Author Archives: colonelgrape

2011 Saint-Peyre Picpoul

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Here we have a 2011 Picpoul from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Picpoul is a white grape that is typically grown in southern France in the Rhone Valley and Languedoc-Roussilon regions. It’s name literally means “stings the lip” which makes sense because the picpoul grape is naturally very acidic. I like to think of picpoul as an aperitif wine, it’s too light to stand up to a big meal. I find it goes well with things like cheese and crackers or gougere. Another good thing about picpoul is it’s extremely cheap. You should never be paying more than $10-12 for a good bottle. If you’re looking for a light white to start an evening a picpoul may be a great choice. As you can see in the picture we enjoyed this bottle with some nice honey goat cheese and crackers along with some company.

MobyGrape: 75. Despite being incredibly fun to say, this wine was meh.
It was fine with the appetizers we had and a great way to start the
night, but otherwise it didn’t do a whole lot for me.

colonelgrape: 84. I agree with Moby that there isn’t much to this wine but that’s what picpoul is…it’s a nice way to start the night with a light, crisp, and refreshing wine. There isn’t going to be a whole lot of flavor but some nice acidity and mild fruit notes will get your palate going. For what it is…and costing $10…I think this was a good example of the grape. I wouldn’t do a whole bottle for two people…it would be better to share with a group and everyone has a small glass. I don’t think I could ever give a picpoul anything higher than an 85 though, there just isn’t enough to talk about.

2011 Olivier Morin Chitry Bourgogne

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This is a regional Burgundy white wine that I was recommended at the Vin Bin a few weeks ago. A regional wine is one that uses grapes from a variety of different villages and vineyards across a region. Therefore you can have a variety of different tastes in a regional Burgundy because the grapes may be primarily from Chablis, Maconnais, Cote de Beaune or any of the other regions. However what we do know about this wine is that it is 100% Chardonnay…as are most Burgundy Whites. Regional wines are often cheaper than than a standard villages or cru wine but sometimes can offer similar quality…if you find a good one it can be a diamond in the rough. This bottle was only $18 wheres the majority of white Burgundy is $25-30+. We enjoyed this wine with pan seared salmon, green beans, and rice.

colonelgrape: 75. Completely average unoaked French Chardonnay. It wasn’t awful it wasn’t great…nothing too special about it. Had fruit nose of apple and pear and some acidity but it really just didn’t do it for me. Still trying to figure out these Chardonnays…I like the idea behind them, a firm dry white to stand up to heavier meals, but I haven’t found the one for me yet.

MobyGrape: 70. Would have named this one Chitty with a soft C.  Tasted
like crappy chardonnay to me, not quite rat piss but I didn’t really
enjoy it.  If it wasn’t for the food I would have had a hard time with
this one.

2005 Pere & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes

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Let’s start with a little fact check/geography on this wine because as we’ve seen in the past the French assume you know you’re wine geography when they label their wines and that makes it very difficult for the average consumer:

Vintage: 2005

Wine Type: Pinot Noir

Geography: Burgundy –> Cote d’Or –> Cote de Beaune –> Volnay –> Clos des Chenes

Producer: Pere & Fils

Now that we’ve got that down let’s talk about the wine. We enjoyed this wine on Christmas eve with a beer can chicken, stuffed mushrooms, and twice baked potatoes with gruyere cheese.

colonelgrape: 91. I really enjoyed this wine. It had a very nice ruby red and not too dark color with tastes of ripe cherry and minerals balanced by excellent acidity. There was a bit more tannin than expected but it was still smooth and had a long tasty finish. Definitely not as in your face as the Mercurey we tasted last month. I’d recommend this with any light-medium non-red meat meal.

MobyGrape: 73 – I’m not sure how well I remember this one, it was pretty
dry as I recall and I didn’t get much fruit from it.  Worked well with
dinner but I don’t think I would enjoy it on its own very much.

2011 Soria Bruno Cascina del Santuario Moscato d’Asti

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Moscato d’Asti is an Italian sparkling white wine made from a white variety of Muscat grapes called Muscato Bianco. It’s typically thought of as a desert wine due to it’s sweetness and low alcohol content (5.5% in this case) however I also think it can work as an aperitif. Here’s where it gets slightly confusing:

Asti: A region of Italy in Piedmont; Also a sparkling white wine made from Muscato Bianco

Moscato d’Asti: Like Asti (the wine) however less sparkling and less alcohol. Also made from Muscato Bianco.

Aperitif: Alcoholic beverages normally served before a meal.

As you can see Asti can refer to the region of Asti or the sparkling white wine. I have no idea why they decided to do it that way but they did and now we have to deal with it. What’s the difference between Moscato d’Asti, Asti, and Champagne? Two things: First, Champagne can only come from the Champagne region in France, regardless of the wine itself. Second, the true difference is the way the wine gets it’s sparkling properties. Champagne uses secondary fermentation and Asti wines use the Charmat method. It’s a long and detailed story describing the methods but if you’re ever curious look them up!

We decided to open this bottle as an aperitif on Christmas eve since two of our guests are not into non-sweet wines (I’ll have to work on that). We enjoyed some nice honey goat cheese and crackers and the wine was great:

MobyGrape: 89. I thoroughly enjoyed this guy!  I tend to enjoy
the sweeter varities of sparkling wines, and this was just sweet
enough without being overbearing, and wasn’t too fizzy so it was
perfectly fine to have with appetizers or really light meals.  It was
the Goldie Locks of sparkling wine for the evening.  Just right.  I
feel like this would pair well with french toast, and it’s light
enough to enjoy with a nice brunch.

colonelgrape: 85. Full disclaimer: I am not a huge sparkling wine fan as we know so take my rating with a grain of salt. That being said…this Moscato d’Asti was quite good. I liked how it was only semi-sparkling compared with Champagne or Asti…sometimes the bubbles are too much for me, I don’t even like soda that much. It had nice fruit notes and was very mild. I personally prefer Port, Sauternes, or Ice Wine for my desert wines but this would do nicely and it worked well as an aperitif. I don’t think I’d want it with a meal though, it’s so mild I think it would be overpowered easily.

2005 Chateau Laribotte Sauternes

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Bostrytis Cinerea you beautiful devil. Sauternes is a world famous sweet white wine produced in the…get ready for some geography…Sauternes region located in the Graves region of Bordeaux, France. This wine is made from Semillon (upwards of 90%), Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes affected with Bostrytis Cinerea which in the wine world is known as Noble Rot. While rotting fruit may not look appetizing, Noble Rot causes magic to happen in Satuernes. The rot dehydrates the grapes leaving highly concentrated and very sweet grapes for winemakers to work with. The result is one of the most unique and most expensive wines in the world.

Fun Sauternes facts:

– Exceptional aging potential with exceptional vintages having potential beyond 100 years.

– Chateau d’Yquem is widely regarded as the best producer in the world.

– Since it’s produced in such a small area inferior vintages are sometimes completely disgarded. How often does this happen? at Chateau d’Yquem it’s only happened 10 times: 1900, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974. 1992, and 2012.

– Sauternes has the honor of being the most expensive wine ever sold.

– Typically sold in 375 ml bottles although regular sizes are available in some cases.

– In 2006 Chateau d’Yquem sold a 135 year vertical tasting from 1860-2003 for $1.5 million dollars.

– In 2011 a bottle of 1811 Chateau d’Yquem sold for for $117,000 to a French sommelier.

– Thomas Jefferson is on record ordering 250 bottles of the 1784 Chateau d’Yquem for himself and George Washington.

So what’s all the fuss about? Sauternes attains a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity along with flavor depth to provide a unique experience. It is full bodied and has a wealth of fruit and nut flavor…it reminds me of a more complex and full mead. This wine will delight your palate for several minutes with it’s long and smooth finish. Served at the right temperature (around 52 degrees) this is truly the nectar of the Gods. Sounds like the perfect desert wine right? Don’t be fooled! While it’s a great desert option if you’re not into port, Sauternes will pair well with a variety of foods….don’t be afraid to have it with your dinner.

Onto the relatively no-name Chateau Laribotte Moby and I tried the other night. Shockingly we couldn’t afford a $250 bottle of 2005 Chateau d’Yquem so we went with the $20 option. At $20 this is considered to be an excellent “value” Sauternes so expect to pay AT LEAST $20 for a 375 ml bottle from a decent Chateau. Lists of reputable Chateaus can be easily found online.

I’ll help you out with the pronunciation so you don’t sound silly at the store. Say it like this: Soh/tehrn. Kind of like turn but with an eh sound instead. It’s very French…why not just spell it that way?

colonelgrape: 94. This wine was unbelievably good. Light, fresh flavors of melon and vanilla along with a honey, nuts, and minerals. There was sweetness and acidity with a full body that balanced nicely, the wine coated our glass as we swirled and observed it. The finish was incredibly long, lasting a couple minutes. I’m told this is actually not a very sweet Sauternes so I can’t wait to get out there and try some different examples. Unless you live under a rock and hate sweet things, you 100% need to spend the money and try a Sauternes.

MobyGrape: 93. This stuff was awesome.  At first I was 100% convinced the Colonel was trying to trick me and snuck mead in my glass to see if I could tell the difference.  It was very sweet and had a touch of honey flavor to it.  If you don’t like wines like this (and that means there’s a problem with you), don’t even bother.  I would serve this as a dessert wine, I’m not sure if that’s what you’re supposed to do with it but it’s like drinking rich liquid candy.  I feel like food would ruin it somehow, but who knows, it might go well with a super strong stinky cheese?  Their powers combined might make for a Captain Planet-esque dining experience.  Except for Heart, I mean really, what was he good for?  Anyways, who knew rotting grapes could taste so good!  Go out and get some of this!