(Notes, as with any large portfolio tasting of this nature, are brief. I return for second tastes of some of the more difficult-to-decipher wines, but most are relatively quick takes, and should be considered in that context.)
C&P Breton 2002 Bourgueil Galichets (Loire) – Rough, sour cherry and raspberry flecked with leafy thyme on a graphite bed. Structured and long, with lots of potential, but a bit of a hard slog right now.
Baudry 2002 Chinon Les Granges (Loire) – Ripe, plummy earth with rosemary and lemongrass. Chewy and dense, with a sandy structural element. Very exotic for Chinon, but thoroughly enjoyable.
Brun "Terres Dorées" 2002 Beaujolais "l'Ancien" "Vieilles Vignes" (Beaujolais) – Sweet raspberry flowers, apple blossoms, and gritty, granular tannin; sharp, but with the structure to age and develop.
Coudert "Clos de la Roilette" 2002 Fleurie (Beaujolais) – High-toned plum in perfect balanced with seductively exquisite violet and lavender aromas. Gorgeous and long-finishing. Nearly perfect.
San Francisco Bay, post-tasting
Iché 2002 Vin de Pays de l'Hérault "Les Hérétiques" (Languedoc) – Black and red cherry, rosemary and thyme, Simon and Garfunkel, dirt and tar. Good, and a killer bargain.
Iché "Château d'Oupia" 2001 Minervois (Languedoc) – Blueberry liqueur, licorice and plum. To be honest, this is a bit of a fruit bomb, though there's more to it: smoked venison, the blackest earth, and a chewy tannic structure. Absolutely stuffed to the gills with…stuff. Should age beautifully.
Lignères "Château La Baronne" 2001 Corbières Montagne d'Alaric (Languedoc) – Rough orange rind, plum and strawberry. It gains definition with air, but cries out for food. A light but unripe streak of tannin doesn't help. After many attempts, I still don't really see the appeal of this wine.
Domaine de l'Ameillaud 2002 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse (Provence) – Green and red pepper with underripe red cherry. I'll pass.
Domaine de l'Ameillaud 2001 Côtes-du-Rhône (Rhône) – Soft, light black pepper and…nothing. Again, I'll pass.
Ste-Anne 2000 Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages (Rhône) – Plummy, with sweet strawberry dusted with porcini and black truffle. Thick, dense, and structured, though the finish is somewhat short. Very good, but I'd monitor it carefully as it ages.
Clos du Paradis "Domaine Viret" 1999 Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Saint-Maurice "Cosmic" (Rhône) – Gorgeous blended earth with plum and strawberry. Flawless and complex, and I greatly enjoy watching a large number of Bay Area tasters experience this for the first time.
Alary "Domaine l'Oratoire St-Martin" 2001 Cairanne Haut Coustias (Rhône) – Huge, chewy, and ultra-dense tannin with a faint whiff of friendlier plum, but only teasing at a large quantity of impossible-to-reach tar in licorice somewhere inside this black hole of a wine. I think there's quality here, but honestly it's impossible to say for sure.
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