At Liberty
Discovering a new wine, something never encountered before, is always a bit of fun, especially if it has a good ‘back story’. Such was the case at yesterday’s Liberty Wines tasting in Dublin when Gregory Patriat of JC Boisset poured me a sample of his Mâcon-Igé, Château London 2009.
“It’s not made from Chardonnay but from a cross we call Muscated-Chardonnay,” he said, as he corrected my spelling. “It’s a speciality of the region.” In the Boisset cellars it is given the same treatment as the more exalted Côte d‘Or whites, seeing 17 months in oak, and the result is certainly a bit different. It majors on minerality with some vegetal notes rather than abundant fruit. There’s an austerity that I find appealing but which might divide opinion. As to the name ‘Château London’, vagueness surrounds its origins. Patriat thinks that a previous owner of the vineyard may have lived on Rue Jack London in Paris but isn’t sure.
The annual Liberty portfolio tasting is an event that I try very hard not to miss. There is always an excellent selection of well chosen wines and, as I have often commented, like them or not, very few of the wines can be faulted in terms of objective quality regardless of their appeal to your own personal taste. Any complaints? Just one. Such is the embarras de richesse that it is quite impossible to get around all the wines in a reasonable time, meaning that one has to draw up a careful game plan.
Yesterday I went in search of new world Pinot Noir and came across some delights, including the Le Clos Jordanne, ‘Village Reserve’ 2007 (13.5%) from Canada, which managed to punch all of its €26.99 worth of weight, courtesy of a good depth of rasping cherry fruit. From New Zealand the Tinpot Hut, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 (12.5%) was a treat at €17.99, with pure, juicy fruit and a nice lively kick on the finish. Finally, for those with deeper pockets, the Ata Rangi, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 at €53.99 had a gorgeous sweet ‘n’ sour character with plenty of meaty depth that brought to mind a good Gevrey-Chambertin.
“It’s not made from Chardonnay but from a cross we call Muscated-Chardonnay,” he said, as he corrected my spelling. “It’s a speciality of the region.” In the Boisset cellars it is given the same treatment as the more exalted Côte d‘Or whites, seeing 17 months in oak, and the result is certainly a bit different. It majors on minerality with some vegetal notes rather than abundant fruit. There’s an austerity that I find appealing but which might divide opinion. As to the name ‘Château London’, vagueness surrounds its origins. Patriat thinks that a previous owner of the vineyard may have lived on Rue Jack London in Paris but isn’t sure.
The annual Liberty portfolio tasting is an event that I try very hard not to miss. There is always an excellent selection of well chosen wines and, as I have often commented, like them or not, very few of the wines can be faulted in terms of objective quality regardless of their appeal to your own personal taste. Any complaints? Just one. Such is the embarras de richesse that it is quite impossible to get around all the wines in a reasonable time, meaning that one has to draw up a careful game plan.
Yesterday I went in search of new world Pinot Noir and came across some delights, including the Le Clos Jordanne, ‘Village Reserve’ 2007 (13.5%) from Canada, which managed to punch all of its €26.99 worth of weight, courtesy of a good depth of rasping cherry fruit. From New Zealand the Tinpot Hut, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 (12.5%) was a treat at €17.99, with pure, juicy fruit and a nice lively kick on the finish. Finally, for those with deeper pockets, the Ata Rangi, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 at €53.99 had a gorgeous sweet ‘n’ sour character with plenty of meaty depth that brought to mind a good Gevrey-Chambertin.
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