WTN: good week of moderately priced wines

A very good week of wine, with none truly expensive. I recently picked up orders from Chambers St, Wine Cellarage, and Grapes, and was happy with results.

With grilled shell steaks, sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, & salad, the 2011 Vissoux/Chermette “Poncie” Fleurie. Really showing well, black raspberries and mocha, tangy acids, light supple tannins, this could age but I really enjoy this night. B++

Thursday was angel hair pasta with mussels and zucchini, cooking wine was the
2011 Bella Vita Pinot Grigio (Veneto). Clean, crisp, citrusy, what more could you want in $8 PG? B-

But with dinner we actually drank the 2009 Pascal Cotat “Les Monts Damnes“ Sancerre. A bit much for the food, but a very good wine. Ripe almost tropical fruit at first, though it seems more citrusy with time. Balanced acids, good length, very good if not great by Cotat standards. B+

There was a cooking wine the following night too, the 2011 Iche “Les Heretiques” - recipe needed 3 cups, and I didn’t take notes of the remaining 1+ ounce, but it was as usual a satisfyingly real wine.

Dinner was coq au vin, carrot and zucchini saute, & salad w/avocado,. with:
2009 Drouhin “ Clos des Godeaux” Savigny-les-Beaune
Midweight, elegant yet with firm tannin and fruit, black cherry and smoke, classy for a village wine. B++

With sockeye with herbs, quinoa, asparagus:
2008 Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Grosses Gewaches
OK, this could make a GG believer out of me. White pit fruits, ginger, flowers, with an acidic backbone and minerally finish. Very long. Delicious. A-

With pork tenderloin roasted with a kind of ratatouille-ish assortment of vegetables:
2012 Les Baux Gourgonnier Rose
Good value, classic Provencal rose flavors, good food wine. B

With toor dal, okra, & salad
2010 Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Riesling Kabinett
Clean, fresh, tasty Kabinett but without the excitement of its GG brother (of course, considerably cheaper!). B

With stirfried beef with Sichuan pepper & salt, a combination of asparagus, squash & snowpeas in a soy dressing, and brown rice:
2006 Peybonhomme les Tours (1er Cotes du Blaye)
OK, this isn’t going to be a good ringer in a Pomerol tasting. But very nice for what it is- a rather oldfashioned/classic minor Bordeaux, with plums, tobacco, and cedar. Drinking well. B/B-

With “oven-fried” catfish, quinoa, and leftover dal:
2011 Villalin Quincy
There was a period where I drank a fair amount of Quincy (mostly Mardon,but others too) but I don’t think I’ve had one in a few years.I should! This was quite delightful- Granny Smith and gooseberry, a little freshly mowed grass, good acids, good finish. Lighter than a good Sancerre, but thats what I expect from Quincy. B/B+

With salmon with radish leaf pesto, green beans, brown rice, watercress:
2011 Foillard “Cotes du Py” Morgon
Fresh, silky, all red berries and earth. There’s a bit of tannin, good acids, nice length, this seems a bit tight but very nice wine underneath. B+ (with potential)


Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

With grilled shell steaks, sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, & salad, the 2011 Vissoux/Chermette “Poncie” Fleurie. Really showing well, black raspberries and mocha, tangy acids, light supple tannins, this could age but I really enjoy this night. B++

I have really liked the '11 Beaujolais wines that I've tried so far. To me, this is the most compelling vintage in the region in a long time, perhaps since 2002.

With salmon with radish leaf pesto, green beans, brown rice, watercress:
2011 Foillard “Cotes du Py” Morgon
Fresh, silky, all red berries and earth. There’s a bit of tannin, good acids, nice length, this seems a bit tight but very nice wine underneath. B+ (with potential)

That sounds like a dinner at our house! Good to hear about the Foillard, as I bought some (probably from the same source) recently.

Mark Lipton

2008 Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Grosses Gewaches
OK, this could make a GG believer out of me. White pit fruits, ginger, flowers, with an acidic backbone and minerally finish. Very long. Delicious. A-

CB does seem to avoid many of the stereotypical flaws of the GG rieslings and the ones I've had seem very easy to like.

[David M. Bueker]

Stereotypical flaws?

Stereotypical flaws?

Like their retail prices?

Lack of fruit, screeching acidity, heavy alcohol. (I guess some of CB wines can push the alcohol, but the recent ones I've had have been delightful)

2011 Foillard “Cotes du Py” Morgon
Fresh, silky, all red berries and earth. There’s a bit of tannin, good acids, nice length, this seems a bit tight but very nice wine underneath. B+ (with potential)

Sounds great. I can't remember if I've had any 2011 Beaujolais but I definitely haven't tasted the '11 Foillard. I need to catch up!

[David M. Bueker]

Lack of fruit, screeching acidity, heavy alcohol. (I guess some of CB wines can push the alcohol, but the recent ones I've had have been delightful)

Frankly I have not had many GGs with overbearing alcohol.

Lack of fruit, screeching acidity, heavy alcohol. (I guess some of CB wines can push the alcohol, but the recent ones I've had have been delightful)

Frankly I have not had many GGs with overbearing alcohol.

Well truth be told I probably haven't had enough to make blanket statements about the category, but in my sample those that I haven't liked have often been too alcoholic (although from warmer regions than the Mosel).

Dale and Rahsaan, I like Clemens Busch's 2008s, especially vom grauen Schiefer and the standard GG. Although Rothenpfad and Falkenlay GGs were impressive, too. My favorite wine of the vintage might be Felsterrasse, though.