Who could resist a tasting with such a name as "natural wines from outer space"? Especially with my love for lively wines I certainly couldn't.
We started with an enchanting fizz from Jean-Pierre Robinot L'Opera des Vins Les Années Folles 2006 VdT Coteaux de Loir, Pineau d'Aunis 70% & Gamay 30%. This is a lovely rosé sparkler with a bit of RS (20g/l IIRC - but I might remember wrong). It smells of pepper and bright red fruit; it is earthy, well structured, the sweetness is perfectly integrated with the structure which is high in acid and has marked minerality. A really lovely sparkler.
Then we had a flight of blind whites:
Robinot L'Opera des Vins Cuvée les 4 Vents 2003 VdT Blanc was obviously Chenin with its slightly woolly aromas and brightness. It had citrussy acidity, ripe fruit and though broad on the palate it didn't seem like the flabby 2003s I have mostly had. In fact, I very much enjoyed it, though on the occasional sniff I thought I smelled a bit of oak.
L'Opera des Vins Lumière de Silex 2005 was another Chenin from Robinot, but this was appley and slightly oxidative in style but still obviously Chenin with its hay and wool aromas. Very mineral, strong structure and fruit. As I love a slightly oxidative style I had no problems loving this wine.
L'Opera des Vins Symphonie du Temps 2004 was a rather weird wine. The colour was orange and the scent was candied and full of red apple which made me think that we might have a 2003 in our midst (funny how the 2003s in this tasting were so wonderful instead, despite my usual dislike of the vintage). Sweet, confected palate, but still with a bright structure so it was enjoyable if one likes an oxidative style.
Čotar Malvazia 2003 Kras, Slovenia is a wine I have written about many times: lovely, lively, perfumed yet elegant wine with proper structure and no sign of the 2003 heat since it is properly acidic and refreshing. Lovely.
Frank Cornelissen MunJebel 4 Bianco 2007 Mt. Etna; Carricante, Grecanico Dorato, Coda di Volpe was just plain weird. We had two bottles since our host was convinced that the first was off. He was also convinced the second was off... The first was supremely sweet and toffeed on the nose - almost like heat damaged except that it was transported refrigerated and in the same case as the second. It was very, very dry on the palate: the scent and the taste were opposites.
The second bottle was also sweetly fruity, and was quite interesting in its mineral aromas that mingled with the sweetness and ripeness. The palate was very abrupt and had nothing going on. Our host had tasted this wine before and declared both bottles flawed (but what flaw?).
L'Opera des Vins Symphonie du Temps 2003 VdT Jasnières was perhaps the most main-stream wine. It smelled rather like the Baumard Papillon '05 I recently had: lovely citrussy fruit and obvious Chenin character but in a rather broad and overtly fruity style. Nice but I do wish for more tautness. But it certainly had more tautness than I would have expected of a 2003.
Then we moved onto the reds:
Frank Cornelissen MunJebel Rosso 2006/2007 Mt. Etna; Nerello Mascalese (what's that about two vintages?). This was a lovely wine with an almost Pinot Noir -like perfume except sweeter in its fruit and with a wild, untamed nature. Deliciously tannic and vibrant and lively despite the sweetness of the fruit. Lovely.
Frank Cornelissen Rosso del Contadino 2007 was very like the MunJebel on the nose with its wild and sweet, Pinot-like scent. It wasn't as structured, however, but was still a very refreshing drink despite the sweetness.
L'Opera des Vins Concerto d'Oniss 2006 VdT Coteaux de Loir; Pineau d'Aunis was really, really lovely. Upon opening it smelled very much like the Cornelissens, but with a bit of time and air it turned into a peppery, bright red, savoury wine with plenty of tannins and acidity and much dryness. It was not liked around the table but I really loved it.
Frank Cornelissen Magma Rosso 2007 was sweetly fruity but strongly mineral, not as obvious as the MunJebel or the Contadino but with similar spicy and Pinot Noir-like aromas. Very lively, deeply structured but vibrantly fruity, very much alive and absolutely lovely. Perhaps not 150€ lovely, however.
Then while cleaning up we had a couple more wines blind:
Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Washington, USA was extremely forgettable: much oak and ripe fruit of no varietal or geographical character.
Mavrič Merlot Reserve 2003 Goriška Brda was a surprise. I loved it and I don't usually get along with the grape or the vintage. This was bright and red in its fruit with some sandalwood and nutty aromas that made me think of Sangiovese. Good, tannic structure, but with no sign of those harsh, underripe tannins coupled with over-ripe fruit that destroys so many 2003s.
Château Falfas 2006 is a Côtes du Bourg from Domaine de Chevalier. It was a bit too oaky to my taste and lacked Bordeaux typicity, but it did have attractive dark fruit coupled with brighter red tones. Strongly fruity but with pleasantly upright structure. Not a hugely memorable wine, but one that I might imagine I would like once the oak fades to the background.
