Archive for February, 2025

Question: Is there a recent change in French tax law that helps family wine estates?

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The wine choices made for dinners held by various groups are usually quite intriguing. Firstly of course you want to have some appropriate wine matchings for the food courses. Secondly there often is a theme of maybe different properties from the same vintage in a horizontal or the same property over several vintages in a vertical. When that is not the case it is prudent to organize the wines in some way that nonetheless provides interesting comparisons. This was brilliantly executed by the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Vancouver group at Blue Water Cafe on February 18, 2025. Congrats to new Grande Senechale Dr. Christine Collison, Cellarmaster Blair Curtis and Randy Rae plus their whole team. They served eight Burgundy wines in four pairings that allowed most interesting insightful study. A few brief comments:

Started with NV NICOLAS MAILLART PREMIER CRU PLATINE a grower Champagne since 2003 recognized by Kermit Lynch. This one uses all three grapes with a majority of Pinot Noir south of Reims mainly from Ecueil. Usually not long on the lees (2 years) and low dosage (1 gram) in a fresh lean style. However our bottles were disgorged April 2012 so they had received over 12 years of bottle age that resulted in a fuller softer more mature delight. We finished with the quite opulent
2006 CHATEAU SUDUIRAUT SAUTERNES that spent 18 months in 50% new oak 14 abv lots of honey and residual sugar.

LUCIEN LE MOINE:

A wonderful start with two of their 2013 Meursaults Premier Cru. Mounir & Rotem Saouma don’t own Burgundy vineyards but acquire high quality fruit. Spotlighted on this Blog several times including on January 7, 2019 here with amazing decanted and not decanted 2005 Montrachet & an outstanding 2016 Meursault-Perrieres. They are unique winemakers with no SO2, no racking, and lots of CO2 for freshness. It is an oxidative (not oxidized) style compared to the presently more popular reductive style. LLM always produces white wines with a deeper yellow look that need decanting to freshen up. Less risk of pre-mox.

2013 MEURSAULT GENEVRIERES 1ER CRU:

One of the top three vineyards with minerally Perrieres and richer Charmes but consistent with less weight and more subtle. Lighter colour and less richness than Gouttes d’Or but elegant and complex. Better citrus zest freshness with classic herbal nutty mineral notes. No rush as is still developing.

2013 MEURSAULT LES GOUTTES D’OR 1ER CRU:

Further north with an East by Northeast exposure. Means “drops of gold” with more yellow colour and rich concentration. Open mature bouquet is most attractive. Drinking forwardly now on a lovely plateau.

PAUL PERNOT:

Exciting to compare Puligny after Meursault. Puligny village wines less dependable than AC Meursault but great 1er crus showing that distinctive floral textured steely balance. Paul Pernot et des Fils are a leading light with classic winemaking showing well the natural expression of the pure fruit terroir.

2015 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET CLOS DES FOLATIERES 1ER CRU:

PP is the largest holder of 3.08 hectares of a total 17.64 in Folatieres. Vinifies all of it but sells a majority to others including Drouhin but retains some of the best for themselves. Big rich yet lifted apples and spicy pears full of complexity. Excellent smooth seductive textures with a lingering finish but a tiny bit of heat (compared to outstanding 2014). Still a real winner.

2015 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET CLOS DE LA GARENNE 1ER CRU:

Smaller old vines vineyard on thinner soils of only 1.53 hectares shared between them and Louis Jadot/Duc de Magenta.
This has perhaps a little less weight and intensity but also is truly exquisite with elegant citrus and flowers. More reductive style yet with the ripeness markings of the 2015 vintage. Better finish. Two outstanding top producer Pulignys.

DOMINIQUE LAURENT:

Former pastry chef started in 1988 gained a reputation for using a lot (200%) of new oak. He has been a conscientious buyer of old vines fruit (no racking) that he puts in his own Troncais oak barrels but with his son Jean now has Meursault Poruzots & Nuits St. Georges properties. Wines are improving. Aux Beaumonts is an excellent 1er cru of 11.39 hectares north of the D 109 road that separates it from Aux Brûlées – vertical written up here on February 10. 2008 Aux Brûlées from Meo-Camuzet had some acidity issues but has much better fruit and way more complex delicacy.

2007 VOSNE-ROMANEE AUX BEAUMONTS VIEILLES VIGNES 1ER CRU:

Hot early on but a poor Summer resulted in variable wines. Both wines imported from Atherton with a back label stating “Sans Collage” & “Sans Filtration”. Red fruits with acidity prominent rather light and elegant for earlier drinking. Refreshing with the Rabbit Leg Confit and Morello cherries course.

2008 VOSNE-ROMANEE AUX BEAUMONTS VIEILLES VIGNES 1ER CRU:

Difficult flowering and another bad Summer but those who waited for drying winds and more ripeness in late September & early October did best. Dominque stated it was “an outstanding gardener vintage” because when vines were pruned for low yields and selected for no rot they’re successful. He declassified some of his barrels. Better earthy fruit and depth with spiced minerals but has lots of acidity too and is rather quite light bodied.

CLOS DE LA ROCHE GRAND CRU:

Largest property in Morey St. Denis with 16.9 hectares with largest holding by Ponsot of 3.31 followed by Dujac & Rousseau. Tend to be austere young with a brawny powerful tight dense structure for aging. 2011 was a fresh but variable year (better than 2004) where many picked too early. Best when the grapes had sufficient ripeness.

2011 LA POUSSE D’OR:

Hold .32 hectares with good definition. Dark young fruit displaying power with exciting intensity. Impressive but still developing. Lots of full bodied depth at 13 abv. Top producer that your scribe recommends for their recent vintages – especially this decade and 2019.

2011 LUCIEN LE MOINE:

Shows laudable pure blackberries and cherries with herbs. Structured yet juicy. Length at 13.5 abv. Needs decanting and airing – plus aging further. Enjoyable drinking now nonetheless with the Black Angus Prime Striploin perfectly cooked. Surprised by both Clos de la Roche from this unheralded 2011 vintage. An underrated appellation.

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Question: I like drinking red wines from Burgenland in Austria made from the Blaufrankisch grape. Would you please recommend some other choices for me?

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La Commanderie de Bordeaux in Vancouver on February 11 at Boulevard restaurant held a tasting-dinner featuring nine older red Bordeaux. This was an interesting event with all red wines from better vintages of 1986, 1983, 1982, 1979 and 1975 showing different states of maturity from around 40-50 years of aging. A great experience to taste older Bordeaux plus reflect back, compare, and reminiscence about earlier days when you may have tasted these same wines. As with all old wines there was the expected bottle variation but with 3 bottles of each served you got a good feel for where they presently stand. Also an opportunity to consider whether you actually prefer drinking young or old wines – or often they are at their best in between.
The bookends of this tasting were excellent.

We started off with 2014 PHILIPPONAT BLANC DE BLANCS GRAND BLANC EXTRA-BRUT 100% Chardonnay (mainly from Vertus), 100% Premiers & Grands Cru vineyards, & 100% Premiere Press for just over 20000 bottles disgorged April 2022 with lower dosage of 4.5 g/l. The nearly 8 years on the lees added depth and elegance to the zesty citric apple-pear toasted almond notes. Good value.

We finished with 1988 CHATEAU CLIMENS BARSAC showing the superb balanced acidity of this first of an outstanding trio of top Sauternes vintages. This classy elegant year shows typical pineapple, peach, orange marmalade with higher complex botrytis prominent. Drinking well now but will ager a long time.

The nine top Bordeaux served in three flights with some brief comments:

1986 CHATEAU GRUAUD-LAROSE ST.JULIEN

This first flight all provided insight to the slower aging 1986 vintage from three different communes. This treasure from St. Julien showed dark deep open textbook cedar cigar box cassis bouquet with full rich structured palate still quite young. Great early 80s decade for legendary winemaker Georges Pauli and Cordier with delicious 1982, underrated stellar 1981 and pretty good drinking 1983 & 1985 as well. Reminds me of their early 60s success with that outstanding 1961, 1962, 1964, and long distance runner 1966. Clearly wine of the flight and your scribe’s best of the night. Very backward and tannic on release and subsequently but now starting to sing beautifully as a classic. A venerable bottle. More to give – no rush.

1986 CHATEAU CLERC MILON PAUILLAC (Baron Philippe de Rothschild)

Harvested October 2-15 with 75CS/15M/10CF early on touted as #2 of the Top 100 in 1989 by Wine Spectator. Second darkest rather closed in at first but showing more tertiary development on the nose with attractive mint as it evolved in the glass. Smooth seductive spicy softening full Cabernet fruit using only 19% new oak. Showing well on best plateau. Enjoy now.

1986 CHATEAU RAUSAN-SEGLA MARGAUX (now Rauzan-Segla)

This 77CS/23M is medium full with the lightest rim. Most delightful aromatics with stylish earthy herbal flowers. Silky elegant textures most developed but starting to dry out on the finish. Drink up with something as well paired as the picture perfect Pate en Croute shown here.

1982 CHATEAU LA LAGUNE HAUT-MEDOC

Margaux-like property first classified one you reach on the road driving up the Left Bank. Suffered in 1958 frosts with wide replanting. Followed every vintage buying 1970 at #10 Minna Street in San Francisco for only $57.50/case (less than $5/bottle). Also bought this for $95/case showing the riper pure fruit of celebrated 1982 vintage. Very perfumed and mellow integrated fruit drinking lovely now. A ready mature beauty in integrated harmony.

1983 CHATEAU LA LAGUNE HAUT-MEDOC

Browner look but some corky TCA fault in my bottle. Others are cleaner but with earthy rustic soft tannins. Enjoyed some better bottles in the late 1990s. 1982 is far superior now.

1982 CHATEAU DUHART-MILON-ROTHSCHILD PAUILLAC

Served blind as a mystery wine. Way the best dark red colour of the second flight. Open enticing bouquet with more cedar. Top year seems younger but probably an 1982 and seems like a St. Julien. Guessed 1982 Chateau Gloria. Wonderful with the handmade potato gnocchi course. Duhart-Milon is from the Lafite Rothschild family that are making much improved quality wines since their excellent 2003 D-H. Check out some current vintages.

1975 CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD PAUILLAC (Le Baron Philippe)

Only First Growth with the brilliant Andy Warhol label from the controversial 1975 vintage. Big production of 241,000 bottles (plus 9245 in larger format). Bought this wine on release in August 1978 in Alberta for $21.30 Canadian. The price was cheap but Second Growth Montrose from St. Estephe was then only one third of that at $7.60. What is value? Tasted this Mouton so many times over the last 6 decades and monitored the slow progress. Started out with big grippy tannins but solid fruit. Developed with bottle age to an interesting bouquet but still somewhat out of balance for those big hard tannins. Now shows an exquisite complex bouquet with a softening palate but would like more fruit to be left (like in the 86 G-L). Difficult vintage of this wine to catch at the apogee. Still enjoyable with food like the tasty Fraser Valley local duck breast matched up.

1979 CHATEAU PALMER MARGAUX

That wonderful distinctive Palmer bouquet always is a charmer. Reflecting back on tasting this several times in the eighties with mentor Peter Allan Sichel who liked the brighter deeper red colour of 1979 (over the miracle year 1978) which he advised was because of the higher acidity. Leaner year but surprisingly still quite fresh and delightful drinking. Doesn’t have the rich fruit and complexity depth of especially 1961 but also 1966 & 1970 that all are aging longer with remarkable results.

1983 CHATEAU FIGEAC ST. EMILION

Only Right Bank example but atypical with so much Cabernet – 35CS/35CF/30M. More fruit than expected in a greener good herbal way with undergrowth. Softer entry but seems nonetheless to be balanced. Less aristocratic and a bit austere for yours truly but a fav for many of the members. Refer to more details from the Figeac vertical reported here on February 19, 2024 where this 1983 recently surprised as well. Adore their 1982, 1964, and 1949 among many other vintages.

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Question: With global warming what is happening with grape growing in Scandinavia?

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