2007 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
I could have included this in the Beach Week Highlights, as it was one of those two, but I had another bottle with recent Durhamites Noel and Marie the other night over dinner. These wines continue to amaze me with their joyfulness and sheer charm. I think Macon chardonnay may be one of the most underrated beverages in the world. I can’t remember the last time I had a Roally or other Thévenet or Guillemot wine that I did not love. The 2007 version has beautiful sun kissed floral fruit with some weight on the palate cleared elegantly by the back end structure. I’ve had this with several different kinds of foods and unless beat over the head with spice, it has never failed to shine. I have an embarrassing admission to make: I haven’t been cellaring these wines. I buy them and drink them and then the vintage is gone and I have forgotten to put any away. That stops this year. I’ve had older vintages that have aged beautifully (although not as many as I would like) and will be putting a case of this up. You should do the same and enjoy it over a decade or more.
Showing posts with label Roally. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roally. Show all posts
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Châteauneuf blanc, who knew?
An old friend from graduate school who I haven’t seen in several years was in town. We enjoyed dinner at Rue Cler.
2006 Éric Texier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes
My guest claimed to not be that into white wines. I told her she had no idea what she was talking about. Well she sure came around to this hogging the last glass for herself. It started off slowly, but was refreshing and linear from the start. As the bottle opened, it started to put on flesh and the flowers became more deeply perfumed and the palate broadened. This has been my favorite Châteauneuf Blanc for a few years now. Eric is doing some seriously good work here. I think the wine is a blend of bourbelanc and clairette.
1996 Joël Taluau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes
Inspired by a recent FLAJim note about this wine, I thought I’d check in on one of my remaining bottles. I really like where this is at the moment, although others might want it to have more time. I like the sense of shape that it has right now. Trapezoidal. There are fine mineral and dirt bones underneath of leafy/tobacco top notes. Somewhere in between some dried red fruits are sensed more than tasted. Very good wine but in such a great vintage one becomes aware of the gulf in class between it and the better sites in Bourgueil and Chinon.
Renardat-Fâche Vin du Bugey-Cerdon
Alpine and delicious. I could drink my bodyweight in this wine.
2008 Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Blanco
For whatever reason, I really like this wine. It doesn’t stick in the memory in any profound way, but it has drive and purity and is a nice antidote to muggy Southern weather.
2006 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
I’ve commented on this wine several times. I can’t stop drinking it even though I know I should wait a few years. Why I don’t have a cellar full of Roally, I don’t know.
2006 Éric Texier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes
My guest claimed to not be that into white wines. I told her she had no idea what she was talking about. Well she sure came around to this hogging the last glass for herself. It started off slowly, but was refreshing and linear from the start. As the bottle opened, it started to put on flesh and the flowers became more deeply perfumed and the palate broadened. This has been my favorite Châteauneuf Blanc for a few years now. Eric is doing some seriously good work here. I think the wine is a blend of bourbelanc and clairette.
1996 Joël Taluau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes
Inspired by a recent FLAJim note about this wine, I thought I’d check in on one of my remaining bottles. I really like where this is at the moment, although others might want it to have more time. I like the sense of shape that it has right now. Trapezoidal. There are fine mineral and dirt bones underneath of leafy/tobacco top notes. Somewhere in between some dried red fruits are sensed more than tasted. Very good wine but in such a great vintage one becomes aware of the gulf in class between it and the better sites in Bourgueil and Chinon.
Renardat-Fâche Vin du Bugey-Cerdon
Alpine and delicious. I could drink my bodyweight in this wine.
2008 Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Blanco
For whatever reason, I really like this wine. It doesn’t stick in the memory in any profound way, but it has drive and purity and is a nice antidote to muggy Southern weather.
2006 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
I’ve commented on this wine several times. I can’t stop drinking it even though I know I should wait a few years. Why I don’t have a cellar full of Roally, I don’t know.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Duke sucks
Had these two bottles with some braised country style pork ribs braised with tomatillos while watching Duke get their asses handed to them by Villanova. What a great night. Duke sucks.
2006 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
This wine is really hitting it for me right now. It does all the sorts of things I want from Macon. There is a density and intensity to the wine, as there often is with Thévenet wines. However, this does not come at the sacrifice of a floral and mineral side to the wine to make way for more tropical notes. The wine stays fresh and delicious despite being obviously a bit heady. The mineral tang that underpins it never gets shunted. This particular bottle was opened for a glass and then finished 4 days later and it was really on song. I need to lock away some of this where I can’t get to it because it’ll be cool to see where it goes.
2002 Dönnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Spätlese
There is nothing obviously wrong with this wine, it is just a bit soft and boring. It had that creamy thing I don’t like right upon opening. After a bit of air, it seemed to tighten up for a minute, only to lapse again. This would have been better a couple of years ago when it was fresh and bright.
2006 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
This wine is really hitting it for me right now. It does all the sorts of things I want from Macon. There is a density and intensity to the wine, as there often is with Thévenet wines. However, this does not come at the sacrifice of a floral and mineral side to the wine to make way for more tropical notes. The wine stays fresh and delicious despite being obviously a bit heady. The mineral tang that underpins it never gets shunted. This particular bottle was opened for a glass and then finished 4 days later and it was really on song. I need to lock away some of this where I can’t get to it because it’ll be cool to see where it goes.
2002 Dönnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Spätlese
There is nothing obviously wrong with this wine, it is just a bit soft and boring. It had that creamy thing I don’t like right upon opening. After a bit of air, it seemed to tighten up for a minute, only to lapse again. This would have been better a couple of years ago when it was fresh and bright.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Hommage Cappellano
A group of old wine hands got together to catch up and to toast the late Teobaldo Cappellano. If you haven’t read it, Kevin McKenna of Louis/Dressner has some words worth reading. Too much death this year.
We started off at my brother’s restaurant, Rue Cler. He got in some fresh (as in still alive) Scottish langoustines. Probably the best dish I’ve had in a long time. It’s a shame my brother has to spend so much time running his businesses and can’t just be here to cook. When he has the chance, he does wonderful things.
2006 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
This wine has really come out of its shell in the past few months. When it first arrived on these shores, it was a bit out of sorts and clumsy and not very aromatic. Time cures all ills. Resolutely Roally and floral with that hint of botrytis that I love in this wine. I really love what Thevenet is doing with this and his own vines. Great now, should improve over the next couple of years.
2004 Baudry Chinon Blanc La Croix Boissée
Corked. My second bad bottle of this in a row, which sucks because this wine can be excellent. Crazy bad luck. Oh well.
2004 Pernot Batard-Montrachet
So refined as to make the Roally seem positively boisterous. Linear and pristine, which is a good trick in Batard. A nice counterpoint to the almost exotic Roally. Instead of all the floral elements it seemed to want to stay with yellow fruits and a bit of mineral nuance. Very elegant. Worth having, but I’m not sure I favor it over the Puligny 1er crus from Pernot. But then again, I’m sort of a 1er cru kind of guy.
2002 Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Le Rouge-Gorge
This was fantastic and an indicator of what Eric Nicolas is capable of when the vintage treats him well. Started off with classic pineau d’aunis aromas of aggressive white pepper and horseradish and was very structured. As it had a chance to stretch out, it really popped. The aromas broadened in profile to include fruits and other notes as the pepper became part of the whole instead of domineering.
2000 Nervi Gattinara Vigneto Molsino
This wine got lost in the shuffle a bit, but the impression it left was as a good version if a bit afflicted by being from 2000. I kind of like my Nervi a little more nervy. That was awful, but true.
We had both the Capellano out of magnum. It seemed only fitting.
2000 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin
Both of these 2000s were a little loose, but that has a lot to do with the vintage and it is more interesting to me for the wine to reflect the vintage than to strive for some archetype that doesn’t reflect that. More classic nose than the Piè Franco with the dark cherry notes and a stab more structure. This could probably stand a bit more time, but there is no reason to avoid opening one if you are interested.
2000 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin
I would say that you can and maybe should, go ahead and drink this now. I always find this more approachable than the Rupestris. It has an almost Christmas fruitcake type of nose with the spice and fruits that entails. I don’t get the classic Barolo notes in this, but it is lively and enjoyable to drink. A wine to enjoy without fetishistic about it and that’s how we enjoyed it, with lively conversation among old friends.
We started off at my brother’s restaurant, Rue Cler. He got in some fresh (as in still alive) Scottish langoustines. Probably the best dish I’ve had in a long time. It’s a shame my brother has to spend so much time running his businesses and can’t just be here to cook. When he has the chance, he does wonderful things.
2006 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
This wine has really come out of its shell in the past few months. When it first arrived on these shores, it was a bit out of sorts and clumsy and not very aromatic. Time cures all ills. Resolutely Roally and floral with that hint of botrytis that I love in this wine. I really love what Thevenet is doing with this and his own vines. Great now, should improve over the next couple of years.
2004 Baudry Chinon Blanc La Croix Boissée
Corked. My second bad bottle of this in a row, which sucks because this wine can be excellent. Crazy bad luck. Oh well.
2004 Pernot Batard-Montrachet
So refined as to make the Roally seem positively boisterous. Linear and pristine, which is a good trick in Batard. A nice counterpoint to the almost exotic Roally. Instead of all the floral elements it seemed to want to stay with yellow fruits and a bit of mineral nuance. Very elegant. Worth having, but I’m not sure I favor it over the Puligny 1er crus from Pernot. But then again, I’m sort of a 1er cru kind of guy.
2002 Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Le Rouge-Gorge
This was fantastic and an indicator of what Eric Nicolas is capable of when the vintage treats him well. Started off with classic pineau d’aunis aromas of aggressive white pepper and horseradish and was very structured. As it had a chance to stretch out, it really popped. The aromas broadened in profile to include fruits and other notes as the pepper became part of the whole instead of domineering.
2000 Nervi Gattinara Vigneto Molsino
This wine got lost in the shuffle a bit, but the impression it left was as a good version if a bit afflicted by being from 2000. I kind of like my Nervi a little more nervy. That was awful, but true.
We had both the Capellano out of magnum. It seemed only fitting.
2000 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin
Both of these 2000s were a little loose, but that has a lot to do with the vintage and it is more interesting to me for the wine to reflect the vintage than to strive for some archetype that doesn’t reflect that. More classic nose than the Piè Franco with the dark cherry notes and a stab more structure. This could probably stand a bit more time, but there is no reason to avoid opening one if you are interested.
2000 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin
I would say that you can and maybe should, go ahead and drink this now. I always find this more approachable than the Rupestris. It has an almost Christmas fruitcake type of nose with the spice and fruits that entails. I don’t get the classic Barolo notes in this, but it is lively and enjoyable to drink. A wine to enjoy without fetishistic about it and that’s how we enjoyed it, with lively conversation among old friends.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Young Rougeard
2006 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition
I had a glass of this and while not showing quite as gloriously as a recent bottle, this has really morphed into an interesting wine. I really have a soft spot for this chardonnay and the other wines of the vigneron Gautier Thévenet. He is doing superb work carrying on a noble tradition of excellence.
2004 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny
This is the “Clos” or basic bottling, whatever that means in the context of Clos Rougeard. I think this is from vineyards around the cave that are not Bourg. Of course this is way too young, but I don’t remember how the Clos tasted and wanted to give it a shot. I was surprised with how enjoyable it was. While it will certainly be more expressive and dramatic with some time, I was glad to have caught it in an exuberantly youthful stage. What was so striking about it was the incredible coolness of the flavors and the impeccable balance. I bought this off my brothers list at Rue Cler, where it is something like $59. A very fair price for a Rougeard wine, I think. It paired superbly with the brisket on the prix fixe.
I had a glass of this and while not showing quite as gloriously as a recent bottle, this has really morphed into an interesting wine. I really have a soft spot for this chardonnay and the other wines of the vigneron Gautier Thévenet. He is doing superb work carrying on a noble tradition of excellence.
2004 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny
This is the “Clos” or basic bottling, whatever that means in the context of Clos Rougeard. I think this is from vineyards around the cave that are not Bourg. Of course this is way too young, but I don’t remember how the Clos tasted and wanted to give it a shot. I was surprised with how enjoyable it was. While it will certainly be more expressive and dramatic with some time, I was glad to have caught it in an exuberantly youthful stage. What was so striking about it was the incredible coolness of the flavors and the impeccable balance. I bought this off my brothers list at Rue Cler, where it is something like $59. A very fair price for a Rougeard wine, I think. It paired superbly with the brisket on the prix fixe.
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