Gaston Chiquet, “Special Club”, Brut, 2000
The Special Club or Club Tresors de Champagne (Treasures of Champagne) was founded in 1971. All members are registered Recoltant-Manipulant (RM). Currently there are twenty-six members.
This is our second look at a vintage two-thousand from Chiquet. At seventy percent, Chardonnay will be the focus. The source of the Chardonnay is the Grand Cru ‘Ay’. Ay is one of Champagne’s seventeen villages rated Grand Cru; it is a stronghold for Pinot Noir. Chiquet makes a ‘blanc de blancs’ from Ay, one of only two. The vines were planted in 1935.
Composition: 70% Chardonnay (Ay) 30% Pinot Noir (Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay).
Disgorged: 11/12/08
Dosage: 8 gl
Note: I will be drinking the wine over three days. The Metrokane “Velvet Champagne and Wine Sealer” is my closure.
Nose: Malt, Chardonnay notes with Pinot Noir density, chocolate briefly, chalk, sugared match-heads, bread-toast, ginger-bread, Pinot rising, flowers, soy, curds in gold, pulverized white rocks, pumpkin pie, pastry-dough, finished pastries, orange zest, chive, gristle, grease, skillet, green-chile skins.
Palate: Apple, green acid - red fruit, blood-orange emerging, heavy soil/stone presence, ultra-clear, lemon, pith, golden raspberries, sweet Pinot, intensely soil/ site specific, one panel is chiseled, etched, the other malty and rich.
Second day: The nose is Pinot with a thread of grass or celery. More brine than yesterday. A light oaken color, very pretty in the light. Spring like and floral, white crystals on a tomato crown. There is mandarin peel and carob. A piercing Chardonnay green, “…its golden green eyes flashes meaningfully.” The palate is still very focused revealing more salt; spruce briefly. My notes expire with: grass and mineral, sweet saline, green apple skin.
3rd Day. Nose: Lemon, oyster shells, pine-needles, orange liquor.
Palate: Rosemary, pine, lime, pomegranate. The wine is more unified today, there are no seams. Chablis with more weight.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Gaston Chiquet Vintage Brut, 2000
Gaston Chiquet Vintage Brut, 2000
Recently I addressed a wine from Jacques Lassaigne. Lassaigne hails from Montgueux in the Aube (Cote des Bar), the least well known of Champagne’s four main districts. Today we shall address one of the grower producers that I recommended in the course of that article, Gaston Chiquet. Our passport is the 2000 Vintage Brut. This is a Premier Cru wine, 1er Cru. A percentage of the Pinot Noir is Grand Cru (Ay). Chiquet comes to us by way of the Marne Valley (Vallee de la Marne) one of Champagne’s more famous sub-districts. I encountered the bottle recently, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to acquire it. I paid 53.99.
You’re correct in thinking that I can not afford this bottle and others like it and that there is indeed something wrong with me. Seriously what about my IRA, my savings, my checking? This is a difficult economic moment and yes I have been struggling; money is not as fluid as it once was. What on earth am I doing?
I’ve felt for some time that a great wine has the potential to transport. Whether it be a four dollar bottle of California “Chablis” or a vintage Bordeaux. The goal of my drinking is to remember not to forget and tonight we remember what a great opportunity we have to study and consume grower producer Champagne’s at fair prices before the rest of the world catches on.
Facts: Registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant). 22 hectares planted to 40% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier, and 20% Pinot Noir. Yes to ml. Winemaking tradition in the family dates back to 1746. Gaston Chiquet became a brand in 1935. Roughly 17,000 cases per annum. (Veuve Clicquot produces 1.4 million cases of their ‘yellow label’ per annum.) Chiquet is a Special Club member.
Disgorged: 10/21/08
Composition: 60% Pinot Noir (Mareuil-sur Ay and Ay) 40% Chardonnay (Dizy)
Dosage: 6 gl
Note: I’m going to drink the bottle over two days. The closure that I’m using is the Metrokane “Velvet Champagne and Wine Sealer”.
Nose: toffee, caramel, sandal-wood, bees-wax, mushroom, little burnt, the charred surface of a lemon, citrus roasting over an open fire, marshmallow, celery, the ocean, grass, sweet tea, pig fat, menthol, forest-floor.
Palate: blood orange and salt water taffy, beginning to feel like an older wine but still youthful, a great deal of room for development, very soft, luxurious, gentle, composed, red apple skin, deep ocean, hazelnuts, soy.
This is a wine for Romantics. Fearlessly beautiful. Articulate and noble.
Second day: Color of gold raisins. Malt, yeast, and bread in the mouth. Chile pepper on the nose, mint and spruce. Guessing this would be great with a glazed ham. A great wine for Christmas Day! Give a bottle to yourself for Christmas. Send me one as well. The coffers are getting empty. Did I mention that I like Riesling?
If you can’t find this “Gold Label” Vintage 2000, the NV Brut “Tradition” should be readily available. When I visit my parents I try to get to Julio’s Liquors in Westboro at least four times and I know they’re carrying wines from this importer and others like it. If you can’t find this label specifically but would be interested in others in the same category go to a wine shop and engage the staff or wine buyer. Most people who work in the wine business taste a lot of wine, are knowledgeable, and want to help you. There are at least three retailers carrying Chiquet in Santa Fe but only one carrying the “Gold Label” Vintage Brut, 2000.
Recently I addressed a wine from Jacques Lassaigne. Lassaigne hails from Montgueux in the Aube (Cote des Bar), the least well known of Champagne’s four main districts. Today we shall address one of the grower producers that I recommended in the course of that article, Gaston Chiquet. Our passport is the 2000 Vintage Brut. This is a Premier Cru wine, 1er Cru. A percentage of the Pinot Noir is Grand Cru (Ay). Chiquet comes to us by way of the Marne Valley (Vallee de la Marne) one of Champagne’s more famous sub-districts. I encountered the bottle recently, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to acquire it. I paid 53.99.
You’re correct in thinking that I can not afford this bottle and others like it and that there is indeed something wrong with me. Seriously what about my IRA, my savings, my checking? This is a difficult economic moment and yes I have been struggling; money is not as fluid as it once was. What on earth am I doing?
I’ve felt for some time that a great wine has the potential to transport. Whether it be a four dollar bottle of California “Chablis” or a vintage Bordeaux. The goal of my drinking is to remember not to forget and tonight we remember what a great opportunity we have to study and consume grower producer Champagne’s at fair prices before the rest of the world catches on.
Facts: Registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant). 22 hectares planted to 40% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier, and 20% Pinot Noir. Yes to ml. Winemaking tradition in the family dates back to 1746. Gaston Chiquet became a brand in 1935. Roughly 17,000 cases per annum. (Veuve Clicquot produces 1.4 million cases of their ‘yellow label’ per annum.) Chiquet is a Special Club member.
Disgorged: 10/21/08
Composition: 60% Pinot Noir (Mareuil-sur Ay and Ay) 40% Chardonnay (Dizy)
Dosage: 6 gl
Note: I’m going to drink the bottle over two days. The closure that I’m using is the Metrokane “Velvet Champagne and Wine Sealer”.
Nose: toffee, caramel, sandal-wood, bees-wax, mushroom, little burnt, the charred surface of a lemon, citrus roasting over an open fire, marshmallow, celery, the ocean, grass, sweet tea, pig fat, menthol, forest-floor.
Palate: blood orange and salt water taffy, beginning to feel like an older wine but still youthful, a great deal of room for development, very soft, luxurious, gentle, composed, red apple skin, deep ocean, hazelnuts, soy.
This is a wine for Romantics. Fearlessly beautiful. Articulate and noble.
Second day: Color of gold raisins. Malt, yeast, and bread in the mouth. Chile pepper on the nose, mint and spruce. Guessing this would be great with a glazed ham. A great wine for Christmas Day! Give a bottle to yourself for Christmas. Send me one as well. The coffers are getting empty. Did I mention that I like Riesling?
If you can’t find this “Gold Label” Vintage 2000, the NV Brut “Tradition” should be readily available. When I visit my parents I try to get to Julio’s Liquors in Westboro at least four times and I know they’re carrying wines from this importer and others like it. If you can’t find this label specifically but would be interested in others in the same category go to a wine shop and engage the staff or wine buyer. Most people who work in the wine business taste a lot of wine, are knowledgeable, and want to help you. There are at least three retailers carrying Chiquet in Santa Fe but only one carrying the “Gold Label” Vintage Brut, 2000.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Carmenere
Although not recognized as a noble grape, Carmenere is an interesting variety with an even more interesting history. It’s home is Bordeaux but this is not its power base; in Chile Carmenere has discovered new life. Once thought to be extinct and now rarely found in France, Carmenere is thriving in Chile’s warmer climate and longer growing season. Carmenere is Chile’s grape. At least this is how it was sold to us September in Chicago when Don, Ryan, and I visited Terra Andina’s new chief wine-marker Oscar Salas who was hosting a seminar and tasting for Terra Andina’s United States distributors. Carmenere can make a substantial red wine; I knew this before we left for Chicago. What I didn’t know was how polished these reds could be. Leaning towards an international style all of Oscar’s wines were clean, articulate, and thoughtful. I was shocked at how ripe the reds were. As if the green/iron thumbprint had been shined away and in its place there was a unity of fruit and perhaps a growing clarity of terroir.
Perhaps I’m getting carried away. It’s hard to separate the good times I had with Don and Ryan on that trip and the bottle of A. Margaine ‘demi-sec’ we drank after dinner that night from the feelings that were sweeping over me as we had just entered into our current situation. I was happy to be in Chicago and was excited about the reds that I had tasted that afternoon. I knew these were wines that I could sell with confidence and that Terra Andina was going to continue to make good decisions.
Terra Andina’s “varietal” level Carmenere can retail for as low as 7.99 and the “reserve” 12.99. There is incredible impact here for the dollar. Chilean reds traditionally run green. That’s a stigma they’ll continue to face. Yet these wines provide excellent value under ten dollars and stellar value both under and above fifteen. Carmenere may never enjoy the hysterics that Malbec has inspired but that does not exclude it from the tribe of traditional varieties that have found new life in the new world. With the soft dollar Europe remains an overstretched dime. Chilean wines are the opposite. These wines are over-performing as they clamor for recognition and their place on the world stage.
Perhaps I’m getting carried away. It’s hard to separate the good times I had with Don and Ryan on that trip and the bottle of A. Margaine ‘demi-sec’ we drank after dinner that night from the feelings that were sweeping over me as we had just entered into our current situation. I was happy to be in Chicago and was excited about the reds that I had tasted that afternoon. I knew these were wines that I could sell with confidence and that Terra Andina was going to continue to make good decisions.
Terra Andina’s “varietal” level Carmenere can retail for as low as 7.99 and the “reserve” 12.99. There is incredible impact here for the dollar. Chilean reds traditionally run green. That’s a stigma they’ll continue to face. Yet these wines provide excellent value under ten dollars and stellar value both under and above fifteen. Carmenere may never enjoy the hysterics that Malbec has inspired but that does not exclude it from the tribe of traditional varieties that have found new life in the new world. With the soft dollar Europe remains an overstretched dime. Chilean wines are the opposite. These wines are over-performing as they clamor for recognition and their place on the world stage.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Is it Leitz Out for Dr. Loosen
Is it Leitz Out for Dr. Loosen?
As much as I love Champagne I may love Riesling even more; maybe. Since I started this project two weeks ago, I’ve wanted to write a column comparing and contrasting the two Riesling’s that dominate the value Riesling category in my wine universe: Johannes Leitz’s, Leitz “OUT” and the Loosen Brothers, “Dr. L.”. Dr. L is a label that people know and recognize but is the Leitz a better wine and ultimately a better value? Let us look into this.
2007 Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” Riesling, Rheingau, Germany
Alcohol: 9.5%
Closure: Stelvin (screw-cap)
Price: 12.99
Facts: 100% Rudesheimer Magdalenekreux Kabinett
Accolades: 89+ Wine Library
Johannes Leitz is the leader of this Rheingau estate. A rising star on the German wine scene the “OUT” blew me away.
Flowers but nervous, drier than I expected at least upon opening, lemon peel, lime, rocks, good persistence, lots of flavor, a crisp and focused style, excellent food wine, a drier white with flavor, I wouldn’t call this ‘sweet’, a shade tropical.
From what I’ve read, Leitz bottles off the gross lees. Is this where the body is coming from? The size, the depth? What a value. What a wine.
2008 Loosen Brothers “Dr. L” Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Alcohol: 8.5%
Closure: Stelvin
Price: 11.99
Accolades: #62 on the Wine Spectator’s 2009 Top 100 list of “The Years Most Exciting Wines”, 90 points “Best Value”.
Facts: Dr. Loosen is one of the great estates of the Mosel. “L” is a non-estate wine.
Nose: Pine needle, evergreen, flowers, powder, art clay, river stones, lilac, citrus zest, lemon-grass, tin.
Palate: Faint tropics, lots of lemon, slate, good acidity and focus but lacks drive and depth, second glass is better than the first, the depth and drive are developing, cantaloupe, cantaloupe rind, refreshing, pretty.
The Verdict: At 11.99 the “L” is a great value but I love the “OUT”. The “L” is definitely a step behind in overall depth and complexity, intrigue and form. I understand the production on these wines is different with the “L” dwarfing the “OUT” but we’re talking bottle to bottle.
Although a bottle of the Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” may be more difficult to locate it’s worth seeking. If you see it by the glass in a restaurant order it, if you see it on a wine list take it for the first course. Great with salads, sea foods, lighter dishes, sushi, chocolate…
*
Last week I had a tasting out a Kokoman. Phil, a chemist who took early retirement from Los Alamos National Labs, referred me to a bottle of 2003 S.A. Prum “Graacher Himmelreich” Spatlese. Two-thousand and three is a controversial year and the wine is six years past vintage. I paid 22.99. This is a class growth bottle from a famous producer and I spent just over twenty bucks. German Riesling Kabinett’s and Spatlese are the best wines under thirty dollars on any shelf. Seek them out.
Warning: This wine smells like butter and freshly baked bread, it is wildly complex and beautiful. If you like your wines otherwise you may want to avoid this producer and others like him.
As much as I love Champagne I may love Riesling even more; maybe. Since I started this project two weeks ago, I’ve wanted to write a column comparing and contrasting the two Riesling’s that dominate the value Riesling category in my wine universe: Johannes Leitz’s, Leitz “OUT” and the Loosen Brothers, “Dr. L.”. Dr. L is a label that people know and recognize but is the Leitz a better wine and ultimately a better value? Let us look into this.
2007 Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” Riesling, Rheingau, Germany
Alcohol: 9.5%
Closure: Stelvin (screw-cap)
Price: 12.99
Facts: 100% Rudesheimer Magdalenekreux Kabinett
Accolades: 89+ Wine Library
Johannes Leitz is the leader of this Rheingau estate. A rising star on the German wine scene the “OUT” blew me away.
Flowers but nervous, drier than I expected at least upon opening, lemon peel, lime, rocks, good persistence, lots of flavor, a crisp and focused style, excellent food wine, a drier white with flavor, I wouldn’t call this ‘sweet’, a shade tropical.
From what I’ve read, Leitz bottles off the gross lees. Is this where the body is coming from? The size, the depth? What a value. What a wine.
2008 Loosen Brothers “Dr. L” Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Alcohol: 8.5%
Closure: Stelvin
Price: 11.99
Accolades: #62 on the Wine Spectator’s 2009 Top 100 list of “The Years Most Exciting Wines”, 90 points “Best Value”.
Facts: Dr. Loosen is one of the great estates of the Mosel. “L” is a non-estate wine.
Nose: Pine needle, evergreen, flowers, powder, art clay, river stones, lilac, citrus zest, lemon-grass, tin.
Palate: Faint tropics, lots of lemon, slate, good acidity and focus but lacks drive and depth, second glass is better than the first, the depth and drive are developing, cantaloupe, cantaloupe rind, refreshing, pretty.
The Verdict: At 11.99 the “L” is a great value but I love the “OUT”. The “L” is definitely a step behind in overall depth and complexity, intrigue and form. I understand the production on these wines is different with the “L” dwarfing the “OUT” but we’re talking bottle to bottle.
Although a bottle of the Josef Leitz, Leitz “OUT” may be more difficult to locate it’s worth seeking. If you see it by the glass in a restaurant order it, if you see it on a wine list take it for the first course. Great with salads, sea foods, lighter dishes, sushi, chocolate…
*
Last week I had a tasting out a Kokoman. Phil, a chemist who took early retirement from Los Alamos National Labs, referred me to a bottle of 2003 S.A. Prum “Graacher Himmelreich” Spatlese. Two-thousand and three is a controversial year and the wine is six years past vintage. I paid 22.99. This is a class growth bottle from a famous producer and I spent just over twenty bucks. German Riesling Kabinett’s and Spatlese are the best wines under thirty dollars on any shelf. Seek them out.
Warning: This wine smells like butter and freshly baked bread, it is wildly complex and beautiful. If you like your wines otherwise you may want to avoid this producer and others like him.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Jacques Lassaigne "les Vignes de Montgueux" Champagne blanc de blancs Brut NV
Jacques Lassaigne “les Vignes de Montgueux” Champagne blanc de blancs Brut NV
The wines of Jacques Lassaigne come from the lesser known Aube department (Cote des Bar) Champagne’s southern most outpost just north of Chablis. The Aube’s vineyards are closer to Chablis than any of the main Champagne districts and they lie on a similar soil. The ‘cru’ is Montgueux, a tiny hill of pure chalk often referred to as the Montrachet of Champagne. Montgueux is a special site for Chardonnay and this ‘cru’ has more in common with the great growths of the Cote des Blancs than the Pinot Noir by which it is surrounded.
My notes: Lemon in cursive. Golden Champagne. Unmistakably Chardonnay. Tempted to say Chablis with bubbles, tempted to say Burgundy with dosage. Dense and ripe, very impressive. Dusty minerals, powdery chalk, pulverized rock, ripe, ripe fruit, mineral in bass, lime and boulders.
I have a passion for small production, artisan Champagne. It was the base wine that took hold of me; the material beneath the bubbles. If you are serious about wine, decant. Then pour it in a Burgundy glass. What is happening at the level of the wine? This is after all a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir isn’t it?
Producers to seek out: Larmandier Bernier, Tarlant, Pierre Peters, Pierre Gimonnet, Egly Ouriet, A. Margaine, Jean Vesselle, Gaston Chiquet.
If you are going to buy Champagne and drink Champagne you should try small production or artisan Champagne.* This is a growing category in fine wine and one in which the dollar to quality ratio favors the consumer considerably.
*Not all grower producers are registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant) some like Lassaigne are registered NM (Negociant Manipulant) as they purchase a certain amount of their fruit. I don’t pay much attention to this as the wine tells a more complete story and you’ll know a “growers” when you encounter one.
The wines of Jacques Lassaigne come from the lesser known Aube department (Cote des Bar) Champagne’s southern most outpost just north of Chablis. The Aube’s vineyards are closer to Chablis than any of the main Champagne districts and they lie on a similar soil. The ‘cru’ is Montgueux, a tiny hill of pure chalk often referred to as the Montrachet of Champagne. Montgueux is a special site for Chardonnay and this ‘cru’ has more in common with the great growths of the Cote des Blancs than the Pinot Noir by which it is surrounded.
My notes: Lemon in cursive. Golden Champagne. Unmistakably Chardonnay. Tempted to say Chablis with bubbles, tempted to say Burgundy with dosage. Dense and ripe, very impressive. Dusty minerals, powdery chalk, pulverized rock, ripe, ripe fruit, mineral in bass, lime and boulders.
I have a passion for small production, artisan Champagne. It was the base wine that took hold of me; the material beneath the bubbles. If you are serious about wine, decant. Then pour it in a Burgundy glass. What is happening at the level of the wine? This is after all a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir isn’t it?
Producers to seek out: Larmandier Bernier, Tarlant, Pierre Peters, Pierre Gimonnet, Egly Ouriet, A. Margaine, Jean Vesselle, Gaston Chiquet.
If you are going to buy Champagne and drink Champagne you should try small production or artisan Champagne.* This is a growing category in fine wine and one in which the dollar to quality ratio favors the consumer considerably.
*Not all grower producers are registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant) some like Lassaigne are registered NM (Negociant Manipulant) as they purchase a certain amount of their fruit. I don’t pay much attention to this as the wine tells a more complete story and you’ll know a “growers” when you encounter one.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
la castellada 'bianco della castellada' collio 1999
La Castellada “Bianco della Castellada” Collio 1999
P. Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and perhaps Tocai Friulano and Ribolla are the species that constitute this intriguing wine. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the north easternmost wine producing area in Italy. Fruili contains the Collio D.O.C.
“La Castellada is located in the hills of Oslavia, just outside Gorizia. Working from a tiny, cramped cellar the outspoken, passionate Niccolo Bensa crafts artisanal wines loaded with personality. The wines, which see partial maceration on the skins, are made in a style that may not appeal to every palate, but readers looking to discover a unique expression of Collio terroir owe it to themselves to check out this winery. The estate favors French oak barrels for aging, with the exception of the Ribolla which is aged in medium-sized casks.” Antoni Galloni, The Wine Advocate, October 2007.
I acquired the bottle in a trade with a friend. He’s from the business so my expectations couldn’t be higher. I've never had or heard of this wine before.
*
La Castellada “Bianco della Castellada” Collio 1999
Color: Ancient gold looks Alsacian, unfiltered, hazy but luminous.
Nose: Coco, chalk-mineral, lemon, smoke or wood toast, lees, cinnamon, nutmeg, hazelnuts, pennies, orange peel.
Palate: Touch maderise, soft, nutty, sweet rind, saline, heavy mineral, oceanic, sweet brine. Reminds me of the 1999 Clos de la Coulee de Serrant that Don gave me. Both exhibit the same sweet degeneration but is bare and dry. Pine resin, sap.
Summary: Wow! What an interesting wine. I don't drink much Italian wine but this is impressive. I like the age on the wine. It's nice to run in to some "older" bottles.
P. Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and perhaps Tocai Friulano and Ribolla are the species that constitute this intriguing wine. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the north easternmost wine producing area in Italy. Fruili contains the Collio D.O.C.
“La Castellada is located in the hills of Oslavia, just outside Gorizia. Working from a tiny, cramped cellar the outspoken, passionate Niccolo Bensa crafts artisanal wines loaded with personality. The wines, which see partial maceration on the skins, are made in a style that may not appeal to every palate, but readers looking to discover a unique expression of Collio terroir owe it to themselves to check out this winery. The estate favors French oak barrels for aging, with the exception of the Ribolla which is aged in medium-sized casks.” Antoni Galloni, The Wine Advocate, October 2007.
I acquired the bottle in a trade with a friend. He’s from the business so my expectations couldn’t be higher. I've never had or heard of this wine before.
*
La Castellada “Bianco della Castellada” Collio 1999
Color: Ancient gold looks Alsacian, unfiltered, hazy but luminous.
Nose: Coco, chalk-mineral, lemon, smoke or wood toast, lees, cinnamon, nutmeg, hazelnuts, pennies, orange peel.
Palate: Touch maderise, soft, nutty, sweet rind, saline, heavy mineral, oceanic, sweet brine. Reminds me of the 1999 Clos de la Coulee de Serrant that Don gave me. Both exhibit the same sweet degeneration but is bare and dry. Pine resin, sap.
Summary: Wow! What an interesting wine. I don't drink much Italian wine but this is impressive. I like the age on the wine. It's nice to run in to some "older" bottles.
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