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WTN - A Few Recent Wines

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WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by John S » Wed May 09, 2007 12:55 am

Here's a few bottles I've tried lately:

2001 Paul Blanck Riesling Furstentum - France, Alsace, Kientzheim & Sigolsheim, Alsace Grand Cru AOC (5/8/2007)
Light golden in colour, with a stonefuit- and citrus fruit-filled nose, as well as a hint of sweetness and minerals. it has a lovely rich texture for a riesling, with a wonderful balance: dry overall, but with a nice richness and just a hint of sweetness. Good complexity too: nectarines, limes, apricots, a hint of petrol, minerals, herbs and pineapple all appear of the medium-full bodied palate. Great wine with a long future ahead of it, and room for improvement. Glad I have 2 bottles left (A-/A)!

2005 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau (5/7/2007)
Quite young, but still tasty. Medium bodied on the palate, with plums, garrigue, cherries and leather the main theme. I'm hoping this will flesh out with time, but it will probably never be a big wine, but it does have nice flavours and complexity. Good QPR (B+).

2003 Château Coupe Roses Minervois Cuvée Vignals - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Minervois (5/7/2007)
Tastes like a real young grenache-fest right now. Cherries, leather, and a hint of that confected note that young grenache can have (but only a touch). Still tastes young, but yet it's impressive right now (B+/A-).

2003 Georges Dubœuf Moulin-à-Vent Domaine de la Tour du Bief - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent (5/7/2007)
Mixed berries on the medium bodied, smooth palate; nice and fruity tasting, with no alcohol or imbalance as often suggested for 2003 Beaujolais. Slight tannins suggest this will last a while longer (B+).

2002 Château Cabézac Minervois Cuvée Arthur - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Minervois (5/3/2007)
Hazy notes from two nights ago. I had a bottle of this when it first came in, and wasn't all that impressed. But this bottle was showing MUCH better. Lovely smooth palate with lots of plums, spice, a real savory note, and herbs. Has great complexity, power and purity. Outstanding wine, and great QPR as well (A-).

2002 Château de Fesles Anjou La Chapelle - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (5/2/2007)
Hazy notes. Quite dry in style, similar to a savennieres. But this bottle was oxidized. When cold, all you could taste was the oxidation, but the nose and palate did energize when the wine warmed up. I don't mind oxidation too much, so I enjoyed the wine regardless, but those less keen on oxidized flavours may not be so kind. I have 2 more bottles, so I'm hoping it will age out of the oxidized phase (as dry chenins sometimes do). Might be best at cellar temp. now (B+).

2003 Château Gaudrelle Vouvray - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (4/25/2007)
Light gold in colour, with mainly minerals and a hint of wet wool on the nose. Starts out slightly off-dry, but ends up fairly dry on the medium bodeied palate. Apples, minerals (chalk), and lanolin, and a nice long finish. Still young, but very nice now (B+).

2001 Pfaffenheim Gewürztraminer Steinert - France, Alsace, Westhalten, Alsace Grand Cru AOC (4/25/2007)
Hazy notes from 3 days ago. Nice gewutz here, slightly off-dry, but well balanced. Just had a bit too much of the 'soapy' note that this grape often has to be outstanding (B+).
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by JC (NC) » Wed May 09, 2007 10:37 am

I particularly enjoyed your note on the Alsace Riesling. It sounds very appealing.
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by David M. Bueker » Wed May 09, 2007 10:41 am

I've had several fine bottles from Blanck in the last few months. A very solid producer.
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by Redwinger » Wed May 09, 2007 11:16 am

I agree on Blanck. They seem to flying under the radar which is fine with me since we don't see many Alsace wines in these parts.
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Wed May 09, 2007 11:24 am

Me Blanck fan too!! Also Paul Zinck, am packing Alsace for my birding/butterfly trip.
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by Rahsaan » Wed May 09, 2007 11:59 am

John S wrote:2002 Château de Fesles Anjou La Chapelle - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (5/2/2007)But this bottle was oxidized. When cold, all you could taste was the oxidation


Is this the way many 02 Anjou/Savennieres wines are showing right now?
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by Marc D » Wed May 09, 2007 12:13 pm

2003 Château Gaudrelle Vouvray


I drank a few bottles of the 2002 Ch Guadrelle Clos de Vigneau that I remember quite fondly. Delicious sec tendre Vouvray that was very reasonably priced at $15. I don't know why, but I never see very many TNs on this producer.

Also it is nice to read a positive note on the Duboeuf Beaujolais. It sounds like a much more interesting wine than the flower label stuff.

Enjoyed the notes, thanks.

Marc
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by JC (NC) » Wed May 09, 2007 2:15 pm

I'm a fan of the Beaujolais Cru from Georges du Boeuf--have had the Morgon and Fleurie I believe.
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by John S » Wed May 09, 2007 11:11 pm

Yes, I'm a big Paul Blanck fan too. I'be been buying his wines for a while now, and and increased my purchasing after visiting his domain for the first time: one of the Blanck brothers (I can't remember his name now) gave my wife and I an outstanding, educational tasting, and presented us with a gratis bottle of muscat after our purchase at the cellar door. A wonderfully friendly cellar door, and their wines just happen to be great as well. I love it when that happens! Bob, try to make it to their cellar door if you can on your trip (lucky you!).

A local wine store put several Blanck wines on sale, so it was a no brainer to buy several bottles at a great price.

Rahsaan, I'm trying to keep my 2002 Loires in the cellar for a while yet, so I can't really answer that question. I had a Soulez savenierres that was open for business a while back, so I think it's (as always) a bit of a crapshoot with Loire chenins. This Fesles wine was on sale here - I already had two bottles, but I wanted to give it a try to see if I wanted to buy any more. I'm sticking with the two I still have...but I still have hope that it will come out of its funk.

Marc, the regular Gaudrelle Vouvray 2002 was a killer wine and QPR. Damn, I wish I would have bought more of that! The 2003 is a solid wine, but not up to the level of the 2002. The 2005 is in stock now, and I bought a couple, but haven't tried it yet. No one will ever mistake Gaudrelle for Huet, but it's a solid producer of Vouvray.
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Re: WTN - A Few Recent Wines

by Rahsaan » Thu May 10, 2007 5:21 am

John S wrote:Rahsaan, I'm trying to keep my 2002 Loires in the cellar for a while yet, so I can't really answer that question. I had a Soulez savenierres that was open for business a while back, so I think it's (as always) a bit of a crapshoot with Loire chenins. This Fesles wine was on sale here - I already had two bottles, but I wanted to give it a try to see if I wanted to buy any more. I'm sticking with the two I still have...but I still have hope that it will come out of its funk.


Yes, so many variables besides vintage, such as producer, ripeness, cellar treatment, etc.

I'll be drinking an 02 Pierre Bise CdCoulaine soon and will find out myself..

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