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The descriptions found below are the ones our members will find with their monthly shipment of two bottles of fine wine from the French Wine Club.
Red: St Nicolas de Bourgueil, Cuvée du Moulin Neuf 2004
St Nicolas is the only individual village within the Bourgueil area to enjoy its own appellation. This privilege is undoubtedly due to the distinctive character of its soils, which are poorer and more porous, for the most part, than the rest of the district. The result is one of the most charming and light expressions of Cabernet Franc that the Loire Valley can produce.
The “Cuvée du Moulin Neuf” is made and bottled by Pierre Plouzeau. It is a wine of impressively vivid and dense color, a nose unmistakably mingling the raspberry and earth mélange that devotees of Cabernet Franc adore, and a palate which is simultaneously silky and firm, with great purity of fruit from beginning to end.
Such wines are among the most useful of all reds, particularly in warm weather, when they can be served in the local style with a slight chill to heighten their aromatic allure. A good match for chicken dishes, semi-soft cheeses, and even certain delicate fish. Ageing 3 to 5 years.
To order, click here: Bottle ($15.50), Case ($148.80 - 20% off!). |
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White: Saumur 2004
Saumur is primarily known for its sparkling wines and the reds of Saumur-Champigny, which can reach exceptional heights. But like every Loire appellation whose fundamental sub-soil is limestone (“les tuffeaux” as it is known locally), it is capable of producing exceptional wine from the chenin grape (in the Loire, you rarely see colors such as “Blanc” or qualifiers such as “Franc” attached to grape varieties).
This former Cinderella of a grape has lately become the belle of the ball, enjoying a tremendous renaissance of interest amongst savvy sommeliers and consumers alike. Credit its chameleon-like ability to reflect nuances of terroir, and its innately refreshing balance between fruit and acid for that. At its grandest, in Savennieres-Les Roches aux Moines and Vouvray, it can be one of the most complex and long-lived of all wines. Or, as in this scintillating example from young Julien Fouet, it can be that most satisfying of French bottles, the country wine of noble birth - essentially simple and direct, but with a purity of expression and hints of subtlety beneath the surface that make all the modern wizard wines of the New World (and the Old) look like shallow impostors.
This is a father-and-son domaine, where dad cultivates the vineyards (organically, of course) and son Julien makes the wine and sells it. It is also worth mentioning that Saumur is perhaps the most dynamic wine district of the Loire region, with tremendous camaraderie and co-operation between the growers. Not coincidentally, the average standards there are exceptionally high.
To order, click here: Bottle ($15.50), Case ($148.80 - 20% off!). |
Previous 12 Wine-of-the-Month Selections(Important note: in general, only cases of past Wine-of-the-Month selections are available, and even so, we cannot guarantee that they will be available after a certain amount of time. Please call or e-mail us to check their availability.)
April 2006:
Red: Château Auzias 2003 - “Cuvée Mademoiselle”
White: Saint Roche 2004
March 2006:
Red: Chateau Segonzac Cru Bourgeois 2003
White: Domaine de Raissac 2004
February 2006:
Red: Domaine de la Pique Rouge 2003
White: Cheverny 2003
January 2006:
Red: Tour de Lys Merlot 2002
White: Chateau d'Arricaud 2002
December 2005:
Red: Domaine Bascou 2001, Languedoc
White: Domaine Lalanne, Côtes de Gascogne 2004
November 2005:
Red: Plume Bleue 2004, Vin de Pays d'Oc
White: Quincy 2003, Domaine Crotereau
October 2005:
Red: Chateau Ventenac 2002
White: Vin du Bugey, Jacquere 2004
September 2005:
Red: Domaine des Entrefaux Crozes-Hermitage 2002
White: Domaine de la Salette 2004
August 2005:
Red: Château Reignac de Tizac (Bordeaux) 2000
White: Château Hélène “Pénélope” 2004
July 2005:
Red: Domaine des Romarins, Côtes du Rhône 2002
White: Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine des Lauriers, Côteaux du Languedoc 2004
June 2005:
Red: Domaine de Coussergues, Mourvedre 2003
White: Domaine La Bastide, Viognier 2004
May 2005:
Red: Domaine La Millière 2003
White: Chardonnay du Bugey, Domaine Plantaz 2001
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frenchwinegift.com
511 West Valley Parkway
Escondido, CA, 92025, USA
Tel. (760) 489-8666 Fax. (760) 489-8663
E-mail: michel@frenchwinegift.com
WWW: www.frenchwinegift.com
Copyright © 2001-2006 Michel Boucher
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