Saturday, December 01, 2007
Experiments au Francais
Intent on trying the 2005 Burgundy vintage, the first two members of the manage a trois came from Joseph Drohin and then Jean-Michel Guillon.
Drohin's appellation, hailing from the Cote de Beaune - Chorey Les Beaune - was a supple, extremely light example of a pinot noir. A nose of vanilla and hibiscus. A light stylish flavor with several mild layers of incipient complexity. Pared nicely with light cheeses.
At the recommendation of wine superstore owner Andy Bassin - Jean-Michel Guillon's Chambolle-Musigny from Cote de Nuits - specifically Gebrey-Chambertin, was a further walk up the Burgundy region and this one yielded a much earthier nose and a well rounded grin from this Cabernet lover. This is the style of Pinot that I love - strong, complex, yet much lighter than the stalwart wines that I typically like to splash about over an extra-charred steak. Spicy pork and chicken sausages went nicely with this one.
With three 3-inch rib steaks ready for a firey finish aboard the grill of my Big Green Egg, I felt that two Burgundy Pinots would appreciate the company of a rich and earthy Bordeaux. Again chosing from Andy Bassin's massive selection, I was able to experiment far north in the Bordeaux region to the Saint Estephe region - with a highly recommended 2004 Chateau Montrose. Inky blackness in the glass and anise and strong leather to match the color brought liquid happiness which easily stood up to the peppered meats on the table.
I have been very happy with my parlays into the Pauillac region and as I learn more about the Bordeaux area, I've been anxious to venture into the possibility of stronger styled wines in the region to the north of Pauillac. Montrose is my second attempt and for now it is two for two. Chateau Meyney is also a wonderful Estephe. I've now sampled a 2003 and a 1998 and both brought all the force of a carefully crafted Oakville Cabernet, but the earthy nose and complexity that the American vintners seem to ignore.
To finish this post on a moderate tone, I did find mixed blessings in a 2005 Maison Ambroise Cote de Nuits Villages. This one was nice on the sample and the first glass, but the evening wasn't kind to the bottle that I selected and the palate of hard wood, tobacco, and mulch began to disintegrate over the course of an hour. It really fell apart for me. Probably not headed back for a repeat. In a cross-check to see if I perhaps got a bad sample - I did find a negative review from Ray Johnson's Wine Blog -- http://rjwine.com/blog/category/cote-de-nuits-villages/.
Drohin's appellation, hailing from the Cote de Beaune - Chorey Les Beaune - was a supple, extremely light example of a pinot noir. A nose of vanilla and hibiscus. A light stylish flavor with several mild layers of incipient complexity. Pared nicely with light cheeses.
At the recommendation of wine superstore owner Andy Bassin - Jean-Michel Guillon's Chambolle-Musigny from Cote de Nuits - specifically Gebrey-Chambertin, was a further walk up the Burgundy region and this one yielded a much earthier nose and a well rounded grin from this Cabernet lover. This is the style of Pinot that I love - strong, complex, yet much lighter than the stalwart wines that I typically like to splash about over an extra-charred steak. Spicy pork and chicken sausages went nicely with this one.
With three 3-inch rib steaks ready for a firey finish aboard the grill of my Big Green Egg, I felt that two Burgundy Pinots would appreciate the company of a rich and earthy Bordeaux. Again chosing from Andy Bassin's massive selection, I was able to experiment far north in the Bordeaux region to the Saint Estephe region - with a highly recommended 2004 Chateau Montrose. Inky blackness in the glass and anise and strong leather to match the color brought liquid happiness which easily stood up to the peppered meats on the table.
I have been very happy with my parlays into the Pauillac region and as I learn more about the Bordeaux area, I've been anxious to venture into the possibility of stronger styled wines in the region to the north of Pauillac. Montrose is my second attempt and for now it is two for two. Chateau Meyney is also a wonderful Estephe. I've now sampled a 2003 and a 1998 and both brought all the force of a carefully crafted Oakville Cabernet, but the earthy nose and complexity that the American vintners seem to ignore.
To finish this post on a moderate tone, I did find mixed blessings in a 2005 Maison Ambroise Cote de Nuits Villages. This one was nice on the sample and the first glass, but the evening wasn't kind to the bottle that I selected and the palate of hard wood, tobacco, and mulch began to disintegrate over the course of an hour. It really fell apart for me. Probably not headed back for a repeat. In a cross-check to see if I perhaps got a bad sample - I did find a negative review from Ray Johnson's Wine Blog -- http://rjwine.com/blog/category/cote-de-nuits-villages/.
