La Route du Vin

Chateau Puy Galland 2005 A Structured Little Gem from the Best Bordeaux Vintage Ever

 Puy Galland comes from Bordeaux where the Cotes de Francs vineyards are in the undiscovered (and high value) area just 10K east of Saint-Emilion.

Cotes de Francs. A rolling, green part of Right Bank Bordeaux that's producing some of Bordeaux's least known but most amazing little wines.

The Thienpont family first put Cotes de Francs on the map. They own Le Pin in Pomerol. You remember, Le Pin. It set an auction record a while back - 12 bottles went for $32,000. They know how to make wine.

The Thienponts recognized what glorious terroir there was in Cotes de Francs which is just northeast of Saint-Emilion and they bought Chateau Puygueraud and then other chateaux. Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus caught on next and bought a chateau for himself there and suddenly people started paying attention - including myself.

I've always got my eyes open when it comes to affordable Bordeaux made by winemakers whose livelihood actually depends upon their making a knockout wine. Of course, I am especially keen on finding them in great years like 2005.

Domaine de Hubert Lamy - St Aubin 2006 Superb (affordable) White Burgundy from an Exciting Young Winemaker

  The hilly St Aubin vineyards

"Among the best whites that I have ever seen from him." -Allen Meadows, Burghound

2006 St. Aubin Clos du Meix: "A subtle touch of pain grillé sets off ripe and exceptionally fresh floral, lemon, lime and wet stone aromas where the mineral character also characterizes the delicious and solidly concentrated flavors that possess both lovely mid-palate density and a palate staining finish. This is worth a look as the balance is really lovely. 89/2011+" -Allen Meadows, Burghound

Olivier Lamy produces white Burgundies which actually taste as great as white Burgundies are supposed to. If you've ever made an excuse for a white Burgundy or lowered your expectations, stop right now! You deserve a great bottle!

Bob knows he has to "lock up the Lamys" just so I won't run through them at a meteoric clip. Any excuse to uncork them is fine with me: "Hey we've got a great Netflix, let's have a Lamy." "You're heating up the leftover pizza, let's have a Lamy" "It's stopped raining, let's have a Lamy." I've got it bad for Olivier Lamy. Uncork one, you'll see what I mean.

Can you tell I'm excited about this wine?

Olivier Lamy (and a few other growers like Henri Boillot at a much higher price) want to make wines that are the finest expression of Chardonnay you can find anywhere. And they are doing it! And Olivier is doing it in St Aubin, an appellation that some people have never heard of!

2007 St Aubin 1er cru Clos du Meix from Olivier Lamy - Allen Meadows' Burghound Raves with a 91

  Olivier Lamy holds a bottle of his wine

"This is almost like a very cool and classic Chassagne Montrachet with its resin, straw and floral nose that gives way to detailed, pure, racy and very stony flavors that are attractively energetic on the mouth coating, complex and bone dry finish. This is a lovely effort with impeccable balance. Recommended. 91/2012+" -Allen Meadows, Burghound

Allen Meadows goes on to say:

"While it's almost hard to believe, after how good Lamy's '06s were [I believe the words for his '06s were "flat-out terrific"], he's done even better in 2007. These wines offer incredible quality for the price."

I take what I can get of Olivier Lamy's fantastic white Burgundies. It's never enough and it's always a minute quantity. Olivier Lamy's St Aubin 1er cru Clos du Meix hangs most Chassagne-Montrachet out to dry (at 2/3 the price)

Neal Martin who works with Robert Parker also crows over his glass of 2007 Clos du Meix and gives it the coveted 90.

"Tasted at the Domaine. From a rocky soil near the village church, this is stubbornly closed on the nose, reluctantly giving up scents of morning dew and a little apple. The palate is taut with vibrant green apples, lime and citrus lemon, tingly mouth-feel, vibrant and racy with impressive harmony and focus towards the finish. Moderate length. Leaves the mouth dry and fresh, looking for the next sip. Very fine. Drink now-2015."

Domaine du Rochouard Bourgueil 2008 Full Flavored, Aromatic Inexpensive Cabernet Franc Just What We All Want

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 Domaine du Rochouard - precision outside in the vineyard and inside in the winery

Domaine du Rochouard showed up in Decanter magazine a while back with five out of five stars (5****) for one of its wines.

I was on the phone with proprietor Dominique Duveau shortly after to request a rendezvous. He was reluctant since he is such a small producer, and fearful of getting his production gobbled up by some big importer who cares more about quantity than quality, but after I explained that small, high quality independent producers are the only growers we deal with, he loosened up.

You probably know by now that if you like to drink wine often, as I do, the Loire has some of the best wine values out there. I know you've poured Sancerre from time to time and maybe some Muscadet and maybe even a Chinon, so it's hardly a leap at all to fill your next glass with a Bourgueil (boor-Goy).

Bourgueil is not far from Chinon. Bourgueil is part of the Touraine. It's north of the Loire River, west of Tours. The climate is mild and you will run into the odd palm tree. This red is 100% Cabernet Franc.

Here's what Guide Hachette says about the wines of Domaine du Rochouard:

"One appreciates the almost violet robe of the wine, its nose expressive of red and black fruits, embellished with some licorice, but above all, the abundant material coming from a ripe harvest. The tannins put their two cents in, but not too strongly and the final taste returns to that licorice." - Guide Hachette

Dom. de Mourchon Delivers in 2007 Parker says 92-94 for the Grand Reserve Stock Up While it is Available

 A bird's eye view of the area surrounding Domaine de Mourchon

"The 2007 Grande Reserve is nearly off the charts for a wine from such a humble appellation. An inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by thick, rich, cassis, black raspberry, licorice, and lavender aromas, exceptional purity, remarkable concentration, layers of fruit and glycerin, and unreal depth. This sensational Cotes du Rhone-Villages should drink well for a decade.

"One of the reference point estates in the southern Cotes du Rhone, Domaine de Mourchon is situated in the charmingly beautiful Provencal hilltop village of Seguret. This is a tour de force in winemaking from the Cotes du Rhone-Villages of Seguret. Kudos to Domaine de Mourchon! These splendid cuvees are all worth buying by the caseload." Rated 92-94 -Robert Parker The Wine Advocate

Wow! You want these wines in your glass.

And, they are from the 2007 harvest. The best in years according to virtually everyone

2007 promises to be one of the best vintages in the last decade." -Robert Parker

Couly-Dutheil La Coulee Automnale Chinon A Perennial Parisian Favorite for less than $15

  The fall harvest at Domaine Couly-Dutheil.

You know, the longer I drink wine, the more reds from the Loire end up in my glass. These wines have a purity about them that I love. There are no sharp edges. They are not heavy, yet they are substantial and bursting with red berry flavors. To say nothing about their affordability. No wonder it is a Parisian favorite.

La Coulee Automnale is made from a combination of hillside and table land from the western side of Chinon. The soil is gravelly. The grapes are farmed using a "bio" agricultural system, including a manual harvest (to protect the grapes and eliminate stems & leaves). The wine is aged for 10 months in stainless steel tanks. There is no use of oak barrels to mask the pure fruit flavors.

This wine will fill your mouth with red fruit flavors and please your nose with that seductive aroma that only Cabernet Franc can deliver. I associate it with the smell of wood fires as you only smell in those small beautiful villages in France, like Chinon, in the Autumn. Others say it reminds them of the days of yore when we used to jump in huge piles of fall leaves and then burn them curbside. Whatever it is, it is one satisfying glass of wine!

I like to drink this wine when it's fresh and young - within 3 or 4 years from the harvest. I dare you to save even one bottle that long. Cynthia Hurley

Cotes du Rhone Cairanne 2007 Complexity, Power, Perfection in the Best Vintage in 10 Years! (under $19)

"...2007 promises to be one of the best vintages in the last decade." -Robert Parker

Anne-Marie Astart sums up the good life in the following way: "Love what you're doing."

She and her husband Jean-Marie gave up their medical practices to work the land that she inherited some years back. She would tell you they have been worked off their feet, but the vines have more than compensated for their efforts.

And I would say, the wines have compensated for their efforts as well. They are some of the most fabulous Cotes du Rhones I have ever put in my glass.

What makes this wine different from other Cotes du Rhones?

I would have to say its sophistication. It has it all: rich, blackberry fruit with a roundness in the mouth and a fragrance which transports you right to Cairanne in the Rhone.

Chateau La Commanderie de Mazeyres Pomerol 2006 90 Points says Wine Spectator!

 The new barrel storage room at La Commanderie de Mayzeres in Pomerol

"Well done for the vintage. With a very good mouthfeel, lots of velvety tannins and a long finish. Balanced." Rated 90 Wine Spectator

This 2006 bottling is better than the superb 2005.

Pomerol is Bordeaux's DRC. The hallowed ground - The hard to get appellation that everyone wants but its miniscule supply severely limits its availability.

Pomerols are intensely fruited with a voluptuous texture. Early-maturing, yet long-lived. Doesn't that describe your perfect wine? When was the last time you had one? I'll bet it's been a while.

Have you ever visited Pomerol?

I remember my first visit. I saw the "Pomerol" sign and then less than thirty seconds later, I saw another sign: "Pomerol" with a line drawn through it. I had left Pomerol. There were a couple of buildings, but not so much as a café or tabac. One church. And yet, I was surrounded by some of the most expensive vines in the world. The understatement was killing. It stirred such desire.

Pomerol is a tiny triangle of land to the northwest of St. Emilion. It is about a seventh of the size of its neighbor. The estates here are small with very limited production - generally 800-3000 cases. A chateau in the Medoc is likely to produce ten times that amount.

Henri Boillot - The Very Last Drops of the Stunning Boillot 2006 Reds

 The hallowed halls of Henri Boillot

2006 Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay Les Chevrets:

"Good deep red. Subtly complex aromas of dark fruits, spices, licorice, leather, mint and bitter chocolate. Altogether sweeter and lusher than the Clos du Roi, conveying an impression of cleaner fruit and greater flavor intensity. Spreads out nicely on the back end, finishing with riper tannins, more length and lingering notes of licorice and mint...90" -Tanzer

"Henri Boillot decided a few years ago that he wanted to dedicate himself to the production of fine wines. Since then he has gone from strength to strength, sparing no expense, obsessing over every detail, fashioning magnificent wines...Thanks to the superhuman efforts of Henri Boillot, Domaine Jean Boillot should now be counted among the finest producers in the Cote de Beaune for both reds and whites." -Robert Parker

Henri works some of the finest terroir in Burgundy. Les Chevrets is an exquisite limestone and clay vineyard in the Cotes de Beaune. Henri owns about 5 acres of it. The age of the vines averages 41 years. The yields are an astounding 22 hectoliters per hectare.

Henri's Les Chevrets is 100% de-stemmed. It is aged in 60% new oak, the rest in the oak of one vintage. Of course, the wines are neither fined nor filtered. About 600 cases are made.

When you stick your nose into your glass of Chevrets, you will swoon over ripe cherries and cassis and blackberries. In your mouth, the wine will be fat with supporting tannins in perfect harmony with the fruit.

Make sure you take the time to savor it over a particularly good meal. Cynthia Hurley

Return of St Veran from Domaine des Deux Roches White Burgundy you can Afford to Enjoy Every Night

  The Collovray and Terrier families with some young vines

My love of good white wine has grown tremendously over the past year. Maybe it is the wonderful vintages maybe it is the refreshing, cool citrus and mineral flavors. Of course, it's not just any white wine that rings my chimes - it takes a white Burgundy. I like to savor the last days of a fading summer with a sweating glass in my yard with the still vibrant hibiscus who have popped out a couple of blossoms over night for me and the "nothing can kill us - not even you" impatiens.

I particularly like a white Burgundy with a price tag that means I can drink it every day. Yes, that's a bit little trickier to nail down in the pricey paradise of white Burgundies.

But, if you travel south to the Macon region - then you can find what I'm looking for. Ah-h and you'll have a good time doing it - the land there is lush and lovely beyond description.

The Collovray and Terrier families created the Domaine des Deux Roches in 1986 in the Maconnais wine region, south of the Cote d'Or. Out of this marriage comes some of the most compelling St Verans in the region.

Deux Roches refers to the two gigantic rock cliffs that punctuate the landscape here: Vergisson and Solutre. The estate is in Davaye which is considered the best source of St Veran. The St Veran vineyards are to the north and the south of the Pouilly Fuisse vineyards but the northern vineyards make the best wines and this is where Davaye is found.