Hi Mark (and Bill)

On Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:02:24 -0500, Mark Lipton >
wrote:
I'll keep in mind
>your recommendation of the Lafarge Aligoté, as I have pretty much
>written off the grape as not interesting enough to warrant further
>attention ("charmless" is what I actually had to say about my last one).

While I'd agree with you about 95% of the Aligotés I've drunk, a
really good grower can succeed in making the wine delightful, I feel.
I don't know the Lafarge - it probably all crosses the the pond! My
current favourite is from François Mikulski, but I've had others that
were also very good.

They aren't going to compare with Meursault-Genevrières,. but at €6
instead f €36, it would be naive to expect them to.

In passing - and because you mentioned oxidative wines, we had a
winemaker friend for a meal a couple of days ago, and because it is
always fun to find wines they don't know, I pulled a couple of real
left field Bergerac (I don't think either are AOC, being too way out)
for him. One is a dry white VdP du Périgord from Bruno Bilancini at Ch
Tirecul la Gravière. This is made from almost pure Muscadelle, and is
a dry whilte made from the grapes that didn't get noble rot. It's
almost got the mouthfeel of a dry Oloroso. Hints of walnut and
hazelnit remind me of a Chardonnay from the Jura, but the fruit is
quite different. With over ripe grapes, it's never going to have much
acidity of course, but is mineral and with plenty of fruit. We served
it with a chicken liver pté, (very concentrated flavours) and it
stood up well.

The other wine is even more way out. The wine is "Jour des Tendres" (a
play on words suggested by Jacquie) from Ch Tour des Gendres. It's a
saignée method rosé, taken from the vats which go to make their top
red wine. What sets it apart is 4-5 years in barrel. Yes, it's got a
lot of wood, but no, it's far from being an oak soup. Because the must
is so powerful, even when drawn while still pink, the oak really does
integrate. Served with porks chops baked in foil with a wild mushroom
duxelles and creme fraiche, it stood up to the dish very well indeed.

Finished with little sticky toffee puddings and a Blandy's Bual -
completely flummoxing Stéphane, who thought he knew Madeira wines.

Great fun was had.
All the best
Fatty in Forges
http://www.souvigne.com