Although the namesake of my blog, I actually have not had a Vouvray for a while. Well, I just tried one that was enchanting: 2002 Abbeye de Marmoutier Vouvray Close de Rougemont It has everything I love about a dry Chenin Blanc…so elegant, dry, crisp, and with wonderful mineral flavor. The soil of the Loire [More]
Flavor Your Champers!
Normally I am dead-set against putting other liquors, flavors, or liquids of any kind in Champagne. Why would you want to do that to your fine Champers?!?! Use Prosecco or any non-Champers French sparkler, or Cava. Having said that, however, I was at the Ritz-Carlton and they had a Champagne cocktail (using Louis Roederer champers) [More]
Correction
Well, the Colombelle is not half Ugni Blanc and half Chardonnay. Did I say that earlier? I was overcome by my enthusiasm. It’s half Ugni and half Colombard. Do’h! I was prompted to make this post by trying a Colombelle twin. 2003 Domaine du Tariquet It’s also from Gascogny, like the Colombelle. It is a [More]
Sauvignon Blanc
I love the Loire, home of my beloved Vouvray, my Chenin Blanc. But heading east, you have killer Sauvignon Blanc. The most famous: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. (They also sound so sexy I could repeat them out loud to no one in particular: “Sancerre….Pouilly-Fume.”) I recently had a Sauv Blanc from the Loire from a lesser-known [More]
Summer Red From France (Duh)
1999 Verget du Sud. It’s from the Cotes de Ventoux, which meant nothing to me, but I looked it up and it’s in the southern Rhone. So I imagine a lot of Grenache. It is a very light, easy drinking red that was wonderful chilled. Chilled, not ice cold! It would be great to drink [More]
Hell Has Frozen Over
Just for my faithful readers, I tasted three oaky California chardonnay: Ramey: This is a very expensive bottle. I tasted two different bottles; one that had been opened for two days, the other freshly opened. My impressions on the first one: Rich, buttery, creamy…great butterscotch and dried pineapple. The just-opened bottle was a little more [More]
The Colombelle at the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution
This just speaks for itself: In 1989, André Daguin was nominated by the French Presidency to prepare the dinner on the occasion of the 200 years anniversary of the French Revolution. Several Heads of State were present and André Daguin chose to serve Colombelle alongside Pichon Longueville 1928, Dom Perignon 1959 and Bas-Armagnac 1904.
Austrian Rieslings…So Elegant!
Austrian rieslings rule. The have these beautiful slender bottle that doesn’t fit in your fridge standing up. The labels are crazy. Here is the one I’m drinking now: 2001 Prager Weissenkirchen Federspiel Steinriegl. (I know, a bit of a mouthful to pronounce. Much easier to drink, thankfully.) . Anyhoo, they have wonderful acidity, a little [More]
