2001 Patrick Lesec Châteauneuf-du-Pape Marquis Tonneaux (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

My last bottle and this wine is still going strong. Traditional style CdP that shows typical kirsch, garrigue, earth, licorice and some truffle. 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvedre. The Mourvedre really adds the noticeable truffle flavors. Still pretty chewy, but the tannins are fully resolved. Really pretty CdP that can be held for a few more years, although I'd say that it is definitely drinking at peak for me.

Wine and Food with Friends on a Random Friday Night

Had friends over for dinner last night. I decided to grill some beautiful prime New York Strips, Cowboy-cut Ribeye, and a couple of types of fish. Alongside, I served hand-cut/baked/sweet potato fries, arugula/fennel/orange salad, and savoy cabbage. The wines were lovely with the food, and we had a string of three very nice bottles.

• 2001 Argiano Solengo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  Great bottle. Relative to other bottles of this wine I've had, this one was very backward and youthful. Showed that tell-tale Italian funk, brooding red and dark fruit, and nice earthiness. The texture is somewhere between velvety and silky, with nice, fresh acidity and smooth tannins. Fantastic wine.


• 2000 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Another winner. Also dark, backward, and brooding, but it shows terrific blackberry and plum fruit with loads of dried provencal herbs, truffle, earth, meatiness and licorice. Still very youthful, so plenty of tannins, fruit, and acidity to go around, but it is drinking spectacularly right now. Lovely bottle.


• 1996 Château Sociando-Mallet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
  Opened this at the end of the evening. Still a baby in my opinion. Just beginning to show tertiary flavors. For now, the tannins still stick out a little and will need another 5-10 years before they'll settle into the right spot. Beyond the strong tannins, this is a very enjoyable wine that shows nice cigar box, black currant, and leather with a little earthiness. The weakest of the wines last night, but very good, still.

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)

OK. Had this open for two nights. Definitely very plush and concentrated for a CdR. Black fruit, a little acidic on the nose, but solid on the palate with blackberry and tree bark. A wine that isn't too complex, but very enjoyable. Should be able to last a few years based on high tannins, fruit levels for CdR. Great wine for the money and its category, but no more. I would personally rather spend an extra $15 and drink a lower level CdP from a decent vintage, but that's because I like to drink less and better. This wine will please many folks. Not a repeat buy for me.

Dinner Chez Pelz - 8/23/08

A group of Austinites convened at our house for good food, good company, good music, and good wine. Food as follows:

Appetizers:

- Mango Salsa with Pita Chips
- Mushroom Crostini
- Anchovy Roustides
- Roustide of Figs, Goat Cheese and Honey

Entree:

- Herb marinated and crusted grilled leg of lamb with stuffed tomatoes

Desserts:

- Apple Tian (gratin)
- Cheeses

All wines were tasted double-blind.

• N.V. André Clouet Champagne Brut Grande Réserve - France, Champagne, Bouzy, Champagne
  Great Champagne for the money. Finer mousse and bead than the Brut Zero from the same producer. Bright and racy with great apple and citrus flavors. Went great with apprtizers.


• 1999 Peter McCoy Chardonnay Unfiltered Reserve Clos des Pierres - USA, California, Sonoma County
  A revelation. What an amazing Chard. Incredibly burgundian (and I mean that not just relative to most other CA Chards). Smooth texture, great acidity, and lovely pear and mineral. Solid finish and nowhere near decline. A stunner.

• 1986 Lindemans Shiraz Cabernet Limestone Ridge Vineyard - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
  Clearly Aussie. Has that creosote and blueberry profile I find so typical in many Aussie Shiraz. Clearly, the last 22 years have been kind to this wine. With all the baby fat gone, the wine shows ready, sweet, but with great balance and restraint. The highlight of this bottle was that the sediment literally coated the inside of the entire bottle, making it look like the glass was tinted.


• 1998 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Also a great bottle. Much darker and deeper than the Pegau. Incredibly meaty and provencal spiced. Has the dark berry and beef blood look and taste that I love. Also, a good dose of garrigue and rosemary stems. At age 10, this has many years to go to full maturity, but the cork on my bottle was slightly leaky and saturated, so I suggest to keep an eye on that sa I have heard from someone ITB that this has been a common concern with this particular bottling.


• 2000 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Showed well overall and just a great bottle of wine. I had popped, tasted, recorked, and placed the bottle back in the cellar for 5 hours. When it came out of the cellar, it was initially too cold, and more than one taster remarked that the wine seemed tight and a tad closed. As it warmed up, though, it showed its class. Great plum, leather, tobacco, and kirsch liqueur flavors that are followed with lots of garrigue. Firmly in the red fruit spectrum, this carries an air of old-school-ness. Lovely, lovely, lovely.


• 1986 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Sensational wine. Embarrassingly enough, this was so huge and young-tasting that I guessed "2001 CdP" in double blind format. That being said, this bottle was about as pristine as they come. Lots of fantastic dark fruit with an incredible gaminess that reminded me of CdP. Strong finish. I wish I owned a stack of these.


• 2005 Domaine du Gros' Noré Bandol - France, Provence, Bandol
  Another big whopper. No clue as to what it could be. I know that I liked it a lot with great earthiness and depth, along with a wall of tannins and dark, dark chocolaty fruit. Once revealed, I was stunned. I've only had the 2003 Gros Nore, but the 2005 version is light years better than the '03. Loved it.


• 1998 Castello Vicchiomaggio Ripa delle More Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  I could have never guessed this as Italian. This, too seemed very CdP-like. Had great dark fruit and lots of personality. Drank right in its prime spot in my opinion, and went great with the food (which I find to be a hallmark for many Italian wines). Would have never guessed that it was a 1998 as it seemed very youthful.

• 2003 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos - Hungary, Hegyalja, Tokaji
  The finish of the night was also one of its highlights. What a great dessert wine. It's sweet, but not as cloying as Sauternes can be. The acidity is bracing and makes this wine seem more interesting and food friendly than Sauternes. My understanding is that 2003 was a great year in Tokaji, and this wine is out to prove it. Absolutely awesome.

2003 Domaine du Gros' Noré Bandol (France, Provence, Bandol)

My third and last bottle of this. Popped and poured, but followed over several hours. A strange wine for sure. Looks dark and brooding, but smells and tastes of red fruit and almost Grenache-like rather than the Mourvedre it really is. Heavy raspberry, chocolate/cocoa, and coconut and a nice and long finish. It's not that this is bad or not enjoyable...on the contrary...good and very enjoyable, but maybe a touch too candied fruit-wise and doesn't fit what I'm looking for in Bandol (more earth, truffle, and dark fruit). I would probably not buy again at current going-rates, but in the close-out bin, I may pick up a handful as a summer barbecue accompaniment.

Trip Report Part 2: May 10 - May 17 (Languedoc Roussillion)

On Saturday May 10, we picked up a car at the Barcelona airport and drove North over the French Spanish border. We stayed in the sleepy little town of Sorede in the foothills of the Massif des Alberes.

Wine-wise, this was easily the most disappointing trip to France I have ever taken. Local wines I tried were all very mediocre to say the least. I always try to drink local wines and if possible AOC wines from the area. The Corbieres, Minervois, and Vins de Pays I sampled were all extremely forgettable. Amazing to see how much land is under vineyards, but how little of the local wine is any good.

The big exception to the rule was the Domaine Mas Blanc. I tasted through their entire lineup with none other than Dr. Parce himself. The bottlings that impressed me most were his:

2001 Collioure AOC Agoulle, which is a 100% Grenache wine that gets its name from the gutter that fringes the vineyard in a V-fashion. Impressively dense wine that despite its great ripeness still shows loads of freshness and depth. Not heavy at all, the nose is effusive and changing all the time. I bought a bottle and followed it over 3 days and the wine just kept changing. No need to drink this anytime soon. One word of caution on this wine...it is very funky and at times has almost seashell-like aromas, so I am not sure this is for everyone.

2003 Collioure AOC Clos de Moulin, which is a 100% Mourvedre blend. Just awesome and somewhat reminiscent of some wines from Bandol. Rather deep and brooding and supremely tannic, but all in great balance. Will last a minimum of 10-15 more years. Another wine that shows great finesse and power.

2006 Collioure AOC Signature Blanc, which is mostly Grenache blanc with a few other varietals blended in (IIRC Viognier and Roussanne). Superb freshness but also great depth and palate presence. To me, it reminded of CdP blanc. Apple and melon with pure limestone and crushed rock. Just a pleasure to drink, especially with local shellfish like Langoustines.

All of Parce's Banyuls dessert wines were sensational, so I won't pick one out as my favorite, but I need to mention that he makes two kinds of Banyuls. Those who are fermented without contact with air and those that are intentionally oxidized. My personal preferance was for the wines that were intentionally oxidized (by allowing the barrels to be stored outside and leaving a layer of airt in them instead of topping off). Those wines were more interesting, had more character, and showed a little more spice and advanced notes of age. Surely, the non-oxidized wines will develop in the same direction, but they will take longer to get to the same point. All Banyuls doux are 100% Grenache Noir.

The other wine highlight came in form of a 2005 Bel-Air Pomerol I purchased for 15 Euros at the local Carrefour. Just a lovely wine that had superb balance and great depth and layers. If this is indicative of the quality of the vintage, then I'm glad I ended up buying some more recently, especially considering that this is a value wine.

On the food front, we made a pilgrimage to Castenaudary to eat the famous Cassoulet de Castelnaudary in its birthplace. And I thought it was worth the drive for sure, despite not being able to eat it at the place that makes the best Cassoulet in toen (closed on that day).

Pictures below.

2005 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Super dark garnet color. Nose is redolent with tree bark, earth, mushrooms, licorice, smoke and blackberry. A wine that is definitely in the black fruit spectrum. Interestingly meaty and iodine on the palate with more licorice and blackberry. Acidity pokes out a little for my taste. Finish is good and structure is very prominent. Clearly a very good effort from one of my favorite CdP basic cuvees year-in and year-out. If the acidity was just a little lower, this wine would be even better IMO. The 1998 is my benchmark for this cuvee. I am not complaining though given the price of $25 per bottle on release.

2003 Domaine du Gros' Noré Bandol (France, Provence, Bandol)

Well...this bottle showed quite a bit different from the last one. Very primary wine that tasted like very young Grenache. Maybe a little bit like a mediocre, young CdP. Very pruny, raisiny, and a little hollow and unexciting. I noticed the prune and raisin flavors in the first bottle as well, but not as strongly. Still drinkable, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the last bottle. I don't know if it's going through a weird phase, or if there is significant bottle variation in this vintage of Gros Nore. The bottle I had was not worth the money and I wouldn't buy it again if I judged it only based on this performance.

2003 Domaine du Gros' Noré Bandol (France, Provence, Bandol)

Usually 80% Mourvedre, 15% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. Bottled unfined and unfiltered and kept in vats for 18 months before bottling. Popped and poured. Dark garnet color, but completely translucent. Slightly reminiscent of CdP on the nose with a touch of grilled meat and dried herbs, but it's smokier and beefier than most CdP would be. Also a hint of oil cured dry rosemary infused olives. Very nice velvety texture and good finish. Was a superb match for the Cascio del Bosco cheese I consumed with it (Tuscan truffled sheeps' milk cheese). I will say that the 2003 vintage is showing up slightly with a slight lack of dry extract and an ever so slightly raisin and prune aftertaste. Still a very nice wine and great QPR that goes phenomenally well with food, but I don't think it's one of the stars of the appellation in the 2003 vintage. I much prefer Chateau Pradeaux and Pibarnon to Gros Nore in this vintage. I would also add as a final comment that I don't think this will make old bones. I would recommend consumption in the next 5 years (despite Gros Nore saying that it should be forgotten in the cellar for 5-10 years in most vintages).

2002 Château de Pibarnon Bandol (France, Provence, Bandol)

This is really showing weird right now. Nose doesn't give much other than a little earth, blackberry, and licorice, and on the palate this is really muddled. Almost seems like an Aussie Syrah. I can't even tell this is Mourvedre right now. Lacks the typicity I find in Bandols and it tastes nothing like it did at Pibarnon in May when I visited and bought the wine at the domaine. Finish is actually the best part of the wine and it's got loads of stuffing, which is remarkable considering 2002 was a mediocre vintage in Bandol. This is going through a rough phase right now, and the only reason I'm saying this is that the wine was much, much better in May. I would leave this alone for some time before revisiting. If you want to pop a 2002 right now, go with Pradeaux, which is showing way better.

2002 Château Pradeaux Bandol (France, Provence, Bandol)

Dark plummy and browning color. Seductive nose that shows earth, truffle, blackberry, barnyard/horseyness, and a hint of cassis liqueur. It is rather austere in style and still relatively tannic despite being from a less than ideal vintage and being open for almost 24 hours. Finish goes on and on though and fans of old world wines, especially Piedmont (I find some aromatic similarities), should find this to be a gem. New world fans will likely be disappointed, so I would not recommend this for them.

Provence Trip Part 2 - Bandol: Chateau Pradeaux

After our trip to Chateau Pibarnon, we decided to visit Chateau Pradeaux. The drive from Pibarnon to Pradeaux took us to St. Cyr-sur-Mer and let's just say that Pradeaux is not signed out nearly as well as Pibarnon.

One definite warning about going to Pradeaux is that the entry to the chateau is a super-narrow alley of shrubs and bushes that will scratch even a fairly small car up pretty good and at times, there is real potential for damaging your car. SUVs and the like are out of the question.

Once there, you have to ring another bell and in our case, we got to taste with the owner's daughter. We specifically tasted the 2006 Rose and the 2002 and 2001 Reds. Once again, I am having difficulty elaborating on the rose past the comment that it is a pleasure to drink, but by no means a religious experience or intellectual wine.

The 2001 Pradeaux red is a powerful, classy wine that is also has more rusticity than the Pibarnon examples we tasted. It is a big wine that will require much patience, but it was showing well, although a tad closed in my opinion.

The 2002 red was showing better in my opinion and will make a wine to be consumed earlier as well as accessible earlier. Both wines showed nice fruit, but emphasis on earth, funk, and longevity. I can see how these reds would lend themselves to some nicely grilled lamb with an olive and herb tapenade.

Pradeax does not have the view or facilities that Pibarnon has, but the wines are equally good, although stylistically slightly different, by being even leaner and terroir driven than Pibarnon. I highly recommend the reds of this domaine, but I would point out that this is really for fans of terroir driven wines with restrained fruit.

The next part will cover my visit at Pegau in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Stay tuned.

Provence Trip Part 1 - Bandol: Chateau Pibarnon

Bandol is an interesting town. The architecture, especially along the harbor is not exactly esthetically pleasing, but the Renecros beach is beautiful. On the drive inland to get to Chateau Pibarnon, the view gets progressively better until one arrives at Chateau Pibarnon.

A stunning chateau with a view of the vineyards (planted in an amphitheater style)and the ocean, Chateau Pibarnon delivers on many levels. We got to Pibarnon via a number of tiny, windy roads, ending in a dirt road that leads to the top of the hill that overlooks the Mediterranean with an incredible view.

Once parked, it is not easy to find the tasting room though. After strolling on the patio to search for the tasting room, I was piloted to the cave downstairs where I had to ring a bell to gain access to the tasting room. The young woman that opened the door proceeded to tell me that she had just gotten back from a stint in India for an importer of French wines (a topic for another discussion altogether) before she got hired a few weeks ago.

She tasted me through a bunch of wines including the 2006 Rose and a white (I don't remember the vintage). I would like to say at this point that Rose in Bandol and in the Cotes de Provence is generally good and that my untrained palate enjoyed virtually all Roses I tasted during our stay. I did enjoy their white though for its earth, terroir, and blossom driven flavors.

The real highlight were the reds though, where we tasted through 2004, which my host considered a great vintage of Pibarnon, followed by the 2003, the 2002, and the 1999. My impression was that the 2004 is obviously still very youthful, but this mostly Mourvedre blend (90-95%+ Mourvedre) is an absolute stunner of a wine that shows great balance despite high tannin levels already.

The 2003 had even more grip than the 2004, but was similar in flavor profile to the 2004. Despite a particularly hot year (like most of France in 2003), the wine did not have any roasted or raisiny flavors to me, but instead displayed great acidity.

The 2002 was the most aromatic wine of them all with a lively bouquet and a forward personality. According to my host, 2002 was not a good year in Bandol generally, but she thought they did well that year at Pibarnon and I could not agree more. This was the most accessible and ready to drink wine of the lineup and although it is still very tannic, this is showing very well right now, with tell-tale truffle and game notes. Loved this.

The 1999 was pretty closed unfortunately. Virtually nothing on the nose, but on the palate, I could see the promise of something greater with time. Once again, truffle, earth, and blackberry notes make for a compelling wine.

For those of you who are in the Bandol area anytime soon, I highly recommend a visit to Chateau Pibarnon for the wines and view. Just make sure you have a good, detailed map and the "route des vins" guide from the Bandol tourist office.

Part 2 tomorrow covering Chateau Pradeaux.