Tag: France

Michel et Sylvain Tete Clos du Fief Juliénas Tradition 2015

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Beaujolais, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-23 Michel et Sylvain Tete Clos du Fief Juliénas Tradition 2015.jpg

It’s soooo nice to be
back.

First impressions of this
one are a WELCOME pecan
shell astringency and
SURPRISING jammy fruit
flavor.

This might be the best
CruB that I have had.

For the past two years
or so I have been going
to the games, but now
I want a front row seat.

Sheesh.

The first CruB that I tried
was “more acidic” than I
expected and was a bit hard
to adjust to.

I would like to see how I
react to that wine now.

THIS wine has the astringency
that I miss in my beloved PN.

Maybe it’s because I shy
away from oak.

I DON’T KNOW.

It seems to me like the
tannins are in the grapes
as opposed to being
acquired from excessive oak.

I don’t taste a lot of oak.

Maybe it’s grape vine stemminess.

I used to “harvest” my
grape vine trimmings so
that I had plenty of this
kind of aged wood for smoking
hibachi grilled meat.

THAT was good stemminess.

It looks like I paid
up A LITTLE to get
this particular wine.

Good for me.

Maybe now I’m remembering
taking extra time to look
at the CruB offerings
with an eye toward expanding
my CruB experience.

As I try to wean myself
off of this wine for today,
I AM NOTICING a bit of
gaminess or that Gina Carano
tennie odor.

Slightly distracting maybe,
but definitely seductive.

It’s something I would
be hoping to find in Gamay.

For the uninitiated…

Here’s a link on
the Skurnik site for
the 2016 vintage…

https://www.skurnik.com/sku/julienas-cuvee-tradition-michel-tete-2-2-2/

And a Wine.com review
for the 2015 vintage…

https://www.wine.com/product/domaine-michel-tete-julienas-cuvee-tradition-2015/295078

Day Two…

When you know that
you are going to have
THIS wine for lunch, then
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?

Lazy C4+1 Potatoes

“C” clues…
C1) potato configuration
C2) texture
C3) anti-braising liquid
C4) flavor enhancement technique
C5) cookware type

I can’t believe that
anything this stupid and
simple can be so good.

The potatoes, not the wine.

The wine is neither stupid
nor simple.

Maybe I should drink MORE
of this kind of wine to
see if will rub off on me.

The wine seemed a bit
“thicker” today.

(Maybe I rubbed off on
the wine.)

The “astringency” is still
present and accounted for.

Possibly as a result of
being influenced by the links
above, I get the “earthy” thing.

The last few sips of this
one are really tanning my
mouth.

Excellent.

————–

Again, for the uninitiated…

I had to go back to the big
Wine atlas to get my CruB bearings.

A DETAILED explanation of
CruB is above my pay grade,
but I at least want to get
a fix on where this particular
wine came from.

The Beaujolais area is in
the SOUTHERN part of the
broader Burgundy area.

(I keep reminding myself.)

Juliénas is one of the ten
“crus” and is in the north
of the Cru Beaujolais area.

Here’s a nice site that might
help you get your bearings…

https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/a-personality-guide-to-the-10-crus-of-beaujolais-with-regional-map/

I’m having a hard time
throwing the EMPTY bottle away.

Hang in there.

Chapelle du Bastion Picpoul de Pinet 2017

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Picpoul de Pinet, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-21 Chapelle du Bastion Picpoul de Pinet 2017.jpg

I’m FINALLY getting back
to my Lukas wines.

I didn’t take notes as I
was drinking this one because it
would have been a sinful
distraction.

This wine was a taste of
heaven.

Happily, I’m still on Earth.

I wish I could remember
this wine and try it again.

Cracking the books on PdP
leads me to wonder
how this vintage shakes
out for this AC in the
overall scheme of things.

For the uninitiated…

This wine comes from
“the Languedoc” in France,
which is one of my
favorite wine areas.

The PdP AC (official region)
is “grape specific” in that
the Picpoul is the only
grape that can be made into
wine with this AC designation.

This is quite odd for the Languedoc.

For the most part, it is
a celebration of grape variety
diversification.

I like that.

You never know what you are
going to get.

Hang in there.

Jean-Christophe Mandard TOURAINE SAUVIGNON 2016

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Sauvignon Blanc, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-13 Jean-Christophe Mandard TOURAINE SAUVIGNON 2016.jpg

This is another one
from the “value case”
that is almost gone.
(The case is almost gone.)

I didn’t make notes
as I drank.

I loved the wine.

I want to try this
one (or similar) again.

This is why I take
notes as I drink the
wine.

I JUST CAN’T REMEMBER
STUFF VERY WELL.

On the other hand…

I do remember a
“dry honeycomb”
and
“dry grass”
flavor.

It was totally delicious,

Hang in there.

so now I’m drooling as
I anticipate trying this
one again.

Clovis Côtes du Rhône 2016

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Red BlendLeave a comment

2018-06-25 Clovis Côtes du Rhône 2016.jpg

I’m losing my ability
and/or desire to analyze
the wines that I drink.

I just want to hug them.

This one’s eyeballs
are bulging out because
I’m hugging it so tightly.

When I first sip a French
blend, my hope is that it
tastes like WINE. Not
THIS or THAT, just WINE.

(See “musing” below.)

None of the fire-breathing
volatiles of a Spanish
Garnacha and only a
smidgen of the Syrah pepper.

Something magical produced
after the wedding.

This one is light enough
for me and it looks like
there is no oak.

http://tedwardwines.com/tech-sheet/clovis-cotes-du-rhone

Lunch today was
finely diced golden?
potatoes fried on an
antique cast iron
griddle with SmartBalance,
salt and pepper.

I decided to cook the
potatoes AFTER I picked
the wine.

Somehow I knew that
this WOULD BE
PERFECT.

It was.

Now, as I take my last
few sips for the day,
I MIGHT BE tasting some
pepper.

Tannins too, from the
skins, I ASSUME.

I will never LEARN
this stuff.

My lot in life is
to be in a state of
bewildered ignorance
whenever I take the
first sip of wine.

It SEEMS blissful.

The Syrah has me
wondering…

Can I afford Condrieu?

What is the most
diluted (by white wine)
form of Syrah out there?

Are there ANY Syrahs
that aren’t peppery?

I REALLY ENJOYED
this one.

Story Time…

Vino 100 used to have
“wine tastings”
(with cheese)
on Friday afternoons.

Thank you Michael and
greetings Chad.

On one “special” occasion,
Thrace Bromberger was
there promoting her
GustavoThrace wines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavo_Brambila

I was there “early”
and got the chance to
abuse her with questions.

“Boss”: What’s up?
ME: It’s 3pm on Friday,
I have to leave.
“B”: Where are you going?
ME: Vino 100.
“B”: I want to be a consultant.
ME: OK, then. Shut up and listen.
TO SOMETHING.

She was a lawyer or
SOMETHING with a kid
in little league baseball.

Gustavo had a kid on
the same team.

They met at a game
and she convinced him
to be the brains
behind a private
label/brand of wine
while she handled
the business and marketing
end.

Everything was “contracted
out” except the actual
blending of the grapes
and winemaking.

She said that he could
just smell the “stuff”
and KNOW whether it
was going to become
WINE or NOT.

“Bottle Shock” is a
must-see movie for any
wine lover.

ESPECIALLY
THOSE
THAT
AREN’T
FAMILIAR
WITH
CHARDONNAY
ADAM

And while I was
groping for my
map and flashlight,
I came upon this…

The 20+ Most Classy Wine Quotes of All Time

Enough of THAT
intellectual nonsense,
this is how WINE is
supposed to work…

Knock Knock.
Whose there?
Orange.
Orange Who?
Orange you glad
the sockets aren’t
labeled LEFT and RIGHT?

But, but, but…

What about THIS wine?

Only this…

MORE STORY TIME…

When I was a
tender, young, live-at-
home-college-student,
my father “observed” that
I “had no ambition”.

I remember rejoicing
to my neighbor as
we sped away on my
motorcycle on route
to the nearest bar,
that I did in fact
have ambition.

I wanted to pull the
tab on every beer can
I could find.

Luckily, I failed.

We learn from our
failures.

Now I just want to
know WINE when I
drink it.

How hard is that?

It depends upon
which Romanian
gymnast we have to
compete against.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/fivering_circus/2016/08/how_bela_and_martha_karolyi_transformed_u_s_women_s_gymnastics.html

(just search for “wine”)

True or False?

All FINE wine drinkers
enjoy life.

Send me your answer
after you have
surveyed 80% of the
potential survey
participants.

Or GET this wine and
skew the statistics
a bit.

Day Two…

Obviously, I had way
too much fun drinking
this wine on Day One.

Not much left for today.

I’m still impressed.

This STYLE of Rhone
area wine should be
near the center of
my taste preference target.

Near the lighter
Sangiovese wines.

I’m still daydreaming
about Syrah.

https://winefolly.com/review/northern-rhone-wine-french-syrah/

It’s a good thing
this cat has the
attendant extra plays
because the
caution-abandoning
curiosity
may cause me to drown
in my own drool.

Certainly there is
SOMEONE in the Northern
Valley that treats
her grapes with
dignity and respect.

Hang in there.

Gérard Bertrand Corbières 2014

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Red BlendLeave a comment

2018-06-14 Gérard Bertrand Corbières 2014.jpg

At what time of
day do you start
thinking about which
wine you are having
for lunch.

I usually start at…

Since I was going
to have the savory meat
pies from Andre’s, I
wanted a “fuller than
(my) normal” RED.

I can’t remember what’s
in the cooler, so my
wine selection had to
wait until the market
opened and the dog woke
up and moved away from
the cooler door.

Hmmmm.

Corbières. That works.

I consider this to
be the French wine
that ordinary men
can drink every day
to make them feel
princely.

After just a few sips,
I feel like a king.

Call in the winemaker
and let me offer her
a chalice of gold as
a token of my
appreciation for this
year’s vintage.

Exploding with scrumptious
and voluptuous black fruit.

Gorgeous, soft tannins
that surround you like
a swarm of loving bees
bestowing kisses upon
your lips.

The slightest hint of
“leafy green things” that
lets you know that it’s
from SOUTHERN FRANCE
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

This one eschews Carignan
for the other varieties
allowed in the AOC’s
red wine.

That alone makes this
wine a “must try”.

I’m “real particular”
about Syrah.

It’s like, if you love
Syrah, you’ll like
Corbières, but not
vice versa.

Several weeks ago I
was drinking a “more
generic” Languedoc blend
and wondered why I wasn’t
drinking Corbières,
right then and there.

I didn’t know, but
this time I made sure
that I was getting
EXACTLY what I wanted,
whether I asked for it
correctly or not.

Huh?

For a brief period of
time, right BEFORE Lukas
in Martin City opened,
(and Vino 100 folded)
I stopped at the VINO 100
store every other Friday
on my way home from “work”.

That’s where I was
introduced to Corbières.

It was a mind altering
experience.

(Doesn’t take much.)

This one has 14% ALC, so
I have to be good and
put a stopper in it
today, SOONER rather than
later.

Tonight I will be visited
by the…

Most people didn’t know
how much Gary loved
Corbières.

Day Two…

It’s like Christmas
morning only I KNOW
what I’m getting.

Anti-braised home grown snow peas.

And…

Better have the wine before
the food insanity ensues.

No matter, both are so
good that the sequence of
consumption doesn’t matter.

Life is good when
you have…

Good Food (I want you)
Good Wine (I need you)
Peace of Mind (Ain’t no way)

Oh well…

Hang in there.

Salvard Cheverny Rosé 2016

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn RoséLeave a comment

2018-05-12 Salvard Cheverny Rosé 2016sm.jpg

It wasn’t necessarily “a mistake”, I just
didn’t make notes in “real time”.

I distinctly remember being abducted at
the moment the cork was removed.

The aliens were pale and thin-skinned, and
most often wear red to be socially acceptable.

Maybe I was raptured and not abducted.

It’s difficult to take notes in either case.

In a separate note, I mention that I
should be on the lookout for rosé
of PN.

I’ll try not to forget tripping
over this one which also contains
Gamay.

I can’t imagine a more appealing thing.

There is no point in trying to describe it.

I just remember it was DELICIOUS and hope to
revisit “the Loire” soon.

Domaine Gaget Vinum Memoria Beaujolais-Villages

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn BeaujolaisLeave a comment

Holy Moly.

I just woke up inside a giant green pepper and
have to lick my way out.

Was that a nightmare or a wine tasting note?

I’ll sip on it a while to see how it tastes
when I can breathe again.

This is very strange.

The nose doesn’t betray the goofy character.

The internet is not much help on this one.

The importer’s web page is under construction
and the producer’s web page doesn’t show this
exact label.

I’m hoping that the chicken picatta (yes, again,
but it is delicious) can tame the green monster.

After the opening nibbles it’s Capers: 2, Capsicum: 2.

Behind the “costuming” there appears to be a light
and friendly wine that I can enjoy.

Capers: 4, Ogre: 2.

I ASSUME that I can taste the tannins that MIGHT
come from an UNFILTERED wine.

And the nose is rotten eggs. Fetching.
(This was fleeting and not a distraction.)

Still, there’s something to be said for “confusion”.

This would be a good wine for the cats to review.

At the half…

Capers: 4, Ogre: 144.

Maybe Pepper Steak or Veal Vesuvius would work with
this wine.

I declare this wine to be “out of balance” and not to
my liking.

Today anyway. I’ll have half of this one to drink tomorrow.

I can’t wait.

And if I’m not redeemed, I’ll be screaming to the Foris man to
make me holy again…

What did you think this song was about?

Day Two Battle Plan…

1: Feint with little green olives and
cheese sandwiches to draw fire.

2: Assault head-on with rosemary smashed potatoes.

3: Raise a victory flag or retreat.

The monster slipped on the olives, fell to the ground and
ripped of his Shrek suit as the olives started creeping
up his legs.

He should be an easy mark with his shield down.

I might not make it to the taters.

While the monster squirms in the dust, I start
daydreaming that I’m munching on raw cowpeas in
the hull. (The peas are in the hull, not me. That
would be silly.)

Something a little less peppery than yesterday and
a bit more earthy. BUT STILL GREEN.

I called off the olives and the monster is smiling now.

The acidity reminds me of my first Cru Beaujolais. I’m “learning”
that this is a hallmark of Beaujolais. I asked for it,
but it takes some getting used to.

Then there is the issue of “location”. Why am I drinking
Beaujolais-Villages vs. Cru Beaujolais?

If price is the reason, then this is another case
(Chablis coming to mind) where I would want to seriously
consider the higher pedigree when choosing a wine from the area.

I’m just not THAT “educated” about Beaujolais YET. I might
have to go to school again so that I can become more “particular”
when shopping for Beaujolais.

This wine was challenging, but still, I enjoyed it.

I would not have enjoyed any other wine as much as I enjoyed
this wine, on this day. It was just a harder mountain to climb.

My Wine Appreciation Number jumped another notch higher.

Domaine Rimbert Petit Cochon Bronze Rosé

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn RoséLeave a comment

I drank this wine “sparingly” over two
days.

Day One…

After the septic system repairs were made
at a cost that didn’t make me vomit, I rolled
the chaise lounge THING out into the garden facing
south.

I collected the wine, ice bibs, glass, tennis balls
and settled into a late afternoon “unwind”.

No food. Just this wine and the Lab which did a good job of comforting
me.

I have no description of the wine.

If you made me guess, I would say Languedoc, not getting a clue from the
label. (Due to my cluelessness.)

I would NEVER guess the grapes.

This confirms my “taste preference” bias which
dictates that I explore this region whenever I get
the chance. As long as the reds are lighter in body.

Day Two…

More asparagus with chicken picatta.

I could have used a bit more of this wine today, but
it is Spring and I have lots of work to do.

Let’s make a note to look for this “pig” the next
time I’m shopping.

If I keep enjoying these rosés, I’m going to get
real picky about the reds.

On the other hand, I haven’t had a PN for a few days
and I’m having withdrawal symptoms.

(Daydreams of rainbows, excessive drooling, repetitive cooler
contents checking, etc.)

L’Epicourchois Luc Percher Cour-Cheverny Blanc

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn RomorantinLeave a comment

After taking 15 minutes to paste in the wine name
here, I’m actually getting down to business.

My first few sips leave me perplexed.

Oooooooh! A blended SB…

http://www.weygandtmetzler.com/domaine-lepicourchois/

From Loire/Cheverny.

Was I already drooling when we put this one in the basket?

I picked this this one today to have with asparagus and put a
splash of wine in the skillet to provide the steam since
the asparagus was not fresh out of the bath.

This is REALLY heaven.

Not trusting my ASSUMPTION that the Menu Pineau was the
wonderful SOFTENER in this wine, I consulted the big WINE
book.

Bingo.

Although I love the classic Bordeau blend, this blend softens
the SB without the “oiliness”.

I’m not saying oiliness is bad or that I don’t like it, it’s just
this wine is DIFFERENT and FREAKING good.

One memorable meal was at “40 Sardines” (Michael/Debbie)
when I noticed they had a straight Semillion on the wine menu.

I remember the wine.

Interestingly, in the period two days or so, a yearning for
Loire wine descended upon me and I didn’t even know that I
has this wine in the cooler.

Serendipity happens.

I’m having a hard time describing the wine. The color can
lead you away, if not totally astray.

I’m reminded of sweet old hay.

Maybe slightly mulled hard apple cider.

Imagine yourself in October, sitting on a spring-cut hay
bale, watching apples being pressed, while sipping on last
year’s hard cider stirred with a cinnamon swizzle.

The more I snort this one, the more I smell the hay.
Amazing.

Say goodnight Dick. Arbois.

I will have sweet dreams tonight since I can do this again
tomorrow.

We will soon have asparagus coming out of every unobstructed
orifice.

Post Script:

I blew IDing the grapes in this one. Here are Zach’s notes…

…the L’Epicourchois is Cour Cheverny, not just Cheverny, so it isn’t the blend, it is a much rarer straight Romorantin grape. And not just a paltry 60-year-old vine selection, but up to 110-year-old vines!

Cour Cheverny is the older location within the Appellation that is the last bastion of the almost extinct Romorantin grapevine, which is a sister of Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Aligote and about 20 other grapevines. Its parents are an ancient mutation of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc…

Chateau l’Argentier Vieilles vignes de Cinsault

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn CinsaultLeave a comment

I wish to declare “force majeure” on this one.

I don’t know where to start.

Maybe because I EXPECTED to be greeted by a spider
wearing tennis shoes when I opened the bottle.

Maybe because I was thinking it was Carignan.

In an attempt to eradicate feelings of insanity
I tried to make a connection between Cinsault and
Carignan.

From wikipedia…

Other varieties that are sometimes confused with Carignan
but have been conclusively proven by DNA analysis to be
distinct include the Sardinian wine grape Nieddera that
is related to the Pascale di Cagliari grape which also
grown on the island and sometimes confused with Carignan,
Cinsault which shares the synonym Samsó in Catalonia with Carignan, <<<<< HUH?
the Italian wine grape Tintilia del Molise that is grown in the
Lazio and Molise wine regions of central Italy and the Spanish
wine grape Parraleta that is grown in the Somontano DO of Aragon.[4]

The problem is that I'm not "intellectually confused", I'm just
"plain confused".

And from https://learn.winecoolerdirect.com/cinsault/

Cinsault Taste & Aroma

The taste of a wine produced with Cinsault grapes can vary
drastically. Because this grape is often used as a filler or
blending grape,
it can produce anything from a rose to a Carignan. <<<<<<<<<<<< WTF?
The taste and aroma can vary depending on the other grapes
used and the individual processing methods.
It’s common for a Cinsault-based wine to have a strong aroma of:
blah, blah, blah, and
reptiles that emit strong odors of varmints when threatened

I give up.

Can I just have a Corbieres with the usual suspects present
in appropriate amounts?

So maybe it's not tennies.

Ahh. Yes. A tuxedo clad fox.

How elegant.

I'm trying to lure the fox back into the bottle
so I can save some (wine) for tomorrow.

Day Two…

I think the fox drowned.

There's a brighter nature to the wine (and ME?) today.

The fresh cut asparagus is warming in the buttered
skillet with a few precisely cut slices of garlic while
I warm up to the wine.

This is better. Maybe a bit of air helped this one/ME.

Low ALC, light body, tart enough, cherry flavor, and
maybe more tannins than I'm used to in the lighter wines
that I enjoy (PNs primarily).

It looks like this is the wrong kind of wine for asparagus,
but that's too bad.

I'm going to be eating a lot of asparagus this spring.
(It was my New Year's resolution.)

I'm impressed with the "purity" of the wine. Maybe
the correct wine word is "clean".

We'll see what happens when we encounter the fox again at
the bottom of the bottle.

I'm actually missing the fox now. Let's see what asparagus
does to the wine.

So, my conclusion is that if you cook the asparagus
"correctly" and it becomes actual FOOD, it would go with
any dry wine that has respectable quality.

I'm enjoying this well enough but my mind wanders to a
Bandol rosé.

I have several white/rosé wines to try the asparagus with.

Next stop will be a rosé.

Recipe:
Rinse asparagus. Leave water on asparagus.
Trim asparagus down to three inches.
Slice three cloves of garlic one eighth in thick,
across the grain. (Use a micrometer to check your work.)
Melt one to two tablespoons SmartBalance in
a nine inch cast iron skillet.
Add asparagus and garlic slices.
Add only enough asparagus to the skillet
such that each "spear" lays on the skillet bottom.
Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt.
Cover and cook on low for several minutes.
Maybe five minutes.
The excess water on the asparagus will steam
the asparagus and make it tender.
Toss the stuff around a bit.
As the water boils away keep the heat at a low
enough temperature to achieve a slight simmer.
Keep covered as the SmartBalance goes to work.
Maybe another five minutes.
Toss the stuff around another bit.
Check to see that the asparagus has started to
brown and the garlic is not TOO brown.
If the garlic looks totally brown then it got too hot.
Turn the heat off and let the UNCOVERED skillet remain on
the cooking surface.
After a few minutes you are in business.

These "first-out-of-the-ground" spears are almost
sweet and nutty.

This batch of asparagus is gone and now I can focus
on the wine.

As bizarre as this might seem, the "hardy" asparagus
actually outfoxed the wine.

It seems quite pale NOW. I could close my eyes and be
convinced I'm drinking a rosé.

I'm cracking the big Wine book on this one to try to
LEARN SOMETHING.

I feel like Thomas Jefferson in his later years in
that I am VERY FOND of the wines from southern France
except that I like them WITH FOOD rather than AFTER.

Location. Location. Location.

Timing is always a challenge, even for an ex-pres.

Oops. I just got transported again.

I'm drooling as I think of a Chinon rosé which I have
never experienced.

I'd take a lighter red if I can get it.

And back to the Cinsault…

The wine has "lasted well" for some reason.

Interspersed sips seemed to be satisfying enough.

No reason to hurry. Every reason to linger.

The food might be wearing off now and I'm picking
up a subtle bit of cinnamon/pecan tannins.

Since this one was done in concrete, where are the
tanning coming from?

Is Cinsault thicker skinned than PN?

Very soft, very subtle, but noticeable.

Maybe I'm getting close to that fox. Maybe I'm just
getting tuned in. Maybe this wine was just PLAIN
GOOD from the get go.

I'm trying to imagine how to BEST ENJOY this wine.

I'm lost. I should have tried some of the smoked turkey.

I might be sneaking up on the fox. Shhh.
Don't wake her up.

Water crackers and Mozzarella.

No, triple cream Brie.

And this wine fits MY definition of "claret", as informed by the
Latin language.

In today's world, and due to our "modern" taste preferences, I
don't know if a Bordeaux (nebulously defined) "claret" can exist.
It's worth the pursuit nonetheless.

When I was a kid, I thought Burgundy was a "heavy" wine and
a (Bordeaux) claret was "lighter". There is no reason for me
to have been thinking "correctly", that's just what I thought.
So I want a "claret" from Bordeaux.

(I know the fox came from Languedoc, I'm just daydreaming
in an uncontrollable fashion.)

And it's gone. No fox.

AS IT TURNS OUT…

I had this back in June and was equally
"impressed". Similar effusive notes.