Some Christmas treats moderated..... (Part 1)

Introducing 'Modération' – our vinous pet dog......
Nous buvons toujours avec Modération.....Santé Modération !

We spent Christmas and the start of 2019 in Touraine before returning last week to the lunatic asylum located, for the moment, a few miles off the coast of Northern France. Over our Touraine spell we broached a number of bottles some with considerable bottle age. With one exception – a badly corked bottle – none were out of condition illustrating once again that many well made wines have the capacity to live on one, two decades or more and still give pleasure as well as retaining freshness. Obviously it depends on what stage of development you like your wine ....... however, over a nearly three week period the only complaints I received was when their glass was rather depleted......

Some highlights:

 

Two bottles of this legendary Southern Rhône vintage formed the centrepiece of our Christmas Day meal. We must have bought them early in the 1980s – perhaps 1982 or 1983 from Château de Beaucastel. Still in wonderful condition – ripe, savoury fruit, complex, long finish and still very much alive. Having checked both bottles there seemed little difference between them so I poured both into a magnum decanter. Often with wines of this age there is considerable bottle variation but not this time.

Another example of wine bought a number of years ago – 1990 Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Sec from Alain Brumont's Château Bouscassé. Unfortunately the first bottle I opened was foully corked but fortunately I had a second which was fine. The more recent versions of this wine are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng and Arrufiac. I can't remember now what the blend for the 1990 was but I don't think it included Sauvignon Blanc. Instead I fancy it had Arrufiac, Petit Courbu and Gros Manseng ..... but I certainly cannot be sure. Anyway whatever the blend was this 1990 was impressive with a lovely golden colour, rich fruit and still a good fresh finish.

Lastly in this initial survey of moderate wine consumption at the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019 a wonderful bottle of 1997 Le Gory, Saumur Blanc made by Françoise Foucault. 100% dry honeyed Chenin Blanc, richly complex from a warm year and like the other two wines here still fully alive. Great memories of how Françoise loved making these wines and how proud the late Charly Foucault was of her stunning wines. Something to treasure!

 

In brief:

Launched recently in London:

Daniele Cernilli: The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2019
Published by Doctor Wine.
Available in Italian and English €18, 647pages
5th edition of this guide