2009 Bonnet MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE Sur Lie "Les Dabinieres" (Loire, France)

I drink a fair amount of Muscadets in the hot weather.  Good ones are crisp, refreshing, bone dry, with loads of mouthwatering crisp fruit and razor-sharp, clean stony minerality.  This one was excellent -- slightly riper and fuller than typical, but still very much identifiably Muscadet.

Light, bright silvery-gold color.  Intensely chalky, lime and green apple nose.  Crisp, tart apply fruit attacks the palate.  Extraordinarily pure stony minerality. Excellent fruit and acids too.  Very lively.  The texture actually displays some very light tannin -- very unusual for whites from this region, or any whites, actually.  Clean, zesty, relatively long finish.  B+/A-.  Imported by Weygandt-Metzler.  Can't remember where I got it or how much it costs.  I'll look for a receipt and update if I can find it, but I know it wasn't more than $15 because I simply don't spend more than that for Muscadets.

2009 Domaine Couillaud CHARDONNAY (VDP Nantais, Loire Valley, France)

This Chardonnay was grown in the general vicinity of Muscadet, and I usually like the crisp, unoaked, minerally style of the Chardonnays from this region. This one is a nice, solid, Macon-style wine.

Light, bright gold color with a greenish glint. Lively, straw-inflected nose of bitter pear and juicy peach pits, along with a touch of grassiness included in its pungent mineral component. Full-flavored and dry, this features ripe, dry pear fruit, along with a bit more body than is usual for Chardonnays from this region (no doubt due to the hot 2009 growing season). Decent acidity buoys up this virtually unoaked style just enough to keep from getting tiring to drink. Imported by Vineyard Brands. B. Was $10 and change at Spec's on Richmond.

2009 Regis Minet POUILLY_FUME "Vieilles Vignes"

This Loire Valley Sauvignon was a little too much on the herbal side for my taste. It was good, however, and those that like this style may rate it more highly than I did.

Very pale pewter-tinged gold. Chalky, minerally, intensely herbal nose, with some gooseberry fruit. Mouthfilling, direct flavors of pungent, intensely herbal/minerally notes, with some tart green apple fruit. Good acidity together with surprisingly full-body (I usually associate this herbal style with less-ripe, less full-bodied Sauvignons) and a very clingy, herbal finish. Not everyone's favorite style, and kind of galumphy rather than elegant, but it doesn't skimp on flavor. B. Imported by Kermit Lynch, I can't remember where I got this wine, but will update that info if I find the receipt.

2006 Eric Chevalier (Domaine de l'Aujardiere) CHARDONNAY (Loire Valley, France)

This is an outstanding value in a fresh, minerally, unoaked Chardonnay. Tastes a lot like a high quality Chablis.

Very light gold color. Nose of lemony-limey fresh grapes infused with chalky rock dust. Loads of lively, peachy fruit, with a clean, stony component throughout. Bone dry and very refreshing. Medium-light bodied, with a very pure-tasting finish. Very nice, and definitely a repeat purchase at $13 and change at Spec's on Smith. 88. A Kermit Lynch Selection.

A bunch of great wines drunk with Angy and Susan

My brother Angy and his wife Susan were visiting for several days from Connecticut (which answers the question, who ever comes to Houston in summer for vacation?). To try to revive them from heat shock, we opened up several great bottles. But I was feeling too hot myself to do any serious analysis, so these are just quick impressions from memory.

First, the whites. A 2007 Domaine Weinbach SYLVANER Reserve ($17 at Spec's/Smith) was well-balanced but did not have inspiring depth or complexity. Sylvaner is a rather neutral tasting grape, so I guess I shouldn't have expected more than what I got, even from a great estate. The 2007 Domaine de la Rossignole SANCERRE "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" ($19 at Spec's/Weslayan) was excellent: super crisp, lemony, and redolent of chalky minerals. None of the herbal, grassy side of Sauvignon Blanc on display. Finally, the 2007 Jacky Preys TOURAINE "Cuvée de Fie Gris Vieille Vigne" (ordered direct from North Berkeley Imports, which no longer ships to Texas thanks to the Texas wine police) was excellent and unique, bone dry and round, with a unique pumpernickel/rye bread component along with minerals and pear fruit.

A 2009 Lucien Crochet SANCERRE Pinot Rosé was a star, with unbelievable freshness, and a light mouthfeel yet with persistent ripe, crisp fruit.

Now for the sick reds we had. The 2008 Jean-Paul Brun MOULIN A VENT "Terres Dorées" was utterly classic Beaujolais, juxtaposing great freshness and lightness with very intense cherry fruit and crushed stone flavors. The 2004 Perticaia MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO (previously reviewed) was holding beautifully, displaying soft, lush, mouthcoating fruit and crushed sandstone notes but with good balance and structure. A 2004 Nino Negri INFERNO "Mazér ($34 at Houston Wine Merchant) was a really fine example of a textbook Valtellina Nebbiolo, with a lightish color, and a lithe, austere mouthfeel serving as the delivery system for rose-scented intensely cherryish fruit.

And then there was the king: the 2004 Renatto Ratti BAROLO "Rocche" ($69 at Spec's on Weslayan) was mind-blowing, old fashioned Barolo, the likes of which I haven't drunk in literally decades. Ridiculously rich and complex nose, which featured ripe chokecherry liqueur fruit and a constantly-evolving, earthy, peat-like like component, and staggering length, richness, and balance. This will likely age for several more years, but I can't imagine it getting any better than it is now (keep in mind that my personal tastes veer decidedly toward younger rather than more aged wines). The contrast in this Nebbiolo with the Valtellina Neb from Negri of the same vintage was really instructive.

No scores, but the Sancerre Rosé, Moulin a Vent, Inferno, Sagrantino, and (especially) the Barolo, would all have been 90+ wines for sure.

2006 Chateau du Poytet MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE (Loire, France)

A textbook example of Muscadet, and it also showed that well-made Muscadet can take a little bottle age nicely.

Very light gold color. Great nose of lively lemon-lime and green apple fruit, along with a lightly earthy, creamed stone emulsion. Bone dry yet soft, ripe yet crisp, refreshing yet a little earthy, this wine nicely summed up the best of Muscadet. Clean, cleansing finish. Me likey. 88. Imported by Glazer's Wholesale, Dallas. Was $13.49 at Central Market several months ago, so I'm not sure if they still have it.

2006 Clos des Allées MUSCADET de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie "Vieilles Vignes" (Loire, France)

A classic Muscadet -- crisp, bone dry, fresh, minerally.

Crystal clear pale gold with a greenish glint. Zesty nose of chalky lemon-lime fruity with some slightly smoky straw scents. Crisp and very stony & minerally in the mouth. Features crunchy green apple fruit. Medium-bodied and with good flavor concentration. Nice balance and crispness in the bone dry, refreshing finish. 88. Was $15 at Richard's on San Felipe and Voss. Imported by Louis/Dressner Selections.

2006 Domaine Seguin POUILLY-FUMÉ (Loire Valley, France)

This Sauvignon Blanc started out unimpressive and over time opened up into a very, very good wine.

Very light gold color. Nose weak at first, but then developed into a very "biological" nose of ripe gooseberries, earthy, crushed, wet limestone, and fresh oregano leaves (a lemony/herbal streak). Soft and mouthfilling, yet with sparklingly bright flavors -- great minerality and zesty lemon-lime fruit. Lots of length. You might even think about decanting this one to get it to open up quicker! 89.

Was $22.99 at Richard's on Voss and San Felipe. Imported by Robert Kacher.

2007 Domaine des Herbauges MUSCADET "Cotes de Grandlieu Sur Lie" "Classic" (Loire Valley, France)

Zingy, zesty, and terrific, from one of the lesser known subregions in the Muscadet appellation.

Very pale straw gold. Stunning, intensely minerally/stony nose, with creamed pear and apple scents. Bone dry, with razor-sharply defined minerally, green apple and lemon-lime fruit. Mouthwatering acidity and great intensity, yet carrying only medium-light body. One of the best Muscadets I've ever had. Will easily last another year or two. 90. Unfortunately, I can't remember where the heck I got this. I'll update this post if I find the receipt or otherwise remember. Imported by The Stacole Company.

(UPDATE -- found receipt; was $10.44 at Spec's on Smith, making this a sick buy).

2005 Jackie Preys "Cuvée de Fié Gris" TOURAINE "Vieilles Vigne" (Loire Valley, France)

The Fié Gris is a varietal I've had neither heard of nor tried before, but apparently is an old variety still made in minuscule quantities in the Loire Valley. It was really good, and had a truly unique set of flavors and nice complexity.

Extremely pale gold. Enormously fun nose -- ripe grapes and peaches, lemon-lime, spearmint leaves, and chalky stones. Soft, dry, and light-textured, the wine featured focused, youthful (and remember, this is a 4-year old white!) grapey-herbal flavors, and a long chalky/stoney finish. Very nice sipper for this heat wave we're enduring. 89. Was $18 direct from North Berkeley Imports.

(Sorry, 2006 pictured).

Easter wines

Sorry -- I know I'm behind, but here are the wines we popped open for our Easter dinner (with truncated, from-memory notes).

NV Pierre Sparr CREMANT D'ALSACE Reserve Brut -- To my mind, in general, sparkling wines from Alsace are the best values in the market for bubbly. They're generally $15-$20, and have as much character as non-vintage Champagne costing twice as much or more (although because of the different varietals used in Alsace the flavor profile is a bit different). They tend to be more flavorful than the Spanish cavas as well. This one was decent, but not a great example -- crisp, citrusy fruit, bone dry, but I detected just a note of beginning oxidation. Lucien Albrecht and Rene Mure are other producers to look for in Houston.

2006 Jean-Max Roger SANCERRE "Cuvee Les Caillottes" (Loire Valley, France) -- Lean, very herbal and crisp. A tad underripe for my palate. Bone dry and refreshing, however.

2001 Delectus MERLOT "Stanton Vineyard" (Napa Valley, Cal.) -- Yes, I have often repeated the famous Merlot line from Sideways, but this wine (which our guests the Murphys brought over) floored me. Superb, rich, chocolately dark fruit on the nose. Full, and still sporting some nice tannic structure. Lots of concentration and length, but with good balance. Can even stand a few more years in a cool cellar.

2006 Linne Calodo "NEMESIS" 82% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre, 4% Grenache (Paso Robles, Cal.) -- Big disappointment for such a cult winery. Overripe and massive, but plainly out of balance, with hot, hot alcohol burning from entry to finish, obliterating the flavors.

2007 Domaine de l'Estang COTEAUX DU GIENNOIS Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley, France)

From a little known backwater appellation in the vicinity of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, this inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc was quite nice.

Nose jumps from the glass with fresh, grassy-herbal gooseberry scents. Ripe and long, but with a crisp, mouthwatering mouthfeel. Not as complex and smoky/minerally as its more exalted sibling appellations can be, but fun to drink and a good value. 87. Was around $13 at Richard's on Weslayan, if I am remembering correctly (I lost the receipt).

2005 Hubert Brochard SANCERRE (Loire Valley, France)

This is a good value. It would be a very nice, very typical introduction to Sancerre for those unfamiliar with the Sauvignon Blanc made in the upper Loire area (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, and Menetou-Salon).

Eye: Light, bright gold. No glints of anything else, just light, bright gold.

Nose: Classic Sancerre nose of light, fresh-picked herbs, crisp Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and stoney minerals.

Mouth: Round and refreshing, with excellent balance, this wine lacked only a bit of extra concentration and complexity to make it outstanding. As it is, it has decent concentration and a lively batch of herby, gooseberry and mineral flavors. Vibrant mouthfeel. Very nice.

Score: 88.

Cellar or drink? Drink over the next 6 months.

Price/store: $18.94 at Spec's on Richmond.

2005 Domaine de Corbillieres TOURAINE "Sauvignon" (Loire Valley, France)

This is the second excellent wine I've had from this estate. The first was their Pinot Noir rosé, which was the best rosé I've ever drunk. This white would be a terrific summer seafood wine.

Eye: Very light gold color.

Nose: Wonderfully fragrant nose of ripe pear, crushed seashells, and sweet grass.

Mouth: Intensely fruity, yet bone dry and refreshing. Long, crisp, and pure, with salty-stony, slightly herbal fruit.

Score: 89.

Cellar or drink? Drink this summer.

Price/store: I think this was around $12, at Richard's on South Shepherd.

Easter Wines (truncated, unscored notes)

It was a wonderful Easter celebration at our house. Joined by the Finleys and the Kevilles, we had the traditional Easter egg hunt, and later, for dinner, our friends Brian Jackson and the Murphys joined us.

There was so much commotion and fun that I didn't have a chance to take good, critical notes, but here are my impressions of the wines we had.

Duval-Leroy "Rosé Saignée" CHAMPANGE -- This pale pink champagne had wonderful fruit and balance, with nice but unobtrusive acidity, good concentration and a lengthy, dry finish.

2006 Martin Schaetzel PINOT BLANC "Vieilles Vignes" (Alsace, France) -- A medium deep gold, this wine had wonderful, peachy fruit and a subtle minerally undertone. It seemed off-dry, and had a soft, voluptuous texture. Very nice (I love Alsace whites!).

2005 Thomas & Fils SANCERRE "La Crêle" -- Crisp, dry, and minerally, this wine had very refreshing appley, lemon-lime fruit.

2002 Vincent Girardin POMMARD 1er Cru "Les Grands Epenots" Vieilles Vignes (Burgundy, France) -- This was a terrifically fragrant, soft Pinot Noir. Fragrant with scents of cinnamon and sappy cherries, this wine had a soft -- almost ethereally soft -- texture, with a long, minerally finish that features excellent balancing acidity.

2005 Columbia Crest "Grand Estates" CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Columbia Valley, Washington State) -- The Murphys' younger son Kevin actually picked this wine out himself after doing research about what wines would best accompany the roast leg of lamb he knew I was going to prepare. I actually drank, liked, and reviewed a previous vintage of this wine (the 2002, reviewed here), and the 2005 Kevin picked out was equally good. This is a very well-balanced, fruit-forward Cabernet that features lots of cherry fruit and underbrush scents, and has a soft texture that makes for excellent current drinking. Nice choice, Kevin!

2005 Fournier SAUVIGNON (Blanc) (VDP, Loire, France)

This was a great buy in a crisp, flavorful, refreshing white. Tastes like a baby Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume, but at 1/3 the price.

Extremely light color -- light gold, with greenish and silvery glints. Inviting nose of peaches covered with freshly-squeezed lime and lemon juice, and a little pungent chalky/minerally stuff in the background. Lively and fruity in the mouth, with light body and refreshing crisp-appley fruit and a steely dry finish. I could drink this style of wine forever without tiring of it. 88. I think this was about $8 at Richard's. I got it at the one on Richmond (near Chimney Rock), but I've seen this wine at other Richard's as well. GET SOME!

2005 Pierre Riffault SANCERRE "Domaine du Carroir Perrin" (Loire, France)

This was a classic grassy, minerally Sancerre.

Very light, bright gold with greenish glints. Nose of bright, tart gooseberries, lemons, and creamed grassy/chalky scents. Lively and focused in the mouth, with refreshing lemony/mineral flavors, and a long, crisp finish. Would be fantastic with shellfish. 87. Was $19 and change at Spec's on Smith.

A Has-Been and a Star

I brought a coupla French whites the other day to a dinner at the home of my good friends, the Finleys. The food was phenomenal (as usual), but the wines I brought were a mixed bag. Here are my short "from memory" notes:

The Has-Been: 2002 Verget CHABLIS "Terroirs de Chablis" (France) -- I thought this one would be peaking, but I had the wrong tense: it is on the decline. Light and minerally, to be sure, but with noticeable maderization (oxidation) on the nose and palate.

The Star: Château La Bidière MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE Sur Lie "Vieilles Vignes (Loire, France) -- this was a beautiful, textbook Muscadet. Fragrant, with fresh, minerally and lemon-lime scents. Intense, lively, balanced, refreshing, and pure tasting, with nice concentration and length. Bone dry. Spec's has this for about $12, making it a good value.

2005 Régis Minet POUILLY-FUMÉ "Vieille Vignes" (Loire Valley, France)

A textbook Pouilly-Fumé. Beautiful light silvery-gold color. Distinctive nose of salty seashells, wet metal, gun flint, and grape skins. Bracing and intense in the mouth, with tangy, minerally, lemon-herb flavors. Bone dry and strikingly delineated. Would be a beautiful counterpoint to sweet seafoods like shrimp or scallops. 89. Was $22.99 at Central Market. (The 2005 looks just like the phot of the 2003 pictured here.)

2003 Vignobles Careme VOUVRAY Demi-Sec (Loire, France)

This was a nice, reasonably-priced dessert-style Chenin Blanc. Light, bright brassy gold. Ripe pears, quince, and chalky stones in the nose. Round, soft, ripe, and minerally in the mouth. Light body and very nice balance. Comparable to a Riesling Spatlese but a bit shyer due to Chenin Blanc's understated nature. 87. Was $11.99 on sale at Richard's on South Shepherd.