Wine ChroniclesGrand Cru Tour at Maison Louis Latour
Posted on May 18, 2016
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
18 May 2016
Perhaps the most memorable dish was the first: ravioli, langoustines and crab meat set in a delectable emulsion de crustacés. Magnificently paired with Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2000 – from a jéroboam bottle. The wine was full bodied yet vibrant and simply delicious.
A fine way to start
Then came the Suprême de Volaille, with morilles and organic risotto and green asparagus. This also paired with another jéroboam: Louis Latour Château Corton-Grancey Grand Cru 1999, a most welcoming red vintage that was velvety smooth yet substantial.
The rich cheese plate from superb Beaune based Hess Cheese was nicely paired with richer vintage in Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2009.
We also enjoyed an amazing poached pear with spicy pain d’epices and honey with the ripe red vintage 2009 Corton Corton Grand Cru “ Clos du Roi”.
Why such a splendid occasion?
First off, it is Burgundy, so why not?
More specifically, the dinner capped a wonderful day of tastings for a special master class with a great gathering of #winelovers, from international wine consultant Eric Riewer (also at Gault & Millau) and internationally acclaimed critic Bernard Burtschy, to innovative blogger Nina Izzo and Master of Wine Robin Kick. Read More
Sauternes satisfaction #Bdx15
Posted on May 11, 2016
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
11 May 2015
Thanks to Christie’s consultant, harvest expert and Sauternes promoter Bill Blatch and his fellow Bordeaux Gold partner Steve Webb, I kicked off en primeur week assessing barrel samples from Sauternes and Barsac. Afterwards, we enjoyed a great barbecue that started off with fresh raw oysters. Oysters and Sauternes go together – as counterintuitive as that may sound.
To confirm impressions, I tasted the barrel samples as well at the UGCB – and a few others at Bordeaux trading company Ulysses Cazabonne.
My overall impression? A very satisfying 2015 vintage, with some veritable gems!
Special reader note: Tasting such young barrel samples of Sauternes is not the easiest task, so I tend to be more conservative in assigning scores when it comes to Sauternes.
Intriguingly Pauillac #Bdx15
Posted on May 7, 2016
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
7 May 2016
People expecting 2010 style power and evident tannin from Pauillac in 2015 – with all the hype of a “great” vintage – were left scratching their heads. While you find gems here, many samples exuded more charm than power. Indeed, I found barrel samples from both Château Margaux and Château Palmer having more Pauillac style concentration and power than most all of the Pauillacs.
But lovers of elegance and suppleness will find much to enjoy in Pauillac. While I did run into some lightweight mid palates – perhaps September rains played a role – most mid-palates from Pauillac to my mind are deceptively light. One purpose of barrel aging is to fill out the palates. So one will end up with something like a cross between the charm of the 1985 vintage and the structure of 2005 (for the better estates). In that sense it is clear to me that most of these wines will last a very long time in your cellar – and be delicious. Many 1985s are utterly gorgeous, today, some 30 years down the line. So the 2015s should last at least 30 years.
Pricing, as ever for any Bordeaux futures campaign, will be key. Especially when no one single wine guru (Robert Parker) is calling definitive shots. While last year, I felt as if Pauillac was a top appellation, this year it is just very good. For some wines, I recall liking 2014 from barrel every bit as much, if not more, than in 2015. And there are some interesting curve balls this year in Pauillac, as you will read in my tasting notes.
Wines I liked in particular in bold. When red and bold, even more. When underlined, too, some kind of wine (barrel sample) nirvana! Read More
Welcome Merlot al dente #Bdx15
Posted on May 5, 2016
And other tales from Saint Emilion
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
5 May 2016
OK, the title is a bit misleading. Not everyone picks Merlot earlier in Saint Emilion. The influence of ultra-late picking to please critics, and to get an upgrade (or avoid a downgrade) every 10 years for appellation-sanctioned revisions (often ending up in courts and/or with recriminations) is still strong.
But I tip my metaphorical hat several times to the very best Saint Emilion barrel sample I tried #Bdx15: Château Cheval Blanc.
Part of its success comes from the realization (yes, I have been saying this for years, along with other friends and fellow #winelovers including for example the talented writer Ben Giliberti) that Merlot is picked too often, too late in this storied appellation.
But don’t take it from me. This short video clip during en primeur week captures the quote directly from the source: Cheval Blanc technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet. Read More
Domaine Albert Mann: innovative and friendly
Posted on May 5, 2016
Enjoying annual open doors – and trying 2015s
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
5 May 2016
You want great wine at a good value?
Sure, you can find that in many wine regions. But in Alsace, where so many grands crus exists, so many complicated names, and confusion over whether a wine is sweet, off dry or dry, it can be a more difficult exercise.
Basically, as one does in Burgundy, one should rely on the producer.
And one producer I recently visited offers both high quality and fair prices: Domaine Albert Mann, whose winemakers Maurice & Jacky Barthelmé were named (justifiably) “Winemakers of the year 2012” by the leading french wine magazine Revue du Vin de France. Read More
Recent Comments