2015 Tenuta Il Palazzo Chianti - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti (9/5/2017)
A wholesome and robust Chianti from near Arezzo with medium+ body, tangy fruit, fresh acidity and a rustic note on the grippy finish. Seemed to open up and smoothen some wrinkles as the bottle progressed. Quite good.
2016 Château de Ripaille Vin de Savoie Ripaille - France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie Ripaille (9/7/2017)
This wine is made from Chasselas on the French side of Lac Léman (Lake of Geneva). It is medium/light bodied and the initial impression is crisp and mineral but then underlying roundness appears together with quite smooth texture and lightly citrus fruit leading to a saline and slightly bitter finish. Good pairing for mackerels, good wine and good QPR at the Foire aux Vins price of <€7.
1996 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (9/9/2017)
Colour was amber and the nose was expressive with typical notes of quince, mango, wax and minerals. The palate was medium bodied, beautifully focussed, seamless and long, showed complex fruit and played variations on the aromas from the nose with depth, underlying roundness, silky texture, gentle sweetness offset by mouth-watering acidity and backbone. Excellent wine and a superb pairing for poulet vallée d'Auge (chicken with mushrooms in a creamy sauce laced with Calvados) .
Note: Foreau's demi-sec is labelled "Les Perruches" for the Belgian market.
2014 Château de Chamboureau Savennières - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (9/10/2017)
Medium bodied, very pure, refreshing and mineral with the white fruit leaning towards citrus and the beginnings of the underlying roundness which should develop accompanied by increasing complexity over the years if premox can be avoided. Good+.
2013 Louis Jadot Morgon Château des Jacques - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (9/12/2017)
I had entered this bottle as 2012 and was surprised by the lack of evolution in the 2 years since I previously written a TN on that vintage. I'm less surprised since I noticed that it was 2013. It is a burly, quite full bodied and structured Morgon which took some time in the glass to open up and reveal some quite savoury plum infused fruit, earthiness and the beginnings of complexity. I sense that it is holding something back and may benefit from more time. Good.
2006 Château de la Rivière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (9/13/2017)
I was unenthusiastic about the 2009 which I thought over-ripe and over-oaked. At first the deep colour and ripe but fresh nose here seem to indicate an improvement but the palate did not follow through revealing itself as undernourished with little fruit and angular tannins. Perhaps it is on the way downhill as early as its 11th year. How otherwise can it have won a Médaille d'Or at Paris in 2008?! Barely fair.
2014 Château les Fontenelles Bergerac - France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Bergerac (9/14/2017)
This bottle still retains the charm, purity and grip of the previous. Much superior to yesterday's Château la Rivière as a Merlot blend and costing half the price. Good wine and good QPR at €6.
2015 les Pierres d'Aurèle Touraine Aurèle Blanc - France, Loire Valley, Touraine (9/15/2017)
This is a new wine for me. It comes from S.Touraine near Chenonceaux by the river Cher. Its colour is a quite deep yellow and its bouquet typically young Chenin with peach infused white fruit, minerals and a touch of wax. Its palate is medium+ bodied, well focussed and not bone dry (sec tendre says the estate's website) showing attractive soft white fruit with quite some gras and earthy minerals, fresh acidity and backbone toward the decently long finish. Good QPR (€11+transport) at the estate but costing a lot more at the caviste, without whom I wouldn't have "discovered" it. Very good.
2011 Château Beau-Site - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (9/16/2017)
There are rather more signs of barrel ageing than I find ideal but these are of a flattering kind, cedar rather than vanilla or, worse, caramel. Medium bodied it shows plenty of round red fruit, some earthy and wet leather touches, smooth texture and decent tannic grip on the finish. This has not quite the stuffing of the '09 but it shows a lot of charm and hopefully the cedar notes will integrate better before the fruit fades. Good.
2013 Villa Dondona Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Vieilles Vignes de Carignan Chemin des Cayrades - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault (9/17/2017)
This is a real "discovery" made by a Montpeyroux producer 100% from Carignan. Bouquet on the nose a bit slow to open but then rich round red and dark fruit including cherry with a touch of spice. Palate medium+ bodied with round rich fruit confirmed, complexity and smooth texture, quasi-Burgundian indeed were it not for a hint of orange peel, Mediterranean herbs and, towards the finish, liqueur. The estate's website says "sauvage" (=wild); I don't get that but no matter, it is very good wine and very good QPR at c.€10.
