Thursday I met with old friend and current wine & beer guru at Beer House Distributors Brad Lee Nichols, along with his boss, the illustrious Brian Hue, and his cohort Matt Humpert for a little refresher on some Kermit Lynch wines:
Les Traverses de Fontanes Blanc VDP 2011. Grade=Outstanding. A delicious, refreshing white blend of Rolle, Chenin Blanc and Clairette Blanc, this light-bodied white shows off white spices, melon and lime zest with pronounced minerality.
Unique by Domaine Salvard Sauvignon Blanc VDP du Val de Loire 2011. Grade=Outstanding. A stunning value from Cheverny producer Domaine Salvard, this light-bodied, tart white possesses brilliant grapefruit notes, and touches of guava, lime, cilantro and tomato vine. Finishes with nice acidity.
Les Traverses de Fontanes Rosé Pic St. Loup 2011. Grade=Outstanding. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, in a saigneé-style, demonstrating fresh strawberry and pomegranate notes, light spices and white pepper. Finishes refreshing and dry.
Domaine de la Prebende Beaujolais AOC 2011. Grade=Outstanding. A beautifully-crafted, light-bodied red, with fresh cherry, mulberry and dusty earth notes, coupled with bracing acidity and minerality, and touches of fresh blackberry and boysenberry throughout its bright, fresh presence across the palate.
Unique by Domaine Salvard Pinot Noir VDP du Val de Loire 2011. Grade=Very Good. Tart, crisp Bing cherries and cinnamon with slightly green coffee berries, dusty earth and rose petals. A solid value.
Eric Chevalier Pinot Noir VDP du Val de Loire 2011. Grade=Outstanding. A bit earthier than the Unique, this light-to-medium-bodied red is soft and supple, with gingerly expressions of red tea leaves, black cherries, mulberries, cloves and black pepper.
Les Traverses de Fontanes Rouge VDP 2011. Grade=Outstanding+. This killer value is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, with more expressive red fruits than black, accentuated with freshly-dug earth, mineral, pepper and tobacco notes. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and finishing with juicy plums and cherries.
Domaine Fontsainte Corbieres 2010. Grade=Outstanding. Always delivers in value and style, this medium-to-full-bodied red gives you bold, delineated red and black fruits, rustic spices, hickory smoke and newly-tanned leather notes.
And as a present, Brad brought from his own stash a Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau Rouge 2007. Grade=Amazing++. I love me some Telegraphe. An almost-savory delivery of its dark fruits, bacon fat, umami, roasted herbs, salted pork and brown spices, this full-bodied red is developing nicely. Glad I have one at home.
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3 Comments
Here’s another one I’m wondering if TPS carries: Les Traverses de Fontanes Rouge VDP 2011. I bought this from the Wine Library and liked it a lot but have not been able to find a retailer to get it in.
In general, and to clarify for me, are the wines that you review carried by TPS? I can’t often tell if the wines are ones in which TPS carries or if they are wines that you taste in order to consider them for your innventory.
Ken, this is a new supplier for us – they are just now handling wine (it’s always been just beer for them) – and definitely we will be carrying the Fontanes Rouge, it is awesome. Look for it shortly.
Also Ken, a lot of what I review are notes of wines I am approached with by our suppliers and are being considered. We cannot bring everything in that we taste obviously, but essentially what you get here on my blog is a diary of everything I sample, and you get a little bit of an idea of what will eventually make it to the shelves.