If you don't read these notes . . . .

WINE TALK
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Had a magnificent bottle of the 2000 Haut-Brisson which reminded why Bordeaux, and specifically St. Emilion used to be my first love. This, as far as I know, is mostly unspoofilated, and shows why St. Emilion is a place of renowned red wine and not renowned blueberry/blackberry/cherry syrup. Lovely nose of light cocoa, cooking chocolate, a lovely herbal edge and a distinct nuttiness. The palate had great dark fruit, tremendous grip, snappy acids and great finesse. The wine improved greatly over the three hours it was open and at no point was inaccessible. I have two more bottles and I know this was recommended to me, by whom, I do not remember, but if you are reading, thank you! It was so nice to drink, savor and even pontificate over what good, unspoofilated St. Emilion is.

Next up had the Bordeaux-lover’s Burgundy. The 1999 Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges “Les Chenes Carteaux” was a great drink. Thick, dense, rich, not mature. All hallmarks of a Gouges wine. There was crazy minerality in this wine. So rocky. Almost like a quarry on the nose. The tannins were still very present and they were deliciously savory and balanced the great acidity. The fruit was mostly black and had an epic quality to it. Pretty extracted but never heavy and did not oxidize over three days. This is a wine to go to battle with.

Had a lovely, killer, freakish bottle of the 2001 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Kabinett last week. Many bottles previously have dissapointed and not lived up to the vintage. Well my last bottle was a smoker. It had the depth, complexity and layers of a Kabinett from a great vintage such as 2001. Green apple fruit that is pure as the sky is blue and a long mineral, salty, tangy finish that just is electric. Acidity is where I like it, but not too out there. So focused. Not one piece out of place. Took long enough!

Had a very good bottle of the 2002 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Kabinett which I was inspired to open after the excellent showing of the 2001. 2002 is considered a much better vintage at Zilliken than 2001. The 2002 Saarburger Rausch Spatlese was wonderful but my bottles are long gone and for some reason I had one of these hanging around. Very good wine but not a wow wine like the 2001. Crisp with a lovely silken texture and some rock candy lime and green apple flavors. Finish average. Just lacked the depth and structure of the 2001. Who knows, this might be sleeping. It could turn into another 2001 with the proper amount of age.

I had the 2007 Bernard Baudry Chinon (Domaine) the other night and it was gorgeous. The nose was classic Chinon with some dark fruits and a lovely herbaceousness. There was a lovely structure with nice gritty tannins with chewy acidity which suggests this will age for up to ten years. It kept getting better as it aerated and the last sip hinted at what this wine will be down the road. This is not an obvious wine, as the Les Granges is, but takes some coaxing and contemplating, which takes some patience. It is worth it and of course, as all the Baudry wines are, it is a stupendous value.

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Thanks for the note on the Zilliken. My last bottle is currently in the fridge for consumption in the next couple weeks. Sounds like yours was a decent step up from my last go around with it.

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Thanks for the notes. I have a sole bottle of the Gouges. Drink or hold?

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Loren,

I would drink but with a major decant. This wine sucks in air like a black hole.

5

The '01 or '02?

If the '01 it is def in the zone now.

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Lyle–Hold on. Is this an Internet threat? [g]

I posted the other day about a 2003 Zilliken SR Spatlese that also was drinking extremely well. I don’t know how the Zillikens were in the 90’s, but everything I’ve tasted from 2001 on has been pretty nifty.

Bruce

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Good for you, Bruce! The 2003s I’ve tried recently have been in regression mode, and not attractive. But of course, each wine/bottle is different.

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DOH! The '01. I’ll post a note when I get to it.

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Bernard Baudry seems to have done exceptionally well in this vintage. A lot of the red wines I have tasted from around Anjou, Saumur & Touraine in 2007 have shown very unripe characteristics but one or two domaines seem to have had great successes, Baudry being one of them. Antoine Sanzay in Saumur was the other domaine that springs to mind - I have only tasted one wine from the vintage in question, the Cuvée L’Expression, but what a wine! Elegant and pure, it reminded me of the Foucault’s wines.

Thanks for the notes.

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Chris,

Big fan of your web site btw. Always seem to be landing on it.

Baudry makes great wine every year and does not force his hand but lets the vintage dictate. He also was successful in '03, when many others were not.

I have also liked some cuvees from Breton in '07.

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Nice note on the Zilliken.

Bordeaux… [bleh.gif] [pillow-fight.gif]

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I’ve had the basic '07 Trinch! about three times, and it has usually provided a good experience. Not mindblowing, but not meant to be, and a reliable bargain.

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Empty threat . . .

14

Always good but the Franc de Pied is outrageous.

15

its gouges, hold

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Lyle,
Thanks for the very interesting notes on these. I’m not a Bordeaux guy at all, but I’ve been realizing that there are some St. Emilions I do like (e.g., Canon). So nice to hear about Haut-Brisson, never had it but will try it if I see it.

Also interesting to hear about the Gouges. I don’t think I’ve had any '99 Gouges since release (my take then was unsurprisingly hold off for a long time), so very good to know.

Cheers,
-Robert

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Bruce,
Many of the '90s Zillikens are just as good if not better than recent ones, same is true for the '80s. And they sometimes release older wines (you can find them at WineX sometimes), so you if see them, they’re worth a try. I love them. Among my favorite producers.

Cheers,
-Robert

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Canon, Haut-Brisson. Haut-Segotts, Magdelaine come to mind as does Vieux Mallet in Pomerol.

Lyle

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Gouges . . . not mature: redundant! The Dunn of Burgundy. Thanks for the notes–actually I had a mature 72 Gouges once . . .a
alan