I opened this to drink blind to start off one of my tasting groups annual parties. Although it obviously has some age to it, it is drinking very well.
This is a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. 2003 was an extremely hot vintage and also the vintage where Benoit came home to work the vineyards with his father Yannick. This is fully mature and maybe a bit past for some bottles and depending how you like you wine. Deep ruby in color. The nose has black cherries, slight tobacco, dust and slight spice. Medium bodied. Tannins fully resolved. On the palate, black cherries over a cigar box quality. Good acidity. Nice finish. This should be consumed in the next three to five years. It goes well with roast or casseroles.
This was a sound bottle. Many of the Huet 2002's are subject to premature oxidation. This bottle was excellent. Chenin Blanc, especially with some residual sugar left, can last for decades. Golden in color, clear and bright and slightly deep. On the nose this has orange peel, crushed shells, salinity and a touch of canned peaches. Medium bodied. Slightly sweet on the palate. Complex. Nice minerality layered with a bit of peach and slight honey. Nice acidic backbone. This worked great with a peach cobbler dessert. Good bottles of this can be enjoyed at any point over the next cou
This is a dessert wine made from the Chenin Blanc grape. At age 17, this is doing great. Chenin is one of the longest lived wine grapes out there. Golden in color. The nose is great with sea air, orange peel, crushed shells and honey. Medium bodied. This is sweet, not cloying or even very sweet but more than off dry. There is also a bitter note on the finish which complements the sweetness nicely. In between, some citrus and lots of minerality. Nice acidity. This would work with citrus based desserts well or in a small glass on its own. No hurry, this has at least a decade left i
This one is chugging along. Perhaps a bit shut down from a bottle a few months ago, but it might have just been the bottle, night or me. Still an outstanding bottle of wine. Opened for friends who like to cook but at not into wine. Come to think of it, the glasses were small and shallow and that may have been an issue as well. Golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has sea air, slight orange peel and honey. On the palate, this is off dry. It has a slightly viscous texture. Honey, slight ginger, salinity, minerals and slight citrus. Good acidity. Long finish. Went great with
I brought this to dinner with a couple that usually take a small pour of my whites and move quickly on. Not this time. They both went back for seconds, which is of course, the best compliment to the wine. Really in a good place, but it is Chenin Blanc, so it has a long life ahead of it. Light golden in color. The nose has a lovely salinity along with some apricots and orange peel. Also a slight metallic minerality (in a good way). On the palate, be forewarned, this is sweet. Probably a bit more than off dry. But it is lovely and deft and light on its feet. The orange peel comes th
Pop and pour, this is in a good place right now. Light golden in color. The nose has a nice salinity with some orange peel. On the palate, this is barely sweet. It has an almost dry pineapple quality if that makes sense. Underlying minerality with a touch a salt (and yes, salt is also a mineral). Good finish. This is close to peak but will continue to morph and mature. No hurry on well stored bottles. Went well with cheeses.
This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Lorie Valley in France. Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has a nice minerality with crushed shells. Slight grassiness. On the palate, this is slightly oily with nice minerality. Clean finish. This is a solid wine that is a very nice value at $13. It will drink well on its own or with lighter foods.
This is from a region typically more known for their whites. The owner of this winery is the son and nephew of the owners of Clos Rougeard, a "cult" wine in the Loire Valley. This is Cabernet Franc from old vines. It is a very nice wine. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has a slight barnyard with cherries, black licorice and slight hay quality. On the palate, concentrated cherries. Nice layering as this unwinds in the glass. It has a soft texture but at the some time intense. Long finish. Certainly not over ripe, this wine will work better with food. It would be interesting to try
This bottle was quite good. There are some reports about the prematurely oxidizing or at least ageing quickly but this was the first time trying this vintage. It is quite a deep golden color but that is not unheard of for Chenin. The nose is very nice with aromas of pears, orange peel, slight copper note and a bit of honey. Full bodied and slightly viscous. Also slightly oily in texture. Lots of great minerality with some background orange and pear. Long finish. This has a slight perception of being sweet but it seems dry. Good acidity. This worked great with some hummus and also
