To kick the week off to a good start, the iDealwine team is partial to a wine tasting every now and then. Monday 5th November, the marketing team spent the afternoon running from wine show to wine show: something of a wine marathon, with three professional tastings in one day! A lovely opportunity to say hello to the winemakers with which iDealwine works. Here are Emmanuel (Digital Marketing), Elsa (Marketing and Press Relations), Grace (International Development) and Constance’s (Communication) top picks.
Rhône en Seine
Constance:
Domaine des Entrefaux
- Les Pendants 2017 (white): 50% Marsanne, 50% Roussanne
Profile which oscillates between freshness and complexity (citrus fruit rind and hazelnut). A gastronomic wine.
- Crozes-Hermitage 2017
This wine has great finesse with delicious notes of coffee, cocoa and black fruits. Charming.
- Les Pends 2016
This single-parcel cuvée fermented in wooden vats before being vinified in barrels and concrete vats. Though more powerful than many of the other wines tasted, its tannins are perceptible and the wine needs a little more time to soften.
- Les Machonières 2016
After being vinified in wooden vats, this wine is raised in old oak in order to soften its tannins, and lending very subtle oaky aromas to the wine.
Nose: floral, pepper, black fruits.
Palate: elegant with tight tannins. Very good potential.
Generally speaking, the wines from this region can be a little closed when young. The producers recommend laying these wines down for 5 to 6 years before tasting.
Clos des Papes
Their sophisticated and silky wines were a wonderful discovery and a pleasant surprise. It isn’t often that we taste wines with such finesse. Here’s hoping that iDealwine will be able to work with this domain one day!
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016 (blanc)
Full-bodied and generous with a nice freshness. The hose is fresh and rich (notes of stone fruits such as white peach). The finish offers flavors or aromatic herbs.
- Châteauneuf-du-pape 2015
Nose: morello cherry, prunes
Refined and velvety on the palate. The finish is long with spicy notes.
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016
Velvety and sophisticated on the palate, with a nice freshness. This wine has more body than its 2015 equivalent and promises good aging potential; it would be a shame to drink it today.
Emmanuel:
Domaine Gangloff
- Sereine 2017
Nose: very subtle aromas, but it’s a young wine… The mint is the most prominent aroma.
Palate: Mint, pepper, frank acidity
- Condrieu 2016
Nose: candied pear, honey, grilled notes. Aftertaste is almost ‘petroley’, which gives the wine an interesting minerality…
Palate: pear, with a weak acidity which gives a melted, honeyed aspect.
A truly lovely wine.
Domaine Jasmin
- Giroflarie 2016(one of the favourites)
Elegant and refined, delicate and floral. A hint of cloves cuts through the subtle freshness and lots of fruit. The delicacy of this wine and its freshness are balanced by a lightly sweet note on the finish.
- Oléa 2016
A cuvée produced by a blend of the best barrels, with a further 6 months of élevage. The wine hadn’t finished evolving at the time of the tasting. There were nonetheless aromas of oak (toasted notes), fruit, spices and freshness. A very promising wine!
Stéphane Ogier
- Fongeant 2015
Fresh and subtle, a little like the wines from Domaine Jasmin, slightly less balanced.
Nose: mint, fruit
Palate: elegant and delicate
- Bertholon 2015
Nose: more fruit and more energy, but still young and fresh.
Palate: nice acidity which gives energy to the wine.
- La Viaillère 2015
Fresh and young, slightly lacking in body but a very drinkable wine. To be cellared for another few years.
- But de Mont 2010
Very good, a little sweet, candied, fresh fruit jam. More mature than the other cuvées, a sweet, very pleasant finish. An excellent wine 😊
Grace:
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
- Vieux Télégraphe 2017 (blanc)
Nose: white flowers, quince, white fruits
Palate: fresh, well-balanced, mineral finish
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieux Télégraphe 2015 (rouge)
Nose: black fruits, spices
Palate: elegant. Notes of black fruits and spices, velvety tannins. Long finish
Auguste Clape
- Renaissance 2016
Nose: floral, black fruits, notes of pepper and black olives
Palate: rich and full-bodied yet balanced by a nice freshness. A very elegant wine.
- Cornas 2016
Nose: floral (violets), aromas of ripe blackberries
Palate: rich, deep, with powerful but well-integrated tannins.
Elsa :
Domaine Gonon: probably the best Rhone wine I’ve ever tasted!
- Saint-Joseph blanc 2016
Aromatic nose, yellow fruits, dried fruits, honey, almond, white flowers
On the palate, full-bodied, unctuous, with lightly bitter notes and a nice length.
- Saint-Joseph 2016
On the nose, fruity, violets, pepper, lightly smoky.
Palate: incredibly silky, drinkable, with substance, freshness, a perfect balance and a very nice length.
Domaine Graillot
- Crozes-Hermitage 2016
Nose: black fruits
Palate: at once powerful and silky, nice balance
- Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude 2015
Nose: black fruits, spices, undergrowth
Palate: rich, fruity, full-bodied
- Crozes-Hermitage blanc 2017
Nose: yellow fruits, white flowers, notes of honey
Palate: generous, suave, unctuous
Domaine de La Mordorée
- Tavel rosé 2017
Surprisingly fruity, delicious, with substance, roundness and a nice length. An excellent rosé for food.
- Lirac 2016
Very fruity (red fruits, plum), toasted notes, balanced and refined on the palate.
- Lirac Reine des Bois 2016
More powerful than the Lirac, with spied notes. Good length.
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Belle Voyageuse 2014
Red fruits, liquorice. Structured on the palate but a little harsh. Maybe a problem with the wine?
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Reine des Bois 2016
More powerful, red fruits (cherry), liquorice. Lots of tannins, freshness; a promising wine.
Levée de la Loire
We made the most of the latest edition of the tasting of organic Loire wines, wines which despite their geographical proximity to the Rhone were their very antithesis.
Constance :
Château Yvonne : Saumur
- Saumur-Champigny, La Folie 2016
Fruit balanced by a vibrancy and vegetal notes of ripe red pepper. Late harvests this year allowed for the wine to reach such great complexity.
- Saumur, Château Yvonne 2016
This wine – which was bottled only two months ago – has excellent aging potential, given its pleasant level of acidity and concentration.
- Le Beaumeray 2015
The spring and summer of the 2015 vintage were particularly clement. 3 years of élevage (1 year in barrels, 1 year in vats and 1 year in the bottle) have lent this wine rich spiced notes (cinnamon).
Domaine Luneau Papin : Muscadet-Sèvres-et-Maine
I enjoyed the vibrancy, freshness and great aromatic purity of these wines. The mineral and saline profile of these wines gave them a lot of character. An excellent domain which will no doubt take this appellation very far!
Emmanuel:
Domaine FOUASSIER
I loved both the red and white wines produced by the domain.
White wines
- Les grands champs 2017
Fresh, vibrant, taut, mineral. Fruit, fruit and more fruit, with fresh citrus and slightly exotic hints (pineapple). A great wine.
- Clos Paradis 2017
There again, the acidity is present, but this wine is clearly a “warmer”, sunnier wine than the last. Exotic fruits and shell fruits. A lovely wine.
- Le Clos de Bannon 2017
Bitterness and riper fruits so slightly less energy, but more body. The wine is more direct.
- Les Romains 2016
Very good, somewhere in between Clos de Bannon and Clos Paradis in style…
- Les Chasseignes
Vibrant lemon, acidity, freshness. One of my favourite wines tasted today. Taut, mineral and energetic. Exactly what you expect from an excellent Sancerre.
Red wines
- Iconoclaste 2017
Vinified in stainless steel vats, without sulphur.
Direct, fresh and fruity (morello cherry), vibrant. Nice acidity. Very pleasant, I loved it!
- Sancerre 2016
On the nose, stewed cherries, yet fresh and vibrant. The fruity notes soften the acidity, resulting in an excellent balance.
- X 2015
A good wine, though the tannins are not completely integrated.
- Empreinte 2010 Vieilles Vignes
Spicy, fruity notes. Very interesting notes of dried flowers. A lovely wine.
Le Nez dans le Vert (tasting of Jura wines)
Le Nez dans le Vert tasting was held in the room next door to the Levée de la Loire.
Elsa:
Domaine des Bottes Rouges:
A superb range of organic, natural wines produced by a domain with whom we would love to work with. We enjoyed the freshness of the fruit, the elegance, freshness and purity of the red wines, and the stewed apple/stone fruits element of the white wines, as well as their freshness and fruitiness.
Domain Ratapoil
A lovely domain, organic and natural wines
- L’Ingénue 2017 (Pinot noir)
At once rich and subtle on the nose, red fruits (raspberry, cherry). Supple, delicious and light on the palate; crunchy fruit.
- Le Ratapoil 2016 (Chardonnay)
Aromas of citrus fruits, fresh, elegant and light on the palate.
- Partout 2017 (Poulsard-Trousseau)
Red fruits on the nose, slightly sparkling on the palate, fresh, delicious.
- Vin jaune 2011
Nose: walnut, curry
Light and fresh on the palate. Nice acidity and impressive length.
Domaine des Marnes Blanches :
- Trousseau 2017
Citrus fruit aromas. Acidity, elegance and freshness on the palate.
- Côtes du Jura savagnin En quatre vis
Floral notes, nice acidity especially on the finish, with a slight bitterness. Good length.
- Côtes du Jura Savagnin Au bois 2016
Nose: ripe white and yellow fruits.
At once rich and elegant on the palate.
- Côtes du Jura Savagnin Empreinte 2014
Nose: typical of oxidative Jura wines (walnut, curry, dried fruit).
Palate: elegant and pure. Nice freshness and good balance.
Grace:
Domaine du Pélican
- Savagnin Ouillé 2017 (favourite wine of the day!)
Nose: yellow and white fruits
Palate: rich, mineral and fresh. Delicious!
- Trois Cépages 2017
Pinot noir, Trousseau, Poulsard
Notes of cherry and strawberry. Elegant and silky on the palate. Fine tannins and a pleasant acidity, red fruits on the finish.
Domaine Tissot
- Cuvée DD 2017
Pinot noir, Trousseau, Poulsard
Expressive nose with aromas of red fruits (raspberry).
On the palate, harmonious, well-rounded, fruity (red fruits).
- Les Bruyères 2016
Chardonnay
Nose: walnut, lightly spiced
Palate: pure and mineral, lightly oaky, nice freshness, vibrant
- Traminer 2016
Savagnin
On the nose, notes of citrus fruits and honey
Palate: unctuous, with mineral and fruity notes. Slight bitterness on the finish.
- Vin jaune Les Bruyères 2011
Nose: rancio, lightly spiced, vanilla
On the palate, at once unctuous with a remarkable freshness. Very complex, with notes of hazelnut and dried fruits.
- Vin jaune Château Chalon 2011
A vin jaune of great finesse. Aromas of rancio and vanilla on the nose; delicate, lightly citrusy with and deep on the palate.
Domaine Ratte
A lovely biodynamic domain who we don’t yet work with.
- Chardonnay 2016
Subtle pear aromas on the nose. Lightly sparkling, rich yet well-balanced on the palate.
- Savagnin Ouillé 2017
Nose: floral, fresh
White fruits on the palate. Taut and vibrant. Slight salinity on the finish.
- Pinot noir 2017
Expressive nose of red fruits.
Nice substance on the palate. Notes of red fruits, blackcurrant, elderflower. Well-affirmed tannins.
We’ll leave you with a memory of this wonderful afternoon of wine tastings: the iDealwine team all smiles, showing off our blackened teeth… one of the dangers of tasting tannic wines 😊
