How long of a decant?
My last 2014 Chidaine, and good riddance. This one was only slightly advanced; light gold and cidery. Could sense good chenin quality under that oxidation. I’ve not bought any Chidaine since having many 2014s show oxidized. A real shame.
Jim unfortunately I couldn’t find a la Pepie on short notice but will revisit this thread and add a note when I eventually do.
Thanks for the effort, Michael. Too bad about your '14 Clos du Breuil experience(s). I have had good showings by the '14 Les Tuffeaux so far, still have one remaining and I may have now jinxed myself.
Good luck. I had several Breuil and several Choisilles. None were great, most were advanced, and some were absolutely DOA. Unfortunate since I’d previously considered Chidaine a go-to producer on the strength of great experiences with '08s and '10s especially.
An hour at most, IMHO.
Thanks for helping out.
A random observation. Poured the last glass of the Pepiere Cot into a stemless glass and was struck by how really dark the color is - almost black! This photo looks down into about an inch and a half inch of wine against a white background.
2011 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Clos des Briords - Starting to turn a little golden, but no signs of oxidation. Lovely nose of sea spray, white peaches and a hint of spearmint. Lovely balance of salinity, minerality and pure fruit on the palate. Just starting to show some secondary characteristics. Is there a better value in the world?
Jud, thanks for joining in. No lack of fans of Briords on this board, and especially on this thread where we almost have a “virtual vertical” happening.
Cheers -Jim
Here’s a non-Pepiere Muscadet:
2012 Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Terre de Pierre - Light gold color. Somewhat muted nose of mineral, melon, and wool. Moderate notes of pear, rock, apple, and alcohol heat (despite being only 12%). A touch of an oxidative note, but not prominent or off putting. Medium+ acidity, medium body with long finish. Lacks the overt salinity and stone I typically perceive and enjoy with Muscadet. Not sure I’d guess Muscadet blind - maybe Chenin Blanc or Pinot Gris.
There we go!!! Thanks a lot Scott and good to see you.
Thanks to you for your generosity with this week’s charity tasting!
Hi Jim, I was thinking about popping a 2010 Chidaine Choiselles last night, but there’s already been a lot of Vouvray consumed, so I opted for a '15 Baumard Savenierres instead. For whatever reason, Savenierres seems to be a bit of a red-headed stepchild here… even though it can be a great expression of Chenin. Searching prior threads, there’s been only one tasting note posted here since May (thanks Mike Grammer!) As opposed to 20 or so Vouvray tasting notes in the last month alone.
So here’s the note:
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2015 Domaine des Baumard Savennières - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (12/17/2019)
A Jekyll and Hyde wine. Without food, this is aggressively angular - shrill acid, stinky reduction, hard minerals, and a pith driven bitter and stingy lemon fruit. With dinner (pan seared halibut, chanterelles in cream sauce, roasted winter vegetables), it is a completely different beast. Cuts through the richness of the cream, sings a power ballade duet with the fish, showing length and more roundness of texture, and elevates the meal in general. Regardless, this probably needs a decade or so to show well on its own but it’s an interesting case study in the alchemical power of wine and food. 82 without food, 90 with.
Posted from CellarTracker
Nice one, Vince! Always surprising to me when a wine’s with/without food personality differs so much. Jekyll and Hyde is a good metaphor. Actually Savennières was a wine I had been considering for a bonus donation category for the reasons you mentioned. So I am going to give this post the extra bonus “cha-ching”.
Good to see you.
Cool, glad to hear it Jim. Thanks for your generosity to this cause & making it fun to boot.
Another Savennieres:
2002 Baumard Clos du Papillon
Brown color, whiff of Sherry, sadly oxidized ![[cry.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/853b6e76c6e8406be77a6727c2a27ad1672678b3.gif "cry"){kind=small}
Too bad about the wine, but this post only needs a photo of you to also get a bonus “cha-ching” !
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Last call !!!
Not bad. Well balanced with a violet floral component I was not expecting. A bit of VA. Pop, decant and pour. Will follow for 2 hours. More notes later.
Breton Saint Louans 2007. With autograph!
After two hours, the aroma is really flowering and taking over the room. Violet floral. Not a fruit driven wine. Still tanins and although I have very limited experience with Loire Cab Franc, my guess is that this has at least 5 more years to maturity, probably 10. I do not mind this wine, but there really isn’t all that much going on compared to my preferred choices. Upon opening, I found the finish to be somewhat clipped, but it has really lengthened and I would now rate it as middle to long. I would give it the dreaded 88-89 points. No wow factor but solidly made and very pleasant.