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WTN: Champagne, Chablis, Alsace, Musar, Bandol

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Saina

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WTN: Champagne, Chablis, Alsace, Musar, Bandol

by Saina » Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:34 pm

WadeH was in Finland again, so we met up with a few forumites to have dinner and a few good wines. As always, it was a great pleasure to meet up with Wade and a few Finnish wine lovers:

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  • N.V. Edmond Barnaut Champagne Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru - France, Champagne, Bouzy, Champagne (1/19/2008)
    This was a fruit-forward type of Champagne, with a floral and figgy nose - elegant and pure. The mousse is correct and small. The palate is perhaps a touch soft, but with much pinosity. A lovely little Champ, and the only thing I miss is a bit of minerality.
  • 2006 Crushpad Pinot Noir Töövi - USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County (1/19/2008)
    The nose is rather strange: it has bright, even citrussy Pinot aromatics; yet it also has much chocolatey oak. The palate is big, not terribly acidic, but it does stay together. Nice if you can get past the oak.
  • 2006 Crushpad Pinot Noir Töövi Hein Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (1/19/2008)
    A very dark toned nose, brooding and masculine. With air it develops some strawberry aromas and a more Pinot-like presence. Very tannic and dark palate, juicy, closed - burly and frankly not very Pinot-like, but I like it!
  • 1980 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (1/19/2008)
    This is supposedly a weaker vintage of Musar. Erm?! The scent totally rocked: nicely aged, lifted, red toned nose - classic Musar. The palate wasn't as well delineated as it started out plump and fruity, but the acids followed a little late. This is exceptionally tannic for Musar. Though slightly lacking in delineation, this is still a very enjoyable drink.
  • 1999 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (1/19/2008)
    Young, but just lovely! This has all the classic Musar scents: peach stone, vibrant fruit of perhaps a darker shade than normal for Musar, slight funk. Vibrant, fruity, very full bodied. One of the most promising young Musars I've had.
  • 1988 Maison Albert Bichot Chablis Grand Cru Moutonne Domaine Long-Depaquit - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (1/19/2008)
    A lovely nose: aged, orange-like, floral with some brazil nut. The palate has good fruit, refreshing acidity, nutty finish. À point. Lovely. This evaporated at a furious rate.
  • 2004 Josmeyer Riesling Hengst - France, Alsace, Wintzenheim, Alsace Grand Cru AOC (1/19/2008)
    A pure and elegant style of Riesling, but with quite a strong fruit presence in addition the strong minerality - almost like crystallised limes. Dry but fruity, elegant and mineral, wonderful purity. Lovely.
  • 2005 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol (1/19/2008)
    An elegantly earthy nose with strawberries and carrots. It is abundantly fruity, but doesn't perhaps have quite the grip needed for such an amount of fruit. I still like it very much, but thought the '04 in better balance.
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Re: WTN: Champagne, Chablis, Alsace, Musar, Bandol

by Hoke » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:53 pm

Otto, one of my favorite Chablis is the Long-Depquit Moutonne. I discovered it fairly young in my wine life and it has never failed to satisfy.

I remember the '88 fondly, and am happy to hear that it has held its age well.

Moutonne has always had, for me, many of the characteristics you described: orange zest (more the oil than the fruit, if you understand), the floral elements, and most of al that distinct nuttiness.

Also interesting to note that the Moutonne is a court-mandated oddity---the only Chablis, I believe, that is allowed to partake of two different Grand Cru vineyards as a matter of course. As best I remember the court allowed the 'grandfathering' of Moutonne as it had been harvested from portions of two contiguous vineyard plots, and had established itself prior to the AOC ruling.
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Re: WTN: Champagne, Chablis, Alsace, Musar, Bandol

by Saina » Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:35 pm

Hoke wrote:Also interesting to note that the Moutonne is a court-mandated oddity---the only Chablis, I believe, that is allowed to partake of two different Grand Cru vineyards as a matter of course. As best I remember the court allowed the 'grandfathering' of Moutonne as it had been harvested from portions of two contiguous vineyard plots, and had established itself prior to the AOC ruling.


Intersting info, thanks! Have you had the latest vintages? I heard rumours that we might see one here soon.

-O
I don't drink wine because of religious reasons ... only for other reasons.

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