France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled

2007 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Ruby in color, purple at the core.  The nose has cherries, slight mushrooms and slight pine needles.  On the palate, plenty of cherry fruit.  Depth and complexity as it unwinds in the glass.  Perhaps a bit more advanced than expected (more for the producer than the vintage) but drinking very well right now.  I would drink in the next 3 to 5 years though.  

2007 Château Pontet-Canet

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Ruby/purple in color.  The nose is nice with cassis and tobacco.  On the palate, cassis and dark cherry fruit.  Medium tannins.  Long finish.  There is some depth and complexity here.  It is nearing maturity given the vintage but easily a decade left.  

2015 Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

2015 is a great vintage and I was excited to get a chance to try this one.  In Burgundy terms, this is certainly a value.  It was selling for under $40.  Ruby/purple in color.  Very bright.  On the nose, sour cherries and slight cranberries.  Very nice lush texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, a bit one dimensional at this point.  Plenty of sour cherry fruit.  It drinks more like a new world Pinot than I expected.  Perhaps those labels mean less and less these days.  It is very enjoyable right now, but I think to justify the money, it should be laid down for at least a decade.  Certain

2009 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

Light golden in color.  Nice mousse with lots of small-ish bubbles.  The nose has toast and lemons.  On the palate, there is a nice tart apple quality.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  Very pleasant way to start.  

2016 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine La Pépiè, France, Loire Valley, Muscadet, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

As I have said many times, Muscadet, from the best producers, is the single greatest value in the wine world today.  Pépière is certainly one of those producers.  This costs around $15.  It can be stored in a cellar for a decade or more, but is great right now.  Light golden in color.  The nose is all about sea shells and minerals with a whiff of salinity.  On the palate, this is light bodied.  Dry.  The minerals carry thru.  Of course, great with shell fish but just about any other lighter summer fare as well.  It works well with anything that a White Burgundy would work with only this is

2005 Luneau-Papin / Domaine Pierre de la Grange Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Le "L" d'Or, France, Loire Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Pop and pour.  Gorgeous wine for $15.  One of the great wine values in the world.  Can it age?  At age 13, I think it is a bit improved but certainly it has been harmed by cellaring.  Light golden in color.  The nose has great salinity.  Sear air, crushed shells/minerals and slight lime.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  Crushed shells and minerals with some citrusy notes.  Nice finish.  Worked great with food.  should have bought more but the new versions are great as well.  

2001 Château de Malle, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Opened late in the evening (probably should have skipped it) but it was a nice treat.  Drinking great right now.  Golden in color, but not that dark for an 01 (purchased on release).  The nose is gorgeous with apricots and honey and a bit of burnt sugar.  On the palate, not quite as expressive but still quite nice.  Burnt sugar and apricots carry thru.  Viscous but not cloying.  Sweet but not overtly.  Ok acidity.  Long finish.  This was from a 375 and even in that format, has a long life left.  

Update. 

1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, France, Bordeaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1982
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A+

This bottle was popped open at 9:00 am and decanted at 9:00 pm and served immediately.  Seemed to be about right although the wine is still youthful.  Purple in color.  The nose is classic with cassis,  tobacco, leather, and slight funk.  On the palate, slight tannins.  Cassis layered with earthy forest floor/tobacco.  great balance.  Long finish.  Went well with a Roasted Eggplant and mildly spicy peppers casserole.  At 26 years from vintage, this might even have a bit of upside.  Seemed to be the crowds WOTN but I have had slightly better (more exuberant) bottles of this.  nitpicking of c

2005 Domaine Pascal Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

A lot of people question whether cellaring white wine makes any sense.  This is one white that not only lasts but improves in the cellar.  At 13 years from vintage, this showed wonderfully with nothing "past prime" at all.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a nice minerality to it with plenty of depth.  Also come melon (cantaloupe) and a bit of salinity.  On the palate, this is complex.  Slightly oily texture.  Notes of minerals, sea shells, but nice melon and peach fruit.  But the minerality was sublime.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Went quite well with a spring sala

NV Baron-Fuenté Champagne Esprit Grand Cru Brut, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Light golden in color.  A nice mousse with a good amount of small bubbles.  On the nose, this is slightly smokey with nice minerality.  Also a bit of lemon.  On the palate, this is nice.  Just the slightest hint of sweetness to it.  Nice minerals.  A lemon candy sort of note.  Decent acidity.  Worked well with bread and cheese.  

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