Coquelet 2010 Chiroubles (Beaujolais) – Sharply malic, as this wine can sometimes be, with crisp raspberries just short of what even I’d call ripe, cranberry, and (of course) apple. All nervousness and tension. I’m glad Beaujolais like this exists, but I’m also glad it’s not all like this. For the record, even this specific bottle isn’t always like this. It can gussy itself up all floral and pretty at times, though the sharpness never goes away. (3/12)
Browse Month
May 2012
How much, again?
Woodchuck “Original ‘91” Farmhouse Cider (Vermont) – I appreciate the (literally) hand-signed bottles, but when the name of the company is obscured in the side-label fine print it all feels just a little faux-artisan. Can’t Woodchuck make interesting cider without the misdirection? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? And this is good, with layers of dryness over a sharp, slightly cloudy applebrew of relatively indistinct character. The skin-dominated and yeasty characteristics are right, but my primary criticism would be that I’d like to see them get a little bit more out of the apples themselves. (3/12)
The conditional tense of thusly
Thistly Cross Scottish Cider (Scotland) – Zesty. There might be more frothy pepper than apple here, though the latter is sweet enough that the zing is offset. Still, the level or precision of either is of the soft, commercial variety and nowhere near the aggressive fascination of the better Basque, Norman, or even domestic ciders (I’d probably include ciders from the British Isles if I had more than notional experience with them). (3/12)