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2009: Wine in Context - Your Turn

I've reviewed the year, and declared my top wine moments of 2009. Not just the best wines, but those wines that showed best in a certain context. Wines that made life just that little more special, or accompanied a fabulous, thought-provoking or maybe even tragic event.

I have just three more Wine in Context submissions from Winedoctor readers for you today - when you see Eric Cheng's you will perhaps understand why I stopped short of adding a fourth today. I hope you enjoy reading these latest submissions as much as I did. If you have one of your own to submit please don't hesitate - send me your best wine moments of 2009, and I will post them online (I am assuming your consent for that!). Email them to me here. (6/1/10)

A colleague and I had each bought a bottle of 1961 Calon-Ségur in 1970 for the princely sum of $5.95 over which we agonized. (Of course my annual income as a graduate fellow was $3000 at the time). We opened his a year and a half ago, and, sadly, it was oxidized, despite being kept temperature-controlled cellar.

In October we opened mine. The cork was clear about a third of the way down, so it had held up well as did the wine. Despite having spent a major part of its lifetime in apartment closets, under the stairs, and so on, it was superb. A slightly brick-red color, with a nose that made me think of old velvet. All harshness gone, just a splendid experience, and one which I am unlikely to have again, both because I doubt I will still be drinking in 40 years, and because it seems that they just don't make wine like that any more.

Thanks Frank. The first bottle sounds very reminiscent of several I encountered at a 1961 Bordeaux tasting a few years ago, so you are not alone. The second bottle sounds fabulous! Perhaps more significant than the wine though, is that hidden in this story there is a friendship which appears to have endured 40 years. I am glad you were able to celebrate this achievement with this delicious bottle - Chris.

Clearly for me it was the 1978 Probus from Clos Triguedina given to me by Jean Luc Baldes from his private cellar during our visit to the domaine while traveling in Cahors. We opened this wine on July 4^th weekend with my friend Dave and his family. In fact he’s the one who introduced me to the wines of Clos Triguedina. Here’s my post from IWC:

Clos Triguedina Cahors Prince Probus 1978: Paired with grilled filet mignon. Anyone who dosn't look at these wines is truly missing something. I actually enjoyed this wine more than the 1982 PLL. Beautiful pairing, wine retained all of its freshness and was perfect from immediate opening and stayed right on over 3 hours. With a good producer, malbec from Cahors ages as well as any Bdx and provides a wonderful experience. Baldes is my favorite producer and gave me this bottle when I visited his property last year. The 1998 New Black Wine and 1999 Prince Probus are beautiful now, but clearly are just babies.

I have a few more for you. As you can see for me it’s all about the food and wine together. Obviously sharing these terrific bottles with friends who enjoy and appreciate these things adds to the pleasure. For starters how bad could things be sitting in the outdoor room on a beautiful sunny day high on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.

Marcel Deiss Gruenspiel 2000: Paired with Lyonnaise salad, duck, and Alsatian onion tart. Wow. This wine was still yellow when I opened the last one two years ago and it has hit its stride with a full golden color and wonderful nose and mouth feel. Great producer and this easily has 5 more years ahead of itself.

Domaine du Viking Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 1990: Paired with coconut cream pie. Nothing more need be said. This wine has ages ahead and is so much better than the bottle I had when it was released 2 years ago.

Santa Cantabria Rioja Gran Riserva 1998: I was worried about this one as everyone wanted some red wine after lunch when we had the Deiss. Everyone wanted the wine at the "same quality level" so I opened this bottle and we drank it by itself. Initially tight, but opened up and improved with about 20 minutes of airing and hit its stride in about 2 hours. Beautiful integration of tannins and classic style. One of the few Ordonez wines that still retains that classic style of Spanish winemaking. Would have paired beautifully with many different combos. Last time had with grilled skirt steak marinated in chipotle, grilled onions, avocado and tomato. Reminds me why I love Rioja and that these wines are released when ready to drink.

Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Millesime 1999: Truffled eggs, crostini, cream sauce. Great pairing. The truffled eegs and cream really complimented the heavier nature of this champagne and accentuated the aged toastiness of the wine.

Chateau La Serre St Emilion Grand Cru 2001: Paired with various pizzas - sausage/pepper, mushroom/sausage, margherita. Beautiful. Shows the versatility of a classically styled Bdx. The wine had the stuffing to go with heartier dishes, including lamb, but would have worked great with guinea fowl, partridge, and fish. This wine is drinking beautifully right now, the first bottle I opened, and has many years to go. Brings to the table everything I love about 2001. The La Serre is really over-looked in my opinion as it would never show well against the bigger wines when tasted for en primeur and receives a not surprising score in the mid-upper eighties, but is often cited by the British Critics as a value play each year. Steve has written good reviews of La Serre and offers up the same comments. I do not disagree with the score of the wine when compared in a vacuum to its competition. One of the reasons why I just don't like scores. Just a really nice, classically styled Bordeaux, great freshness, acidity, terroir driven wine.

Have a great Holiday Season, Gary.

Thank you for these Gary. It's clear that what makes a special moment for you is the perfect synthesis of food and wine. Long may that continue! - Chris.

At the end of September, I was visiting with Anne and François Collard at Château Mourgues du Grès, a property about a half-hour's drive south of Nîmes. I'd flown into Marseille the day before from the U.S., and met my wife, who had just finished two weeks of Intensive French (the realization of a long-held dream to improve her language skills). I was still a bit jet-lagged, but definitely game for a tour of the vineyard and the chais.

At the end of the tour, much to my astonishment and pleasure, Mme. Collard asked us to stay for lunch. We joined her and her husband and Sophie Laurent (export manager) at a table set in a courtyard at the back of the main building, which is also their home. The weather was balmy, the lunch was asparagus, aubergines, and a local fish, I've forgotten what it was called. The aromas of wild fennel and apricot (there is an orchard on the property) were still in my nose from our walk in the vineyard...and then François opened a bottle of his Les Galets Dorés, a blend of grenache blanc and vermentino, and as I held the wine up to my nose I could smell again the fennel and apricot. I have been, and I suppose I still am, something of a skeptic on the effects of terroir, but there was simply no denying that here, at this moment, the land was speaking through the wine. It was magical.

But there was still more magic: I listened to my wife carry on a three-way conversation over lunch, in French. Later, she remarked that she'd made many mistakes. I reminded her that they'd understood her, and she'd understood them, and it was an impressive accomplishment.

Thank you for this Dave - once again wine has provided a magical moment that included, but also went beyond what was in the glass. Having been for many years a hopeless case linguistically I have been working on my French for three years now, so I am in complete agreement with you regarding your wife's great success - Chris.

For submission in your 2009 wine review - whilst on a holiday to France I visited two vineyards which stood at the opposite end of the visitor facility scale. Firstly, a trip to Domaine Huet and their wonderful new tasting room - followed by a tour around their cellars behind to pick up the wine we had just bought. A wonderful experience and wonderful wines - Christmas day shall be greeted by a bottle of Huet's 2002 Pétillant. Secondly, after a long drive south, a trip to Tour Des Gendres in the Bergerac appellation. If it wasn't for the vines around I would have thought this to be a run of the mill arable farm, the tasting room was dusty with just a long oak table and there was no sign of anyone for 20 minutes. When they did arrive (along with a mastif) the wines were wonderful and we duly purchased a case.

Two visits at the end of the spectrum but both memorable - as are the wines.

On a specific wine note - the bottle of Shaw & Smith Shiraz 2006 I opened in November was beautiful. And stumbling across a bottle of Albarino has been a great eye opener!

I'm glad the Huet visit worked out well for you Richard - they usually do, as the wines are so reliable! I will be tasting the latest Huet releases in February, and may try to visit the domaine later in the year (to see the new tasting room for myself). I too have had some good wines from Tour des Gendres, but never visited. My loss, by the sound of it - Chris.

Wine in Context moments don't have to concern only great or expensive wines to qualify, it's the context that I'm looking for! So send me your best wine moments of 2009, and I will post them online (I am assuming your consent for that!). Email them to me here.