Christmas Wine II
- Thread starter Dogberry
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PsB
Citizen of Nowhere™
Yes, I'm sure it is very good (I trust your judgement). I wasn't dissing Givry (I used to drink it very happily), more a commentary on how perceptions evolve and how yesterday's "little local wine" now changes hands for >30€. IIRC a bottle of Givry in those days (late 80s-early 90s) sold for about 10-12 FRF (less than 2€).
eternumviti
Insufficient privileges to reply.
Yes, the whole 'soil notes' thing doesn't translate well, but then the Burgundians have never been bashful about a hint of merde in fine red Burgundy.
Givry is on the Côte Chalonnaise, in fact it's bang in the middle of it (Rully and Mercury to the North, Montagny to the south). Standards of viticulture and winemaking have vastly improved over the last 30 years, and there are some star producers who imv can stand shoulder to shoulder with the the big names from the Cote d'Or. Aubert de Villaine actually lives and makes wine in humble Bouzeron, though it ain't as easy on the pocket as it used to be, and prices across the Chalonnaise are increasing as a result of sensible buyers migrating South to escape the absurd prices on the Cote d'Or. Due to the rise in demand, and a series of mean (frost and hail) vintages, we are now on skimpy allocations, and upwards of £30-£40 a bottle has become normal.
PsB
Citizen of Nowhere™
You’re right, of course. I was thinking Côte de Beaune - another senior moment.
The factory I used to visit was in unfashionable Montceau-les-Mines, and Givry was the closest vineyard (the alternative was to drive south to the Mâconnais). I was interested in wine but didn’t know much about it, so I started buying from the vignerons. My untutored attentions gravitated towards Côte de Beaune and white Mâcon wines, and I never visited or bought anything in Givry.
PsB
Citizen of Nowhere™
My wife and I have very fond memories of Auxey-Duresses. The only time we got quite drunk together was in Dijon: hot day, long drive… upon arrival we shared a large Fischer beer. Then a bottle of Auxey-Duresses with the coq au vin. Lovely wine. We tried to walk it off by exploring Dijon, zigzagging around the old town, occasionally propping each other up at crossroads while we decided whether to go left or right.I have ventured slightly up the stairway with some Comte Armand Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru. But as they are 2018 will have to wait a couple of years to see if they are slightly better than humble Givry
The next day, we drove down to Auxey-Duresses and spent several hours walking around the vineyards, trying to get the hang of the place. Lovely area. The Côte de Beaune is one of my favourite spots in France. Shame that most of the wines there have become unaffordable, but the vignerons are not complaining about this aspect of globalization.
@mandryka sorry for another late reply - don't seem to be getting alerts by email anymore. Anyhow, I too have tried the CdG Syrah, and it's rather nice. RE the Chardonnay, I would say that in theory you should be absolutely fine with the '16 if you're planning to drink it over the next year or so.
PsB
Citizen of Nowhere™
Yes, only once in 30+ years, in the sense of being sufficiently drunk that we needed to mutually prop ourselves up as we meandered around Dijon. Other episodes since have been milder, "we'd better take a taxi" or "thank God our room is upstairs" sort of thing.
eternumviti
Insufficient privileges to reply.
When I read that, I got into a senior kind of muddle too, as I had in my mind that Le Creuset pots and pans were made near Monceau-les-Mines, but of course that's because the town of Le Creusot is just up the road, when Le Creuset are actually based in Fresnoy-le-Grand. Which is nowhere near Givry. Or Burgundy.
Not sure if this is correct but it is logical to me that wines at the start of their drinking window are better on the second day. And so it proves with the Joblot.
It is quite a dark red and there is something of spicy substance to it that could be described as soil notes I suppose. Perhaps they mean terroir ?
Anyway I suggest that after all these years it is time you give Givry a chance. And I recommend you do it with a Joblot. Unless of course you can purloin Côte d'Or.
PsB
Citizen of Nowhere™
Le Creusot was a sad sight in those days: abandoned industrial real estate everywhere. I haven't been back in decades, but I gather it's a bit better now.
PsB
Citizen of Nowhere™
I will do that. Thanks for suggesting a good place to start.
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
At 8.40pm it stopped raining and I announced my intention to take dinner outside. Gaston looked a little startled and gave me a ‘les Anglais, ils sont fous’ look. I told him I had no intention of asking him to serve at table in the circumstances and he swiftly plonked bottle, glass and plate of saucisson down before retiring to his quarters.
The Pitray cost me around £8.50 and is absolutely fine for that. If I wanted a better Castillon I’d go for Le Versant, but that’s nearly twice as much. If I wanted a better Bordeaux of any sort I’d probably go for a CB like Lamothe-Bergeron or Fonréaud, but they would be 50% more... so for a drinkable wine on a warm-enough night with spots of drizzle in the air and ever-blackening clouds, no complaints.
Tonight this is being paired with Ceramic Dog’s most recent album, Hope. It still doesn’t quite add up to me, being more lyric-heavy and less blood-thirsty than their others. But it’s their ‘Covid album’, and given the title... Marc is one smart dude, though. Thanks to him I now know what a Flat Ontology is, and intend to lob the expression into a thread somewhere like a small grenade. Judging by the lyrics to The Activist* he could also leaven some of the interminably circular political threads!
*link
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
Happy Birthday! I think over-anticipation can be a problem (see several of my birthday posts above.) Hope you are having a fine day.
mandryka
pfm Member
I hope the mention of food won’t be seen as a hair floating on the soup which this thread, but I have discovered a combo made in paradise: Morrisons The Best Greek Olive Selection (which for once really is the best, and I speak as someone who lived on Crete for many a year), and Rictitelli Malbec 2018.
I have also learned something important about the Ricitelli. Open it early. I opened this bottle at 7 a.m. for a breakfast snifter, and was drunk at about 2 p.m. It was nectar.
The music was perfect. Radio - French évidement - France Culture - and on came this
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