with plans for today, we decided to pass on neighbors' New Year's Eve party, and I told Betsy I'd take care of dinner. She pointed out we had lots of leftovers, and I decided a ceremonial cleanout of 2011 food was in order. I did a 5 course mostly leftover tasting menu:
"snail salad" (scungilli, a RI specialty that a friend dropped off for me)
lentil/coconut soup
artichokes with melted butter
pasta with mushrooms in cream/cognac sauce
capon salad with pimenton

We tried 2 wines with dinner:

NV Bernard Bremont "Cuvee Prestige" Champagne Brut
I just thought this was a brilliant showing, a couple of years cellaring has put this in a very nice spot. White fruits, baking bread, citrus zest, honeycomb. Fine mousse, nice acids, full and long. A-

2002 Huet "Le Haut Lieu" Demi-Sec Vouvray (375)
I seem to have more false alarms with Huet than any other wine. I often think it's corked, then whatever seems to blow off. This time I was worried that there were signs of oxidation, but nonlogically air seemed to help, and the wine freshened up with just a bit of time. Apple, orange zest, wool. Not the zippiest Huet, though in reality there is plenty of acid. Very tasty, drinking well from small format. B+

Nice quiet way to end the year. Happy New Year all.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

DaleW wrote in
news:25331482.2180.1325449530148.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@vbmq3:

2002 Huet "Le Haut Lieu" Demi-Sec Vouvray (375)
I seem to have more false alarms with Huet than any other wine. I
often think it's corked, then whatever seems to blow off. This time I
was worried that there were signs of oxidation, but nonlogically air
seemed to help, and the wine freshened up with just a bit of time.
Apple, orange zest, wool. Not the zippiest Huet, though in reality
there is plenty of acid. Very tasty, drinking well from small format.
B+

Dale,

your experience with Huet is similar to what I experience with many
Muscadets. I initially detect many as been corked (wet cardboard), but it
seems to be just reduction, because decanting them usually makes them
better (and not worse as should be the case with a TCA affected wine).

With Chenin Blanc wines, specially aged ones, I have experienced that
upon uncorking they may be sour and unforgiving. And after one hour in
the decanter they become sweet and lovely. This I have noticed with
Quarts du Chaume, Bonnezeaux and even some off dry wines.

Regarding Huet, what a winery! I love their wines so much, that I do not
open bottles frequently because I see them as treasures (and I usually
purchase a case or two at the winery every year or so). But I have still
to find a wine from them that dissapoints me. A couple of months ago, a
Le Mont Moelleux 1985 was an outstanding wine.

s.