The color is very pale yellow with a caramel tinge, bubbles are small and moderately active. The nose is lovely, deep with an underlying umami richness beneath fresh pears and apples. On the palate tart apples take the lead, driven as much by bright acids as apple flavors. The apple
Cognac, the village and the AOC, is a quiet pastoral place. The village bustles at times, but primarily as a business hub and central marketplace for a largely rural community and only secondarily, it seems, as the world center for a unique iconic style of spirit. Outside of a relatively
A nice vin de pays from a somewhat overlooked area of Languedoc. (If there was a vintage on this either it was invisible or the vintage sticker fell off.) This cab franc exhibits dark purple color, and is somewhat jammy on the nose, with elements of earth and pepper. Solid
A true low-alcohol Bourgogne for half the price of a tooth-staining California pinot, this shows true balance and minerality. Strawberries, some raspberries, and damp black earth shoveled over hot coals show on the nose. On the palate the fruit is more muted, hinting at a resting phase calling for a
A very moderately priced Bordeaux, particularly for one from the “Vintage of the Century.” It is also still rather young, evidenced by how much better it showed on the second night. The nose shows blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco leaf. The taste on the palate is far richer than the aromas
When I was in the French region of Armagnac in December, everyone was all excited about selling Armagnac in China. As well they should be. While Armagnac is a beautiful, tawny, aromatic spirit with a long tradition, in recent decades it has fallen far below Cognac in world recognition, consequently
Cows and sheep trekking down from the mountains have nothing to do with the “Transhumance” name of the wine; instead it’s the winemaker himself who makes the journey from the Northern Rhone down to the Languedoc region in the south of France. There, he has produced an earthy, smoky, syrah-based
This is a single vineyard, Clos Devant,white Burgundy from Chassagne Montrachet. It is translucent, with a light golden hue. The noise has an apple pie and caramel sweetness with a lovely white flower bouquet. The palate offers up rich flavors, starting with baked apples, adding creme brûlée and Meyer Lemon