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Wines of the Month: May 2007

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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: Domaine Joel Delaunay Touraine 2005 Last September many of you enjoyed the remarkable Sauvignon Blanc that was made by Thierry Delaunay (son of Joel). It will therefore come as no surprise that this very great Loire vintage yielded other successes for him, notably this irresistibly sappy Gamay. This grape tends to be a fickle performer in the Loire. In less ripe years, it renders a wine that can be unpleasantly green and stemmy. But in great sun-blessed vintages such as 2005, which, thanks to global warming, are increasingly common, it yields a wine that makes most Beaujolais banal. The nose is brimming with a mysterious amalgam of strawberries and something dark and hinting of subterranean. The palate is certainly smooth, as one would expect from a Gamay, but there is a certain seriousness there as well. This wine is not slick and easy, but silky and subtle, with nuances of spice and mineral to complement the joyous purity of the fruit. Part of its success is owed to the exceptionally high standards espoused by the Delaunay family. But much is also due to the less-known but impressive quality of the terroir of Pouille, the village where they live and cultivate their wines. The Touraine is a wine to drink young. To order, click here: Bottle ($15.50), Case ($148.80 - 20% off!).
White: Abymes, Vin de Savoie 2005 Savoie is located in the Alps. Despite being one of the most picturesque regions of France, it is little known for its wine. This is strange, for they are some of the most original that the country has to offer. Grown at relatively high altitude in the foothills of the Alps, they tend to be made from varietals indigenous to and well suited to the soil and climatic conditions of the area. The brothers Labbe make one wine and one wine only at their domaine, which is this month's Abymes, the name of their appellation, situated south of Chambery, near Lac Leman. It is made from the grape called Jacquere, which is essentially unique to Savoie. In their hands, it has yielded as fresh and charming a dry white wine as can be imagined. Perhaps knowing that the wine is made within sight of the Alps fortifies the impression of spring flowers on the nose, but perhaps not. Whatever the case, with just over 11% natural alcohol, this is simply the most perfect picnic and aperitif wine that can be imagined. If you find yourself unexpectedly indulging in a cheese fondue, it goes without saying that this is the bottle you should reach for! 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 2007: Red: Mas Grand Plagniol Costieres de Nîmes 2005 White: Macon-Prisse 2005 March 2007: Red: Mas Galtier 2004 White: Pinot Blanc Réserve 2004 February 2007: Red: Les Clefs Corbieres 2003 White: Sauvignon 2005 Vin de Pays d'Oc January 2007: Red: Château Cahuzac, Fronton, 2004 White: Vouvray Sec 2004 December 2006: Red: Domaine des Lones, Coteaux du Tricastin 2004 White: Viognier, Laurent Miquel 2005 November 2006: Red: Crozes-Hermitage Les Pierrelles, 2002 White: Muscat Wunsch & Mann 2004 October 2006: Red: Syrah, Vin de Pays d'Hauterive 2004 White: Domaine des Cassagnoles, Cuvée Gros Manseng 2005 September 2006: Red: Mas Grand Pagniol Costières de Nîmes 2004 White: Domaine Joel Delaunay, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 August 2006: Red: Château de Braude, Haut-Médoc 2001 White: Château Gaillard, TouraineMeslan 2004 July 2006: Red: Château des Matards, Bordeaux, Premières Côtes de Blaye 2003 White: Macon-Vinzelles Bourgogne 2005 June 2006: Red: Château de Marmorières La Clape 2003 White: Chateau Haut Rian 2004 May 2006: Red: St Nicolas de Bourgueil, Cuvée du Moulin Neuf 2004 White: Saumur 2004 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
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