Drunk and Approved - April 24

More wonderful tastings this month!

Discover our descriptions of the wines tasted this month! We held a lovely team tasting in our offices on April 9th and will describe the wines we tasted… We are also adding some 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 beautiful terroir of the Montagne de Reims, classified as Grand Cru. A particularly successful Blanc de Blancs where there is more Pinot Noir than Chardonnay… 

A blend of several harvests, beautiful golden color, fine bubbles... Let's begin the tasting! Toasty, 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 Loire gem. The owner, Sylvain Dittière, honed his skills at great names before launching his own estate (Gauby, Thierry Germain, Château Yvonne and Clos Rougeard - the pope of the Loire) 

Let us return to our sooooo adorable 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 for whom it is "too Sauvignon-forward," the green, boxwood 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 flavors of baked apples, beautiful 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 and the estate magnifies Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

We delight in this Meursault 2022 thanks to the well-known markers of Meursault: butter, yeast, honey, aging and oak, a lovely smooth and intoxicating sensation, all with a nice acidity, truly enjoyable 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 its Rieslings, but this is a first Pinot Gris from the estate for most of us. Superb! 

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

Perfect balance between richness and a finesse of aromatic expression, all with a mineral finish. A very great dry white from Alsace with its wide fruity aromatic palette, from citrus to yellow and white-fleshed fruits, one finds flowers and gentle spices. 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 get hold of with a production of fewer than 3,000 bottles per year. 

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

Jean-François Ganevat Les Chalasses Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay 2016 

These are very old Chardonnay vines (over 100 years!!) flourishing on red marl soils in the Chalasses terroirs that are vinified for this cuvée. The berries are organic, harvested by hand and handled gently to respect the fruit! 

Golden and brilliant color, 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 fat, vivacity and the acidity of Chardonnay. It is incisive! You either love it, or you love it less. The finish persists beautifully and the flavors of yellow fruits and spices are very present. 

Château Soucherie Chaume 1er Cru Côteaux du Layon 2006

A beautiful end to the tasting for that evening, pairing this Chaume 1er Cru with our little sweet treats. 100% Chenin Blanc, well-integrated sugar balanced by a fine acidity, very pleasant. You do need to enjoy sweet wines, however. 

For those who might be reluctant, it is always worth tasting in a small quantity alongside a dessert — it is always interesting, a wonderful discovery! 

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

La Justice Bretaudeau - Vin de France 2020

A blend you don't see every day in the Nantes region! 

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

This wine is aged in an ovoid tank and in amphora for 14 months. The lees are thus lifted and stirred continuously by the internal current, and the wine therefore benefits from 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 character of this wine, its freshness. Restaurants are fighting over it and we understand why. Perfect with shellfish or white meat, decant ½ hour before, it's 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 sulfites: a lovely wine that respects the fruit. Beautiful complexity on the palate, numerous fruity flavors, richness and a structure supported by a beautiful acidity. A real delight! 

And even a beer! Cantillon Gueuze 

0 bitterness, or in any case, extremely well integrated. Lovely golden color, tangy and fruity, with delicate woody aromas, this beer has a great deal of 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 

Everyone unanimous: just WOW! 

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

Roumier - Morey Saint Denis 2002 - Clos de la Bussière 

Very interesting to taste! 

It should be noted that the soils of this plot are very rocky and covered with iron-rich clays. Perhaps some of those characteristics will be found at tasting… 

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

The color is well evolved with rusty reflections. The first nose is already intoxicating and packed with 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 are softened and the elegance is still incredible. 

The nose remains more intense than the palate. 

Alphonse Mellot - Sancerre, La Moussière 2020 

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

A very beautiful expression of Pinot Noir, worked biodynamically: crunchy fruits, freshness and vigor — a seductive bouquet of redcurrant, blackberry and raspberry fully emerges. A hint of vanilla, a touch of spice, lovely length! It is very well crafted. Without great complexity, but everything is there to fully appreciate it at tasting. 
 

Henri Naudin Ferrand - Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2020

Magnificent Pinot Noir! 

Clear and low-intensity color with vivid red reflections. 

A nose with a pronounced fruit intensity, a delight from the very start. We also find aging and spice notes. A broad, spiced and fruity aromatic palette with smooth tannins, the structure is solid and very pleasant with a dense and powerful Pinot Noir. 

We were already familiar with the delicious wines of Claire Naudin — her family (here her father) is therefore also a master of the craft! 

Domaine Mayard - Châteauneuf du Pape 2022 

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

This is a Châteauneuf du Pape that already tastes very good in 2022. Surprisingly. 

Arthur and Hugo Mayard are two brothers who describe themselves as "farmer-winemakers" who place the emphasis on living agriculture, putting the soil and plants at the center of their practices. Organic matter restitution, gentle pruning, bud removal, severe desuckering, agroforestry, agropastoralism, adapting grape varieties to soils, mass selections… A combination of all the trending practices for natural and organic wines that everyone is fighting over. 

In any case, this wine comes from old vines of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah and already tastes very good 2 years later. Finesse and silky texture, the aromas of strawberry and peony are very pronounced. Pleasant tannins and balance, a real delight! 

In any case, we all want to taste it again, but also to put a bottle in the cellar to enjoy this wine again in a few years. 

Lucien Aviet Arbois Cuvée des Géologues Trousseau Rosière 1995 

It is rare to drink such an aged Trousseau! Very interesting and good, but unfortunately a little "past its peak"! 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 a beautiful amplitude, always maintaining a generous character! Lucien Aviet produces very beautiful Arbois wines in the Jura, in red and white, and the prices are reasonable for wonderful tastings!  
 

Pierre Jean Villa : Saint Joseph Préface 2020 

Very delicious from its youth, it can also be enjoyed after 10 years in the cellar! Beautiful notes of red fruits and pepper, typical of the great Syrahs of the Saint Joseph appellation, a fine balance between finesse and minerality, perfect with a 7-hour shoulder of lamb for Easter! 

Jean Foillard - Morgon Cuvée Corcelette 2021

We never tire of it and you don't fix what isn't broken! Perfect as an aperitif once again. The Foillard estate in Beaujolais produces delicious Morgon, starting with this one, extremely well crafted! Gamay vines approximately 50 years old, the nose is nicely fruity with intense notes of morello cherry, the palate is pure and flavorful with a fresh and velvety finish. Simple and effective happiness! 

Domaine Lapierre Raisins Gaulois 2023

Another very easy-drinking wine for aperitif. Made from young Gamay vines, this wine is very accessible on the palate and for the wallet: a very beautiful, explosive and fresh fruit! To drink young with friends. Lapierre, always a success!