Wine School is still going . . .

So Eric Asimov has continued his journey through the two cases selected by me and Joy from Sherry-Lehman. He did not like the Moris Farms Morellino saying it was too acidic. Probably why I like it as I am an acid freak..but Eric is too. I need to retry a bottle. He liked both of the White Burgs. The 2004 Roulot Bourgogne Blanc is great and so is the '05 Picq Chablis VV. Both winners and probably the most qualitatively "even" of any category. Eric just cracked open the bubblies the other night and I knew I needed to pick an obscure grower with outrageous quality. The Saves fit the profile and his piece on them both (other one being the Deutz) was very eloquently written. It is a fantastic wine that is very "vinous." I knew also that even though the Saves was the most expensive wine in the case it was also the best value as the industrial swill passed off as NV these days is a joke. I am also glad that Joy picked something smaller like Deutz because if Eric was writing about VC, Feuillatte or some other nonsense like that it would not have been pretty. Deutz is solid if a bit unexciting. My favorite big house NV is Bollinger hands down. Eric was very restrained in his analysis of the Guigal CDR. It was a safe choice for a beginner but I would never give it to any beginner because I would actually want them to buy Cotes-du-Rhone again. I find Guigal CDR pretty poor wine and especially in recent years. The last good vintage I remember is the 1998 and then after that they distinctly went down hill. It is not bad but it is also not a wine that would invite the amateur back to explore the Cotes-du-Rhone region anymore. Who wants to drink just "correct" wine? I have not had the 2003 Guigal CDR but with the combination of '03, Southern Rhone and Guigal I am pretty sure what I would think of it. While the 2004 Texier Brezeme is an exciting albeit non traditional CDR as Eric says. It is 100% Syrah from an obscure town. The wine is sensational and would definetly excite the newbie into more exploration of Cotes-du-Rhone and more exploration of Syrah which is really what it is all about in the Rhone. Grenache has seen its time. There was a period 3-7 years ago when Grenache and CDP (Clarendon Hills, Pegau, Usseglio, Guigal CDP #1 WS top 100 wine) were the hottest thing in wine. That time has past. Well enough of this and read for yourselves.

School Continues (Champagne and CDR)