This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Some wines to find and taste before they disappear from the shelves.
Citrus&Caetera 2022, Domaine Capmartin, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec, South-West, France ($26.35 — 15222204)
Yes citrus fruits, but also and always these flavors stretched between liveliness and bitterness. There is density here but above all an additional texture which coats it and prolongs the finish for a long time. A singular white that only exists in this small corner of the country, which is otherwise very bucolic. (5) ***1/2
Riesling 2019, Ravines, Finger Lakes, New York, United States ($30 — 12289534)
I know this region without having set foot, eye, nose, mouth there, lark. This Riesling invites me but above all encourages me to think that quality viticulture is practiced here, comparable to the Ontario vineyards and their colleagues in British Columbia. Here we go gently vertically, with a ripe fruitiness where orange blossom mixes with apple, with that smoky touch typical of beautiful Rieslings, all coupled with liveliness and impeccable balance. And quite long in the mouth at that. Excellent purchase. (5) ***1/2
Pinot Noir “Director’s Cut” 2022, Francis Ford Coppola, Sonoma County, California, United States ($35.50 — 14713415)
As it should be with Sonoma County Pinot Noir, the fruitiness is dressed with brightness, thickness and generosity, supported in the mid-palate with sap and a lot of credibility. If we lose in nuances, we nevertheless gain in that of immediate pleasure, with a soft tannin and a toasted and smoky touch linked to the aging which remains very well marked here. A consensus red. (5+) *** ©
La Taille aux Loups Triple 0, Montlouis, Loire, France ($37 — 12025301)
I multiply the opportunities to foam the fine bubbles of this very dry Chenin in the wake of the memory of Jacky Blot who died too early a year ago now. There remains the wines including its still white vintages from the 2021 vintage which are just arriving on the shelves and which I invite you to serve to your friends during the upcoming festivities. As for this sparkling wine, the spirit of finesse is still at the forefront, with this inimitable definition of a Chenin Blanc carried by its terroir. A “learned”, exquisite, highly sensitive bubble. Like its author. Hi friend ! (5)****
Franciacorta Rosé Brut, Elizabetta Abrami, Franciacorta, Lombardi, Italy ($38.25 — 14293553)
A beautiful and happy discovery that comes at the right time for these little moss to come! The very delicacy of this sparkling wine where Pinot Noir dominates (here at 70%), its fragrance of sugar-frosted rose petals and wild strawberries gently supported by a fine texture, of great civility. An organic rosé with simply perfect harmony. Highly recommendable (5) ****
Burgundy White 2021, Domaine Morey Coffinet, Côte d’Or, France ($46.50 — 15202393)
“Much more than a “regional” Burgundy, if I understood correctly, Morey Coffinet is operating here a withdrawal of its wines in the Chassagne and Puligny-Montrachet appellation, you have to taste it! », told me the wine advisor of the Rockland branch Robert Renaud with his usual enthusiasm. Not wrong, guy! The fruitiness of apple and pear is dense, integrated, of high hold, with a section of texture that leaves your palate hanging high, to better dive into depth. Delicious today with fine fish or pike dumplings, but waiting a little (2-5 years) won’t harm it either. (5 +) ***1/2 ©
Champagne Nominé-Renard Brut, Champagne, France ($47.50 — 15223021)
If it does not offer all the majesty of the best champagnes, this blend where the blacks account for 60% of the blend still offers all the references of a good sparkling wine, namely a lively and well-fed bubble, a fruity structure which lacks neither body nor hold for a whole which remains very satisfying. An all-purpose bubble that is still relevant today. (5) ***
Sancerre “Pur” 2020, Fleuriet&Marchand, Loire, France ($51.75 — 15073860)
Grace itself. Here it surrounds the mind, the “cottonne” and the “wadding” in this kind of cloud-based dream which frees its moorings to better secure them where elsewhere looms. Pure Sauvignon where the very lively essence of fruitiness marks and amplifies a suave and sustained palate, ripe and sovereign, both revealing a beautiful terroir and a mastery in terms of execution. (5) **** ©
Cumières Rouge, René Geoffroy, Coteaux Champenois, Champagne, France ($63.25 — 13699746)
Remove the bubbles, the Pinot Noir remains alone. Quiet and soothing. As if it offered the distant memory of its Burgundian brothers further south, only told here by the expression of different terroirs. As if the Pinot Noir were apologizing for being there, modest and yet refined, but whose growing presence calls the palate to tell it all its sincerity. A fine red where the texture offers a very fresh tactile support, with a length in the mouth not to be underestimated. Flawless. Just like the entire range of house champagnes. (5)****
Côte-Rôtie “Les Essartilles” 2021, Les Vins de Vienne, Rhône, France ($80 — 14861936)
To tell you straight up, the sample tasted displayed a monk’s reserve. Not very talkative, certainly, but meditative from within. We say of this type of situation that the wine is closed. With reopening of activities in…, impossible to determine. Essentially, this Syrah vintage displays its woody structure against a backdrop of ripe and elegant fruitiness, but still somewhat tense. To wait for him a little would be to do him honor. Remember that wine is a living product which has its own aspirations, beyond commercial standards which erase all its defects. Not rated yet, but it looks promising!
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.