LAPIERRE Morgon 2007, and the PEPIERE Clos de Briords 2008...

I opened the Briords, had a glass and it was drum tight. I put it in the fridge for 3 days. Kinda forgot about it. Opened it, still incredibly concentrated - but now it developed a filigree around the edges, with minerals, lime zest, white flowers, chalk, wax, wool, etc.  And it kept improving over 3-4 hours - softening around the  edges, but never losing its freshness and cut. Amazing.

The Morgon had a similar vein of absolute purity and freshness. This was the “S” version, which I believe received a minor S02 treatment. This is my first LAPIERRE, and sure as heck wont be my last. It had the honesty and vigor like Puzelat’s Gamays, but was just cleaner and purer to my palate. Ruby-colored yet deceptively layered with 5-spiced-cherries and gravel.  It became fleshier with time, but never lost its directness - Like a poet working on a poem that didn’t get longer over time, just more incisive. I love it.

I was quite excited to find this Jenny and Francois Selection locally - they specialize in distinctive and pure natural wines - but have a very limited distribution in the Mid-West. I haven’t been drinking too much wine from the Languedoc lately, and this looked appealing to try with braised short-ribs with parsnips. This particular cuvee is a blend of old vine Carignan with some  Syrah and Cinsault . I tend to be weary of Syrah when it is grown too far south (it can get goopy) but the Carignan and Cinsault drive a great balance, with a clean but deep brambly character and good acidity. The low (12.5 degree) alcohol is marvelous in creating a refreshing palate despite the richness of the nose - while the tannins are sweet, but slightly grippy.

From a flavor standpoint, it’s massive blackberries, thyme, and a petrolly funk that mostly blew off after about an hour. A slight hazelnut flavor, which sometimes happens with natural wines with minimal SO2 treatment. This isn’t that last word in complexity or finish, but it’s an absolutely a fun natural wine and great value at sub$15. Perfect with the earthy braise - the acidity really helped lift the palate and show the most from the beef and parsnips without becoming heavy.

100% Le Fer Servadou

Bell peppers, jalapeños, and cranberries on the nose. Gorgeous freshness on the palate - great acidity and a meaty, iron-y finish. Firm, but not overbearing tannic grip. I think this has a couple of years of evolution, but the freshness is really appealing now. Something akin to a bright Touraine Cab Franc with a touch of Syrah’s signature meatiness — or a lighter, more energetic Tannat. Notable is the wine region’s (SW France/Gaillac/Marcillac) history of health-giving properties. This would be fabulous with cured meats, or a Russian kotlety with peppers.

From the “Damned Mountains”, which apparently damn industrial wine-making techniques like mechanical harvesters due to the steep hills - and encourage winemakers to spend more time in the vineyard. This is always a good thing.

Tight and a tad grassy on the first night.  Vigorous acidity with signature peas-and-chalk Sauv Blanc character. On the second night, more accessible - a touch fleshier with lemon candy and rosin. Considerably less green-ness too.

There is a real elegance to the proportions here - something like a classical ballet. Nuance and expressiveness within a strong fundamental framework. Maybe not power so much, but youthfulness and some grace. The finish is an intro-course in minerality. Fruitier with air, but by no means fruity. A great summer sipper now, but I think with some time this will become more cerebral. Typically a great partner with goat cheeses, the bright citric cut was actually fabulous with tacos.

I enjoyed a handful of interesting wines over the long weekend, in between settling into and working on the new pad.

Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Trinch! , 2007:
Served slightly chilled. An off bottle. Disappointing as heck. The last bottle was bursting with fruit and vibrancy…this one, fruitless and dull. What was left was green-pepper skin and soppy leaves.  I can’t say what the flaw is, but with wine as natural as this you have to take the good with the bad.

Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo, 2007: In good form, a solid showing. This bottle seemed slightly firmer structurally than my last, but delivered the goods with signature Nebbiolo roses and black cherries. Accessible, and a value under $15; perfect with a weeknight pasta dinner.

Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Le L D’Or, 1997: My first mature Muscadet, and a great one. Golden color and ripe nose, with citrus, a little fresh apricot and stone. Very well balanced acids, enough to satisfy my acid-tooth, but not overbearing or too zingy. Smooth on the palate, delivering a Chenin-like (Savennieres?) wooly character with tons of minerality and long finish. At around $20, this is a remarkable bottle of wine, and gives me a lot of hope in hoarding quality Muscadet for the future. Perfect with crab.

Puzelat/Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine La Guerrerie, 2007: Im starting to really love the quirky character of the Puzelat wines. Regardless of the varietal, they all seem to be super-fresh and unmanipulated, with an acidity that cries for food, and a component of earthy/hippy-ness that rocks. This cuvee is 75% Cot (malbec) and 25% Gamay from Touraine, and is loaded with ripe cranberries and underbrush. 11.5% ABV, lean and tightly wound, but with no harsh tannins - just direct and loosened with air - almost like a white wine. If this were a little cheaper, I’d be drinking way more than my fair share during the summer and early fall. Worked with stroganoff. But maybe better with a burger or grilled chicken.

Pierre Chermette is one of the great natural vignerons of Beaujolais. He believes in low yields, picking ripe with no chaptalization, and uses native yeasts to avoid the ‘banana effect’ that many cultured, industrial yeasts bring. His old-vines cuvee is typically a serious overachiever in the category . For ~$15US, you can almost always count on a very solid and truthful Gamay, made with love and reflective of the vintage (Which in 2007, seems to be all about expressive and accessible fruit, across Beaujolais)

This wine is vividly and explosively fruity. Vines of red raspberries, thicket and earth. There almost a Pinot-Noir character on the palate - silky and soft and a little chewy, but impossibly light. This reminds me a bit of the Brun L’Ancien 2007 right on release (the Brun seems to be a little shut down right now to me). I don’t get layers of esoteric aromas and flavors (not a whole lot of the graphite and crayon or 5-spice that Cru Bojo sometimes brings), this is more a thing of directness and truth.

This is definitely hard to resist right now - but after trying the ‘04 of the same cuvee earlier this year, I wouldn’t be in a too much of a hurry. This is a Swiss-army knife with food. Dare it to clash.

Forgive me––many transitions this summer, and little time to write about wine.

Matrot, Bourgogne Blanc 2006: Fat, slippery and wooley - almost demi-sec chenin-like. Loved it, but would like to try a cooler vintage. One of the more serious Bourgogne Blancs I’ve had. Drink with scallops.

Iche, VDP Herault, Les Heretiques 2007: Pure black fruit, clean acid, some dried herbs and ashy smoke. I can’t think of a better way to spend $9 on a red wine. Silly Summer Red Value.

Xarmant, Arabako Txakolina 2008: Electrifying. Laserbeam lemons and melon rind. Drink with tiny grilled fish - and friends.

Roagna makes a damn good, chewy but refreshing, and downright serious dolcetto for ~$15. Lots to love - I really couldn’t find much to fault - it was just offering up the goods across the board - violets, cherry-berries (?) and some earth. Throw all kinds of food toward this versatile wine - it’s one of those wines that reminds you that its made to be drunk.

Stephane Tissot, Poulsard, Vieilles Vignes, Arbois 2006: Stunning wine, and my first excursion into the Jura, specifically Arbois and with the indigenous Poulsard grape. This had me instantly with a nose that jumped out of the glass with clarity and freshness - wild bramble, raspberries, strawberries and an underpinning of mixed fresh herbs, spices and earth.

It brought together the best parts of Southern Rhone spice and garrigue, Burgundian finesse and the Loire freshness, but had a clarity of character all its own. The palate was so pure with ripping acidity - the nose was seductive but the palate punchy -  lifting the wine up and floating in the mouth. The tannins were quite grippy and apparent but not overwhelming or veiling. Time, cheese or fat will sort them out. The finish is rought with quartzy-shisty minerality. This wine was best on the first day, but still drinkable and intriguing on the 4th - with the fresh fruit giving way to a plum skin and mineral mix.  If this is entry level at under $20 - my door is now totally open, and my ears are on to get more. Stay tuned….

Domaine de la Tue-Boeuf - Le Brin de Chèvre, Touraine,  2007: 100% Menu Pineau. Fierce, bright, super-light and zippy. Lime zest, Granny smith apple  and white peach on the nose, with a linear, tart palate. Tight when popped cool, but it looseded up after an hour to show some more midpalate weight and chalky finish. Not as esoteric at this point as some of the other Puzelat efforts, but truly invigorating, fun and a perfect shellfish partner.

Clos Roche Blanche, Cuvee Gamay, Touraine, 2008: I’m afraid I’m either really missing something or got another slightly off bottle of this wine. This was my 2nd and last bottle purchased earlier this summer, and it showed exactly like the first. Synthetic Cork version. Balsamic with a slight pepperiness with a nip of cherry and bay. Maybe prune. I’m thinking both bottles either got a slight ‘cooking’ in shipping (it was in the mid 70s when shipped)  and/or some VA/vinegar taint somewhere along the way.  Still - while pretty much fruitless, there was an amazing limestoney mineral character on the backend that was unharmed and unharnessed.  I drank it to see what if things would blow off - and while interesting, I just kept thinking that something was off. Unfortunately these 2 bottles have been my only exposure to the esteemed estate,  I need to explore more when the weather cools down and shipping becomes a viable option.