioned this was a Rimmerman special. Good body and concentration without being heavy, and some typical Chablis flavors. Very pleasant way to start.
1988 Pépière Clos de Briords The 1988 was popped and poured and really could have used a couple hours decant, as it started a little dull. With air it actually gained freshness. I thought it turned into a very good bottle, mature with a little creaminess to the body, and still plenty of briny flavor. I noticed something along the lines of an earthy Riesling petrol note as this opened.
2005 Pépière Granite de Clisson The Granite de Clisson was decanted for about 6 hours, but was still pretty tight. The nose was subtle and nuanced with a little floral hint mixed in with the minerals and citrus and stones. I would have liked to try a glass of this the next day. The wine seems concentrated but in need of some time to open up.
2006 Pépière Clos de Briords The 2006 Briords was a good contrast to the Granite de Clisson. It seemed open and exuberant, ripe stuff with citrus and even melon flavors. A very friendly Briords at this young stage in its life.
Three Chablis were next.
1998 Louis Michel Montmains The '98 Michel was energetic and taut with green acidity. It really improved with air and seemed like a young wine to me. Very good with a lot of life left.
1996 JM Brocard Montmains I liked this a lot, as it had a complex nose with a little smoke, broth, apple and citrus, and some stony minerals. Very good acidity, and this also seems to have lots of life left.
1995 Dauvissat La Forest The '95 Dauvissat was my favorite, and probably the best white of the evening. It had a perfect balance of stones, honey, flint, and fruit. Good concentration and length. The acidity didn't stick out in this wine as much as the other two, but the structure was still present. A real beauty and a killer match with the oysters. This was softer and more mature than the previous 2 Chablis, and maybe at a peak.
Next we had a really great herb crusted leg of lamb, potato gratin, and green salad with some red wines, mostly Loire Cab Franc.
1998 Joguet Clos du Chene Vert The '98 Joguet is drinking really well, with some briary red fruit, leather and tobacco. Soft, almost resolved tannins and some mature flavors made this a delightful drink.
2001 JM Raffault Chinon Picasses The '01 Raffault Chinon had a wild red berry fruit nose but was very tannic and needs more time. Not bad with the lamb though.
2001 Lebreton Anjou Villages Brissac Domaine des Rochelles Croix de Mission I think this is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc blend. I liked this quite a bit. Warm fruits with a pie dough smell, with some honest, rustic, grippy tannins. No oak at all on this one.
2002 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais Juicy and primary, with fairly soft structure. Drink up if you have this.
A fun night, and no corked or prem-oxed wines.
Best,
Marc