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Renardat-Fâche Vin du Bugey Cerdon, 7.5% alc.: The Bugey is one of the smallest, most obscure wine areas in France, located
halfway between Lyons and Geneva, and this particular bubbly is made from Gamay and Poulsard. It shows a little deeper salmon
pink color than many rosés (bubbly or otherwise), exhibiting a fine bead and an in
- your - face fruit forward character
that’s almost, but not quite sweet. The strawberry, watermelon and cherry flavors have some density, with that solid core of
fruit, nice balance and a long finish, making for an excellent aperitif. A pure expression of fruit, and a much appreciated
gift from John Blackwood.
Imported by LDM Wines,
Inc., New York, NY
1997 Jean Raphet Chambolle - Musigny, 13% alc.: There’s just a hint of brick to the ruby garnet color here; the earthy black
cherry and plum bouquet shows hints of smoke and mushroom, and if it doesn’t exactly jump right out of the glass, it presents
a seductive allure nevertheless. The flavors echo and expand, with more earth, forest floor and
"dirt," according to Dan and
Putnam. Still a young wine, this has tannins yet to resolve, balanced acidity, a nice finish and dare I say it, plenty of terroir. Excellent stuff.
Imported by J et R
Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI
1999 Gérard Doreau Monthelie, 13% alc.: A ruby garnet with a smoky tinge, this shows some sea air, more mushroom and less
dirt over the plum and black cherry bouquet than the Chambolle - Musigny, and while these impressions follow through on the
palate, there’s not as deep a core of fruit as in the previous selection either. Still, it has a nice balance, matches very
well with some pungent epoisse and works wonderfully with the pan seared, sesame encrusted tuna, bringing out the cherry
essence of the wine.
Imported by Hand Picked
Selections, Warrenton, VA
 1998 Evesham Wood Willamette Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard, $29.99, 13% alc.: After being knocked out by the 2000
"Cuvee
J" at Moe Fest
2004, I was most anxious to try this ruby dark garnet, and it more than lived up to my hopes and expectations.
It shows smoky plum on the nose, with black cherry in support, along with Putnam describes as
"a savory thing going on, sage
and soil and roasted herbs." The flavors follow through with added notes of mahogany and matchstick, soft tannins, balanced
acidity and a very nice finish. It’s always nice to hear Kim exclaim, "I love this wine," and indeed, what’s not to love? It
doesn’t seem so "Burgundian" coming on the heels of the Burgundies, and some subtle oak translates into the mahogany already
noted. But it does have that balance, that presence that seems to distinguish this producer’s wines, making Evesham Wood our
most exciting winery discovery in quite some time.
1998 Belle Pente Willamette Pinot Noir Murto Reserve, $34.99: It had been too long since we’ve had any of
Brian and Jill
O'Donnell's fine wines, so when I ran into this (not to mention the Evesham Wood Seven Springs Pinot noted above), I jumped
on a couple, and we were by no means disappointed. Darker in color than the others tasted so far, almost a dark garnet, it shows a little bit of the barnyard that blows off quickly, revealing rich, effusive aromatics of smoky black cherry and plum,
along with some subtle roasted herbs, what Kim describes as "a lot of allspice and apple pie spices," and again, a little mahogany. These follow through beautifully in the flavors with very subtle earthy undertones. Time has tempered the wine
nicely; it’s not too tannic, shows good acidity and a nice finish. It’s the most fruit forward of those tasted so far, but
it’s by no means a fruit bomb. What it is is a rich, delicious and satisfying glass of pinot noir, one that’s still on the
way up.
2002 Loring Wine Company Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard, 14.9% alc.: Dark garnet, with big oak, big black
cherry, plum, mulberry flavors and aromas shaded with some chocolate and sea air. Dense and extracted, this shows some heat and tannins, but it’s effusively fruit forward in an unabashed, in
- your - face style that we find quite enjoyable. Lots of different things going on here.
 2001 Beaux Freres Yamhill Pinot Noir Beaux Freres Vineyard, $85.99, 14.4% alc.: Dan pointed out that this slightly smoky ruby
garnet shows some heat on the nose, along with a black cherry, pomegranate character. Like none of the others tasted on this
occasion, this medium to medium full bodied wine seems a bit vegetal, and oddly balanced, drawing such impressions as
"green
and soapy" from Kim and "birch root, raw, uncompromising, almost like a cold climate Oregonian version of Turley" from
Putnam. More than twice the price of the others, and undoubtedly the least impressive, this one’s not worth the money based
on what’s in this bottle.
At that point, I was through taking notes, but Putnam Weekly was able to recall these impressions with remarkable clarity.
1997 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Cuvee J, $29.99, 13% alc.: After thorough palate preparation from a 1997 Chambolle Musigny and a 1998
Evesham Wood Seven Springs Pinot, this had no earthy, old wine bottle funk-barrier to overcome anymore. Instead it
immediately released that hard-to-describe, perfumed integration of mocha, toasted sweet spices and arid yet impeccably ripe
berry fruits - the types one associates with the best Cotes de Nuits wines. We said in unison: "now that's 'wine'." It's the
antidote to manufactured tasting alcohol and fruit bombs which saturate the market - jam
laden monstrosities - good at
grabbing attention maybe, but poor at capturing one's imagination. No, this was real wine. Each blurry, cloudy sip blanketed
the palate with melting, satiny chunks of cherry, blueberry, spice and "earth."
(Editor’s note: Kim and I have had this on a couple of occasions since that evening, and it is indeed delicious, though I
have found it to be earthier than Putnam describes. It’s just starting to show some mature characteristics, with a solid core
of what I now recognize as typical Evesham Wood pinot noir fruit, good acidity and three to five years of tannins still to
resolve. However, with a few hours in a decanter, this wine sings already, showing black cherry, plum, underbrush and tea
leaf character.)
1997 Charles Joguet Chinon, Clos la Dioterie, 12.5% alc.:
This must have been the only wine that could have followed the Pinot. Possibly even more "real" in its wine being, all acidity was submerged by solid, packed layers of roasted herbs, sweet black cherries, and cocoa. It was a dreamy invitation to relax one's palate. Having been braced already with a younger, more acidic Rully (needs time) and cloying alcohol flavors from a cult West Coast Pinot, the only way this could be a let-down
would be if it didn't have the mass and weight that those younger wines did. In fact it had more. The tannins and acids had
eroded into a mossy blanket of inexplicable goodness that presented a broad profile - panoramic in its scope - and eager to
reveal nuanced, delicious flavors in its interior. Wow. I was proud of the fact that, having matured myself considerably since I first tasted this wine, I was able to recognize this would be the last wine of the evening. Sure it was late. But
even if it was four in the afternoon, there would be no topping this joyous drink of wine.
(Editor’s note: I can only agree with Putnam here, this is everything I could want from a wine. We first tasted it in
February in Toledo, and Chris Shearer was kind enough to procure three more bottles for us. It’s not only everything I
remember it to be, but has even improved in the relatively brief interim. I pulled this for our final selection because I
remembered it having a somewhat pinot noir - like character, and it certainly bore
that out. I’ve read comments from friends
for whom I have great respect to the effect that this producer has dropped some in quality since Charles Joguet is no longer
involved with the winery, and I have two comments. First, I’d like to taste some of the wines from when he WAS still at the
helm, and second, if this is no longer a top outfit in Chinon, I’d surely love to sample the wares from some of those who
are.)
~
While we were enjoying the next two wines recently, I looked at Kim and said,
"You know, when I taste wines like these, it
occurs to me that pinot noir is my favorite varietal." She agreed with me completely.
1995 Domaine Drouhin
Pinot Noir Lauréne, $44.99, 13% alc.: This slightly rusty ruby garnet throws a beautiful smoky black cherry and rose petal perfume with a subtle note of cola; I just want to sit and inhale the aromatics for hours. Flavors echo with soft tannins, good acidity and hints of forest floor in the background. Very smooth on the
palate; feminine, almost
delicate, and rather Burgundian in character, this shows an elegant
balance, and if it could finish just a little longer, that’s a very small complaint. This is ultimately my preferred style of pinot noir, and a very fine example of such.
1996 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Lauréne, $44.99, 13% alc.: With the same basic ruby garnet color as the ’95, and a little less rust, this sports a richer smoky plum and black cherry bouquet, with a bit of the barnyard that blows off fairly soon after pouring. It’s also a little bigger and richer in the mouth, with little hints of coffee lurking in the background, and yet it’s just as silky smooth, feminine and
"Burgundian" as the earlier model. The tannins are unobtrusive, so you can enjoy this now, and over the next few years. Kim likes this one a little better than the last, for its richer intensity, while
it’s a toss - up for this taster. Again, not the longest finish here, but that’s small potatoes in the larger scope of what
is another fine, fine effort from Domaine Drouhin.
1997 Evesham Wood Willamette Pinot Noir Le Puits Sec, $39.99, 13% alc.: I’ve been looking at these on the shelves of a couple of local establishments for months now, and after a most positive experience with this producer’s 2000
"Cuvée J" recently, I decided to take the plunge, and I’m most happy that I did, because the wine is excellent. A faintly rusty ruby garnet, this throws an effusively rich, perfumed bouquet of smoky black cherry and raspberry, shaded with undertones of earth, forest floor and cola, and hints of sweet and savory spices. Flavors echo nicely on a medium full bodied frame, with some tannins still to lose, balanced acidity and a fairly long finish that turns a bit more earthy.
We’ve had three or four more bottles since that first one, and there’s been some noticeable variation. Some show soft,
mature sea air, earthy mushroom, black cherry and stewed plums and tomatoes, while others show a less evolved, more tannic
character. All respond well to decanting, and show room for continued development, and if none of them are quite as nice as
the ‘97 and ’00 Evesham Wood "Cuvee J" or the ’98 Seven Springs bottling from the same producer, they’re not that far behind.
2000 Cristom Willamette Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvee, $15.99 (375 ml), 13.5% alc.: This ruby dark garnet shows dusty black cherry with briary undertones and just a hint of the barnyard on the nose; the latter element blows off to reveal an added subtle candied aspect. Rich, dense, earthy, fairly tannic and definitely NOT a feminine pinot, it opens nicely with an hour and more in a decanter, with flavors that generally echo the bouquet, but will show best with at least another three years of aging.
2001 Copain Wines Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Dennison Vineyard, 14% alc.: This ever
- so - slightly cloudy ruby garnet isn’t one of those syrah - like California pinots that some people feel so obliged to bash. It actually has much more in common with zinfandel in flavor and aroma, with its big, spicy black cherry and raspberry character, and I’m not complaining, mind you. These days, I almost expect aberrations like this from
"young Turks" such as Wells Guthrie, and I mean that in the kindest way. Medium to medium
- full bodied, this has a moderately earthy underbelly, with only hints of the smoky cola quality that I often associate with many northern Cal pinots, and it’s the red berry that really sets this apart from the crowd. There’re tannins here, to be sure, but they don’t intrude that much on the pleasure of drinking this tonight, and
there’s more than enough acidity to keep it all lively. It finishes nicely, with a little stickly
- stemliness, due to the
tannins no doubt. I’d suggest that optimum drinking is at least a few years down the road; it certainly has the fruit to go the distance. A very nice wine that dances to a different rhythm than most of the usual suspects.
1998 Michel Pont Beaune 1er Cru Cent Vignes, $19.99, 13% alc.: It’s been a couple of years
since we tasted this ruby dark garnet, and it’s come along rather more quickly than I had expected. It’s still showing earthy forest floor undertones to
the dark plum and black cherry flavors and aromas, and it’s developing a good whiff of sea air on the nose. Kim commented
that she doesn’t find it to be very robust, and in fact, it’s neither aggressive nor restrained, but falls somewhere in the
middle. It’s not too tannic to drink now, and the acids are fairly low; with air, a note of mushroom emerges, and one might
expect that to become more accentuated as it ages further. A solid if unexceptional Beaune that should continue to develop
nicely for at least another three to five years; well worth the modest tariff.
Imported
by Armada Imports, LTD., Atlanta, GA
2001 Nicolas Potel Chambolle - Musigny, $46.99, 13% alc.: There’s a slightly smoky quality to the ruby garnet color here; it features a lovely bouquet of smoky sweet oak, plum and black cherry, with floral overtones and just a hint of maple syrup as it opens. Flavors more or less echo, taking on a decidedly earthy character in place of the floral; with a nice density to it, this is no wallflower. Not too complex right now, and not nearly as charming in the mouth as on the nose, it needs time to mellow and develop; the youthful tannins are slightly astringent, and turn drying on the finish. There’s a fine future ahead for this, so try it in about 2011 to see how it’s coming along.
Imported by Frederick Wildman and
Sons, Ltd., New York, NY
2000 René Leclerc Bourgogne, $19.99, 12.5% alc.: Kim voiced her pleasure with this slightly smoky ruby garnet after her first few sips, and what’s not to like about the earthy black cherry, tea leaf and cola character here? Medium to medium full
bodied, with at least a few years worth of tannins and balanced acidity, and yet this is already more than approachable, and
three hours in a decanter helped it open up nicely. Very nice for the price.
Imported by NWS, Inc., Chicago, IL
Reporting
from Day-twah,
Bastardo
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