TNs: some Frenchies -- Tempier, Tremblay, C. Bouchard, Montille

Some bottles from last week, in ranked order:

Domaine Tempier, Bandol rose, 2018: Still drinking like the world’s best rose to me and worth the $40 tariff. Lots of just-ripe canteloupe and garrigue this year, with great cleansing acidity. Alluring nose. Perfect summer food wine.

Cecile Tremblay, Bourgogne, La Croix Blanche, 2015: Drinks like a village Vosne Romanee, which isn’t surprising because that’s where the grapes are from! Mouthfeel and weight reminds me a bit of a VR from Mugneret Gibourg. Savory and succulent, but tails off a bit at the end. Trendy wine, but questionable QPR at $60.

Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine NV: Disgorged 2016. This underwhelmed. Bright and citrusy but just seemed lightweight to me. I wanted a bit more vinous, red-fruited ballast.

Montille, Volnay 1er cru, Les Brouillards, 2006: Just OK. Light body, crunchy strawberry fruit. Just a tinge of brown sugar at end that distracts. A wine of the vintage.

Nice selection Matthew.

Is this dismissive of the vintage in Burgundy? From your words, I would say ‘drink up’.

Markus – 06, at least in reds, is a mixed-bag vintage. So it’s hard to make broad generalizations. But I think you can drink or hold most well-made premier crus. This particular bottle just seemed a bit thin and austere, which marks the negative aspect of the vintage to me. The 06s have more stuffing than 07s, so they have a longer drinking window, but many examples just seem a bit meh to me. Probably confirmation basis at work. [snort.gif]

And thanks for shout-out Jeremy!

I’m going to toss this out there for comment, as it has perplexed me for a while. About @2010 – that is about the time Bouchard began bottling la Presle, les Ursules, etc, something unfortunate happened to his Inflorescence / Val Vilaine releases. That vinous quality – which made me take notice, and had me thinking his were the best of the new wave in champagne, all but dried up after 2011. Did M. Bouchrd run out of room in the cellar? Change time spent sur lie? Include some parcels – previously going to Val Vilaine – in the new cuvées? Everything I’ve read, and everybody I’ve asked – including a retailer who knows Cédric – insist nothing is different, that perhaps more time is needed in bottle. These bottles tell me something else.

Recently had the Dujac Clos de la Roche 2006. of course way too young, but alongside the 2002, it was clearly in the same class if less opulent and easy. Mentally I marked it down as a wine that needs a minimum of twenty more years (the 2002 was around ten years). I have not had too many 2006s, but have liked what i have tasted.

My recollection is that Volnay was particularly weak in 2006 just as NSG was particularly strong.

Um, Ursules was the first wine he bottled.
Presle started in '10.
Nothing has changed about time sur lie, for any cuvée.
No blending has gone on, so I don’t know what you’re insinuating.
To each their own, but I think your opinion is an extreme minority, especially if you think the Val Vilaine underperforms post '11.

I’m a huge fan of the Val Vilaine and this is another case of why I’m glad we don’t all like the same wines…