Sorry for the delay 
Travel day yesterday, and no time to type up notes. A tremendous close to another great Atlanta-based weekend, I tip my cap and give deep thanks to Dennis Sullivan (recipient of the ubiquitous Mike on Tour T-shirt which I hope he wears proudly) for taking the organizing reins to get us to Cooks & Soldiers for some inspired tapas at blindingly good prices. To pair with this, we did a double-theme of Loire and Spanish for the most part.
THE WINES
2009 Bouvet Saumur Saphir Brut de Loire
100% Chenin Blanc. Quiet bouquet but savoury and sharp with apple and some pine needle once it enters the mouth. A little aggressive for me.
2004 Le Clos du Chateau D’Oiseliniere Muscadet Sevre et Mains
Light ginger/gingerbread accent here to white pear and apple sniffs. Hum, kinda slightly sweet with almost a cider component–apple cider and even, in a good way, apple cider vinegar sharpness to counterpoint. But it doesn’t have a lot of presence. Mild but flavourful and liked it all the same.
2002 Damien Laureau Savennieres Bel Ouvrage
Note the time of death: 6:45 pm. I will unhappily have to wait for my first taste from this producer. Badly oxidized. Another 2002 Savennieres bites the dust. I think out of the last 5 2002s that have been presented for tasting to me, 3 have been bad.
2013 Olga Raffault Chinon Rose
Randy Katz was our resident magician this night–he just kept pulling wines out of a bag! Replacement shows raspberry, unripe watermelon and a kind of crabapple thing. Replays and very tangy indeed, wakes up the tongue for sure.
2011 Francois Pinon Silex Noir Vouvray
Pleased to see this, as I’ve not yet had a Pinon. Waxy, lots of white flowers here, smidge of nougat on the nose. Well, this IS rich–a little strong almost, but I like the forcefulness. Creamy lime comes to mind, with melon undertones. Very different and I like it for that, though it won’t be for everyone. This would be a very interesting bottle to track over time—I have no idea what this’d turn into 3 years and 8 years from now.
2004 Domaine de Baumard Savennieres Clos de Papillon
Screwcap. And a happy lightest brass colour announces the promise to come. See-ductive. All sorts of spices–nutmeg, coriander, sandalwood, even a touch of fennel, to back florals and pear. To taste, this has beautiful angel-on-a-pin balance—a ballerina of a wine, with lithe lemon, citrus and a very slight salty finish. Dreamy with fantastic length, this just edges out the Brunello for my WOTN. 91 maybe?
2012 Terroir al Limit Pedra de Guix Priorat
Jay and I saw this on the shelf at PH Wines, Anthony Yambor’s store, and we both said “we gotta get this”. Jay’s contribution, this is a dry white priorat, with PX (believe it or not) as the main grape, and macabeo and garnacha blanca playing backup. Coruscating aroma, hard to pin down, sweet leeks, some tropical fruit, bit of smoke. Initially a touch too warm, a quick ice bath did this a lot of good. Sil-ky on the palate, and tangy at the back. It reminds me, sort of, maybe of a Jura chardonnay. There’s a definite mustard side to lemon and back end of very small fennel. Another interesting wine which, frankly, is very hard to gauge because it’s so young. 5-6 years at least in the cellar.
2010 Joguet Clos de la Plante Martin Touraine
Didn’t know he made a Touraine. Nice to try this. Lifted aroma, full of lavender, lilac, pear and light tropical fruit. Very different—hot and spicy at the front, but juicy too–very much citrus and I would almost say limoncello. Didn’t really take to it but admire the different take.
2009 Clos Sainte Fiacere Orleans
We start the assault on the reds with this from Randy. Have you had an Orleans-based wine? Then you’re a better person than me. I was delighted to try this. From Pinot Meunier, spiced sweetmeats, dark cherry make up a friendly aroma. And friendly is exactly how I described this wine to Randy. Not complicated, but very friendly, rounded cherry and some strawberry, bright and airy, the cuddly dog. And $12? Wow—I’d get a sixer of these in a heartbeat for casual drinking if I could lay hands on them. Top value. I’ll say #5 tonight largely for the QPR.
1990 Olga Raffault Chinon
I find a very refined set of saddle, earth and almost melted pepper scents if that makes any sense, with black cherry. This is really wonderful dans la bouche, dreadfully attractive. Randy thinks this can go out 20 years. I’m not quite sure of that, as late in the night, it seemed to draw off, but 10 years makes a lot of sense. Peaty/single malt notes jingle around crisp black fruit. Remarkable sparkle, dynamite wine for what I like. #3
1997 Joguet Clos de la Verte Chinon
This has its charm too–more roots and nutmeg and cherry in nose. More lush, sort of a slightly turbocharged version of the 90 Raffault, cherry and blackberry and a little spice. Still rather exuberant.
1996 Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgeuil
Some meat notes in bouquet, very cherry though, with light cocoa sidebar. Gentler in the mouth, it is good, but simpler red fruit again, with touches of cocoa. Good, just less distinctive than some of the others.
1999 Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino
Nick brought this because he’s had excellent success pairing Brunelli with Tapas. After tonight’s performance, I have no reason to doubt him. This needed all of its 2 hours decant and another hour or so in the glass, but oh, my, my. Nutmeg, saddle leather, plum and sandalwood all curl up the glass at you. Palate is round, rich, delicious and deep, just a great bottle of wine. Just love this, it keeps giving of its plum, sweet currant and backing spices and it sticks like velvet to your tongue and cheeks. The most exciting part? It has an even better future. #2, 90 with a lot of plus built in. In 6-8 years, this should be a superstar bottle.
2004 La Rioja Alta 904 Rioja Reserva
This was my purchase, partly because I have one at home I wanted to check on and partly because I know what I’m getting. And no disappointment here. Rich cherry, chocolate and light cinnamon in the nuzzie. To taste, velvet, sweet but smooth, and with a spicy length. Plum and cherry, it’s very good, but needs meat at this stage of its career. No sign yet of any tertiary components. #6 nevertheless.
2001 Bodegas Valsocro Dioro Seleccion J&D Rioja
Gary very generously shared another of these bottles, of which only about 275 or so were made. Riper aroma than I remember from this last year, with plum and cured leather and blueberry all taking part. Lush—Randy feels this bottle is tipping over, but I like the interplay with the pork tenderloin. not too much depth, but this shows me a kind of barbera acidity. Not sure where it’s headed, but it had more intrigue and interest for me than what I remember of last year’s bottle.
2001 Bodegas Mauro Castilla y Leon
I get more baking spices here, some sweet smoke, cocoa. Big and bony and young, this is gangly but has lots of stuffing to grow. Tending to currant-based fruit and good promise of integrated cedar chest and oak.
2001 Amadis Rottlan Torra Priorat
Strawberry, yes, but it’s very subtly muted with a pretty nutmeg, musk and christmascake combination for aromatics. On the tongue, it does have a stateliness about it, although there is still that sweet berry-and-herbs profile that I find with Grenache and that just doesn’t quite work for me. Still, restrained and elegant, and I do think in 10 years it will be much better and a wine I would thoroughly enjoy, despite my Grenache prejudice
1997 Delesvaux Clos du Pavillon Coteaux du Layon
Darkish yellow. Dates and apricots and honey galore. On the syrupy and limpid side, but plenty of flavour with sultana raisin, poached pears and mango. Decent, but may be a little tired.
Domaine du Baumard Cuvee Ancienne Coteaux du Layon
This bottling doesn’t receive an age designation. It don’t need one. Oooohhh. This is a horse of another colour. Tantalizing come-hither bouquet with a mix of pears, peaches and Chantilly cream. And this is flat-out shudderlicious with replays, buttressed by splendid citrus freshness and endless length. #4.
So ends yet another fantastic Atlanta 3-day weekend. The fineness and generosity of the group here knows no bounds. I am very lucky to have met them.
Maluhia,
Mike