OK, so it is now 1 am in Alsace, I just finished hosting a dinner with a dear friend, a veritable enophile in Alsace who is a pharmacist and enologist - he worked for Yquem in the 80s - and Marie-Claire and Maurice Barthelmé of the very fine estate Albert Mann in Alsace. Tomorrow, or rather later today, I will be in Burgundy: will meet with several other journalists on a press tour of Bichot, then Bouchard, with the director of the Nantucket Wine Festival, Denis Toner, and former Wine Advocate Pierre Antoine Rovani. That’s Burgundy. I hope to report on how the 2009 vintage has panned out there… Then, off to Bordeaux: tastings at Petrus, Mouton, Palmer, Lynch Bages, Grand Puy Lacoste, Climens, Domaine de Chevalier, Brane Cantenac, Figeac, Cheval Blanc, Angelus, Grand Mayne, and others… But let me just describe to you a bit about Alsace and the dinner tonight:
First of all, Alsace may be having a real great vintage in 2009. Just the right amount of rain after a lovely August (which has been somewhat rare lately). In any case, I will report on Alsace later in October, but it was a treat to have Maurice and his wife over for dinner, and here are some wine tasting notes:
Gosset Grand Reserve Brut (NV from Magnum): Certainly nicely dosed, but then lovely notes of toast and almond. A very nice non vintage Champagne, a very fresh. I could have enjoyed more of this, but had to keep some decorum…
Albert Mann Grand Cru Riesling Schlossberg 2000: What I so much adore about Albert Mann is the combination of precision and body, and this wine perfectly illustrates this. Yes, some notes of petrol, but also a lemon/lime aspect, especially on the finish, which beguiles the drinker, yours truly, into another realm of pleasure. Why? Well, lo and behold, this is just not your average fine grand cru Schlossberg (the largest Alsace Grand Cru vineyard, BTW) . No, this has depth and precision, and lovely lasting length. Still rather young and structured, I could easily see a wise consumer waiting to crack a bottle in five years or so… but it tastes fine now.
This wine was served with veal filet mignon I seared and served with a medley of vegetables prepared also on a skillet - scallions, carrots, mushrooms, peppers (red and green) - along with pasta.
Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly Cuvée Zaccharie 2007: A minor disappointment, but still enjoyed. This wine I bought from the property during a visit to Beaujolais in August, as part of my latest article for France Today. Now, don’t get me wrong, I carafed this wine THREE HOURS, because I knew it needed to breath. Yes, it is a Beaujolais (Gamay grape), but a serious one. Still, it was somewhat closed and lacklustre tonight. I chose it for the cheeses because some were cow milk hard cheeses more appropriate for red, some were soft goat, more appropriate for white, and it is still summer, darnit! Anyway some glasses were still full, so I cracked open the next wine…
Domaine de Beaurenard CndP 2007. Soft, smooth, somewhat jammy but with backbone and freshness. Maurice told me he is a personal friend of co-owner Paul Coulon. A crowd pleaser? You bet. And yet another sign of why 2007 is so well loved as a southern Rhone vintage. Rich, yet not limp. There is freshness here! Still, it was TOTALLY eclipsed by the next wine, opened in a fit of emotion…
Clos des Papes CndP 2001. I remember buying a couple of bottles for €27 at the property, and Paul Avril Sr signed this one for me. Just had to have it. A nose of leather and wild game, I was thinking is this wine older than its age? NO WAY! On the palate, structure city. My goodness is this wine ready for another 20 years in bottle. OK, let’s say 10. No 2003 jam, just straight up richness and structure. This is what I like in CndP. Going back to the Beaurenard and it was almost FLIMSY in comparison…
OK, folks, I need to start packing. Will report back in early October, on the harvest in Burgundy and Bordeaux… ![[basic-smile.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/83717c74df9b0ce202453063bc4f11baf0ee6b8a.gif "smile"){kind=small}
Chrs, Panos