Browse Tag

minervois

Eulalie, ooh-la-la

[rocks]Coustal “Château Sainte Eulalie” 2004 Minervois “Plaisir d’Eulalie” (Languedoc) – Dark-fruited and meaty, with a sort of soil-infused stew of herbs and heavily-roasted walnuts bubbling around underneath. There’s also a granular, graphite-like texture to the tannin (I don’t have a great deal of experience, but I think this is a signature of the Livinière sub-region), which adds a welcome note of complexity. That said, there are signs that the wine is advancing more quickly than might be expected (a touch of soy on the finish, a general browning cast to the fruit). It’s still quite good, and everything feels primary, but keep a careful eye on it if you’ve got any, because things could turn quickly. (12/07)

Oustal for time

Fonquerle “l’Oustal Blanc” Vin de Table “Naïck” (France) – Apparently, this is a blend of cinsault, carignan, syrah and grenache from vineyards in both Minervois and St-Chinian, hence the VdT designation. And I think this is the 2004 version, though of course there’s no vintage on the label. Anyway, it’s meaty and dense, with an excellent black trumpet-studded earthen foundation and nice structure. The wine seems like it should be blocky, but the aromatics are a good deal more vivid than one expects. It should age for a while, but it’s an excellent foil for strongly-flavored meat right now. (11/07)

Iché fingers

Iché “Château d’Oupia” 2005 Minervois (Languedoc) – More tightly-wound than its heretical brother, and a bit difficult to discern; there’s a dark, brooking surliness to the wine that repels the inquisitive. Layers of thick tannin seem to be the vintage’s signature (8/07)

Panis button

[bottle]Panis “Chateau du Donjon” 2004 Minervois Rosé (Languedoc) – Tastes off-dry, but even if it’s not it’s candied and not all that refreshing. Strawberries and raspberries abound, but it’s just too plastic for my tastes. A fellow diner comments that “it tastes like communion wine,” which is never good. (8/07)

TN: Sénat chamber

JB Sénat “Domaine Saint Sernin” 1999 Minervois Le Bois des Merveilles (Languedoc) – Corked. A shame, too, as this was a gift from the winemaker, carried all the way home from Sénat’s cellar in Trausse-Minervois. (5/07)

TN: Pink goodbye

[label]Château Villerambert Julien 2005 Minervois Rosé (Languedoc) – Strawberries have morphed into raspberries with six months of age, and there’s more complexity (mostly of the leafy herbspice variety) than there was over the summer, but also a corresponding diminishment of vivacity. This is nearing the end of its useful life, but it’s been a juicy ride. (1/07)

TN: Fade to pink

Iché “Château d’Oupia” 2004 Minervois Rosé (Languedoc) – The sun-dried wild thyme is starting to heat up from the alcohol; a sign that this rosé is coming to the end of its useful life. It was delicious while it lasted, and there’s still some enticing earthiness to the package. But drink up nonetheless. (12/06)

TN: Rosé number six

Château Villerambert Julien 2005 Minervois Rosé (Languedoc) – Summer berries, rich and ripe and red. Succulent and utterly delicious. The best bottle yet. (11/06)

TN: Southern rosé

Château Villerambert Julien 2005 Minervois Rosé (Languedoc) – Freshly crushed strawberries with crisp, raspberry-juice acidity and some mineralistic depth. The heart of the summer in liquid form. (11/06)

TN: Pink grapes

Julien “Château Villerambert Julien” 2005 Minervois Rosé (Languedoc) – Freshly-crushed raspberries and strawberries with a particulate graphite mid-tone. Lovely. (11/06)

Trimbach 2000 Gewurztraminer (Alsace) – Lasting rather than developing, with smoked pork slightly emergent from otherwise straight-ahead peach, lychee and apricot gelatin drizzled with cashew oil. Varietally pure, a bit fat, and mostly just sitting there…even as six year old négociant juice. It’s a perfectly pleasant gewurztraminer, but there seems to be no point in holding it any longer. (11/06)