Wow.
Joe Dressner and a whole contingent of winemakers whose wines he imports from France and Italy came to Terroir the other night. What a phenomenal tasting and a phenomenal event. I love events where I can ask winemakers about their wines and have the ability to compare at the same time. As a consumer, this event was a fantastic opportunity for my education and edification. Overall, great wines, great people, great information, and lots to mull over in my mind.
There were a ton of wines. My notes are below, but here are some highlights of what I thought of the evening all together.
1. I have appreciated chenin blanc from the Loire for a while, but this has been my best opportunity so far so get a sense of the diversity of expressions the grape can take and the heights it can reach on the right plots. Clearly something I need to explore more.
2. Similarly, I've had great muscadet before, but just a few wines from Luneau-Papin with a mini-vertical from a particularly promising plot shows that melon de bourgogne can be really phenomenal stuff as well.
3. Nothing new here, but talking to winemakers is a great way to learn and really fun—so many interesting personalities. I've left out a lot of those conversations here, but the winemakers in attendance were very patient with me and really helpful in guiding me in my journey. Add to that fact they are on a harried schedule of a whirlwind tour of the States, and my gratitude knows no bounds.
4. Very, very few wines I did not care for, so my notes appear like hagiography. A good number of truly stunning wines. And some wines I was less able to make sense of (though conversations helped there) or am not familiar with enough to put into perspective.
With no further ado, the wines:
There was lots of chenin blanc from the Loire to work in, so I dived right in with the 2007 Domaine de Bellivière Jasnières Les Rosiers, which had a very focused somewhat vegetal nose and smelled pretty fascinating—like a mango and onion tart and tasted a bit tart, crunchy, spicy , it was a wine that tasted like watersliding—lots of fun. Then onto another part of the Loire with the 2007 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir L'Effraie which had a flatter and less giving nose, and offered thick, firmer solid fruit, seemed straightforward until the volcanic and fiery interesting finish. Nice, but I think the Jasnières offered a more fascinating drink at the moment.
I then negotiated across the room and to another part of the Loire for some chenin in sparkling form with 2006 François Pinon Vouvray Brut Non Dosage, probably labeled without the vintage, but I am not sure. The nose here was lovely and floral, with a delicate, light and foamy mouthfeel, tasting only lightly tart, with plenty of notes of complex honey. An awesome tart finish. Yum. Then onto a magnum of the 2004 François Pinon Vouvray Brut which did have small dosage added. The nose was softer and more complex, quite integrated. The taste was lovely, calm, integrated. A bit more savory and much less primary than the 2006. The wine was in a very good place. Back to still versions of chenin with the 2007 François Pinon Vouvray Silex Noir, which smelled of darker, more recessed fruit. A soft, seductive mouthfeel and moving from an amazing grip to an amazing lightness. Amazing indeed. The texture and grip of this wine were quite. Back to Jasnières, but another producer with the 2005 Domaine de Briseau Jasnières Kharaktêr smelling very different—smoky and flint, a bit stinky, and lightly spritzed mouthfeel, tasting stone, grey cellars, focus, dark, dank, stonewash fizz. Interesting to sample, not so sure how I'd feel about a bottle.
Thinking I had gone through the chenin, I moved onto the wines from Bugey—a region with which I am entirely unfamiliar. Sparkling to start things off was the 2007 Franck Peillot Vin du Bugey-Montagnieu Brut. The wine is a blend of 60 percent chardonnay, 30 percent altesse, and 10 percent mondeuse. It offered a vibrant, herbal nose with very gentle flowers, a vibrant and sparky mouthfeel, and tasted of tart pear, tangerine, light crisp with a bit of flour, tons of vibrancy and nice notes fo a wonderful pear and apple salad. Delicious. The 2007 Franck Peillot Roussette du Bugey Altesse de Montagnieu was the first experience I recall having with Altesse as a varietal. The nose was tight and thick and didn't seem to be giving up much. While it was clean and firm, it didn't make a big impression at first and when I went back later and revisited it, I found it a bit more tiring to drink. I didn't get the chance to ask about its future, but it wasn't singing anything to me that night. I skirted back toward the other side of the room for some fasinating chardonnay, the 2007 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Blanc. A lovely slightly funky nose that smelled of apple pie with some cheese or other melted on top. Fantastic memorable nose. The taste was a light zip, very savory, very tasty, crunchy cheese with jalapeños, weird stuff and delicious and easy to drink, yum.
Then it was back to the Loire and chenin blance with the 2006 Domaine du Closel Savennières La Jalousie, which smelled of firm cement and bright dirt. It tasted soft, elegant, with some feeling of bones about it, delicious light and prancing. A very delicious drink right now. The nose on the 2005 Domaine du Closel Savennières Clos du Papillon was bright and more herbal and tasted softer, a bit more integrated, but with verve. It had a heaviness that was impressively lightened with its liveliness. The tart, green, and tight finish indicated to me that this one still has interesting places to go. Onto the Rhône for the 2007 Éric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Roussanne which smelled soft, light, slightly herbal, but mostly just alive and giving. The mouthfeel is of the gods, light, slithering, and seductive. It tastes not spicy, but still like a campfire in my mouth. Not from heat, but from I don't know what. It is firm. It is excellently bound. And it has a finish that rewards, reminds and sticks around. A stunning wine.
A true treat was waiting with wines made from Melon de Bourgogne. First up, the 2007 Domaine Pierre de la Grange (Luneau-Papin) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes had a simple, but lively and fun nose. It tasted salty fresh, with a firm tangy frip and tart focus, though it reminded me of non-confectionary bubblegum for some reason. The 2005 Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie L D'Or, which evidently comes from soils more characterized by granite, if my notes are right, smelled of nice rocks and a bit of the seashore. It tasted thicker, crunchy, with a nice grip but more intellectual and called much more for food. Things just kept getting more incredible with the 2005 Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Excelsior Clos des Noelles. Evidently the proprietors think this plot of land is very unique and really do everything to allow it to shine—36 months on the lees! The nose was firm, complex and worth contemplation and the wine tasted serious—complex flint smoke, yet soft. Nice. The 2002 Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Excelsior Clos des Noelles reminded me quite a bit of riesling. A smoky, steely nose, but vibrant fresh and young. Youthful grip. Times past. Everything. Wow.
Then onto the reds with a gamy, the 2007 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Cuvée l'Ancien Vieilles Vignes, which had been just recently bottled. It smells a bit sweaty and very delicious. It offers firm fruit, bit tannic and smoky at the moment. Serious stuff. Back to Bugey for the 2007 Franck Peillot Vin du Bugey Pinot Noir which had a very smoky and very earthy nose. Very pinot. The taste even more so. Plenty of fruit, but without the sugar. Plenty of earth. Yum. A wine for the table. The 2006 Franck Peillot Vin du Bugey-Montagnieu Mondeuse was perhaps my first experience with the mondeuse grape—and it was vibrant, fruity, almost prune-like. Tons of intense good flavor, but there's, like, no alcohol in there. It's amazing. Plenty of concentration, but no heat. Tried it again later with fatty cheeses—a match made in heaven. A rustic, beautiful wine. Back to Beaujolais for some more gamay with the 2006 Desvignes Morgon Côte du Py which smelled of rocky soil and dirt. The taste was far silkier and softer than the nose suggested, but still with firm structure, tight surprising grip on finish, what a grip! Whereas the Côte du Py comes from high up on the slope, with soil of schist and, hmm, can't read what else, the 2006 Desvignes Morgon Javernières comes from lower down the slope with clay soils. The nose of that of a sexy blonde. The taste is completely different—firm but soft. More acid here. Both lovely drinking right now. The winemaker usually finds the Côte du Py better for aging, but not, perhaps, for 2006.
Back to the Loire for the 2007 Christian et Nathalie Chaussard Coteaux du Loir You Are So Nice, a blend of 75 percent côt and 25 percent gamay. The smell is a stinky battery acid, but the mouthfeel is soft, elegant, and there is a wonderful fruit attakc until a gritty and weird char and acid finish. Lots of fun, this one. The 2006 Christian et Nathalie Chaussard [La Dríobée], or whatever it was called, I can't read my notes here, was a Pineau d'Aunis that smelled of tar and sweet, but tasted delicate, finely tuned, with incredible focus, leather focus, decent firm tannin grip on the finish. Yet another wow, and I mean wow.
And once you've started with pineau d'aunis, why stop? So onto the 2007 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Le Rouge-Gorge, another pineau d'aunis from the Loire. The nose is fun and funky, the mouthfeel delicate, the taste is a bit more tart than the previous, light with focus, bit more spark, bit more fire, but yummy. I could drink this wine for quite a long time. But duty calls, so onward to the 2005 Éric Texier Côtes du Rhône Villages St. Gervais, 100 percent grenache from the southern Rhône—and a showstopping grenache. Limestone soil, if my notes are right the nose is jammy, but firm jam, jam with lines, none of that messy, gloppy jam here. The taste is excellent, and I mean excellent, fruit. Fruit with focus. Fruit that does not tire. Fruit I can drink. The 2006 Éric Texier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a blend of 85 percent grenache and 15 percent mourvèdre. A bit more alcohol on the nose here, tastes silkier, sweeter, more confection. Still has depth, but this one feels more anonymous. Not to my liking as much as the others. The northern Rhône offers a syrah in the form of the 2006 Éric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème—lovely nose, plenty of acid, cranberry and rocks, again great focus. So much acid it was clearly one of the wines of the evening calling for food.
Fear not, the end is nowhere near. Onto the midst of Italy with the 2007 Azienda Agricola Montesecondo Rosso, an IGT from Toscana made with 80 percent sangiovese and 20 percent canaiolo. No teen spirit here, it smells like red wine. Good and ready to go, but that's all I smell. The taste is soft and reserved, muddled at first but opens up into a richness that is not overpowering. Fantastic finish. So many great grips on the wines of the evening. Plenty of firmness here, nice. The 2006 Azienda Agricola Montesecondo Chianti Classico is made from a similar blend as the Rosso, but with three percent of some other grape that started with a 'c'. Smells vibrant, red, and thick. Velvet fantastic. Tastes very beautiful, lush, thicker and easygoing easy to drink with some spicy tannins. Fun, but I think I preferred the Rosso right now. The winemakers guesses the two might need 2-3 years to integrate. But both are solid and offer good drinking right now. The 2005 Azienda Agricola Montesecondo Rosso del Rospo was 100 percent cabernet and had a tad of battery acid nose that quickly wore off. Body odor stays, though. The taste was salty, very different, smooth. I liked it. I should have returned to get a better sense of it.
The 2006 Campi di Fonterenza Toscana Sangiovese was another IGT and this one was vibrant cherry, vibrant raspberry. The taste was sweet, salty, and very substantial. The experience was like being a tire on a fabulously beautiful red racecar. Spicy, firm, racy. This wine is a wine all about the fun. The 2006 Campi di Fonterenza Rosso di Montalcino was also 100 percent sangiovese and offered a more complex, perhaps more serious, nose. More tart, a bit silky, tons of character, indications of perfection, thinking more about age with this wine. Everything firm and in place. Lovely.
Moving south the 2006 Arianna Occhipinti Vittoria Sicilia Il Frappato had plenty of battery acid on the nose along with smoke and lumber. The taste was of supremely focused fruit, pure, perhaps focused on a single dimension, but that dimension is delicious. Still got depth. The 2006 Occhipinti Sicilia Nero d'Avola Siccagno smelled similar to the frappato, but tasted very different. I was surpised by its elegance. No relation to neros I've had in the past. Structured fruit, focus, lovely—a wine everyone would drink and love—though most would likely not accept the nose. But that is truly good wine.
Moving back up into the north of Italy, the first wine was one of the few of the evening I simply did not care for. The Bera Arcese, which I think is labeled as a Vino di Tavola, though I'm not sure, is a field blend of cortese, arneis, and favorita. The nose is huge, broad, and very musat-like and indicates fun. The mouthfeel has some embedded soft fizz. It tastes, however, like a weird soft drink. The ginger beer finish is pretty cool, but overall I am not digging it. But, boy, did the other wines make up for that. The 2006 Bera Dolcetto Monferrato tasted beautifully firm with concentration but with that fruit with edges feel I love. Great tannins, great grip, phenomenal flavor, phenomenal feel, phenomenal wine. The 2007 Bera Moscato d'Asti had a classic delicious moscato nose, mocato on its most beautiful night at the opera. The taste is complex, mineral, lightly sweet, narrow focus, I don't believe I've had a moscato d'asti with such focus before, though I've had some beautiful ones. Precision here? Wow.
And now for something completely different. Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen one of the folks behind the pouring table sitting back cutting orange peels and laying ice into folks' wine glasses. Hmm, what was that? Now that the wine was done I moseyed on over and heard him talking of chinato, quinine and all sorts of other things that I've found to be delicious. So he pours some Vergano Americano in my glass and explains it is based on wine made from grignolino with herb extracts, absinthe, bitter and sweet oranges and who knows what else. Next some ice cubes go in the glass. Next out comes a knife and an orange peel dropped in the glass. A little sparkling water goes on top. He hands me back my glass and relaxes back into his seat. A sniff has the pleasure centers of my brain ready for more information. Sweet fresh tangerine and fresh freshness on a particularly fresh day. The taste is phenomenal—elements of that sweet juicy feel, elements of campari, back and forth, refreshing and delicious. There are few times (if ever) that I think, yes, I could drink this drink every day for the rest of my life. This was that drink. I told him so and he smiled. The winemaker from Bugey sitting next to him tells me he's been drinking it every day since their tour began. As others come up, you can see how happy this drink makes people. And they grab other people and bring them over for happiness. This aperitivo . . . wow. Wow.
The Vergano Chinato was based on moscato d'asti with herbs, quinine, floral elements, orange peel, vanilla and other stuff. Sweet and medicinal on the nose, it sure tasted pure. Clean, nothing cloying. Purity. This with a sticky pecan dessert, oh yeah, that would work. Yum. The Vergano Luli was based on a barbaresco made from nebbiolo with quinine, rhubarb, cinnamon, orange bitters, and twenty other spices. Stronger cedar and sweat on the nose, it had lots more anise rhubarb and earthiness. Nice, but the other two took the evening for me. What a fabulous set of wines and winemakers . . . I can't believe it was only one evening!
) and I stopped by Terroir briefly. I picked up the 2002 Olga Raffault "Les Picasses" I am eager to try soon! 