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Tasting Notes and Storyline by Bastardo
THE PETER WEYGANDT TASTING
Peter Weygandt was speaking as B.D. and I slunk in, trying not to disrupt the goings on. We quickly took our seats, noticing that Wayne Hicks and friend Jill, whom we’d recently met at Mo’Cool ’98, were both in attendance. We then got right down to tasting. 1997 Domaine Cassagnoles Gros Manseng (Gascony) $8.49 Mr. Weygandt has been importing French wines for 11 years; he says he was first by attracted their "diversity, character, distinctiveness and authenticity". This is a perfect example. Gros Manseng is a white varietal that I’d never tasted, much less even heard of. Not unlike a Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc, it’s a tart medium straw, with nice apple/pear/wet stone/hint o’ spice characteristics that shows good QPR. It was mostly fermented in stainless steel, but 1/6th got new oak.
1997 Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy "Les Coutes" Sancerre $15.99 I’d had this on previous occasions, as had B.D. Our impressions were pretty much the same this time; pale straw, with lotsa lemon along with white fruit/herb/mineral/hint o’ cat pee, and of course, lemon squirt acidity. Mr. Weygandt added some interesting tidbits regarding this wine (and the rest as well), and its makers. 1997 compares to the great vintages in history for Sancerre; normally wines from this medieval village are in the neighborhood of 10.5% alcohol, but this one’s 13.5%! The vineyards feature plenty of chalk and limestone. And finally, Pascal and Nicolas are both 6’3", and members of the Sancerre rugby team. Fascinating to contemplate that men who play such a rugged sport make such a nice wine… 1996 Etienne Boileau Chablis "Vieilles Vignes" $14.99 Peter says this medium straw comes from chalky limestone vineyards that are not unlike the White Cliffs of Dover in makeup, and is 13% natural alcohol. He rightly described a "mind-boggling concentration of fruit and acidity," which featured lovely dry pear/apple with nuances of peanut butter, and did I detect some subtle oak? Probably my favorite of the whites. 1996 A. Scherer Tokay Pinot Gris "Vieilles Vignes" Alsace $14.99 This medium straw (with a slight tinge of pink) shows a subtle floral nose, with a hint of sweet fruit, a touch of pine and a unique herbal quality. Mr. Weygandt notes a "smoky rich concentration" here, adding that it’s made in a very traditional manner by a young man taking over from his father. It comes from only the oldest vines, and is aged in small oak barrels. A very interesting, satisfying white. 1995 Domaine de Fontenille Cotes de Luberon $12.69 I loved the ’93 model of this that Bob David poured for us in Joisey for its complex gamy character, but this dark garnet shows little of that at this point. However, this vintage is a superior one, so bottle aging should add complexity to the clean plum/black cherry/smoke flavors and aromas, as well as smooth out the astringent finish. The appellation is 30 miles southeast of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and the vinification is exactly like that practiced at Clos du Pape. 1995 Eric & Joel Durand "Les Coteaux" St. Joseph $20.69 The best St. Joseph I’ve had, but that’s not saying all that much. It’s my experience that these are the simplest of the northern Rhone Syrahs. Still, it has a creamy fruity nose, with nice plum/meat/bacon/violet that echoes on the palate. There’s also a note that resembles freshly buttered toast; you can smell the barrique, as this is aged in 228 gallon oak barrels (but they’re not new). 1990 Ployez/Jacquemart Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne $45.99 Wow!!! What a terrific Champagne! Smoky/baked/bisquity/yeasty nose that strongly influences the apple/pear flavors, this is one of the best I’ve tasted. Weygandt says that Champagne villages have ratings just like vintages and individual wines, and this comes from one rated 100. He describes the Ployez family as being throwbacks to the last century, serious and uncompromising. B.D. pointed out that our glasses lost much of their effervescence after 5 minutes or so (maybe it was just the bottle that we tasted; I only heard positive comments otherwise). Still, this is SO strong, that it continued to sing, despite this minor drawback. My wine of the night. 1995 Domaine Des Lambrays Morey-St.-Denis "Premier Cru" $37.99 Peter felt that we needed to finish with this, calling it "the quintessence of Burgundy," and he was absolutely correct. Ruby garnet, it features gorgeous perfumed black cherry flavors and aromas that are lovely already. Zinvocate remarked, "Awesome;…good $#!+!" This was a very enjoyable tasting of some exciting French wines. We had a nice chat with Mr. Weygandt afterwards, and took advantage of a photo opportunity as well. I know that I speak for Bored Doughnut when I say how very much we appreciate Zinvocate’s invitation to this very special event!
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