WTN: Alsace white, Loire red

With pasta with a lemon/spinach/mushroom cream sauce, the 2004 Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve. Sweet Fuji apple and some pear, good acidity for PG, floral nose. Not very long, but pleasant and a good match with the food. B

With marinated and grilled skirt steak, beets, and cauliflower, the 2002 Charles Joguet "Les Petites Roches"Chinon. Pretty lovely and lively, juicy black cherry fruit with a little coffee and herbs. The green/herb notes are more like uncured tobacco leaf than vegetal, in any case they're in the background. Rich, tangy, tasty. Good mineral edge to the finish. I know this isn't one of Joguet's flagship bottlings, but this is in a very good place right now. B++

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
 

[David M. Bueker]

Joguet does well across the range IMO.

That Loire sounds really delicious. I need to try some Joguet soon.

The trouble I have with Chinons is keeping my hands off them. They taste so good young I seldom find out what they are like at their best. Maybe the solution is to buy so many I can't drink them all.

And from my experience 2002 was such a great year for Loire red wines. Almost seems like a different era before the monstrosities of 03, 05, and 06. It had ripeness and great detail and freshness. Good proportions. Like 2001 for German riesling.

I poked into Kermit Lynch on Thursday (had taken the day off to do a "City Hike" with my old doggies) and saw he carries several Joguets. This sounds like a producer to try.

Alas, though...no more 2006 Foillard Morgon Cote-de-Py in the shop. I think Terroir has a few bottles.