Tasted and Approved - April 24

More wonderful tastings this month!

Discover our descriptions of the wines tasted this month! We held a fine team tasting in our offices on 9 April and will describe the wines we tasted… We are also adding a few Friday wines and our personal tastings! 

Champagne 

Eric Rodez Blanc de Blancs Ambonnay 

Eric Rodez, former mayor of Ambonnay, today cultivates just over 6 hectares in the fine terroir of the Montagne de Reims, classified as Grand Cru. A particularly successful Blanc de Blancs from a place where there is more Pinot Noir than Chardonnay… 

A blend of several harvests, beautiful golden colour, fine bubbles… Let us begin the tasting! Toasted, buttery and brioche notes on the nose, as well as citrus and yellow fruit notes. It is ample and long on the palate; its generosity endows it with the qualities of a gastronomic Champagne. 

White Wines 

La Porte Saint Jean, Le Saut Mignon 2017 

A perfect wine for Sauvignon lovers! The Domaine de la Porte Saint Jean is a lovely gem from the Loire. The owner, Sylvain Dittière, honed his craft at prestigious estates before launching his own domaine (Gauby, Thierry Germain, Château Yvonne and Clos Rougeard — the pope of the Loire) 

Let us return to our sooooo charming wine: a micro cuvée of 100% Sauvignon. The vines are planted on limestone soils which give them a certain typicity. 

On the nose, notes of citrus, white flowers and even blackcurrant. On the other hand, for those who find it too "sauvignon-like", the green, box hedge and flinty side is too prominent to smell anything else… 

On the palate, there is a beautiful harmony with what we found on the nose, as well as flavours of baked apples, fine energy and lovely acidity! 

A lovely Vin de France from the Loire. 

Domaine Diconne - Meursault Les Narvaux 2022

WOW, a superb Meursault at a very reasonable price!

The Domaine Diconne, located in Auxey Duresses, is spread across 3 villages of the Côte de Beaune: Auxey Duresses, Meursault and Pommard. The cuvées are single-parcel wines and the estate showcases Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at their finest. 

We delight in this Meursault 2022 thanks to the well-known hallmarks of Meursault: butter, yeast, honey, ageing and oak — a lovely, suave and intoxicating sensation, all with a fine acidity, truly a pleasure to taste. It wins everyone over. 

Domaine Ostertag Alsace Grand Cru Pinot Gris A360P 2018 

Ostertag, always a delight in Alsace! 

We had already tasted his Rieslings, but for most of us this was a first Pinot Gris from the estate. Superb! 

Like all the vines on the estate, the Pinot Gris vines are farmed biodynamically on a small plot of 0.5 hectares! Limestone and pink sandstone soils: the Pinot Gris draws a fine personality from them. 

A perfect balance between richness and a finesse of aromatic expression, all with a mineral finish. A very great dry white from Alsace with its broad, fruity aromatic palette, from citrus to yellow and white-fleshed fruits, with flowers and gentle spices. A beautiful length that leaves us all smiling! A great biodynamic wine! 

Laurent Habrard Hermitage 2016 Les Rocoules 

A great white Hermitage! 

A great gem, difficult to obtain with a production of fewer than 3,000 bottles per year. 

Full-bodied, rich, less milky and drier than its neighbor from the Northern Rhône, the white Condrieu, this wine has a very beautiful aromatic richness: hazelnuts, dried apricot, toasted and pastry notes. Roundness, balance, "a refined pleasure and a respected nature" as the slogan of Laurent Harbrad's wines affirms. A delicious gastronomic wine. The discussion around this wine led us to say that it would have been perfect with lobster and its cream sauce elevated by curry. We are still salivating. 

Jean-François Ganevat Les Chalasses Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay 2016 

These are very old Chardonnay vines (over 100 years old!!) thriving on red marl soils in the Chalasses terroirs, vinified for this cuvée. The grapes are organically grown, harvested by hand and handled with care to respect the fruit! 

A golden and brilliant colour, notes of quince, apples and citrus intertwine. On the palate, in the image of Ganevat, the Pope of the Jura, it is the perfect balance between richness, liveliness and the acidity of Chardonnay. It is sharp! One either appreciates it, or appreciates it less. The finish lingers beautifully and the flavours of yellow fruits and spices are well present. 

Château Soucherie Chaume 1er Cru Côteaux du Layon 2006

A fine end to the tasting that evening, pairing this Chaume 1er Cru with our little sweet treats. 100% Chenin Blanc, with well-integrated sugar balanced by a beautiful acidity, very enjoyable. One must nevertheless have a taste for sweet wines. 

For those who may be reluctant, one should always taste them in small quantities, paired with a dessert — it is always interesting, a wonderful discovery! 

Furthermore, the typical aromas of peach, apricot, honey and acacia are very pleasant: suppleness, roundness! A perfect way to close a very fine evening with a dessert wine! 

La Justice Bretaudeau - Vin de France 2020

A blend one does not come across every day in the Nantes region! 

Chardonnay (80%) and Savagnin (20%) make up this cuvée of Vin de France (Loire). 

This wine is aged in an ovoid tank and in an amphora for 14 months. The lees are thus continuously lifted and stirred by the internal current, and the wine therefore benefits from a micro-oxygenation. Unfiltered and unfined, it is very well crafted!

Fruity nose, and on the palate, magnificent balance: we love the minerality and the saline quality of this wine, its freshness. Restaurants are clamouring for it and we understand why. Perfect with shellfish or white meat, decanted ½ hour beforehand, it is even better. 

Les Pieds Sur Terre - Valentin Morel, Chardonnay Les Trouillots 

A very lovely organic Chardonnay from the Jura! 

The vines are over 40 years old; they are planted on the Trouillots terroir and are then harvested by hand. Direct pressing, fermentation in topped-up barrels, unfiltered and without added sulphites: a lovely wine that respects the fruit. Beautiful complexity on the palate, numerous fruity flavours, richness and a structure carried by a fine acidity. A true delight! 

And even a beer! Cantillon Gueuze 

Zero bitterness, or in any case, supremely well integrated. Lovely golden colour, tangy and fruity, with delicate woody aromas, this beer has great length and can win over those who do not usually enjoy hops… Cantillon is even available on our website! 

Red Wines 

Arianna Occhipinti Il Frappato 2014 - IGT Sicilia 

Unanimous verdict: simply WOW! 

This biodynamic and natural wine is crafted from the local Frappato grape variety. Freshness and fruit are its defining characteristics, reminiscent of Pinot or Gamay. A lovely vegetal note, like a delicate and perfectly well-integrated stem, elevates the whole. Almost impossible to place in Sicily blind, given such freshness. Delicioso! 

Roumier - Morey Saint Denis 2002 - Clos de la Bussière 

Very interesting to taste! 

It is worth noting that the soils of this plot are very rocky and covered in iron-rich clays. One may perhaps find those characteristics reflected in the tasting… 

This 22-year-old wine therefore has evolved aromas, quite different from those of its youth. One could even describe it more as a wine of the nose than a wine of the palate. 

The colour is well evolved with russet hues. The first nose is already intoxicating and full of complexity. With aeration, one finds fruit, humus, game, leather… Everything one expects from great Pinots with some bottle age. 

The dark fruits today have aspects of more cooked and jammy fruits, the tannins have softened and the elegance remains incredible. 

The nose remains more intense than the palate. 

Alphonse Mellot - Sancerre, La Moussière 2020 

Sancerre, the cradle of Loire Pinot Noirs! Not always easy to identify blind… except for the most seasoned tasters, like Didier. 

A very fine expression of Pinot Noir, farmed biodynamically: crunchy fruits, freshness and vigour — a seductive bouquet of redcurrant, blackberry and raspberry comes through fully. A hint of vanilla, a spiced touch, lovely length! It is very well crafted. Without great complexity, yet everything is there to fully appreciate it at the tasting. 
 

Henri Naudin Ferrand - Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2020

Magnificent Pinot Noir! 

Clear colour of low intensity with bright red hues. 

A nose with a pronounced fruit intensity, a delight from the very first impression. There are also notes of ageing and spices. A broad, spiced and fruity aromatic palette with silky tannins; the structure is solid and very pleasant with a dense and powerful Pinot Noir. 

We were already familiar with Claire Naudin's delicious wines; her family (here, her father) is therefore equally a master of the craft! 

Domaine Mayard - Châteauneuf du Pape 2022 

Several of us were keen to taste wines from this trendy estate with its lovely label. 

This is a Châteauneuf du Pape that already drinks very well in 2022. Surprisingly. 

Arthur and Hugo Mayard are two brothers who describe themselves as "peasant winemakers" and place their emphasis on living agriculture, placing the soil and the plants at the heart of their practices. Restitution of organic matter, gentle pruning, de-budding, severe desuckering, viti-forestry, vitipastoralism, adaptation of grape varieties to soils, mass selections… A combination of all the trendy practices for natural and organic wines that everyone is clamouring for. 

In any case, this wine comes from old vines of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah and already tastes very fine 2 years on. Finesse and silky texture, the aromas of strawberry and peony come through in a very pronounced manner. Pleasant tannins and balance — a true delight! 

In any case, we all wish to taste it again, and also to put a bottle in the cellar in order to enjoy this wine once more in a few years' time. 

Lucien Aviet Arbois Cuvée des Géologues Trousseau Rosière 1995 

It is rare to drink a Trousseau of such age! Very interesting and good, but unfortunately a little "past its prime"! We would have loved to taste it a touch younger. 

Nevertheless, the tertiary notes of the Trousseau are interesting: aromatic herbs, flowers… Jammy fruits, delicacy and beautiful amplitude, always retaining a generous character! Lucien Aviet produces very fine wines from Arbois in the Jura, both red and white, and the prices are reasonable for wonderful tastings!  
 

Pierre Jean Villa: Saint Joseph Préface 2020 

Very enjoyable from its youth, it can also be savoured after 10 years in the cellar! Fine notes of red fruits and pepper, typical of the beautiful Syrahs of the Saint Joseph appellation, a beautiful balance between finesse and minerality — perfect with a seven-hour shoulder of lamb for Easter! 

Jean Foillard - Morgon Cuvée Corcelette 2021

We never tire of it and we don't change a winning team! Perfect as an aperitif once again. The Foillard estate in Beaujolais produces delicious Morgon wines, starting with this one, exceptionally well crafted! Gamay vines around 50 years old, the nose is beautifully fruity with intense notes of morello cherry, the palate is pure and flavoursome with a fresh and velvety finish. Simple and effective pleasure! 

Domaine Lapierre Raisins Gaulois 2023

Yet another very fine easy-drinking wine for the aperitif. Made from young Gamay vines, this wine is very approachable both on the palate and for the wallet: a very beautiful, explosive and fresh fruit! To be enjoyed young with friends. Lapierre, always a success!