Entry is crisp and acidic, lightfootedly ushering delicate fruit flavour to the middle palate. Wines that show consistent line from nose to palate are especially satisfying to me, and I’m happy to report this one replays the same almond and light stone fruit flavours observed in its aroma, albeit with an additional sense of weight. Having written that, it’s quite a light bodied wine, noticeably acid driven. It seems minimally worked, with little creaminess and no discernible butterscotch character. Instead, one enjoys a straightforward purity, an unmediated sense of terroir, although perhaps one held back at present by its structure. I’m yearning for a few ounces more weight and intensity.
Perhaps I just need to be patient. Hints of richer yellow peach sneak out now and then, promising a future filled with greater generosity.
As an aside, I had a couple of glasses of 2004 Brands Chardonnay the other day, and was reminded simultaneously of why full-throttle Chardonnays have historically been extremely popular and why they became, ultimately, reviled. I felt like I was eating dessert, an overly rich one at that, which was delicious in the same way that sweet, battered, deep fried things are delicious. We couldn’t finish the bottle between us. The funny thing is, I have a periodic craving for this kind of Chardonnay. I guess they have their place.
Domaine Alain Chavy
Price: $A48
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: December 2008
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2006
Mealy, flinty nose that shows markedly more tension than this same maker’s Chablis tasted recently. It’s tighter and less broad in fruit character, even as winemaking is a more obvious influence. Very attractive, actually — complex and elegant, with fruit sitting squarely in the grapefruit zone. Highly sniffable.
The palate shows good focus and general zinginess. There’s also a reasonable degree of mealy, lees-type influence in the flavour profile that provides a nice counterpoint to tight, bright fruit character. On entry, very refreshing and bright, with ultra-fine acid firming the wine’s line. The flavour profile is extremely well integrated and this allows one to focus more on refinements like shape, flow and complexity. Reasonable intensity, though not mouth-shattering either. A lovely mineral lift through the after palate seems to linger for an unreasonably long time, generating both satisfaction and the desire for another glass. Very dry, very fine finish.
The price of Chablis being quite reasonable, it’s worth springing for the higher levels of quality, as one’s satisfaction scales, to my taste, in proportion to outlay, if not more.
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet
Price: $A39.50
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: December 2008
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2006
Interesting wine, this one. I guess we come at most established wine styles with a set of expectations that serve, correctly or otherwise, to orient our enjoyment and criticism. The risk is, of course, that we stop judging wines on their merits but rather by their adherence to an abstract idea of what they ought to be.
Take this wine, for instance. One the one hand, it shows all the flinty minerals one expects of a good Chablis, yet overlays this austerity with much richer pear and overripe apple fruit that is quite unexpected and, initially, a little disconcerting. But, relaxing into its aroma profile, there’s an integrity to the way each element comes together that’s perhaps left of centre but no less legitimate.
>On the palate, quite high toned on entry with minerality playing a key role. Acidity is fine and full, nicely three dimensional. It’s only towards the mid-palate that one realises there’s a there’s a barely adequate level of intensity, although there’s a good level of flavour complexity to keep things interesting. Nicely round pear fruit and a sweetly floral note sit astride a core of more savoury notes. As the after palate rolls on, a subtle butterscotch flavour begins to emerge, becoming a highlight of a finish that is easygoing and deceptively long.
A very drinkable Chablis that shows soft, round fruit flavour alongside more typical (and typically challenging) minerality. The winemaking is well judged, and one only wishes there were a notch more intensity to be wrung from the grapes. Not an apex of typicité, but still tasty. I have one of this producer’s 1er Cru wines for tasting soon, and look forward to a step up in fruit quality.
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet
Price: $A28
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: December 2008
Domaine des Roches Neuves Terres Chaudes Saumur-Champigny 1998
An older Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley.
Some bricking but mostly a rich, dense garnet. The nose is appealing, with sweet hay and a touch of dusty library, plus a bit of mushroom. We’re a long way from fruit bomb land here, the aroma profile being quite angular and savoury. There’s also, perhaps, a hint of brettanomyces here, coming across as a meaty (verging on shitty) note, but it’s certainly subtle enough to slide into the mix without overwhelming anything.
The palate is all about line, slinky elegance and elusiveness. It’s also about fruit, quite sweet really, and unexpected considering the savouriness of the aroma profile. On entry, a cool burst of leather and sweet berry fruit, the latter taking over as the wine moves to the mid-palate. There are also assertive tannins, very fine, a little unevenly distributed, and very drying. Some good complexity here, with a range of barbecued meat type flavours in addition to the core of fruit. Overall, the impression is lean and bright and a little unclean. Leathery notes float over the top of the wine’s finish, which is of good length.
If ever a wine were a matter of taste it would be this one. It’s a bit stinky and I suspect this isn’t terroir-related. If you can get past the faults, though, there’s some interest here, not least a lithe, elegant line that communicates the pleasures of structure better than many wines.
Domaine des Roches Neuves
Price: $NA
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: November 2008
Domaine Dublère Puligny-Montrachet 2006
Interestingly, this domaine is owned and run by an American, Blair Pethel. According to Ross Duke’s catalogue notes, Mr Pethel was formerly a journalist before turning his passion for wine into a career. None of this has anything to do with his wine (although it may explain the Stelvin cap); still, it’s always nice see someone follow their dreams.
Flashes of green in amongst light straw goodness. Lovely nose of choux pastry and minerals, with just a hint of lean stonefruit. It’s straightforward and extremely comforting at the same time, rich without heaviness. Very nice. The palate shows a level of intensity and drive that’s not evident from the aroma. It’s one of those wines that sneaks up on you; a slippery slidey mouthfeel and delicate entry lead to a mid-palate of considerable presence. To be sure, it’s not a knock ’em down sort of wine, but it rises above the relaxation suggested on the nose and attack. More stonefruit and funky minerality wash over the tongue here, along with a suggestion of vanilla essence. It’s not an elegant wine, but it’s generous and true, and deceptively complex too. Clean fruit on the after palate shows more citrus than anything else, adding a fresh lift to the wine, although it also loses density and hence impact. The satisfying finish displays butterscotch tendencies that outlive fruit flavours by some margin.
A drink-now white Burgundy of significant deliciousness.
Domaine Dublère
Price: $A63
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: November 2008
Domaine du Meix-Foulot Mercurey Blanc 2006
I seem to be specialising in cheap Burgundy here at Full Pour, but it’s simply a reflection of what I can afford to drink on a regular basis. I suppose the key question at this end of the market is: am I better off purchasing local wines? And my answer is: it depends. I crave a variety of flavour profiles so, for me, questions of absolute quality aren’t so pressing. On the other hand, if value for money were my sole objective, I’d probably bet my hard earned $30-50 on a local wine, as there are some beautiful wines in this price range.
A tasty aroma profile here, with slightly funky notes overlaying solid citrus and stone fruit. Perhaps some sulfur to, though it may simply be the wine’s natural savouriness expressing itself as a sort of prickly smokiness. It’s an easy wine to like, soothing and soft without falling into the trap of being bland. There’s enough character to draw me back repeatedly, but it’s so inviting that I come away feeling happy rather than challenged.
The palate is a contradiction of sorts, as it presents a very attractive flavour profile and clean structure yet shows a degree of dilution that leaves me slightly frustrated. The flavours here are a repeat of the nose with perhaps the addition of some caramel. So, typical Chardonnay fruit flavours and flashes of savouriness, here coming across as minerality. Mouthfeel is so very approachable and, to its credit, the whole thing is balanced admirably for immediate, pleasurable consumption. The wine’s approachable structure and clingy flavours make me wonder what it could become if there were a notch more intensity, but it’s futile to judge a wine by what it’s not, especially one that is so easy to drink. Falls away a little on the finish, but by that point you’re already smiling.
Not a worldbeater, then, and no doubt better value is obtainable locally, but this wine’s flavour profile is most delicious, and its balance encourages maximum enjoyment over the short term. A fun, easy drinking white Burgundy.
Domaine du Meix-Foulot
Price: $A36
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: November 2008
Domaine du Prieuré Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc 2006
Village-level white Burgundy. I’ve not tried any whites from Savigny-les-Beaune and I understand it to be an appellation that produces mostly red wines, with a mere thirty eight hectares of white plantings. So I was particularly interested to get my hands on this one.
I must admit, I’ve struggled to get a lot from the nose here. There’s maybe a little bit of nuttiness crossed with minerality. It light, delicate and powdery in character. On the palate, a lot more substantial. This wine has a very attractive flavour profile comprising light peach notes and more nutty characters. It just feels right and tastes good, even though it’s far from the last word in complexity or sophistication. Quite mouthfilling although not overly intense, this wine moves cleanly along its line and modulates continually between different flavour components. There’s a slight lack of coherence between elements, but this is not overly distracting. On the after palate, more vanilla and almond type flavours, certainly not overpowering but still noticeable. The finish is quite textural, with an almond essence twist and some astringency taking advantage of good length.
This isn’t a worldbeater but I must admit I am enjoying its flavour and easygoing structure very much. Good value for what’s on offer, I think.
Update: I left half the bottle overnight and restated at length. On the second day, an altogether superior wine, with a more integrated set of flavours and basically more of everything. I do enjoy the flavour profile very much, which is abundantly mealy without masking clean, juicy peach fruit. My kind of wine.
Domaine du Prieuré
Price: $A28
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: November 2008
Domaine Rapet Père et Fils Bourgogne Aligoté 2006
The other white Burgundy.
A clean, pretty aroma of apple skins and pears. Very fruity and a bit shy, but fresh and pleasant. In the mouth it’s more generous. Abundant and slightly hard acidity underlines full flavours of apple and baked nutty things. It struck me as a little dilute initially, and it’s certainly not an overly intense wine, but the flavour has gained some weight as the wine has warmed. The flavour profile is straightforward, simple, and tasty. There’s a nicely bitter twist on the finish, which reminds me of freshly picked herbs. I especially like the mouthfeel here, crisp and acidic, yet weighty too, with a nice sense of slippery viscosity.
There’s really not much to say about this wine other than it tastes good and is cleanly made. I’d be more than happy to down a few glasses over lunch.
Domaine Rapet Père et Fils
Price: $A23
Closure: Nomacork
Date tasted: November 2008
Château de Tracy Pouilly-Fumé 2001
It’s Sunday afternoon and the storms keep threatening to hit, but never quite do. Still, the air is thick with humidity and the smell of imminent rain, and it’s moments like this where I tend to reach for something in white. If it’s pungently aromatic, then so much the better.
Golden colour, pretty and showing signs of bottle age. A really striking nose, intoxicatingly rich with aromas of honey, tropical fruit and a little flint. There’s also a sour floral dimension that reminds me of the smell you get when you shake a flowering weed. Sharp, astringent, yet oddly pretty. Taken as a whole, it reads as a dessert wine with considerable edginess.
In fact, it’s a dry wine that tightens considerably on the palate. Immediate, intense flavour on the tongue as the wine enters the mouth. Acidity provides immediate textural interest and accentuates the wine’s fruit flavours early. In fact, this wine’s acidity is worth a few more words. Sauvignon Blanc-based wines often have quite aggressive acidity, which can be fun, but here it’s on an altogether more sophisticated plane. If one were to consider a wine’s acid visually, this wine would show a straight line from left to right, fine and firm and absolutely mouthwatering. Fruit weight gathers steam and, by the mid palate, there’s a gorgeous richness washing through the mouth. More honey and sharp tropical fruits, with a sideline of minerality that blends well into the acid structure. The sweetness of fruit and bottle age resonates through the after palate and continues well into the finish. A slight bitterness here is the only element that disrupts an otherwise harmoniously balanced flavour profile.
This is surely drinking at its peak, with a range of youthful and bottle aged characters existing in complementary fashion. I love this expression of Sauvignon Blanc and would happily drink this as an aperitif or with smoked salmon canapes.
Château de Tracy
Price: $NA
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: November 2008
Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge 2006
The year ticks over and it’s Burgundy season again, this time the 2006s. Apparently a less admired vintage than 2005, some 2006 wines have nonetheless garnered appreciators, especially the whites. I’ll be tasting a few over the coming weeks.
Right now, I have a glass of Faiveley’s 2006 Bourgogne Rouge next to me, and the soundtrack to this tasting is the “jiggle jiggle” of my pressure cooker as it pulverises some lamb shanks into submission. I’m hoping this wine doesn’t do the same to my palate, as the previous year’s version threatened to do.
A pretty colour of ripe strawberries. On the nose, equal parts red fruit, funky earth and iron. Nice ingredients for sure, though it comes across as quite masculine and “hard,” which won’t necessarily be to the taste of those who enjoy a measure of sensuality in their Burgundies. Good continuity onto the palate. There’s a distinctive taste of iron that reads perhaps as blood and, as distasteful as that may sound, provides a nice backbone to the wine’s more fruit-driven notes. Good presence in the mouth, with sour and reasonably complex red fruit largely yielding to the wine’s wilder side. It’s quite a hard flavour profile, but there’s beauty in its firm, confident stance. Tannins create volume in the mouth with minimal astringency. Certainly a lot to think about for a lowly Bourgogne. Good intensity and line through to a satisfying finish.
Not bad at all, especially considering the price.
Update: the dregs, tasted one day later, had been abandoned by the touch of magic that had graced this wine on initial tasting. Less aromatic and complex, overall.
Faiveley
Price: $A25.65
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: October 2006