10 Cantemerle, 08 Figeac

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

These arrived last week so I reckoned I'd give them a spin ITNOS and curiosity.

2010 Cantemerle. Well this is as enjoyable as everybody says. It seems very 2010 and do that and 2009 make a great pair? Anyway what struck me was this has an expansive frame yet a very delicate robe. Big yet light-medium bodied. Jim might say Gwyneth Paltrowish. Delicious and very moreish.

2008 Figeac. Was expecting something different and was not disappointed. Great bouquet and then an intense blast of acidiferous mainly dark, earthy fruit. Some wood too. This seemed so up front the back end seemed to just vanish. I did not detect a whole lot of tannic clout and this is also a cooler style and no alcoholic intensity, say like the 09s I've been sampling. Initially I figured, well, this really needs several years--like 10 more--to be fully enjoyable but darned if after about three hours and with the chicken this was really filled-out and stretched out and seemed more balanced, both in the overall acidity/sweetness balance but also in the fore-mid-aft balance. This is a "could use a 1L bottle" kind of wine. Also delicious and obviously idiosyncratic. Now I can understand this may improve or evolve with those 10 more years and will wait a while before popping another. I would love to sample more vintages but it's a bit pricey for me. Still I might go for a couple bottles of the 2014 maybe.

Drinking a 2006 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva and whereas a few years ago this had distinct and almost separate wine and wood components this has integrated nicely and is drinking less modern and more traditional. Very nice.

[AKR]

Nice notes. We had the 10 Nipozzano Riserva recently, which is supposedly a good vintage like 06 too, and we enjoyed it greatly. Not sure if I'd buy more, but much lighter on its feet than the French stuff we normally drink.

Figeac is very distinctive but rarely seemed to be popular among the groups I used to taste with.

[Comte Flaneur]

The vintage we tried at Figeac - the 2011 - was lovely, just like the 2008/07/06. It was ironic that it was Conte D'Aramons last vintage before being given his marching orders for Figeac not gaining A status.

As if that was ever going to happen because St Emilion is like FIFA.

[JimHow]

Cantemerle 2010 described perfectly.
I'll tell you, 2010 appears to be an epic year in Italy (across Europe?).

[jckba]

I echo your sentiments on the 2010 vintage across Europe, think Germany (Rieslings), France (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone), Italy (Brunello, Barolo, Super Tuscan) and I can only imagine what the Rioja's from Spain will be like once they are released ...

[Comte Flaneur]

Also in South Australia it seems. I dropped into Selfridges late on Friday to buy some glasses for a Rhone dinner that night. Selfridges is a big department store like Bloomingdales and in the wine department in the basement next to the glassware they were showing some trophy wines in the enomatic machines.

They had De Vogue Musigny 2007 (£11 for a 25cl pour, or 1/30th of a bottle), Grange 2010 (£11), La Mission Haut Brion 1996 (£5), Sassicaia 1999 (£6), Ridge Montebello 1999 (£5), Chateau Ausone 1982 (£14) Chave Hermitage Blanc 2006 (£3.50), Silex not sure which vintage (£2.50), Bonneau Du Martray Corton Charlie 2009 (£2.50) and Chateau D'Yquem 2004 (£5). I treated myself to at least 15 pours. Most wine ere fabulous but the star was the Penfolds Grange 2010.

This particular La Mission 1996 was also great with no sign of Brett, unlike the 2000 Beaucastel we had later that evening which was a real Brett bomb and a right stinker.

[stefan]

15 pours of those wines at those prices sounds just about right if you had to go back to work.

How was the Musigny?

[Comte Flaneur]

It was a little bit cocooned and dumb Bill, not showing much, clearly it needs a lot of time. You could tell there was a fine wine underneath. I only had one pour.

[stefan]

I love Musigny, but then what Burgundy drinker does not? It does take a lot of time to show its class, though.