1996 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon- France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon (6/1/2013)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a few hours on Day 1; tasted again on Day 4; tasted again on Day 7 –
NOSE: DAY 1: some VA(?); reminds me – vaguely – of Vin Jaune; very tight; so inexpressive that I wonder if there’s some low-level TCA at play here; faint whiff of mint, and a bit grainy. DAY 4: a bit more expressive today; briny green olive note now.
BODY: rich maize color; full bodied
TASTE: sweet; very tight — not much flavor at all; hint of oxidation on the finish; alcohol is not noticeable; low-ish acidity; cereal; stayed pretty dumb/closed/tight over an entire week. Overall, this was disappointing, and it’s frustrating that I don’t know whether this bottle was off in any way.
1996 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon (9/8/2022)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours –
NOSE: papaya; hints of apricot marmalade and botrytis.
BODY: golden yellow color; full bodied.
TASTE: papaya; hint of botrytis; ripe apricot; kumquat; sweet; medium-low acidity; alc. not noticeable; decent pairing with dinner of jerked chicken, grilled pineapple, and beans & rice: likely would have been an even better pairing had the jerked chicken actually been spicy as it should have been. Markedly better than the bottle I had on 6/01/2013. Drink or Hold.
I just bought a bottle of the 1996 vintage (good ol’ Corti Bros. in Sacramento) to mark our 30th wedding anniversary which is this year. Was planning to drink it sometime in the next several months. Is it close enough to peak at this point, or would waiting 10 more years be worth it? Gonna be tough to wait that long!