WTN: Mid-70s from Bdx & Burgundy,Côte Rôtie,premoxed Huet...

The last two weeks have coincided with a couple of visits to Belgium first to visit Germaine's ailing sister-in-law and then for her funeral. The sombre reason for the visits did not exclude enjoying some good wines and good company with some friends near Brussels and with Germaine's niece and Guy, her wine loving husband near Antwerp. Guy and I argued in a friendly fashion about the merits of letting wines age and I was surprised when he told me that a bottle of Jamet Côte Rôtie '98, which I had given him, had proved to be "off". On return I therefore tried another bottle which proved to be very much "on" (see below). We sampled a couple of 40 year olds from his own cellar both of which tended to bear out his claim but a 40 year old from our Brussels friends proved to be still very good (also see below).


1976 Chanson Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru (7/20/2017)
The cellars of Belgian professional people often contain some real Bordelais and Burgundian treasures and this bottle was a gift from one such friend. The label was illegible but he told me its origin saying that it was a 1972 and that is how I originally described it here in CT but upon pulling the cork it transpired to be a 1976. All the rest of the identity was confirmed. 1976 was a year of great heat and was also the year in which we moved into a house near Brussels where we lived for 38 years. The wine fully lived up the such memories. Colour could have been a sign of decay; quite light, slightly cloudy with distinctly amber tints. However on first swirl in the glass the nose reassured revealing still bright griotte cherry notes with a hint of varnish. Palate was medium bodied and complex with quite rich cherry tinged Pinot fruit, mingled with secondary and tertiary complexity including forest floor notes leading to a kirsch infused finish which still showed enough gentle firmness to balance the shape. Probably a bit faded compared with a few years ago but still lovely.


NV René Fresne Champagne Carte d'Argent Brut - France, Champagne (7/21/2017)
One of the many charms of Belgian families is that they often have private sources of champagne which they pick up on trips through the region. This one from the north side of la Montagne de Reims is a delightfully fruity and fresh example with trademark touches of biscuit. Good+.


1975 Château Moulin du Cadet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (7/21/2017)
Nearly a year after a very good bottle, this one showed much more signs of decay, in particular notes of oxidation, but remained just drinkable.


2012 Clos René - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (7/21/2017)
I like a a lot of Bordeaux 2012s. It is not a highly praised vintage but many of the wines are well balanced and already gracious drinking. This one was a good medium+ bodied example showing quite rich but lively fruit, good acidity, smooth texture and some firmness of backbone. Good+.


2011 Château Moulin à Vent - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (7/21/2017)
Served after Clos René, the fruit was less rich but more lively with a typical Médocain tang which may owe something to the much decried methoxypyrazine but which IMO is an essential element in making the character of claret when no more than a moderate presence. Good


2015 Gérard Bertrand Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape Château L'Hospitalet - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape (7/22/2017)
Served at a restaurant a touch too warm and overpriced (>€40), it was a typical example from Gérard Bertrand's stable, quite rich fruited with some depth and covered in a suave oak patina. I prefer a wine with more regional personality but this one was well made and drinkable especially for those who like the oak.


NV Picard & Boyer Champagne Esprit de Famille - France, Champagne (7/22/2017)
Another Belgian "family" champagne, made from 70% Pinot Meunier and 30% Chardonnay was less full and fruity than the previous day's bubbly but a nice crisp and elegant starter. Good.


2002 Domaine Georges Chicotot Nuits St. Georges Les Charmottes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges (7/23/2017)
It is a tradition in many Belgian families to serve red Burgundy fully chambré, which is quite a lot warmer than my preference. Nevertheless this wine still impressed with its quite deep colour and sturdy character showing quite full Pinot fruit, some depth, smooth texture, decent acidity and a firm tannic backbone. A few more years may soften this and a cooler temperature should provide more freshness. Good though.


2014 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Les Plantes - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (7/25/2017)
This is a nice Sancerre with attractively supple SB fruit and enough minerals and fresh acidity for balance. Good wine but mediocre QPR at c.€15 compared with lesser SB appellations, e.g. Reuilly, and with less mediatised producers.


2015 Les Terrasses du Belvédère Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne (7/26/2017)
This Cairanne does not have the virility of those from the Alary brothers nor the refinement of those from Richaud but it is robustly enjoyable with its pepper spayed dark brambly fruit and honest rusticity. Good wine and decent QPR at €7.


1998 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (7/27/2017)
Classic Jamet Côte Rôtie still seeming quite youthful showing aromas on the nose of griotte cherries, metal, grilled meat and olives. The palate was medium bodied with lovely savoury fruit, minerals, a little pepper, lively acidity, silky mouth-feel, quite firm tannic grip and decent length. Very good.


1996 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (7/28/2017)
I had this bottle written in as le Haut Lieu but in fact it was Le Mont. No matter, it was oxidised with marked sherry notes. Can one talk of premox in a dry white in its 21st year? Yes, if it is from Huet and a great Loire vintage like 1996. NR (flawed)


1998 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/30/2017)
A nice robust Barolo with quite deep ruby colour and slight bricking at the rim. Aromas on the nose were expressive with a noticeable anise content and and the palate was medium full bodied showing dark fruit infused with red rose, more anise and a little tar, fresh acidity and quite firm backbone. Very Good.


2003 Château Beychevelle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (7/31/2017)
A lovely fragrant Beychevelle, ripe and medium+ bodied showing quite fresh fruit, lively acidity and good backbone with none of cooked notes and over maturity which mar many 2003s. Probably at its peak but no need for hurry to consume remaining bottles IMO. Very good.


1981 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (7/31/2017)
Served as an after-thought so still at cellar temperature but it carried this relative warmth very well showing medium body, quite some exotic fruit and enough freshness and acidity to provide elegance and to balance the burnished botrytis tinged sugar. Very good.


2011 Château Bel-Air Médoc - France, Bordeaux, Médoc (8/1/2017)
A sound bourgeois Médoc showing medium body, savoury fruit, tangy acidity and grippy backbone. Good.


1976 Domaine Perrot-Minot Charmes-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru (8/1/2017)
My host is a sceptic about old wines but knowing my more positive attitude took this one out of his cellar for me rather than let it languish there further. I have to admit that on this occasion his scepticism was justified. Level in neck and colour were good but, as well as faint fruit, there was an odour of gas on the nose which attenuated in the glass reminding me of reduction, but that is hardly possible in a wine's 40th year. The palate was faded and quite thin with only little evidence of the round Pinot fruit which must have been there up to a few years ago but there was no oxidation and wine remained drinkable albeit no longer worthy of its origin.


2016 Symington Douro Altano - Portugal, Douro (8/2/2017)
I find an attractive note of dessert grapes in many Portuguese whites and this one is no exception. Add to that medium body, fresh fruit and lively acidity and there is a lot to like and it was a good pairing for jumbo mussels brought from Belgium. Good wine and good QPR at €6.

Posted from CellarTracker

What a great run of wines! It so happens I have also had the '81 Rieussec and have another in the cellar - a very impressive Sauternes - saving the other for when it and I turn 50.

[Jenise]

Tim, like Ryan said, what a great bunch of wines--a great read. But a question re this phrase: "It is a tradition in many Belgian families to serve red Burgundy fully chambré". This means what? I thought perhaps it implied room temperature but that didn't make exact sense to me as a dictate of family tradition vs. individual preference, person by person.

Tim, like Ryan said, what a great bunch of wines--a great read. But a question re this phrase: "It is a tradition in many Belgian families to serve red Burgundy fully chambré". This means what? I thought perhaps it implied room temperature but that didn't make exact sense to me as a dictate of family tradition vs. individual preference, person by person.

Jenise, by "fully chambré" I mean serving at modern centrally heated winter room temperature or at summer room temperature without aircon, both in the region of 22°C+(=c.72°F+). By "tradition", I mean that this is the way it has always been done in the Belgian families concerned and I doubt if many of these people have done side by side comparisons of Burgs at roughly 16°C, as I like them, compared with the c.22°C to which they are accustomed. This doesn't apply to real wine enthusiast Belgians of which there are many.

In the UK, serving reds very warm is even more prevalent. I have often seen wine racks in kitchens where the temperature is much higher than in the rest of the house and my own sister had a wine rack next to the radiator .

As I am sure you know, the chambré/room temperature rule of thumb for reds originated in NW Europe and dates from the pre-central heating age when for 9 months of the year interior temperature were rarely above 16-18°C except in the immediate vicinity of a roaring open fire. That temperature range makes quite a lot of sense for mature reds with Burgs at the lower end and clarets at the higher.

My personal preference is to start even a little lower knowing that the wine will warm up during the meal. In warm weather I take steps to keep the wine below c.20°C though that has been difficult without over-cooling during some of the very warm (30°C+) days we have had this summer.

Mother kept Faustino in an airing cupboard!

I do think it's quiet a nice thing to have your wine stacked at some decent racks.. found mine at uniquewineholders.com really happy with it, gives my living room little extra flair lol

[Jenise]

Hope your living room's the coolest place in the house, Jules!