Joe Dressner knows how to pick 'em. He has an awesome portfolio of French wines, terroir-driven and all that. Here are tasting notes -- egad, from me? -- from a pleasant hour or two spent at Chambers Street Wines early in 2007. It was a very hard period for me personally. This was a highlight in an otherwise dismal time.
Ironically, the wine that thrilled me the most was one of his rare Italian wines. But it was from Aosta, the tiny French-speaking region tucked at the juncture of Switzerland and France.
Needless to say, the prices listed at CSW are nearly two years old.
February 25, 2007
"Real wine" is a g-g-good thing
Eager to escape from the apartment and a sick partner -- yes, I am a cold cold man -- I hied me down to Chambers Street Wines for a tasting of new Louis/Dressner arrivals from France and (2 from) Italy.
For those of you who haven't noticed, Louis/Dressner specializes in organic, unmanipulated wines from various parts of the world. Joe Dressner also has a quirky, insiderish and very funny blog. (Joe, the blog's software platform is antediluvian. Just thought I'd be the first...) But France is their home territory, and they presented a lovely array of new releases from several regions of France. (See continuation for the complete list of wines tasted.)
Do you know mayolet?
Since this is a blog about, mostly, Italian wines, I thought I'd zero in on a wonderful discovery I made at the Louis/Dressner tasting today. I tasted a light-colored, fragrant red from a grape called mayolet, a rarity from Val d'Aosta, the French-speaking region of extreme northwest Italy. (When Italy was becoming united, I think they had to swap Nice for this region, good choice for a winelover.)
The winemaker is a teacher whose avocation is wine, and a brilliant avocation it is, if Franco Noussan's Mayolet 2005 is any indication. Leading off with a nervy, bright, flavor of cherry, this mayolet has something of the cold-climate Pinot Noir about it, delicately fruity and perfumed. It has a moderate finish, always light and lively on the palate. It is a beautifully balanced wine -- acid does not dominate, alcohol is just 12.5% -- and it would go perfectly with the best, most roseate salumeria, for example. The good news is that it sells for $24.99 retail. The bad news? Such a small amount is made that Louis/Dressner got only 10 cases. Better rush down to Chambers Street, pronto. Rare grape, rare purity.
(By the way, you can read Franco Noussan's Harvest Report -- scroll all the way down to October 24.)
Franco Noussan also makes a Cuve' de la Cote, a 2004 Pinot Noir that is 13% and costs just $18.99 at Chambers Street Wines.
Louis/Dressner sure knows how to pick 'em.
But wait! There was more!
Here is the complete list of wines at the tasting, with Chambers Street Wines' prices:
Whites
Luneau-Papin Clos des Alles 2005 Muscadet -- $12.49 (see, organic and gooood needn't cost a lot)
Tue-Boeuf Buisson Pouilleux 2005 -- $18.99
Tue-Boeuf Brin de Chevre 2005 -- $15.99 (rustic and I loved it, rare grape [menou pineau],
nice finish)
Domaine de Roally Viré Clessé 2004 -- $17.99 (by the incomparable Thevenet, and there's
a story there...)
Barth Muscat 2005 -- $16.99
Barth Riesling Rebgarten 2005 -- $17.99 (amazingly good for the price, dry and floral)
Reds
Cascina ‘Tavijn Grignolino d’Asti 2005 -- $14.99
Franco Noussan Mayolet 2005 -- $24.99
Terres Dorées Morgon 2005 -- $16.49 (quel parfum! OK, I like Morgon but this is really good)
Thierry Puzelat KO In Cot We Trust 2005 -- $16.99 (Cot aka Malbec but as different from big hot
Argentine wines as you can imagine...real finesse here)
Dard & Ribo Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2004 -- $24.99
Dard & Ribo St Joseph Rouge 2004 -- $31.99 (beautiful but still closed...give it and the Crozes
some time)
And what did we drink with dinner? Stuff we had in the house. First, a Jean Thevenet fave around here (Emilian Gillet, which may be phased out as Roally, a Thevenet acquisition in 2000, expands) and a Cavallotto Dolcetto d'Alba 2005.
Yes, my children, it was a very nice wine day.
Comments