Chateau des Jacques Moulin-À-Vent

Maison Louis Jadot
Chateau des Jacques
Moulin-À-Vent
Gamay
Beaujolais
Romanèche-Thorins, France
2011
13%
$21.99 -- The Still, Lincoln, NE

Color: Medium strawberry red
Nose: Cherry, marijuana, nutmeggy cinnamony
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry licorice but not as sweet as TwizzlersTM
Middle: Orange peel, coffee
Back: Rocks, dust, thyme
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Shhh. I have changed my wine-reviewing strategy. I felt bad giving lukewarm or even tart reviews to wines, so I am only going to review ones I think offer a happy experience. Also, I felt bad reviewing wines nobody really could get (down here in the 99 percent), so I am going to try to stick to good values. That doesn't mean all inexpensive wines, exactly, but there won't be a whole lot of red Burgundy, let's just put it that way.

I'm tasting this wine after it's been open a day, and it still has a delightful way about it. Not too heavy, not overpowering, it's about nuance and a few fresh, strong flavors. The aromas are beautiful; it tastes good with almonds, prosciutto, and fish. The feeling it gives you as you smell and drink it is that sense you sometimes get that it must surely be only the beginning of a wonderful evening.

Vincent Pouilly-Fuissé Marie-Antoinette

J.J. Vincent
Marie-Antoinette
Pouilly-Fuissé
Chardonnay
Fuissé, Burgundy, France
2008
13%
$15.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Light gold
Nose: Smoke, lemon, wet earth
Body: Light
Front: Salty peach
Middle: Lemony tang
Back: Oak, wet rocks
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

I'm on a quest for a cheap Costco star Chardonnay, and it's not going well. So far, the Kumeu River and the Gary Farrell (which I see I did not review, but will next time!) are leading the pack, but they're not really cheap at around $20. Come through for me, France!

This is close. The nose isn't exciting, but on the palate, the wine is balanced, smooth, and has some nice layers of acid, fruit, and oak. It's great with the impromptu antipasto I'm having: cornichons, cherry peppers, a little salami, and mustard.

Chateau de Launay Bordeaux Superieur

Chateau de Launay
Bordeaux Superieur
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
St.-Emilion, Gironde, France
2003
14.5%
$20.29 -- Twin Liquors, Bee Cave, TX

Color: Deep clear garnet
Nose: Cherry, black olives, black currant
Body: Medium to full
Front: Cassis, licorice
Middle: Black cherry, espresso, charred vegetables
Back: Leathery tannins, mint
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Alright. One mystery has been solved: my Bordeaux-disappointment problem. I like St.-Emilion, and not so much the other areas that I have tried. This may require a systematic approach to figuring out if this is true of all the areas.

There's a lot going on in this wine. It's good. I'm going to go back and get more. Tonight I'm having it with a little sauteed spinach, butternut squash soup, and lemon-herb marinated pork tenderloin, which I'm sure will be a good pairing, but it's pleasant with a simple chunk of Centenol cheese, too.

Barrot et Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine Lucien Barrot et Fils
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
Vaucluse, Chemin du Clos, France
2007
15%
$25.95 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dark red, purple edges
Nose: Stewed cranberries; licorice; coffee jam; Slim Jim
Body: Full
Front: Dark cherries, violets
Middle: Licorice, blackberries, mushrooms
Back: Espresso, firm tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Everybody has had coffee jam, right? Just checking. It's an occult southern tradition; you can look it up. This is a tasty wine, good for a cold night with some baked chicken and a warm, salty tomato and basil soup. It's a good deal at the Costco price, as there aren't a huge number of $25 wines that are this interesting, especially after an hour to breathe.

Mérode Ladoix 1er Cru White Burgundy

Prince Florent de Mérode
Ladoix 1er Cru
Hautes Mourottes
Chardonnay
Grand Vin de Bourgogne
Ladoix-Serrigny, Cote-d'or, France
2005
13%
$24.49 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Rich light gold
Nose: Lemon, salt, intriguing hint of charred bone
Body: Medium
Front: Lemon, salt
Middle: Lime, beach ball
Back: Wood for days, graphite
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a lovely wine, if a little rough in the transitions. The acid is good, and there's a hint of fruit in it, with nice non-food savors. It's great with nuts and cheese, and I think would be phenomenal with oysters, if I had any lying around here. The nose smells a bit like a fire raging in a lemon grove. Or a forest fire being put out with lemon juice, either of which reminds me more of California, but the palate is French to be sure.

Chateau Fuisse Pouilly-Fuisse

Chateau Fuisse
Pouilly-Fuisse
"Les Combettes"
Chardonnay
Cru de Bourgogne
J.J. Vincent, Burgundy, France
2006
13.5%
$40.99 -- Wine Library, Springfield, NJ

Color: Rich light gold
Nose: Lemon, salt, lime, bread
Body: Full
Front: Lemon, orange
Middle: French toast, parsley, salt
Back: A hint of bread, pear rind
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a stunning wine. It's big and lush, but has a slice of acid in it that's truly delightful, and in just the right place. It has a long, clingy delivery and is fantastic with nuts, white cheeses, pate, all sorts of foods. I wish more California makers could get this style at this alcohol level.

Christmas is past, but thanks to this wine I'm still in the spirit!

Château Petit Fombrauge St. Emilion

Château Petit Fombrauge
St. Emilion Grand Cru
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Libournais, Bordeaux, France
2000
13.9%
$35.98 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Medium to deep ruby
Nose: Pear, mustard, thyme, cherry
Body: Light to medium
Front: Cassis, tobacco
Middle: Chocolate, pickles
Back: Coffee, orange, sage 
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This wine is haunting and delightful. The nose is absolutely stunning; it holds your attention and, I fear, might be better even than the taste. It's good with food (perhaps best with the Stichelton cheese tonight, though with the pate, cornichons, and mustard it was pretty damn fine) and enchants the whole room.

Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine du Pegau
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France
2004
14%
$60.98 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Deep ruby
Nose: Barnyard--the whole yard: broccoli, straw, manure, jerky, black currant, mixed berry jam, mint
Body: Full
Front: Licorice, plum
Middle: Red pepper flakes, bacon, mint
Back: Elegant tannins, rocks, 
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is one of the world's most famous, and judging from Cellartracker, adored wines. And I can see why. This 2004 is still young, but it's delicious. It's big, yet not heavy; striking, yet not bombastic; tasty, without being generic. The combination of fruits, vegetables, and earth in this wine is phenomenal--frankly, among the most fascinating of any bottle I've tasted. It will be great with *everything* on the table: potatoes au gratin; roast beef; steamed broccoli; buttered rolls; you name it.

Christian Mouiex Pomerol

Christian Moueix
[Gran Vin]
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Libourne, Gironde, France
2005
13.5%
$18.99 at Wine Pro, Paducah, KY

Color: Dark ruby
Nose: Mushroom, cherry
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry
Middle: Coffee
Back: Chocolate, firm tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork


Another somewhat disappointing Bordeaux. If I had a bottle of this, I'd wait another year before opening it, perhaps two, in hopes that it'll integrate better. As with many Bordeaux, it needs air, but even then, though the fruit and the chocolate come out, it retains a slight astringency and resistance. If you dig astringency and resistance, you will *love* it! You perv.

It wasn't bad with chili and beans, I dare say, on a frigid night. 

Domaine Chante Cigale Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine Chante Cigale
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France
2007
14%
$29.95 -- Central Market, Austin, Texas

Color: Dark red, purple edges
Nose: Cherries, genoa salami, cigar wrapper, plums
Body: Full
Front: Stewed cherries
Middle: Roasted fig, venison
Back: Tobacco, licorice, basil
Burns clean?: Quite so
Cap: Cork

My love of 2007 southern Rhone wines continues. The flavor profile above is deeply contingent on when you engage the wine. Early, the nose was closed and the palate starkly acidic and earthy. After a half hour open, fruits and a little stewedness came in. Now, at two-plus hours open, it's acquiring the profile I describe above. This is the sort of wine that convinces me that putting bottles in the cellar and trying to forget they're there is worth it. The texture of it is delightful--superfine tannins, dangerously drinkable (especially at, I suspect, closer to 15% than the 14% listed on the bottle).

Domaine de Triennes St. Auguste

Domaine de Triennes
St Auguste
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot
Vin de Pays du Var
Nans-les-Pins, France
2005
13.5%
$14.99 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Dark garnet
Nose: Black cherry, those purple flowers on the wisteria vine sometimes, Tootsie Rolls
Body: Medium to full
Front: Black cherry
Middle: Blackberries, licorice
Back: Black tea, chocolate
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is not a blend I'm used to from France, but I like it. It's nicely balanced, rich, aromatic, but not cloying or too stewed. It didn't completely change my world, but it's good with food. The roasted lamb was a little too much for it; there's a bit of a dip in the intensity of the wine in the mid-palate, which on its own lets some nice blueberry come out, but with food gets drowned out. With a meal that's even just a little lighter--turkey--this would rock it.

Roux Pouilly-Fuissé

Roux Père & Fils
Pouilly-Fuissé
Chardonnay
Grand Vin de Bourgogne
Saint-Aubin, France
2009
13%
$8.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Light gold
Nose: A little faint; sea salt, maybe some lemon?
Body: Medium
Front: Lemon, honeydew
Middle: Salted buttermilk pie
Back: A hint of cedar, gravel
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This was so cheap for a Pouilly-Fuissé that I had to try it. Not bad, though the nose is reticent. It's acidy and minerally, as one would expect, but there is a hint of baking spices lurking around the edges. I might get another bottle and put it away for a year or two just to see what happens. It's a smooth wine, and good with the sharp cheddar I'm finishing off. All in all, at this price, a good deal!

Morot Beaune Cent-Vignes 1er Cru

Albert Morot
Beaune Cent-Vignes
1er Cru
Pinot Noir
Beaune, France
2007
13%
$50.00 -- Austin Wine Merchant, Austin, TX

Color: Light to medium strawberry
Nose: Cherry, peat, tobacco
Body: Full
Front: Strawberry
Middle: Cherry, a hint of cassis
Back: A touch of oak, sage
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

I went to a wine shop today, The Austin Wine Merchant, that has been much-recommended to me. They've got a particularly strong selection of French and Italian wines; I saw many old favorites. And they're knowledgeable and not pushy, which I like. Under the circumstances, I approached helpful Dan about a Pinot Noir, and he led me to this one.

While my favorite wine of last year was a Burgundy, it was an exception--I just glanced back through most of my accounts of them, and they're eh. So-so. Okay. Part of the problem is that these wines close down after a year or so in bottle, and don't reemerge for awhile. When they do, they're often way, way better than before. It's not quite a shell game, but it is an investment-driven style: you have to find something young, know it has promise, buy some bottles, and wait. Repeat annually. Six or seven years later, you will have a non-stop supply of awesome wine. In the meantime, drink Zinfandel. Also pray that none of your choices are stinkers, and follow Cellartracker to see how they're drinking.

This wine, I think, is going to be delicious ten years from now. It is balanced, if subtle, and there's enough fruit and enough other interesting flavors to entertain. The tannins are in effect, but before they hit, the wine is very smooth.

Note: After leaving half the bottle overnight (vacuvin), the nose is much richer and more interesting, and the palate is a little more elaborate. So--the future of this one looks good, I think!

An inappropriate and uncharacteristic outburst.

PARDON ME, FAITHFUL READER, but I have something to say about Bordeaux wines, and in particular, red ones.

I have had a few fantastic Bordeaux wines in my time. I didn't pay for them; I am a lucky man. Every single bottle of red Bordeaux I've purchased recently in the $15 to $35 range--from 1998 to 2006 vintages--has been disappointing. Only a few have been outright bad, but: should any of them have been, at those prices? I don't review many of them here, because I lack the patience, or perhaps, the inventiveness. Every one I could describe, borrowing the words of Cellartracker reviewer Edv, this way:

Fruits compotés, une acidité rafraîchissante, mais cher pour ce qu'il apporte.

I've tried the decanter. I've tried them with food and without. I've tried them after a healthy dose of whiskey, and I've tried them en suite after delicious summer whites and appetizers.

Help me, readers. Help me, internet.

L. Chatelain Chablis

Domaine L. Chatelain

Chablis
Chardonnay
Gran Vin de Bourgogne
Fontenay-pres-Chablis, Fance
2008
12.5%
$14.69 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Lovely pale straw
Nose: Lemony pear, salty minerality, perhaps a little pee
Body: Medium
Front: Honeysuckle
Middle: Cantaloupe, salty minerality
Back: Oak, orange peel
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Fake cork

It would appear that I've never reviewed a Chablis before -- odd. I like them; from the Burgundy region of France, the Grand Vins like this one are usually uncomplicated, well-balanced Chardonnays. (One of the best wines I've ever had was a premier cru Chablis.)

This is a nice wine: it's got some body, persistence, a saltiness and floral presence that I enjoy. It's a perfect, late-summer (uh, I hope it's late summer), not-terrifically alcoholic-so-it'll-go-with-food, many-folks-will-like-it sort of wine at a good price.

Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine de Cristia
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 
Grenache, Syrah 
Courthézon, France
2007
15%
$32.95 -- Costco, Austin, Texas

Color: Dark red, purple edges
Nose: Stewed cranberries and oranges; licorice; currant jam
Body: Full
Front: Dark cherries, roses
Middle: Licorice
Back: Olives, mesquite smoke, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a delightful, balanced wine, from a vintage in which many of the wines are bombastic. It'll be interesting to see how this develops over time, but I think it has a decade of evolution ahead. There's an odd hollowness that happens about 2/3 of the way through the palate, for some reason; it's not too disconcerting, but it does somewhat reveal the alcohol level of the wine. This with a little duck with some sort of fruit sauce would be a colossally good pairing; I'm having it with some Tomme Crayeuse cheese, which is not the best combo, but I'm betting it'll rock with the pizza I just ordered.

A shout-out to my second "follower," Emily Richer, a winemaker with a fascinating Cab Franc-oriented project underway called "Virage." Check out her blog here.

Michel DuTour Pouilly-Fuisse "La Roche"

Michel DuTour
Pouilly-Fuisse
"La Roche"
Chardonnay
Montagny-Les-Beaune, France
2008
13%
$15.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dull medium gold
Nose: Orange peel, honey, lime
Body: Light to medium
Front: Pear
Middle: Honeydew, some minerality
Back: Lemon, oak
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

After an almost unforgivable hiatus, Caveat Emptyer is back. My return is with a whimper more than a bang, as this wine is pretty low-key. I hope I'm not the only one who generally feels French wines in the 10-30 dollar range are often not worth the money. Perhaps this one will become more interesting with time, and perhaps it'll stay in the background like it seems to right now. I'm usually an appreciator of subtle Chardonnays, so I hope I'm not just in the wrong mood! This one is more interesting with food, certainly--a little roasted almond, salty cheese, and cherries help it out.

Louis de Sacy Champagne Brut

Louis de Sacy
Brut
Grand Cru
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier
Verzy, Champagne, France
NV
12%
$28.99 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Pale gold
Nose: Carr's table water crackers, lemon,
Body: Light to medium
Front: Lemon
Middle: Bread, orange
Back: Lime, wet stones
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This isn't the most complex Champagne I've ever tasted, but it's not bad and it's got great acidity with a charming, yeasty nose. It's a very hot day here; there's a little Brie Couronne and garlic crackers going down after a nice dip in the pool, so situationally it's hard to beat what this wine is putting out!

I should really do a run-down of sparkling wines, as I tend to drink them without reviewing them. I think it's a strange market for them right now, with the French ones way overvalued in many cases and some Iberian ones slightly undervalued. Perhaps I will invite a bunch of folks over for a little Champagne tasting and see what happens....

Chateau de Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône

Louis et Cherry Barruol
Chateau de Saint Cosme
Les Deux Albion
Côtes du Rhône
Syrah
Gigondas, France
2007
14.5%
$13.99 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Deep purpley red
Nose: Cassis, strawberry jam, coffee
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry
Middle: Licorice, game, pepper
Back: A little heat, charcoal, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Like most of the '07 southern Rhone bottles I've had, this one is dense and rich, a big personality in the room. It's almost too intense for me, for a Côtes du Rhône; that it's all Syrah is interesting. I'd almost wait a year or more to try this again--or be prepared to drink it with some reasonably substantial food, perhaps something roasted and peppery. It'll take some age; I vacuum pumped it and tried it two days later and it had calmed down a bit, but was still lovely.

One of my followers has observed to me that I've been out for two weeks: indeed, in Napa Valley. When I get a few hours, I'll lay the latest on you from the tasting rooms there.

Perrin Cotes du Rhone-Villages

Perrin & Fils
Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages
Grenache, Syrah 
Orange, France
2007
13%
$9.99 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Medium luminescent purpley red
Nose: Cherry IceeTM
Body: Medium to light
Front: Cherry
Middle: Big RedTM, white pepper
Back: Very soft tannins, a little stewed plum
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

The Perrin was the favorite of one of the two folks I tasted southern Rhone wines with this evening. He liked its utter absence of tannins and its exuberant fruitiness. I liked it too, especially for a hot day with company and good appetizers. It won't stand up to much more sturdy food, and it's not a supremely complex tasting thing, but whatever it lacks in elegance it makes up in charm. The hint of something more complex on the very end of the palate is intriguing and keeps you going back to the glass. For some people this would be a dangerous wine, I think.