549858 Mon Aug 18 17:47:44 -0700 2008 29 34 Wine 0 3967558 This topic comes up from time to time on other boards. We all have the wines that made us go "wow!" initially, and helped get us into serious wine drinking in the first place. But I keep having those experiences -- new wines that still just turn me on and make me learn something new, yet. So call this a "continuing education" thread. What wines have you had recently that just made you go: "wow"? For me, I had three this past Wednesday... 1991 Leroy Clos de la Roche 1997 DRC La Tache 2001 La Spinetta Barolo Campe (The other wines I've had in 2008 that would make the list -- that simply made me go "WOW!" -- would be the 2005 Mas de Boislauzon CdP Cuvee du Quet, the 2001 Armand Rousseau Chambertin, and believe it or not, in terms of "wow" factor, the 2006 Dettori Bianco) Mon Aug 18 17:47:47 -0700 2008 50041 whiner 1 3968215 whiner... i think we agreed about dettori on another thread. i do have to say that the others you mention above are "wow"worthy as well of course!!! but the unexpected is what makes the dettori even more of a wow wine. so on that level some of the other wows that i have had recently were: Domaine Berthet Bondet Chateau Chalon 1999 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny "Les Poyeux" 1996 Jacques Selosse Substance Nikolaihoff Steiner Hund "Reserve" 2003 Mon Aug 18 23:11:40 -0700 2008 3967558 28475 bowmore36 2 3968225 I LOVE Selosse! It is so hard to find in the US right now. And I agree, tasting something TOTALLY unlike anything you've ever had before, in a price range you don't expect to provide a terrific experience, really is a wonderful type of "wow". Actually, the Mas de Boislauzon was like that, too. Having had many of the more famous and (sometimes much) more expensive 2005 CdPs, I was blown away by how good this one was, even in the context of the vintage. Mon Aug 18 23:23:14 -0700 2008 3968215 50041 whiner 3 3968656 here is an asimov article written less than a year ago http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/selosse/ i have seen it in very few restaurants... the last was jean-georges. a friend also picked up some for me from a retailer in nyc but the name escapes me. they only recv'd one case. hopefully we will see some more!!! Tue Aug 19 07:13:27 -0700 2008 3968225 28475 bowmore36 4 3979082 Crush in NYC. Don't know if this is the retailer you're thinking of. I think they still have both the Initiale and Substance. They might even have a vintage one. www.crushwineco.com Fri Aug 22 13:38:16 -0700 2008 3968656 97069 mengathon 3 3980088 Love the Boilauzon. Good price, too. Fri Aug 22 22:04:31 -0700 2008 3968225 18222 maria lorraine 2 3970302 Just picked up a bottle of the 03 Rougeard and I'm really looking forward to drinking it. Guess I better wait a few more years? I had a Ramey Chardonnay recently which really impressed me, especially since I so rarely like Cali chards. It was really well-balanced and not at all heavy. Perfect with a lobster roll on a sunny summer day. Tue Aug 19 15:54:16 -0700 2008 3968215 16011 oolah 3 3971184 not necessarily... seems like the 03's, from the warmth of the , should be great drinking now and not much reward will come with extended age. always fun stuff whenever consumed. i just had some 02 not too long ago which was great as well Tue Aug 19 23:32:57 -0700 2008 3970302 28475 bowmore36 1 3968260 As a category, the most revelatory wines for me this year have been the 2005 Mosel rieslings, now developing a bit of maturity... Numerous vineyards produced "wines of the decade" in 2005, you can almost throw darts at them. Fruit concentrations are incredible, even by Mosel standards, some spatleses drink like dessert wines. They get my vote. Tue Aug 19 00:15:11 -0700 2008 3967558 42549 Chicago Mike 2 3968662 "drink like dessert wines"?? is that a positive? Tue Aug 19 07:15:31 -0700 2008 3968260 28475 bowmore36 3 3970658 well, in terms of concentration, absolutely. Tue Aug 19 18:27:07 -0700 2008 3968662 42549 Chicago Mike 4 3971194 i guess that is one of those wonders of wine... like ripping into a case of 05 la madiniere cote rotie from cuilleron just to get that THWAK of fruit before it says so long for years.... the other 11 will remain in tact for some time for full enjoyment now i'm having a lot of fun with some of the '04 germans. muehlenhoff erdener treppchen kab... still around 15 on the shelf that is pretty spot on now. Tue Aug 19 23:44:35 -0700 2008 3970658 28475 bowmore36 1 3968311 The other night I had 2001 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja and it grew on me for a couple hours until we only had a glass left each and by then it was soaring, total 'wow' factor, and then I had to savor the last sips. Sad moment. The 2005 John Duval "Entity" Shiraz made me say 'wow' considering the price. Twice this year. And a 1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo "Cannubi" wowed me at dinner last month. Looking forward to the 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose I plan to enjoy one hot afternoon. Should be a great rose. Here's to great wine. Tue Aug 19 03:00:41 -0700 2008 3967558 219593 Whits48 2 3968664 love the rabaja in '01!!! Tue Aug 19 07:16:14 -0700 2008 3968311 28475 bowmore36 2 3969962 <Looking forward to the 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose I plan to enjoy one hot afternoon. Should be a great rose.> It is! We drank ours Sunday night. ;>D Tue Aug 19 13:56:44 -0700 2008 3968311 52499 ChefJune 1 3979264 Nice. I like the continuing education thread. 1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo An ultra-classic barolo, seemingly not of this century. Oh wait, it's not... 1997 Trinchero Barbera d'Asti I didn't know that Barbera could taste like this. 1994 Hanzell Chardonnay, Sonoma 2004 Leeuwin Chardonnay, Art Series, Margaret River There's hope for New World chardonnay after all. Reminded me of that the greatness of chardonnay, when done properly, is unsurpassed. 2001 Nicolas Joly Savennières, Coulée de Serrant I'm so confused, this is chenin???? I don't know if I like it, but damn if it isn't unique. It's the most philosophical wine I've had. I have no clue if that last sentence made any sense. Fri Aug 22 14:36:08 -0700 2008 3967558 97069 mengathon 2 3979299 It's not chenin, it's not Savennières. It's Joly. This guy would probably do magic in my aunt Scheindl's backyard as well. More on Joly in his recently translated book "What Is Biodynamic Wine: The Quality, the Taste, the Terroir" http://www.amazon.com/What-Biodynamic-Wine-Quality-Terroir/dp/1905570090/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219441365&sr=8-1 Fri Aug 22 14:46:59 -0700 2008 3979264 28703 RicRios 2 3980087 Yup, it's Chenin, but it's made in a controlled oxidized style. You experience the wine in waves -- that very hop-like, toasted barley entry, which fades to caramel and brioche, which blows off and reveals the beautiful citrus and herbs. Lots more here on this recently revived thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/443001 Nice to "see" you, meng... Fri Aug 22 22:02:48 -0700 2008 3979264 18222 maria lorraine 3 3983940 Aww thanks Maria, good to see you too. I loved that the Joly people served everything at room temperature, and out of a decanter. The first thing I thought of was an opened bottle of champagne that had sat around too long. Actually thinking about it a little more, isn't it at least somewhat likely that they take away the Savennières AOC from him for not being typical of the region a la the Beaujolais l'Ancien Terres Dorées fiasco? There's gotta be a few jealous winemakers? Sun Aug 24 22:50:47 -0700 2008 3980087 97069 mengathon 4 3983973 The INAO French authorities de-classified the 2007 Domaine des Terres Dorées, declaring it atypical of Beaujolais, even though Brun's Beaujolais has often been described over the years as having personality and being reflective of Beaujolais terroir. The INAO found flaws in the 2007: rubber, mushrooms and VA. In contrast, Joly's Clos de Coulée de Serrant is its own AOC. It's own AOC! It's the only single chateau in France that is a separate AOC. Joly has "defined" his AOC's style -- Joly IS the AOC style, and besides that, he's formidable -- kind of a bad ass -- and I bet the INAO doesn't want to mess with him! I'd love to see the INAO try to tell Joly that his wines were un-Joly! Or that they had noticed that his wines were, um, a little oxidized??? What's unusual is that Joly is applauded for his distinct wines, whereas Brun's Beaujolais are also distinct -- but *too* distinct for Beaujolais, or outside what's been described a narrow, standardized style of Beaujolais. Brun has also been in the INAO crosshairs for years, so maybe the INAO were especially tough on him for the 2007 vintage. Of course, what Joly has to back him up -- which Brun doesn't -- is an individual and unique piece of land. The Clos de Coulée de Serrant AOC deserves to be separate from the other Savennieres AOCs -- the Savennieres-Roche-aux-Moines AOC and the "regular" Savennieres AOC. It's on a particular site on the Loire, higher up, and protected from the elements. The slope of the land is steeper and the vines are older than the other Savennieres. Joly can get away with more unusual qualities in his wines because he's the only one making them! Well, that and being a bad ass! Sun Aug 24 23:25:12 -0700 2008 3983940 18222 maria lorraine 5 3984305 "It's the only single chateau in France that is a separate AOC" What about Château-Grillet ? Mon Aug 25 06:35:52 -0700 2008 3983973 28703 RicRios 6 3985535 I knew I should have said ", I believe." after I wrote that! You're right...Château-Grillet is another one. I wonder how many single-estate AOCs there are. Mon Aug 25 12:27:44 -0700 2008 3984305 18222 maria lorraine 5 3986286 Thanks for the clarification, Maria. I wasn't aware Coulée de Serrant was its own AOC; I had thought it was within the general Savennières AOC. I had thought Château-Grillet and Romanée-Conti were the only monopoles. Now that I think of it, isn't La Tâche its own AOC as well? Mon Aug 25 16:08:50 -0700 2008 3983973 97069 mengathon 6 3986293 Yes, La Tache is a monopole. Mon Aug 25 16:12:02 -0700 2008 3986286 50041 whiner 6 3986680 Monsieurdammes, faites attention! A monopole does not necessarily constitute an AOC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopole_(wine) List of monopoles (in need of expansion) In Burgundy: Vinyard Name Class Commune(Village) Owner Corton "Clos des Marechaudes" Grand Cru Aloxe-Corton Albert Bichot Chablis "La Moutonne" Grand Cru Chablis Albert Bichot (Domaine Long Depaquit) Ruchottes-Chambertin "Clos des Ruchotte" Grand Cru Gevrey-Chambertin Armand Rousseau Clos de Tart Grand Cru Morey-Saint-Denis Mommessin Clos des Lambray Grand Cru Morey-Saint-Denis Domaine des Lambrays Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Vosne-Romanée Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru Vosne-Romanée Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Grande Rue Grand Cru Vosne-Romanée Domaine François Lamarche La Romanée Grand Cru Vosne-Romanée Comte Liger-Belair (Château de Vosne-Romanée) Clos de l'ecu Premier Cru Beaune Faiveley Clos des Ursule Premier Cru Beaune Louis Jadot Clos Napoléon (previously aux Cheuzots) Premier Cru Fixin Pierre Gelin Clos Saint Paul Premier Cru Givry Domaine Silvestre Du Closel Clos des Myglands Premier Cru Mercurey Faiveley Le Clos de Thorey Premier Cru Nuits-Saint-Georges Antonin Rodet Clos des Épeneaux Premier Cru Pommard Comte Armand Clos de la Commaraine Premier Cru Pommard Jabulet-Vercherre Fremiets Clos de la Rougeotte Premier Cru Volnay Bouchard Pere & Fils Clos des Ducs Premier Cru Volnay Marquis d'Angerville Clos des Réas Premier Cru Vosne-Romanée Michel Gros Clos de la Chaume Gaufriot Village Beaune Antonin Guyon Clos la Marche Village Mercurey Louis Max Clos des Ursulines Village Pommard Albert Bichot (Domaine du Pavillon) Clos de Fontaine Village Vosne-Romanée Anne Fraçoise Gros Clos Blanc de Vougeot Village Vougeot Domaine de la Vougeraie Others Château-Grillet AOC, of Château Grillet. In Bourgogne region, most of the vinyards which classified as Grand Cru have their own appellation (AOC). However, for some cases, several vinyards have one appellation. For example, 7 Grand Crus exists in Chablis region, but only one appellation "Chablis Grand Cru" is given to them. Corton Grand Cru, the largest Grand Cru in Bourgogne, has 26 sub vinyards in it. Chablis "La Moutonne" is not recognized as Grand Cru by INAO, but BIVB (Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne) recognizes it as Grand Cru. Mon Aug 25 18:56:53 -0700 2008 3986286 28703 RicRios 7 3986802 Yeah I had read this page earlier, and was thoroughly confused. I was always under the impression that the monopoles only existed as an appellation. There are lots of inconsistencies between your link and these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Appellation_d%27Origine_Contr%C3%B4l%C3%A9e_wines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Grillet I guess it's just a matter of how a monopole is defined. Mon Aug 25 19:52:20 -0700 2008 3986680 97069 mengathon 8 3986821 Fact of the matter is, we need to come up with an aswer to the original question by Madame lorraine: "I wonder how many single-estate AOCs there are" Mon Aug 25 20:05:00 -0700 2008 3986802 28703 RicRios 9 3986895 Would very much appreciate that. Mon Aug 25 20:35:42 -0700 2008 3986821 18222 maria lorraine 10 3986993 Tough job! Some bits & pieces to start: http://closdesfees.com/blog2/index.php/post/2007/01/11/301-s-offrir-une-aoc-le-must Romanée-Conti la Tâche Château Grillet Coulée de Serrant "... Je vous laisse compléter la liste, cela fera un peu d'animation dans les commentaires..." Clos de Tart (Mommesin ) http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clos-de-tart_(AOC) DAMASSINE ? http://www.schnapsforum.ch/de/01_news/damassine_art.pdf Mon Aug 25 21:35:34 -0700 2008 3986895 28703 RicRios 1 4128775 My most recent wine "WOW" moment was a Bollinger Grande Annee Rose Brut 1999 that I was drinking right after a Salon 1996 that was almost as WOW, but not quite. My first real Wow was about 15-18 years ago with a 1963 port, it think a Taylor Sat Oct 25 15:28:35 -0700 2008 3967558 60617 rednyellow