I hadn’t had a drop of Grenache in many months - and wanted to see what I’d been missing. This CdR gave off a nose of smokey dried cherries, wild thyme and ripe blackberries. Big, in stature and up-tight tannins and texture, but a little boozy on the back-end. Dust and licorice on the finish.

Thankfully, it’s not spoofy, acids were present, and no oak lipsticking -  but it’s not jumping out at me. It’s really a seasonal thing I guess - Côtes du Rhônes have always been more of a winter-warmer-with-a-hearty-stew for me, and under the 90 degree humid Cincinnati oppresssion we call summer, I’d rather have a chilled Txakolina. It does have a “tastyness factor” and lots of folks are gunna love this, expecially with the right pairing, on the right cool evening.

No, I didn’t spend the weekend naked - but my wines did.

Francios Pinon  “Cuvee Traditional” Vouvray 2007: Slammin. Delicious tension between the seduction and the elegance. A wave of acid, a twist of bitter and twinge of sugar.

Domaine de la Pepiere “Clos des Briords” Muscadet…, 2007: Perfect and crystalline, this is a near-flawless expression of vigor, freshness and minerality.

Chateau Musar, Red “Gaston Hochar” 1997: Rediculously umami. A little hot, but pure pleasure. Ingenious in it’s composition - it didn’t feel at all like a blend of grapes - It had one-thing-ness, a higher harmony. Clearly one of the truly singular red wines of the world, bursting with character.

Clos Roche Blanche “Cuvee Gamay” Touraine, 2008: Bubblegum, twigs, black tea and cherries. My first time with this wine, and it maybe underdelivered. I will revisit the other bottle in a few months. Quality wine, no doubt, but I got way more excited by the Puzelat’s Gamay a few weeks ago.

The secret’s out.

Nobody is going to mistake Cantillon’s Classic Geueze for High Life.  This artisanal, traditionally made brew has a grain bill of mostly barley with a small proportion of wheat - which is fermented in the upper-story of the Cantillon brewery in Brussels. The native yeasts there bring the funk and unique character to the brew, which is then blended with 2- and 3-year old aged Geuezes to create the ‘Classic’ blend. This example was dated May 28, 2008 - so it is still young, Geueze-wise.

I poured it a little too chilled - and it was unforgiving until it came back down to 45-50ish degrees. Fresh apricots and a bretty dankness arose from the glass - peculiar to itself, but familiar in feel to some of the natural wines  that bring wet straw and saddle-leather. The palate was a twisting torquing work-over - bright, high-toned, bracing and cutting. The bubbles were expansive, active and fresh.

This isn’t a patio pounder, although it was refreshing and light - it needs food to really show off. I’d go with either shellfish or washed-rind cheeses - with the acidity adding brightness and color, or contrasting with the fat. Cantillon really pushes the natural angle - expressing what I’d call  the beer equivilant of the terroir concept. Again, this is not for everyone - lively acidity isn’t usually on a beer drinker’s radar - but it works.

Thierry Puzelat Pineau d’Aunis Touraine la Tesnière, 2007: This wine is my first exposure to the quirky Loire-indigene “P d’A”, also know as Chenin Noir. This is peculiar grape, no doubt - and in the hands of the brigadeer-general of natural winemaking, Thierry Puzelat, it is totally alive and expressive. Some funk on popping, which integrated quickly into a cinnamon and patchouli whirlwind of a nose, with a  whiff of strawberry patch and bubblegum. The palate was direct and juicy, but not as acidic and bright as say, their Le Telquel Gamay.  Super-easy to drink - but totally exotic and ever-changing, with crazy spices from far-away marketplaces, oakmoss, balsam and chammomile. It actually reminded me a bit of Lush’s Aromaco, if you”re into that kind of stuff. I can’t imagine this dovetailing with food very easily and against my philosphy - I’d probably call this more of a ‘cocktail wine’ or an aperitif to wake up your palate (in Marrakesh?). Maybe with kababs, shwarma or Peking duck.  Above all though, this is fun wine for those who don’t hate hippies. You know who you are.

Edmund St. John Bone Jolly, El Dorado County Gamay Noir 2006: Finally, an American makes a wine that touches the core of my acid-loving palate. Steve Edmunds has been making European-styled vin-natural for a couple of decades from handful of carefully selected vineyards thoughtout California. While he and his wife are known for their Rhone varieties, this Gamay has (intentionally) a lot more in common with Cru Beaujolais than anything that I’ve tasted from California. The nose is all Gamay - a little cleaner than some of the naturally made Cru’s - but brimming with strawberries, graphite and a gravelly minerality. Delightfully ripping with acidity - almost sour - mouthwatering, but beautiful with food - chicken, meaty fish, burgers, pastas, you can’t go wrong. I didn’t get the layers of spice box and herbal notes that the Cru sometimes bring - but the directness and clarity here is where it’s at. No bubblegum either.  This is the polar opposite of the big-extracted hedonistic-fruit bombs California is known for, and it makes me happy to see a serious, and delicious domestic take on Gamay outside it’s ancestral home.

Grolet  Cote du Bourg ‘Cuvee G’, 2005: Finally, This is the merlot I’ve been looking for. High-toned red fruit and plums just at the perfect point of ripeness before they get soft and goopy. Red currant. Tons of minerality on the finish - just chock full or rocks. Great acids. One day 2, it was even better - rounder with some tobacco and earth supporting the fruit. This is wine that is meant to be drunk, not tasted, scored etc. The ‘Cuvee G’ is biodynamically-made from high-altitude vines  - and it speaks of thoughtful and patient work in the vineyard and cellar. Super value - I so wish I had purchased more than 1 bottle…I will be waiting patiently for the 2006es.

New York, I love ya:

Conti di Buscareto Verdicchio di Castelli de Jesi, 2007 Le Marche: Soft and floral, with fuller-than-expected midpalate weight and less-than-expected acidity for the varietal.

Francois Pinon Vouvray Petillant Brut (2006?): Expansive and lush, with damp forest, yellow peach, and quince. Almost completely dry. It was more expressive with airtime and less of a chill on it. Chicken in the house.

Txomin Etxaniz, Txakoli Getaria 2007: Lightly floral and limey with a searing acidity and lift. So fresh, so summery. Shellfish come hither.

Abbazia di Novacella Muller Thurgau 2007, Alto Adige: Shuerebe-like aromas of tangerine, candied orange, and gravel. Deceivingly dry.

Rolly Gassmann Auxerrois 2001, Alsace: A little fresh pea, asparagus, lemon, funk, nuts and grass. A drop of residual sugar adds fullness and counterpoint to the twirl of bitterness on the finish and the great acidity on the front end. Very cool. Worth seeking out more….

Moving the house put the breaks on regular updates for the short term. Below are my quick notes for some of the highlights of the last few weeks:

Haand Bryggeriet ‘Dark Force’ Wheat Stout: Soup-like density and robustness. Prunes, bitter-cocoa, Kenyan coffee, currant on the nose and palate. Large-scaled, but not gobby. Hop character livens and balances. Extroardinary stout - one of the most compelling I’ve had.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA: Nervy hopped character and citric fruited nose. Smooth palate transition, integrated and flowing. I wouldn’t go so far as to say elegant, but definitly more finessed than the Avery and Founders. Pure pleasure.

Founders ‘Double Trouble’ Imperial IPA: Richer in body and slightly sappier on the palate than the DFH 90 - but in a very similar class quality-wise. Maybe a pinch less residual sugar or molasses character would suite my palate more, but this is a very solid IIPA that would pair well with cheeses or spicier cuisine.

Avery ‘Maharaja’ Imperial IPA: A one-two punch of  vibrant grapefruit hoppiness on the frontend, and carmelly maltiness on the back. Extreme, but tasty despite being disjointed. Too fierce to daily drinking.

Dark Horse Sapient Trip Ale: The Belgian Trippel is a difficult style to own, and this comes reasonably close but ultimately doesn’t take me anyplace new. Bananas, white raisins, clove and coriander on the nose. Great lacing and carbonation, yet the overall character is a bit fat and laborious on the palate. Candied sweetness on the backend and  not the last word in complexity. Fair, but Fin du Monde has more flair as far as New World Trippels I Would Drink First.

Domaine Guion Bourgueil ‘Cuvee Domaine’ 2007: As solid a cabernet franc as you will find for sub-$15.  On the riper side on the nose, but brightly fresh and clean on the palate. Correct, honest, natural and expressive, especially on the 2nd day, where the fruit subsided to revealed a tangy minerality on the back-end. I’m not sure of the estate’s soil, but there is a schisty-flintiness here that is unmistakable. House red. A Chambers Street Wines Direct Import.

Domaine De Reuilly ‘Blanc Les Pierres Plates’ 2007: Pungently cirtric - my mind goes straight to seafood - anything you’d squeeze a lemon on would be a beautiful partner. Shrimp, oysters, even lobster or crab. Some minerality on the backend, but right now the fruit is ruling the palate and nose.  A touch of grass too. Lightning acidity. There is clear quality here - it’s hard to find great Loire Sauvignon ~$20 that can compete with Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, but this can. A Kermit Lynch import.

Peybonhomme-les-Tours Bordeaux ‘Le Clairet de Peybonhomme’ 2007: Old-skool Clairet - created deliberately using very short (several hours?) of skin contact during maceration to pull a unique salmon-iron color. Character-ful and delicate - with Cabernet Franc and Merlot offering cherries, peppers , some herb-garden and floral notes  - clean and fresh, alive and fun. Killer value and fantabulously awesome label art that might be stolen from someone’s grandma’s boudoir. A Chambers Street Wines Direct Import.

Vignai Da Duline, Tocai Friulano, Friuli Grave 2005: Massive amounts of quince and rocks, pure and vibrant. Pretty weighty for a Tocai, but not fat - the acids really sings on the backend. Nutty with a little touch of citrus on the midpalate and just perfect with light pasta dishes or fish. The wine evolved over 48 hours, softening and relaxing - but showed best at 24 hours though. Sipper and thinker in the Friulian tradition of natural winemaking - but not overly eccentric.

Puzelat, Le Telquel, Touraine / VdP France, Gamay, 2007: Amazingly unrestrained gamay - a joyful cherried wine, with a curious spicy fringe of ras el hanout and sandalwood. A little rustic funk on opening that subsided as the wine breathed. A pleasing twist of acidity and a good measure tannins to keep it upright. One of the coolest, most charismatic wines I’ve had this year.  I want a case!

I am not affiliated with, but would certainly appreciate some local representation of my fave importer, who is asking for such.

Read Further here: http://www.slate.com/id/2217806/

(Furthermore, if they bring a tasting portfolio, and you don’t invite me, you may catch the cancer)