Kelly Walker’s cool thread on the 2009 Foillard 3.14 got me fired up to pull some Foillards from storage. So I made a storage run late this afternoon, after a glass of Cali syrah and a nap! I’ll pop the 3.14 a bit later, but wanted to check in on the Cuvee Corcelette that my palate doppelgänger, Bill Moore, raved about.
Took about an hour to start opening up, very reticent on a simple pop and pour. The kaleidoscope came into focus right about that hour mark, showing an intriguing range of red and dark fruits, herbs, florals and some meat broth. Really clean, pure fruit. Beautiful fruit, still primary, clearly a ripe vintage. Showing some serious Morgon power, heft, and a tannic kick on the back-end. Still needs some years to flesh out more, but I’m really loving what I’m seeing here. Would prefer more minerality and salinity, but perhaps that’s just the vintage. I really need to try this bottling in the 2011 vintage, which I prefer to 2009, generally speaking.
Where this wine soars is with food. We had a very simple dinner of grilled chicken thighs (a favorite of mine), pearl couscous and a mixed green salad with strawberry vinaigrette dressing. Perfectly balanced for this meal, the fine acidity cutting the fatty chick thighs just perfectly. Major yum.
I get the sense that people who complained about the '09 vintage being too ripe also complained about the '11s for the same reason, preferring 2010 to both. I think they’re nuts.
I posted on another thread about recent Chinon vintages, which I think bear some similarities in comparing the characteristics from 2009-2011, generally speaking. Like in Chinon, I bought all three vintages, each distinct, each with its own merit. It’s an amazing time to have three, back-to-back quality vintages like these in such regions that tend to have more irregularities.
Thanks for this post Robert. It has me wanting to explore his other cuvees. I remember having lunch years ago in Tuscany with Tim Johnson of Juvenile fame. He kept coming back to saying that cru Beaujelais is the most interesting wine to explore. I thought he was screwing with me, testing my wine acumen, as many who know him, is want to do. But several experiences with old, 1947 Flurie, sparked something in the back of my mind that he might have been serious. I think the really serious realm is still quite small but I am rather excited to explore some more.