Christmas Wine II

[eternumviti]

Very kind of him to provide a pillow, I must say. I thought Gaston Huet was an amazing host but he didn’t go that far.

You are very fortunate having known Huet. I would love to have broken bread with him.

If M. Brun’s hospitality extends to the use of his bath, then he is a true gent.

I don't recall a bath. Or any internal doors, though this was before his beautiful new office was built. When we used occasionally to billet there, his environment was very much that of a bachelor, if you follow. On reflection, not unlike my own now.

 

[eternumviti]

I write this with a bottle of 2019 Ronsay sitting in front of me, teasing. I've got some scallops with English asparagus for supper, and a bottle of Muscadet uncorked, but I might have to have a slither of cheese afterwards.

 

[Dogberry]

I write this with a bottle of 2019 Ronsay sitting in front of me, teasing. I've got some scallops with English asparagus for supper, and a bottle of Muscadet uncorked, but I might have to have a slither of cheese afterwards.

Has Muscadet reinvented itself?
Is it worth another look as being underrated.
I have to admit it's a long time since I tried it as
@Marchbanks says the mere mention was enough.
to induce acid reflux

 

[eternumviti]

Yes, I've always thought of Muscadet and Beaujolais as having spent years languishing together in the reputational room 101. Both suffered from being overpopular up to the 1970s, and subjected to the dead hand of soulless industrial wine making. Both have been rescued and renewed by a generation of keen young winemakers, who have embraced both traditional and cutting edge (often the same thing) viticultural and winemaking techniques, including of course organic and biodynamic culture. In the Pays Nantais they have formalised a number of Crus, communes with exceptional soils, and the wines are now often made with extended lees ageing and maturation in oak rather than the more common 6 months on the fine lees with bottling in the spring.

As with the young generations everywhere, not least their friends in Beaujolais (they all know each other) these people are very active on social media, and have caught the eye of similarly trendy young sommeliers across the globe, but particularly in the US, the Far East and central Europe. They are flying, and deservedly. The wines are both lovely and utterly fascinating.

 

[BTC3]

A trip down memory lane this evening:

First bottle since, I think, 2000. This wine’s little brother (the ancient vines one), together with Ravenswood’s Zinfandel, were the “house” wines at my flat at Uni. There was always some in stock. The Finis Terrae was for when we had guests . Cousiño Macul was the first South American vineyard I visited when I started work, and I’ve had a soft spot for them ever since. I remember the taste of the wine from back then quite clearly, and from my memory, it hasn’t changed in the intervening 20 years, which is impressive.
There are better/nicer wines, but contrary to the way that a wine drunk on holiday, or on a memorable occasion, rarely tastes the same when you bring it home, this has been like welcoming back an old friend who never left.

 

[Marchbanks]

Last week was spent inside a building with pretty stringent security - the first time I entered I had to empty my case and pockets completely and take a sip from both the bottles of water I was carrying. ‘Is that lip balm?’ the officer asked, pointing at a tiny tin. I rather self-consciously replied that it was moustache wax. Her eyes narrowed in a ‘not sure if serious’ way then lowered to my mask as if she was trying to work out what kind of monstrosity I was hiding beneath it. I was about to explain the problems caused by the humid air under a mask when she sighed ‘just rub some on the back of your hand please, sir...’

This all came back to me tonight as I opened the bottle above. Jacky Blot has a fine moustache, and I idly wondered if he has had similar experiences over the last year. Jacky is best known for his Montlouis, an appellation of which I’m very fond and which I recommend you try, although I have never tasted any of his. He has now broadened out into Bourgueil, and this is the lowest-priced of his three offerings. It’s always worrying when you open the first of a half-dozen you bought without tasting, but any fear was soon dispelled. This 100% CF was full and round and tasted more like a right-bank claret than the kind of thin, vegetal red Loire I have sometimes encountered. There were some quite prickly tannins on opening which a good shake in the TKMaxx decanter dispelled. Very nice indeed, and I look forward to both the remainder of the half-dozen and the six next-level Haut de la Butte that I also bought last year.

Finally, kudos to the CT reviewer who wondered if ‘Pied de la Butte’ translated as ‘kick in the arse.’

Tonight this was paired with ‘A Love Supreme - the Complete Masters’ that I bought last week at the excellent Presto bricks-and-mortar shop when I had fought my way back out past security. I didn’t really need yet another version, but there’s stuff on there I haven’t got already, and the price was right...

 

[Dogberry]

Sorg Pinot Blanc 2018.
Nice with a little biscuit and cheese.

 

[andrew d]

The cycling Grand Tours are back with us. Last year Marchbanks entertained us by recommending a wine for each stage of the Tour De France. I'm not looking for that treat to be repeated but a week on Wednesday, 19/5/21, The Giro's Stage 11 is "Perugia - Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino Wine Stage)" Is anyone able to recommend a decent Brunello di Montalcino that doesn't cost the earth?

 

[wacko]

The cycling Grand Tours are back with us. Last year Marchbanks entertained us by recommending a wine for each stage of the Tour De France. I'm not looking for that treat to be repeated but a week on Wednesday, 19/5/21, The Giro's Stage 11 is "Perugia - Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino Wine Stage)" Is anyone able to recommend a decent Brunello di Montalcino that doesn't cost the earth?

Brunello takes a while to mature: something like a 2012 and would be £40+. Instead you could look for a Rosso di Montalcino which mature earlier, so the really good 2015/16 vintages can be drunk now.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

The cycling Grand Tours are back with us. Last year Marchbanks entertained us by recommending a wine for each stage of the Tour De France. I'm not looking for that treat to be repeated but a week on Wednesday, 19/5/21, The Giro's Stage 11 is "Perugia - Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino Wine Stage)" Is anyone able to recommend a decent Brunello di Montalcino that doesn't cost the earth?

I’d like to think this stage has ‘refreshment’ stops at some of the key vineyards where every rider is required to drink a small glass of the product. Winner of the stage to be determined by overall time, with 1 minute penalties for each time they fall off, or ride into a tree, or something.

 

[Dogberry]

 

[Marchbanks]

This may only be of use to @PsB but what the hey. Les Vins de Carole are selling J-P Brun’s l’Ancien 2019 at 66€ for a box of six, with free delivery in France. There are only two boxes left - there were three a few minutes ago, but one will be winging its way to a friend of mine for safe keeping shortly. I had 6€ loyalty bonus to use as well, so the final cost including TransferWise commission was £8.70/bottle. Nice.

 

[PsB]

This may only be of use to @PsB but what the hey. Les Vins de Carole are selling J-P Brun’s l’Ancien 2019 at 66€ for a box of six, with free delivery in France. There are only two boxes left - there were three a few minutes ago, but one will be winging its way to a friend of mine for safe keeping shortly. I had 6€ loyalty bonus to use as well, so the final cost including TransferWise commission was £8.70/bottle. Nice.

Thanks for the heads up. I think 11€ is what I paid for them, but I'll check. Free delivery is nice, of course.
Haven't tasted them yet. How long would you recommend resting the bottles after a road trip: a week?

 

[Marchbanks]

Thanks for the heads up. I think 11€ is what I paid for them, but I'll check. Free delivery is nice, of course.
Haven't tasted them yet. How long would you recommend resting the bottles after a road trip: a week?

I only bought Ronsay direct from Brun and got free shipping for a dozen bottles, but according to the price list they sent me at the time l’Ancien was then 12.50€.

Another winemaker I bought from directly last year offered his opinion (without me asking) that I should let the bottles rest for a week after travelling, so, well, why not?

 

[eternumviti]

Thanks for the heads up. I think 11€ is what I paid for them, but I'll check. Free delivery is nice, of course.
Haven't tasted them yet. How long would you recommend resting the bottles after a road trip: a week?

15, maybe 20 minutes.

 

[wacko]

15, maybe 20 minutes.

should be more than enough before the vigorous shake in the TKMaxx decanter.

 

[PsB]

Seems I paid 10.50€ on those 6 bottles of l’Ancien, but that was one of the boxes I took with me, so no freight charge. 11€ delivered seems competitive.

I only bought Ronsay direct from Brun and got free shipping for a dozen bottles, but according to the price list they sent me at the time l’Ancien was then 12.50€.

Another winemaker I bought from directly last year offered his opinion (without me asking) that I should let the bottles rest for a week after travelling, so, well, why not?

 

[Marchbanks]

This is getting seriously good now. After a little vigorous aeration the Tannat is smooth yet immensely powerful and completely gorgeous. It’s laughable that I picked these up at a fiver each in a French hypermarket clearance, but very sad that I only have six left from the initial seventeen. I’d consider buying some at the UK price of £17 - after all Montus is well over £20 nowadays - but they are very hard to find. Given my experiences with this, the Alto de la Ballena Tannat blend I have mentioned before and the Argentinian Malbec from the Young And Exciting Matias Riccitelli that @BTC3 introduced me to, I really need to get stuck into South American wine.

Afterthought: spotting the 15% ABV and vaguely remembering the last bottle I went without my usual Rochefort aperitif before tackling the first half of this last night. Despite that I still needed an extra hour contemplating the world from a horizontal position this morning before I was fully ready to face it.

 

[eternumviti]

Oh, too familiar. I had to bounce out of bed at dawn this morning to carry out some nifty work with a 3 tonne excavator before an enormous lorry load of aggregate arrived.

This uncharacteristically early, and vigorous, activity didn't suit me at all, and I've spent most of the rest of the day falling asleep.

 

[BTC3]

@Marchbanks glad you’re enjoying it!