Domaine de l’Ecu Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Blanc Cuvée Classique 2011

This is 100% Melon de Bourgogne, coming from this Loire’s company, organic since 1975 and biodynamic since 1998.

 

The nose is strongly fumée and iodine, with citrus notes - grapefruit and green lemon - well blended with hints of white flowers - especially hawthorn - resting on a slightly mineral and fruity carpet.

 

By the taste, freshness and balance, with smoked and iodine aspects, which are strengthened, while maintaining, dense and pleasant, the fruity side. Time passes and also the mineral aspect gains in quality, with salty touches.

 

The sip is very tense and opulent, whose amplitude progresses, with the increase of the oxygenation. Very persistent, with a palate insisting on brackish and grapefruit notes, with pleasantly bitter closing.

 

Try it with oysters.

 

 

Edi Keber Collio Bianco K 2013

This is a blend of 70 Friulano, 15 Ribolla Gialla and 15 Malvasia Istriana.

The olfactory theme, with good freshness, is entirely dominated by green vegetal notes – a lot of sage, thyme, rosemary, tomato leaf, chamomile and other herbs of the field - but with no hints of fruit, or minerals.

Same thing on the palate, which revives, coherently, the drafting olfactory. A lot of vegetal scents, freshness and nothing more, even if the mouth, continually, claims the cup, thanks to a good balance.

A.R. Lenoble Champagne Brut Nature Dosage Zéro n.v.

This cuvée is 40% Chardonnay, from Chouilly - Grand Cru village - 30% Pinot Noir from Bisseuil and 30% Pinot Meunier from Damery, standing thirty-six months sur lie and has disgorged one year ago.

The nose, at first, is lazy, then relaxes and modulates itself about a white fruit expression - peach, pear and a slice of grapefruit - a trace of almond, while an overflowing minerality stabbing the nostrils.

Even on the mouth has clear and overflowing chalky minerality. A relevant dorsal sour, however properly inserted and well balanced into the creaminess of the sip. The taste, straight and very intense, illustrates quite well the concept of zero dosage, without furious vehemences.

Really succeeded pairing with carpaccio of bonito and sea bass.

William Fevre Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent 2008

It’s deep yellow, crossed by greenish glow.

 

The nose is strongly dominated by citrus sensations - lime and grapefruit - that blend with a deep iodine and mineral connotation, very typical of these vineyards located on Kimmeridgian soil.A touch of white flowers and a pleasant herbaceous vein, finish this olfactory drawing.

 

Very cool in the mouth and supported by important acidity; also here meeting mineral verticality, which occupies the length and breadth of the palate, crossed by subtle citrus references.

 

The final, not very long, but quite persistent, is enriched with salty flavors and oyster.

Vodopivec Vitovska Origine 2009

I have always considered the Vitoska of Paul and Valter Vodopivec, the best ever and even this bottle confirms me.

 

In the beginning, a finely chiseled nose, dynamic and very clean.

 

Fresh attack, known as broom, and then with fruity sensations - white peach, apricot and pear - followed by tones of clay and delicate minerality that will accumulates massive stony doses.

 

On the mouth it is just elegant, vertically elegant and with precise acid-tannic tone.

 

The fruit merges wonderfully with the mineral propensity, which, here, flows into salty-iodated territories, giving it complex and immense pleasure.Remarkable tasty progression and marked persistence, it ends resuming salty tones, apricot and almond.

 

I repeat, and I emphasize, in my opinion, the best Vitovska ever.

Absolutely.

Agrapart & Fils Champagne Minéral 2003

More than years since the disgorgement (october 2008), than on yeasts, much more time under the lights of Lafayette Gourmet in Paris, than sheltered from the light, in my cellar.

Agrapart means an inseparable link with the Côte des Blancs, and its grape variety, the Chardonnay. In this case, with an extra brut dosage, in a vintage where very few Champagne Houses have tried, because of the heat wave.

Anyway, no worries, because Monsieur Pascal, did not put the heat in the bottle!

The absolute purity of Chardonnay comes from the old vineyards - 40 years aged - of Cramant, first fermentation half-steel and half oak barrels, malolactic fermentation, more than 4 years on yeasts, with manual riddling.

Very fine and harmonious bubbles and a great vertical nose, initially sleepy, but which leaves his relax quickly, on a strong aromatic expression and showing a very gourmand side.

You start with aromas of pastries, almond paste, dried fruit, even grilled, light floral notes, candied lemon, Granny Smith apple, with light touches of vanilla. A truly lively design, supported by a saline and chalky texture and a well-marked flinty notes.

A chiseled, “fat” and full of matter mouth, confirms, simply, all the olfactory extension, while the aromatic intensity develops continuously, then it extends on oxidative flavors without compromising, altogether, freshness and balance.

Tense and vibrant finish, on strong mineral expression, with a long length.
A pure-terroir wine that the Côte des Blancs only can give, thanks to the refined iodine and to the energy of the chalky cliff.

Jacquesson Champagne Cuvée n° 732 n.v.

It is a blend, based on the vintage 2004, and composed by 39% Chardonnay grape, 36% Pinot Meunier grape, 25% Pinot Noir grape, an abnormally low percentage (21) of reserve wines, dosage 3.5 gr.lt. and disgorged in 2008 2nd quarter. In other words, that is almost how to say a kind of “homemade dégorgement tardif” - please permit me the stretch - which gave emotions, confirming, punctually, a classic and full of charm bottle.

Almost symmetrical nose and mouth. Mature expressions, masterfully supported by a dynamic acid adhesion, true motor sips.

Grilled butter and hazelnut, candied lemon and apricot, elegant chalky connotations, are the precise olfactory interpreters that I have found regularly in the mouth, sometimes even amplified.

A complex and growing taste bow, by long and exciting chalky finish, salty flow sensations, custard and ginger.

Hard to get nowadays, be prepared and very fast in buying it!