This is perhaps one of the oldest wineries that you have never heard of. I had not until I stumbled across it, got confirmation from the Oracle that it is good, real good, so I grabbed a few. No regrets.
I should say first, served blind, I’d likely call this a Chinon from a riper year. Now bear in mind that ripe in Chinon does not suggest liquor or all darks, but more so a range of richer reds lifted by some tangy small red berry fruit. Love the dry earthy, soil and ash notes on this wine, both on the nose and palate. Carries off with a minty top note. Palate also expresses ground cover and tobacco leaf. Has a grainy texture to it, a bit gritty, chalky finish. I know it sounds trite these days, but this wine is pretty much soil-to-glass transfer. Perfect weight and acidity, medium-bodied and crisp. Has a slight feral quality about it. A uniquely Rosenthal wine.
While I have no doubt that this wine will age - has solid structure - I really find this wine damn enjoyable right now. Quite a refreshing young Bordeaux.
Robert’s call-out to me alludes to an extended e-mail exchange I’ve had with him and Keith Levenberg in recent days about the wine.
We put this in a blind tasting of '14 Bordeauxs last week, based on Robert’s suggestion. He hadn’t tried the wine yet, but Keith had highly recommended it. I e-mailed them to say, more or less, “WTF?”
It sucked big time. It was the group’s 7th place (edged out only by coarsely tannic Bellegard Figeac), and my 8th. Yes, I got that Loire quality, but it reminded me of a badly underripe Loire cab franc. It had a nasty green streak. “Awful,” I wrote for the palate and the finish. Two other friends in the group who have AFWE leanings ranked it 7th. I retried the wine again the next night with one of those friends with a grass-fed ribeye steak. It was still really bad.
This wine – or at least this bottle – seems like a wine a hipster somm would recommend. It gives AFWE a bad name.
I would send you up a bottle, but I just got it delivered from NYC,your home city!
I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and did not find it under-ripe at all. I found it just ripe for my Yak palate.
Not that I know any of these folks, but the few CT notes seem positive:
Go grab another bottle, I’ll split the cost! But, the caveat is you have to post your wonderfully descriptive notes when you do, regardless whether it remains a sucky wine or a tasty wine.
My retailer is only twenty minutes away. So I couldn’t resist…
Just opened a bottle of the 2015 Cuvée Emilien. The nose is very aromatic, with complex notes of dried herbs, iodine, licorice, barnyard and forest floor, and immediately reminds me of the clarets from the late seventies and early eighties. I cannot detect an unpleasant green note on the palate, but delicate notes of sour cherries, gooseberries, elderberries, red currant, tobacco leaf and spices, with a hint of anise. The oak is pleasantly discreet and the acidity very agreeable. The herbaceous, mineral finish is appropriate. 13% alcohol. This is an unconventional, classically styled claret and I’m curious about the Cuvée Barthélemy 2014.
The Le Puy website says about the Cuvée Emilien: “The fruit of a plot of vines planted with 85% Merlot, 7% cabernet franc, 6% cabernet sauvignon, 1% malbec and 1% carménère. Emilien is matured in oak barrels and casks for 24 months…”
BTW, it is interesting to mention that Château Le Puy is a biodynamic estate, and they are not allowed to label their wines as “Appellation Bordeaux Côtes de Francs contrôlée” - because of an alleged lack of typicity. Therefore their wines are labelled as “Appellation Côtes de Bordeaux contrôlée”.
I had the same discovery, I found a few bottles, in the room, rack of samples sent to us and I have no idea whom sent these, I have no point of reference and never heard of the Chateau and I do not remember visiting or any connection, I just happened to open a bottle last night not knowing anything and i was so surprised… it was really pleasant - from a frequently mediocre vintage - 2011… I should look to bring in some… it is a really treasure - this is from the Chateau’s web page - Family Amoreau from father to son since 1610, authenticity through wine.
Nice
I’m surprised it took you so long to find this. This is the Bordeaux you would always see in the “natural” wine bars in Paris (and elsewhere). I generally refer to it as Bordeaux for Loire fans.
Ha. As I said on another thread, I don’t think these wines are for everyone. They really don’t resemble contemporary Bordeaux much at all. Not better, but certainly different. The farming is certainly first rate.
Le Puy is a cult wine in Asia because it appears in a famous Manga series: the Drops of God.
I believe most of the wine goes to Japan, China, etc.
The Côtes de Francs is a tiny appellation. I’ve never tasted Ch. Le Puy, but have the sneaking suspicioun that it is poor value for money compared to other wines in the appellation (Puyguéraud, Ch. de Francs).
Remember, I live in Orlando, the land back in time where Jordan and Sliver of Oak are still considered super-premiums and Caymus is a God. Plus in my defense, Leve doesn’t know about it either. He’d hate it, though.
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