Ramblin' in the Rhone (via Pictures!)

They grow stuff in this?
Really Rocky!
Aaah, here start the Chateauneuf vineyards!
The town of Chateauneuf du Pape
Which way do I go?
The Hermitage Hill
Steep sides of the Hermitage Hill
The Chapel at the top of the Hermitage Hill
More Steep Hillsides
Single-vine training

Ramblin' in the Rhone

After my hedonistic Bacchanalia of liver abuse in Burgundy, I jumped into a rental car (what better type of vehicle to abuse?) and shot down the lovely highways of Southern France. It was a beautiful day, and my little car had no trouble hitting 150-160 kph (95-100 mph). Man, it is so much fun driving in Europe, the roads are well-maintained and the speed limits high (130 kph). The only drawback? VERY expensive tolls, but what the heck, if it gets me a pothole-free ground-level quasi-flight to my destination, I'll happily pay.

The Rhone Valley is a long expanse of steep hills following the curves of the Rhone River from Lyon almost down to the Mediterranean. The soil is very rocky and dry, with very high temperatures in the summer and a steady wind, the Mistral, which has been known to blow for over a third of the year and can drive people mad. If you haven't experienced the Mistral, you don't know how that constant pressure, that insistent howling can just reach into your head and scramble your brain. There are parts of the Rhone where trees grow straight for about a foot or two, then curve sharply to the South, a physical manifestation of the Mistral.

I ended up in Tain l'Hermitage, a charming if small town along the Rhone, with a beautiful pedestrian suspension bridge linking it to a sister city, Tournon. Looming over the town of Tain l'Hermitage is the Hermitage hill, an extremely steep, rocky promontory with a small chapel all the way at the very top. The story is that a knight returning from the Crusades, the Chevalier de Sterimberg, decided to live a hermit's life at the top of the small mountain, thus the name Hermitage Hill.

The Romans came through here as well, recognizing the stony soil and west-facing hillside as a perfect place to plant grapes. Of course, the ones making the decision were probably not the ones picking the vines...

It really is amazing that anything can grow in this soil, and in this heat to boot. It's dry most of the year as well, and to handle the constant push of the Mistral the wines are trained on single stakes as opposed to wires in the traditional Guyot training (see pic).

This is an absolutely wild and sauvage landscape, a beautiful world where Nature seems to want to resist Man's incursions by making his life as difficult as possible. As opposed to Burgundy, which is a virtual carpet of grapes from the Beaujolais to the very walls of the city of Dijon, the Rhone is a hodge-podge of vineyards clinging to steep hills following the Rhone and atop wind-swept, sunny plateaus, between which one finds the odd nuclear power plant and industrial site.

I spent the next two days meandering between the wineries which had interested me and rambling via the back-roads taking pictures, which I'll post later.

What a life.

Cheers!

Day 3 in Beaune, capital of Burgundy

Aaah, another day, another bunch of wineries to visit. And what a great bunch! What a treasure chest of lovely wines to taste and passionate people to visit. My 3rd day in Beaune found me sluggish and realizing that I wasn't a youthful 35 anymore. No, I've turned into quite the old 35, thanks to my many wine friends I've made in this business.

After my evening of "tasting" with Christophe Roumier, I certainly wasn't making any early appointments. Luckily, my first tasting this day was at 2pm with Frederic Mugnier, in the beautiful town of Chambolle Musigny. Like its wines, this village is absolutely charming, with a feminine touch that translates into its wines. I pulled into Mr. Mugnier's courtyard and rang the doorbell. Nothing. Uh-oh. I hadn't brought his phone number and after a few minutes I began to get a bit nervous. It was 2pm, today, right?

I rang again.

Nada.

Oh, zut alors, please don't tell me I'll have to drive around until my 4pm with Dujac in Morey St Denis. To add insult to injury, it began to rain lightly and the wind picked up. Great, so this is how it's going to be?

I rang a third time.

This time, I heard someone running down the hallway. Oops, did I disturb someone's lunch? A charming young lady opened the door, and we exchanged pleasantries. She led me into Mr. Mugnier's office, a nice, elegant and very orderly place with aerial pictures of mountains on the walls. "Mr. Mugnier will be right here," she told me. Within a minute or two, Mr. Mugnier appeared. I had forgotten how quiet and reserved he could be, but he was quite polite and nice. We chatted a bit, and he seemed to warm up as we discussed some of the many things we had in common. Then he got some glasses and led me down into the new cuverie.

Barrels of some of the most beautiful wines on the planet sat all around me and a silly, stupid grin lit up my face. Mr. Mugnier is very pleased with his 2005s, saying they are powerful yet delicate, achieving a level of grace and elegance that is quite rare. And I have to say, he was correct. In general, his wines sang with a stunningly flowery bouquet, marked with an incredible freshness and vigor, balanced by a ton of supple tannins and a lovely crisp acidity. As at Roumier's, the wines' bouquets were just dreamy. He popped a stopper and poured the first wine, the Chambolle Musigny. This was lively, fresh, with bright red fruits and a crisp mouthfeel and a surprisingly long finish. He even remarked how happy he was that a simple village wine had turned out so well. I've always been a fan of his village wines, so I could only agree. Next came the Chambolle Musigny les Fuees, which was like the bigger twin of the village wine. Larger in all aspects than the Chambolle, with some slightly darker red fruits and a longer finish, with more mouthfilling texture. Again, the tannins were quite present but supple and not intrusive. We took a major step up in quality when he poured the Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses, a wine showing spicy, flowery aspects, everything you love in Amoureuses, but more so. Its amazingly silky texture ended in a long finish. This is when it really hit me, that the 2005s are everything we look for in a good Burgundy, only more so. It's like all the wines have been ratcheted up several notches, both in quality and in prices (sadly).

Now we went to explore his newest holding, the Nuits St Georges Clos de la Marechale. This is Mr. Mugnier's 2nd vintage with this wine, and so far he's been pretty pleasantly surprised. He’s learning more and more about the terroir and its capabilities, and so far, he’s satisfied. The 2005 is darker and more rustic than some of the other wines, but quite elegant at the same time. This might be a diamond in the rough that needs polishing. NB: he also made some white, which we didn’t taste as he’s not certain how it will show, never having made whites before. Then he pulled a sample from a barrel labeled BM, and I knew what that was: the Bonnes Mares. Yay! Big and brawny, yet supremely elegant, with darker fruits than anything tasted so far, this held a massive amount of tannins that coated the back of the palate, and a finish that lasted for a minute or more. Heck, I think I'm still tasting it 24 hours later. Wow. As happy as I was at this moment, I was about to be getting a slap in the face. At this point, I thought I'd tasted the top of the top of the wines of 2005. But I was about to be put straight.And so it happened...

Kill me now, for I have tasted perfection.

This next wine was Mr. Mugnier's Musigny. Absolutely brilliant red and black fruits emerged from a flowery, perfumy bouquet that was so intensely pure and enticing that you didn’t want to taste, you just wanted to sniff this for days, weeks, years, centuries. The texture was crunchy yet silky, fresh and lively, ending with some serious tannins. This was the promise that the wine would live long and prosper, even after most of us were long and gone. This is a wine for the ages. Amazing. I do believe I shed a tear or two knowing that if I'd be able to afford a bottle, my children, their children, and possibly their children would be able to enjoy it as much as I had. Then Mr. Mugnier went into his cellar and pulled a bottle he said he'd been curious to try, a 2004 Nuits St Georges Clos de la Marechale. As good as this was, after tasting the 2005s, this was a bit of a letdown (dare I complain?). The 1st vintage from this vineyard, this showed hints of the now-notorious green elements present in the 2004 reds, but not overpoweringly so, with dark red fruits and spices and a long finish. Rustic but nice. We chatted some more before he went back down to the cellar and brought up a bottle of 2003 Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses. More typical of the vintage and less the vineyard, this showed lots of syrupy, almost extracted dark ripe red fruits, earth, and spices, but in comparison to other ‘03s, this was positively elegant. Then again, everything’s relative. Mugnier believes this will be better with lots of age as the fruit calms down and everything comes into balance.

Finally, it was time to say our goodbyes. Mr. Mugnier, despite his gruff appearance, is a typical Burgundian: reserved at first, they do open up somewhat after some discussions. But he is the sort of person who won't speak unless he has something to say.

From Mugnier, I drove along the beautiful winding Route des Grands Crus to Morey St Denis, where Jeremy Seysses was awaiting me at Domaine Dujac. The first time I had been in Burgundy I'd tasted here, and at the time it was Jeremy's first vintage. He had been pretty shy, but now he's come into his own and is outgoing, switching fluidly between English and French. Wasting no time, we headed down to the cellar, glasses in hand. To facilitate tastings, they'd bottled in half-bottles some of their 2005s. What, I wasn't the only person coming to visit? What a surprise...

The first wine was a white, a Morey St Denis Blanc. Quite nice and elegantly ripe, with some lovely white flowers, ripe lemons and a tart finish, everything in nice balance. We moved on the first red, a Morey St Denis Rouge, a rustic and fruity wine, with some earthy tannins and a medium finish. We talked a bit about the vintage and their new directions, and then he poured the Chambolle Musigny. More feminine and delicate than the MSD, this too had a nice bouquet and a slightly rustic finish. Jeremy opened the Bonnes Mares, which was definitively a step up, with some enticing dark fruits, a flowery nose of violet and purple fruits, a brooding hulk with a lovely earthy, minerally note, buttressed by spicy tannins. Big-bodied, it danced over the palate before ending in a long, long finish. Now we kept moving into Grand Cru territory with one of my favorite Dujac holdings, the Clos de la Roche. Oooh, big and brawny, very masculine, with tons of dark red fruits and spices balanced by a noticeable minerality and a long, mouthcoating finish. Yummy. On the other end of the spectrum, the Clos St Denis was amazingly different: feminine and yet powerful, with fabulously long notes of red fruits and game, ending with a long tannic finish after coating the palate in a wonderfully light texture. Finally, we hit the newest wine in their portfolio: the Chambertin. Wow, this was just out of this world. Huge, dark and brooding, as well as light on its feet and elegant, this was, as I told Jeremy, "a Sumo wrestler dancing ballet". He laughed and agreed. It was just absolutely fantastic, with so many different notes appearing, disappearing, then reappearing that it was a thinker's wine, in a hedonistic sort of fashion.

As the tasting wound down, we said our adieux, and I left, my palate tingling at all the phenomenal wine I'd just had in the space of 2 hours. I do believe I may have TXT messaged quite a few folks in my buzzed state. I headed back to Beaune via the Route des Grands Crus, taking pictures of some of the more important places as I did so (see previous post). However, dinner at Sushi Kai with some sake was a welcome reprieve after all these wines, believe it or not.

Yum!

Intermission - Random Pics of Burgundy

So I had some free time and decided to drive through the back roads and even the vineyards (I abused the heck out of my rental car!) of the Cotes de Nuits. I love just meandering along the hillside paralleling the N74, the views are amazing. It feels like I'm travelling through time, following the path forged by centuries of monks, farmers and winemakers.

I usually take my camera, and this past trip was no different. So here are some long, boring shots of the Cotes de Nuits.

Enjoy!

Reasons to love Burgundy Part 2 (Roumier and more Roumier)

Another day in Burgundy, another orgy of wines and food. And I wonder why I love the region?

The 2nd day of my stay here began with a (very) late lunch at La Regalade, on the outskirts of Beaune. While the wine list leaves a lot to be desired in terms of depth, it did have some finds. And the owners are so welcoming it makes the place quite warm and inviting. We were all somewhat exhausted from the previous night's debaucheries, but somehow we rallied and ordered a 2003 Henri Boillot Meursault Perrieres.

Not being a big fan of 2003 whites, I was surprised at the quality of this one. Of course, the vineyard helps a lot. Fat and thick, just filling the mouth, with white flowers, somewhat ripe tropical fruits buttressed by some oak and a lovely acidic finish, it had a lively aspect that belied the vintage. This is what California Chardonnay wants to be but somehow misses most of the time.This went very well with my dish of scrambled eggs with black truffles... If anything can be called a hangover cure, this is it.

Then, it was off to our first and last tasting of the day: Domaine Georges Roumier. As usual, Christophe was the essence of grace and hospitality as we arrived, spending time with us chatting before getting some glasses. He was quite happy with the development of the 2005s, and seemed content with his 2006s as well. And then we were off to taste the 2005s...

First, let me say a few generalizations, as I didn't have my notebook and "recorded" everything with what few mental faculties remain. Now, I am going to go out on a limb and say that after tasting the 2005s, I can honestly say God exists and wants us to be happy. Yes, they're that good. Let me repeat that: YES, THEY'RE THAT GOOD. All the wines had this lovely nervosite, a certain liveliness, that kept them alive in the mouth despite the tannins, most of which were quite polished and not intrusive. The fruit was sweetly ripe for Burgundy, but not as in 2003, which I'd consider over-ripe. In addition, the acidities were high but not too high, and balanced the increased size of the fruit quite well. The finishes on some of even the 1er Crus went on for what seemed like hours. And the bouquets on all the wines I've tasted, and I do mean all, are more perfumy than I've ever seen. Basically, everything's where it needs to be.

First was the Chambolle Musigny, always a lovely village wine, and this year even more so. Right from the get-go, we knew were in for a good night: crunchily fresh, with bright berries and a wonderfully fresh and minerally mouthfeel. Ready to drink now. Next Christophe poured us some Chambolle Musigny Les Cras, which was the bigger, brawnier cousin to the village wine. Riper, more vibrant than the village, with darker fruits, this also had a lovely floral bouquet and a longer finish. The Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses was another step up, but in a more feminine direction. Oooh, softly flowery, with bright red and dark fruits and a lovely perfume, ending in a long finish. Now we hit the Morey St Denis Clos de la Bussieres and found a masculine, earthily fruity wine, which was more earthy but still lively and lovely with bright ripe red and black fruits leading to a minerally finish. To change things, Christophe decided to go rustic, tasting us on the Charmes Chambertin, which was a bit more rustic than the Chambolle, with darker red fruits backed by some serious minerality.We started heading up the food (wine?) chain, Christophe's pippette pouring the Bonnes Mares Terres Rouges, a hearty, brawnily fruity and somewhat metallic wine with big dark fruits and minerals. Next to it we found the Bonnes Mares Terres Blanches, which was much more minerally as opposed to fruity. Still, it had a nerve to it that made us think it would stand up to the Terres Rouges in the final assembly. And we were right: the Bonnes Mares final assemblage, 55% Rouge and 45% Blanche, was amazing. Absolutely stunning. At the same time brooding, dark and yet lively and exuberant, this was just about one of the best wines I've ever tasted young. Incredibly long on the finish, it filled the mouth and wouldn't let go. Now we hit the Musigny, and even though I thought I was in love with the Bonnes Mares, I dumped her and fell for this wine. Gorgeously perfumed, with a delicately big bouquet you could smell a mile away, this offered tons of light dark fruit and a wonderful mouthfeel, just seducing you with its softness. If the Bonnes Mares was the dominatrix, the Musigny was the shy woman who goes wild. We went further into the cellar, visiting some barrels that Christophe's working on for friends. The Le Corton had great aromatics and a wonderfully animale note to it but the palate was rather tight and unforgiving, just hinting at its greatness.

Christophe then asked us if we wanted to see the development of the 2004s, so how could we refuse? He pulled out two half bottles and opened the first, a 2004 Roumier Musigny. Nice, but no 2005, this had some green hints that worried me, though the somewhat tart fruit seemed to balance it out. Next he offered us a taste of the 2004 Roumier Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses, a distinct step up and much more feminine and approachable.

Now we were off to dinner, and happily Christophe joined us . We headed over to Chez Guy, a small place in Gevrey Chambertin. The list was interesting but nothing crazy, but we were thirsty and wanted more good stuff after being teased by Christophe's wines! In the mood for white, we ordered a 2004 Coche Dury Meursault. This was the textbook definition of Meursault: fat, with an oily texture and notes of bacon-scented lemons and nuts, with a mouth-coating body that ended with a burst of acidity. Gorgeous! But things weren't going to stop there, oh no. Next, we ordered the 2001 Roumier Chambolle Musigny les Cras, a wine which to my nose had a hint of green and reduction in it. But I wasn't about to say anything to the winemaker when he was within striking distance... It had very strikingly crisp red fruits, with just a hint of syrupy aspects to it. As it sat in the glass, everything seemed to calm down, until it was showing quite well. We turned to a bottle of 2000 Trapet Chambertin, a stunningly gorgeous wine of intense perfume, taste and structure. Huge notes of earthy dark fruits, sous-bois and mushrooms filled the nose and palate, with a softly elegant moutfeel that ended with a tannic finish, everything coming together amazingly well. Still thirsty, we reached for the 1999 Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques. Another stunner, filled with robust dark mushroom-covered fruits, an intense mouthfeel and amazing weight. Lovely secondary aspects came and went, teasing us with their seductive softness. Wow!

Then it was back to Beaune, dropping Christophe off as we went on our merry (and drunken) way. Someone mentioned that a night cap was needed, and feeling it would be rude, we agreed: 2002 Pierre Colin Meursault, a wine of intense liveliness, with minty, crunchy minerals coating lemon-scented almonds and a searing acidity that stripped the enamel off the teeth. Absolutely gorgeous and just what we needed to wake our palates up. At this point I began to fade and decided to listen to my body, heading to sleep at the early hour of 2:30am.

What a day.

It's been a long, strange trip...

OK, I just realized I've been quite remiss in posting. I've been travelling through France doing research on a new project, but I thought I'd relate a few fun evenings tasting wine and eating great food with wonderful people. After travelling through the Rhone Valley, I met up with friends in Beaune, capital of Burgundy, and the moment I arrived it was a non-stop party.

First up was a bottle I picked up in Lyon for a steal, a 2001 Mugnier Chambolle Musigny. Say what you will that it was the village wine, this was glorious from the get-go. It defined crunchy freshness, with smooth bright cherries and mushrooms on the nose and a gorgeous, silky texture that brings the fruit to the front, the funk to the middle, and leaves you with a lovely, long finish. As it breathed, dark cherries and smoke began to appear, but in a very balanced and harmonious way.

Then it was off to Le Gourmandin, where a true steal was found on the list: 2002 DRC Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Cuvee Duvault-Blochet. This is where we realized we had stepped it up a bit, now we were in a new world of flavors. Oooh, lovely flowery, peppery and dark fruit notes emerged, with hints of soy sauce and a lovely perfume. Soft yet precise on the palate, with similar notes ending in a long, fruiy finish. Amazingly open and ready for business. It was a ringing success with both the escargots and the ris de veau aux morilles (sweetbreads with morel mushrooms... YUM!).

Back to L'Hotel de Beaune, where we began acting like the wine pirates we were turning into. The wines were coming fast and furious, but I managed to pay attention to most of them. 1972 Clair Dau Chambolle Musigny Les Amoureuses was waiting for us, so I poured a glass and sniffed. Essence of morels, with some soft dark cherries adding a fruity note to the funky aromas. The palate was light and almost tea-like, with a softness on the palate that didn’t bring the lovely nose to the mouth. Dying fast. Aaah well...

My friend was in the mood for white, and wanted to do a vertical of Niellon, so who was I to argue? Out came two bottles, one the 2004 Niellon Chassagne Montrachet Clos de la Maltroie, the other one the 2005 Niellon Chassagne Montrachet Clos de la Maltroie. Both were poured and we began sniffing and swirling. Amazing, how one year of separation makes a world of difference. The 2004 was crunchy and precise, with tons of soft lemons, pears and almonds, backed up by solid minerals and some hints of white truffle and popcorn. The palate was intense and focused, like an I-beam supporting the weight of the fruit and stones. Long finish, with intense acidity yet very nicely balanced. The 2005 was the younger, bigger, brawnier brother. Compared to the '04, the '05 offered ripe lemons and lime, with relatively larger amounts of popcorn and nuts. On the palate, however, this was nothing but structure, with only the foundations showing the fruit. Imagine seeing a building with nothing but the first floor built, scaffolding rising to the heavens offering hints of things to come. One day, that 2005 will be glorious.

Still thirsty, we brought up a bottle of 2004 Roulot Meursault Tessons Clos de mon Plaisir. Rich and powerful, this was full of pears and apple notes and flavors carried on a surprisingly light frame that ended with a crunchy finish. "I want something bigger!" my friend called out, and someone offered the 2004 Coche Dury Puligny Montrachet Enseignieres. Compared to the Roulot, we weren't even in a different world, we were in a completely different universe. Ooooh, HUGE nose offers funky lemons, pears, apples and almonds, with a spicy richness and flowery perfume that I couldn’t turn my nose from. The palate was big, with a soft opulence that carried the fruit and the acidity on a well-balanced structure that ended with a long, mouth-filling and mouth-coating finish.

By now it was 4am and we pondered the wisdom of visiting the Pickwick Arms for some beers, but saner heads than mine prevailed and I stumbled back to my room.

God, I love Burgundy!!!!

St Valentine's Day Dinner

This was our first St Valentine's Day as husband and wife, and I wanted to do something special for my wife. So while she trudged through the new snow (2 inches bullshit, there must have been about 6 inches filling the streets and sidewalks), I prepared a meal that would complement the wines I was choosing.

With a nice little chunk of duck foie gras and toasted baguette slices, I popped the cork on a NV Diebolt Vallois Blanc de Blancs. Lovely and crisp, with nice lemon, pears and almonds on a tight, nervous frame that ends in a long, tart finish. Great mouthfeel, this cut through the fat of the foie gras and just kept on refreshing and satisfying the palate.

Next, I plated the main course, a rack of Australian lamb with a caramelized shallot and thyme crust, duck fat-roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts with bacon. Now I poured the red wine, a 1996 Lynch Bages. Decanted for about 2 hours, this showed deep, dark and velvety black and blue fruits, oak, with a fat structure, notes of cedar and pencil lead, and hints of secondary aspects such as mushrooms and earth. Surprisingly low in acidity, it went only so-so with the lamb, ending with a short finish. It was definitely in its middle age, or, as my wife succintly put it, "a wine having a mid-life crisis", not sure whether to be young and fruitful or old and earthy.

Lastly, we went back to the Diebolt for the dessert, vanilla ice cream with a red fruit coulis. This was a fantastic match, the crispness of the Champagne balancing the sweetness of the ice cream and the coulis.

All in all a wonderful first married St Valentine's Day.

Cheers!

A Menage a Trois of Old Burgs, Rhones and Cassoulet

After being inspired by a friend's cassoulet experience, I decided to revisit my family's part of France and make the dish myself at home. I ordered the whole kit from D'Artagnan (no affiliation, just a very satisfied customer) and printed their recipe. Considering how many ingredients are involved (duck confit, duck & Armagnac sausage, garlic sausage, ventreche - a type of French pancetta that's fantastic - Tarbais beans, carrot, and tons of duck fat), it was relatively easy to make. The apartment smelled of game for days afterwards, reminding us of the warm meal we'd enjoyed. After getting all my mise-en-place on Saturday, I spent the day cooking, letting the dish settle into its own juices from Saturday to Monday.

After some stern warnings about my cooking abilities, several good friends gamely decided to volunteer as guinea pigs. This was my 1st cassoulet! God help them...

Since one couple had recently gotten engaged, we started with a 1985 Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Champagne, its medium amber color offering crisp peach, brioche and toasty coffee, with a vivid mouthfeel and a nice finish. As the cassoulet was served, my winegeek friend Drew began pouring his white, the 1997 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage Blanc le Chevalier de Sterimberg. Much better after being decanted for about an hour, this beauty was full of peaches, wax, glycerin, smoke and a hint of heat on the back end, its thick body ending with a finish that went on and on. Surprisingly, it went really well with the dish.

Now we got to the older Burgs.

Jorge popped the first one, a 1972 Prosper Maufoux Le Corton. Vibrantly light red in color, this speaks to the issue of provenance: gorgeously dynamic strawberry fruit, with some sous-bois and mushrooms on the nose, the palate a definition of elegance, with amazingly youthful light red fruits, backed by secondary notes and a long finish. It did begin to die within about 20 minutes in the glass, but still, what a wonderful find!

Next came a 1976 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Clos de Beze. I sniffed this and winced, not from the typical 1976 burnt funk but more from the hint of TCA I was getting. But the wine was fighting for its life, its secondary aromas peeking out of the blanket of TCA, which, truth be told, was rather thin. At the end of the night, I went back to it and found the TCA even worse, as is usual. There was some discussion as Drew and Jorge disagreed about its corkiness, but I firmly believe it was ever so slightly corked.

Now we hit the 1999 Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules, a lovely crisply fruity wine with some secondary notes starting to appear and filling out its frame with grace and elegance. Very nice, this is a youngster.

We ventured south now, pouring the 1999 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul which had been decanted several hours prior. Deep, dark and full of brooding dark fruits and guarrigue, with smoke and chocolate filling out its frame, this youngster was just smoking, a gorgeous and brawny wine that seemed to expand on the palate in velvety waves.

Still thirsty, we reached into the living room EuroCave and found a bottle of 2004 Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape, our house red. Light kirsch, dark cherries and fruits with some guarrigue filled the palate, with a nice crunchy acidity that woke up our palates after the orgy of Burgs, Rhones and cassoulet.

All in all, a wonderful way to stay warm on an absolutely bitingly cold Monday night. The cassoulet was a hit, there wasn't a bean left in the pot. Except for adding more meat, I'll definitely be ordering that again!

Cheers!

A Vinotas Selection: 2004 Roulot Bourgogne Blanc

Well, it's been a quiet January, so I figured I'd write something for February. It's a rainy and cold Friday night, I've had a bad week, so I opened something nice and uncomplicated. Surprise! It turned out even better than expected. Well, I can honestly say I am thrilled.

Oh, no affiliation, just a very appreciative customer. In fact, I just went out a bought a case.

-2004 Roulot Bourgogne Blanc

From a well regarded producer who regulary makes bottles that go for hundreds of dollars, this was a nice, affordable choice.

White flowers, soft apples, pears, lemons, hay drift up from the glass, as well as a quartzy stoniness. Crisp and precise on the palate, it offers a very energetic attack, full of spicy lemons that lead to a super searingly tart, surprisingly long and high-acid finish that seems to strip the enamel off my teeth. Yowsers! The finish goes on and on with almond and bacon accents, a nice way to round out the acidity of the mid and back palate.

This wine just wants to hang out in the mouth and fight it out, it's a youngster with nerve to spare.

Better yet, who said white Burgs had to be expensive? This beauty's only $24.99!

Cheers!

Happy New Year! (and how NOT to run a wine store)

Happy New Year!

Aaaaaah, another year, another bunch of resolutions broken within 24 hours...

So this year, no resolutions, except the one to live my life to the fullest and the vow to never get trapped in a bad situation again. For 15 years, I worked doing something I hated as much as I love wine, and I was terribly miserable. Now, I'm free and working to settle on something I like and want to do. More and more, it's looking like I'll be somewhere in France. Tough life.

With that in mind, I was shopping for some Italian wine in a local store, which shall go unnamed for obvious reasons. I was in a good mood, it's been a mild winter and it was warm out the other day. I figured since I was in the neighborhood I'd drop in and give them another chance. I've had bad experiences in the past that completely turned me off of them (cooked bottles, bad service, hot store, etc...).

Well, I can honestly say NEVER AGAIN.

Here's why:

1 - Walked in and it was hotter than hell. Granted, it was warm out, but this was ridiculous. I started to sweat immediately (nice imagery, eh?).
2 - Tried to find the wine that a trusted friend mentioned on the racks and the bottles were scattered willy-nilly, no sense of any organization.
3 - Only 1 salesperson, busy helping others.
4 - I asked a checkout girl where the salespeople are and she waves dismissively and says "They're on the floor somewhere..."
5 - After about 10 minutes of waiting, I interrupted said salesguy and asked him if there was someone else he could point me to, he said there were some other salespeople on the floor. Really? Are they playing hide-and-seek? Are they trying to be coy and hard to get? Or are the new uniforms camouflage suits? Is something wrong with my eyesight? I mean the store's not that big.

I finally stormed out and was pretty pissed off about the whole experience.

I am pretty easy-going, I don't expect to be treated like a king or a God or even anything more than a thirsty geek, but jeez a little interest in someone willing to spend upwards of several hundred bucks would be nice.

In addition, why turn off potential customers with warm temps in the store, especially with something perishable like wine? I mean, would you buy warm milk? Milk costs $1 and change, and it's treated like liquid treasure. Wine is treated like any other commodity, despite its much higher costs.

So, NEVER AGAIN. I've learned my lesson.

Cheers!