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WTN: Novy LeonMillot OR '07...(short/boring)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 2:24 pm
by TomHill
Tried this last night w/ dinner:
1. Novy LeonMillot WillametteVlly/OR (13.6%) 2007: Dark color w/ some browning; rather earthy/dusty/sauvage slight volatile/EA some smokey/oak slight black cherry/Pinotish/herbal rather classic Siduri/oak quite interesting nose; rather tart spicy/cherry/black cherry/earthy rather Siduri/smokey/oak/charred bit coarse flavor w/ light tannins; long strong toasty/smokey/Siduri/oak slight black cherry/cherry/plummy/Pinotish biit herbal/rustic slight volatile/EA finish w/ light tannins; some like the Novy PinotMeunier but a bit more earthy/rustic.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. LeonMillot is a French hybrid crossing developed at Colmar crossing another French hybrid w/ GoldRiesling. It was planted on a very cold north-facing slope of SheaVnyd (I think) where they didn't think Pinot would ripen.
I often find a kind of vinyl/vinyl trash can/plastic smell & taste in wines made from French/American hybrids. This wine did not taste at all like a French hybrid. More like a Pinot from the AltoAdige or Friuli more than anything. One of the best French hybrids I've ever tasted, in fact. The polyphenolics of French hybrids are often a little weird and thiis wine was showing considerable browning. But it had no oxidized character at all.
Tom

Re: WTN: Novy LeonMillot OR '07...(short/boring)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 3:02 pm
by Jenise
Well, this is interesting! We tasted a few Leon Millots in New England a year or so ago, and they all had that weird plastic taste you mention. (They were absolutely undrinkable.) Another we had this summer that was grown and made on one of the Canadian Gulf Islands also had it, but it was to a lesser degree and it also seemed to blow off after 15-20 minutes. Interesting that someone would consider growing this grape in Oregon.

Re: WTN: Novy LeonMillot OR '07...(short/boring)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 6:05 pm
by Howie Hart
I have about a half-dozen Leon Millot vines growing in my yard, but have yet to obtain a crop. The birds love these grapes and have wiped me out every year, in spite of netting. Not much is grown around here and it's seedling brother, Maréchal Foch, is more popular. I made some from local grapes in the early 1980s, but those vineyards have been pulled out since then. I've had a few commercial ones I've liked, but often they exhibit that plastic bag character, which I don't like.