With steak in a red wine sauce (made with corked wine, per Sue Courtney's
recipe cited in earlier thread), brussels sprouts, and spinach, the 2001 Ch.
D'Aiguilhe (Côtes de Castillon). Dense modern styled Bordeaux, dark
cherry/raspberry fruit with a hint of anisette and spice. Nice finish, ripe
tannins. Really good for the style. B+

Over a couple nights, as an aperitif, the 2002 Louis Latour Mcon Villages
Chameroy. Pretty good for $8 chardonnay. No oak apparent, yet a somewhat creamy
texture. Ripe fruit but balanced acidity. Buy more. B

Sunday I took a break from nasty jobs like stripping a rocking chair to visit
Rochambeau's fall tasting. They have it at Harvest, a restaurant with a great
view of the Hudson. 17 distributors sent reps, probably close to 200 wines. I
didn't have a lot of time, and the crowds were larger than usual (why do people
think in front of the dump/spit bucket is the perfect spot to chat re their
lawns?), so I tasted only a fraction. But a nice well-chosen selection, decent
stems,etc. Usual store tasting caveats. Several of the more boring wines I did
taste I didn't notate at all, so aren't listed, so list is slightly biased
towards better wines.


Still wines:

Some winners, on buy list:
2002 Bouchard "Les Clous" Meursault (25.85)
very good for price, nice acidity and butterscotchy flavors. Buy
2002 Fournier Sancerre Grand Cuvee VV(17.99)
I stopped buying this after some disappointments, but this is nice- clean,
ripe, balanced, no oak
2002 Jolivet Nozay Sancerre (19.99)
Rich, deep, clean
2002 Etienne Sauzet Bourgogne Blanc (27.50)*
Good
2002 St Innocent Seven Springs (29.99)
big tannic pinot, but tasty
2002 Patrick Javiller "Cuvée de Forgets" Bourgogne Blanc (17.99)
I've had before, still think great Bourgogne, balanced and full

I'm thinking about it
2001 Terrabianca Campaccio (not listed, I think Alan said $26)
pretty good, though I think I liked '99 better
2001 Dashe Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (33.99)
Deep, rich, balanced.
2002 Felsina Chianti Classico (16.50)
Quite good, but I think I liked the 2001 a bit better. Will get a bottle to
really try.
2000 Ch. Taurteau Chollet (Graves) (12.50)
With the craze for 2000 Bordeaux, I've noticed a ton of (mostly crappy)
previously unknown (to me) petit chateaux and the like appearing. This one is
actually pretty decent for price, though.
2000 Baumard "Trie Speciale" Savennieres (27.99)
Very good, rich, long, zippy. I have some, should I get more?

I liked, but pricey:
2001 Comte Armand "Clos de Epeneaux" Pommard (62.99)
dark fruit (black cherry), nice hint of barnyard, tasty but expensive
2000 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon (79.99)
One of best 2000 CalCabs I've tasted, but out of my range. Powerful but
balanced
2000 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva (27.50)
Not worth premium over 2001 normale.
2001 Patrick Lesec "Rubis" Cotes du Rhone (16.99)
Decent CdR, premium CdR pricing
Zind-Humbrecht "Zind" (27.99)
Actually very tasty, if a bit expensive
2002 Dujac Fils & Pere Meusault (40.99)
Rich fruit and lots of oak, a bit short on finish

I'd drink gladly , but probably not buy
2002 Matanzas Creek Chardonnay (21.49)
figgy, sweet pear, ok for style
2003 Michaud Unfiltered Brouilly (15.99)
Others liked. Further proof that 2003 is the Beaujolais vintage for
Beaujolais-haters?
2002 Big Moose Red (7.99)
Decent cheap red blend

I'd drink, because I'm thirsty
2001 Matanzas Creek Merlot (22.99)
so so, boring, if that's your style
2003 Mills Reef Reserve Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc (13.99)
2001 Patrick Lesec "Chasse du Tempe" Chateauneuf-du-Pape (31.99)
2001 BV Rutherford (17.50)
Decent , but w/o any hint of Rutherford dust. A bit non-descript (this is
usually a fave of mine)
2001 Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Though I like Guigal's basic B & B Cote-Rotie, the CdP usually bores me, no
exception here
2000 Corino Barolo (29.99)
Oaky mid-sized modern Barolo

Can we open something else?
2001 Moccagatta "Basarin" Barberesco (38.50)
There's some definite funk here, of the mildew/wet cardboard variety. I quietly
and politely say to the Skurnik pourer "I think you might want to try this
bottle, it seems corked". He says "it's ok, I've already tried it twice.
Someone else thought it was corked, but then realized it was the alcohol."
(!?!?!?!) OK, if this is the way it's supposed to taste, I ain't buying. I look
around to see if I see anyone from Rochambeau to ask them, but no one near. All
I can say is that if I was a distributor, and 2 people independently questioned
whether a wine was corked, I'd get a second opinion.
Red Bicyclette Chardonnay (7.99)
Blah (I did think Syrah was ok)
2002 Ch. Maltroye "Morgeot Vignes Blanches" Chassagne-Montrachet (54.99)
Big, oaky, dilute

Champagne
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut ($23.50)
I usually find this a good value, still do, though this seemed less yeasty than
before
NV Moncuit BdB Grand Cru (31.99)
Pretty good stuff.
Laurent-Perrier Rose Brut (55.99)
For the price, I much prefer the '96 Pol Roger rosé
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle (69.99)
Very nice, elegant and long, but pricey for my poor budget.
The one I actually bought? I don't know its name. There was a NV Champagne that
was substituted for the Peters BdB (which I love)at the Skurnik table (I can't
read my writing- Margain?) , which was excellent and light (yet structured)- I
would have thought a vintage champagne from a good year. I just wrote give me a
bottle of the $34.99 at Table 5).

Overall, an excellent tasting. Bigger crowd than I'd prefer, but I'm glad for
Rochambeau.

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
Dale

Dale Williams
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