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Not many people know Yann Durieux – believe me that will change. I have posted about him before in “The new Elvis” but as I have just had the 2010 ”Les Grands Ponts” (again... two times in fact.... within the last two weeks) I thought it was okay to post again (I couldn’t really resist anyway)…blew my mind once again…ouch!!!...be warned – addictive wine!!!.

Had the 2006 Instant No.1 rosé from Bérèche yesterday. It's so unbelievable good. It’s the kind of rosé Champagne, which doesn’t make that much noise, but really plays a very understated role with fragile and delicate dried red berries. The best Champagne Raphaël Bérèche has ever made IMHO.

Pretty interesting wine. From La Vigne du Perron - 2011"La Serène Blanche" - 100% Roussette (altesse)...production is extremely low

I had the 2006 “L’Amateur” from David Léclapart this evening. Now this might be old news, but it’s just perfect right now. It’s kind of ridiculous to talk about an entry-level wine, because it’s so much more than an average Champagne.

I’ve noticed something….David’s Champagnes become quite classic with cellaring. “L’Amateur” ’06 have started to embrace some autolysis character, providing some complex underlying drum and bass to the rhythm. Yet it’s still young in terms of tallness and energy. Sure it can cellar – but why wait? I will finish my case within the next year or so and will imagine every bottle to be as good as this one.

Curiosity in wine is very important to me. Even better is when you discover wines where you can actually say; “I have never tasted anything like this before”. It’s rare that it happens – and when it does it’s not necessarily positive. Right now I am drinking a wine, where I can actually say those lines and in addition it’s fuc***** crazy wine. The nose is filled with ripe late harvest apple juice, pineapple, mango, wild yeast, touch of vanilla and orange blossom. It’s one hell of a lively thing and the taste is very elastic and exotic too with some spices on the finish line. Completely nuts man!!!!... As you can see the label looks like something Spock from Star Trek designed…and from what I know it’s a local grape called  Zibibbo. Producer is Grabrio Bini and we are on the Island of Pantelleria located 100 km south west of Sicily. Soil is of course volcanic. Vines are +50 years old, biodynamic grown, picked and destemmed by hand. It’s *orange wine (*skin contact or macerated if you wish) – long and slow (don’t know how long) but vinified in clay amphora’s dating back to the 17th century. Unfiltered – no additions – no So2. WOW!!!

I think I’ve found my summer white. The talented Arianna Occhipinti continues to win my heart. Her red “Il Frappato” is easily my favourite Italian daily drinking wine and this wine might not be the most complex breed, but it drinks so well. The 2012 SP68 Bianco is made from Albanello & Zibibbo ((moscato d'alessandria). Vinyard is located in 280m above Sea level and terroir is red sand with chalk from sub- Apennine limestone. The wine sees 15 days of skin contact and you would think it’s sensual tropical fruit aromas derives from barriques, but it only spends 6 months in steel tanks and one year in bottle. The wine is summer and sun - happy moments with elderflower, mango and pineapple. Taste is very elastic, free and utterly juicy. Irresistible stuff.

Tonights wine - I have tasted it two times already. 2011 "Les Damodes" from Frederic Cossard. It's absolutely gorgeous. I hope to write something on the blog on Cossard...if I have the time.

While I process all the images from Terres et vins de Champagne – I can share some brief impression of some of the other wines I remember having tasted. The wine in the glass are: 2006 Voeutte et Sorbée “Saignée de Sorbée”

Champagnes:

2006 Voeutte et Sorbée “Saignée de Sorbée”

Not good on opening with an almost aggressive iron, spicy, Campari attack and evn a tannic finish. After half an hour it calms down and the notes sort of dries out, becomes far more interesting – especially the spice section, revealing a more salty expression. One on side, I find it to be an impressive Champagne with quite a character and soil bite, but on my emotional frequency there is a bit of a conflict.

2006 David Léclapart “L’Amateur”

Absolutely beautiful. Maybe not as divine fruit driven as the ’08, but so well build and structured. Drinking perfectly now.

2006 David Léclapart “L’Apôtre”

Somewhat bombastic, but with enormous potential – wait.

2007 Jérôme Prévost “Fac-Simile rosé”

Really surpriced me as I was expecting a far more aged and oxidized Champagne by now. But it’s almost like it has firmed up. The ’07 are really elegant and light and has this dried out herbal line, like verbena – which I really like. Really nice.

NV Selosse “VO”.

Three times From three different disgorgements (2010, ’11 and one from ’08). I preferred the ’10 disgorgement, which felt more focused. There are several TN on this site on this

Champagne and I always like it.

NV Selosse “Rosé” (Disgorged in 2011)

Great that Selosse have taken the dosage down to only 4 grams now. Takes away some of the fatness, sweet pastry notes and makes this Rosé far more salty and firm. Don’t get me wrong it’s still Selosse style, but carries the boldness far better.

NV Selosse “Aÿ La Côte Faron” – (’03 base)

Super concentrated style and easy to guess “Selosse” (I guessed Contraste) with late harvested honeyl, overripe peach, quince and burned caramel. Maybe a fraction more spinal firmness was needed, but I would guess that’s the result of ’03 base.

Whites

2001 Domaine Belluard “Les Alpes” )from Savoie made from 100 % Gringet)

Third time I try this really interesting white wine, which could easily be a candidate for my preferred spring/summer drink. I could best describe it as a mixture of Rieslings fruitiness and high acidity, but it also takes onboard the Traminer grape notes with ginger and licorice. There is an underlying base of cool straw freshness and it’s a very linear wine.

2005 Didier Dagueneau “Silex”

Spectacular racy wine and served with a Asian inspired raw tuna dish made by my good friend Claus...miraculous match and seriously focused wine. Love it.

2011 Domaine des Miroirs (Jura) “Berceau 2011 / Chardonnay)

Really clean and racy and mineral wise reminding me slightly of Alexandre Jouveaux – just in a slimmer version. I will have to taste it again.

Reds

2009 Jean Foillard “Cote du Py”

I have some issues with the ’09 in Beaujolais – it’s too hot, out of balance and this bottle was really dissapointing.

2006 San Giusto a Rentennano “Percarlo”

Coming on a bit too clumsy at first, with way too much burned oak, but with a couple of hours of decanting it started to shine. It’s still what I would call a modern Sangiovese, but so smooth, well balanced and still Italian with lovely notes of leather. Tasted without food, but I’ll bet it would have been even better with food.

2011 Domaine des Miroirs (Jura) “Ja-Nai 2011 / Poulsard”

The color is just outrageous on this one – so light red, almost transparent. The visual treat are in synch with a beautiful and weightless wine (very low alc), combining red fruits, rhubarb and notes of wet autumn leaves. Loved it. 

2010 Ganevat “Cuvée Julien”

I love this wine – so brilliant.

1989 Pichon-Baron

Tasted with good friends. Really fun to have a journey back in “wine-time”…and I can only say read my “Varible no. 32B” on the blog….the wine in itself, analyzes solely from a hard core point of view was really not that great. Dry, square and lifeless.

2006 SQN “Raven”

You can smell and do a few “ooohhhss and ahhhsss” and find it simply fascinating that wine can also be like this. You can even conclude that SQN is not only high-octane wine…some around the table called it “cool tempered” and although that’s taking it a bit far for my palate, I know what they mean. But! – you can’t drink it…or I couldn’t. There is nothing here making me come back for more – the density is still too violent.

Have recently tasted both ’05 and ’06 Blanc d’Argile – two very different Champagnes.

The ’05 have begun to develop traditional autolysis notes with deeper walnut and nutty flavours. Yet this troublesome (typical ’05) rotten potato note is also present. The oak profile is also quit dominant.

The ’06 are a different story. Quite bombastic opening – really intense with raw structure. Evolved beautiful in the glass and the last third revealed a ravishing soil intensity and purity. From ’06 is seems like the oak is far better balanced and only a secondary chord and not the whole orchestra.

Weekend wines…

2009 Demarne-Frison “Lalore” Brut Nature

A Champagne filled with citrus and flowery components. Feels too young at this stage, but has a very fresh and pure profile. The last glass was by far the best.

2008 Bérèche “Rive Gauche” Extra Brut (3 g/l dosage)

Incredible refined Pinot Meunier with enormous acidity bite. Really sophisticated freshness, yet with a deeper and darker fruit baseline. Can easily be enjoyed now, but a couple of years in the bottle should bring these darker phrasings into an even more refined level.

2004 David Léclapart “L’Apotre”

Scary intensity and incredible raw Champagne without any fuzz whatsoever. Doesn’t feel closed, nor does it feel really open – but somewhere in-between. I would give it some more time, simply to balance its bombastic footprint. It has everything it takes to age another 15-20 years.

2010 Domaine Dublére “Volnay Les Pitures”

Incredible sexy and smooth Pinot Noir. Ripe and juicy with an almost sweet liquorices appeal. You can argue whether it’s a fraction too polished and oak dominant, but selling at this reasonable price and drinking really well in good friends company, I didn’t found much reason to complain.

2008 Philippe Pacalet “Chambolle Musigny”

Also incredible charming wine, with classic Pinot tonality. It leans toward a more polished style with a fair amount of oak influence. However I found additional deeper layers and it’s simply so juicy and easy to drink.