French Wine

Beautiful golden-yellow colour. Concentrated, very attractive bouquet of ripe fruit, stewed fruit, and vanilla biscuits. Round, very sweet, and well-balanced on the palate. Plenty of volume and a suave quality marvellously underpinned by acidity. The fruity, spicy, mentholated nuances are accompanied by a really beautiful smooth, elegant texture. While this vintage had low yields, the quality perfectly reflects the drastic selection made during picking and blending.

No tasting note was given.

Until the recent investments by leading St.-Emilion estates, Château de Pitray was the standard-bearer for the Côtes de Castillon. I have no doubt that its quality through the years was among the factors that attracted its well–heeled St.-Emilion neighbors. I purchased my first case of 1982 Château de Pitray at Calvert Woodley in 1983, and enjoyed every bottle over the next 5 years. As memorable as the '82 was, the supple, generous, gracefully oaked 2009 is immensely more impressive and delicious.
-- Ben Giliberti

The crisp, vibrant style of the cool 2011 vintage plays marvelously into the understated, elegant style of the Sancerre appellation’s namesake château. Bright yellow with gold flashes at the rim, the 2011 Château de Sancerre displays an intense Sauvignon Blanc varietal bouquet of orange flower and wet stone. Vibrant flavors of citrus, melon and stone fruit float above the palate, enlivened by a rush of gentle minerality and crisp acidity toward the finish. A terrific aperitif all by itself, and a match made in heaven with a creamy chevre from our cheese department.

Located just a few miles from the famous appellation of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the relatively obscure appellation of Lirac can produce wines that are quite similar to that of its illustrious neighbor, at a fraction of the price. The soils are similar to that of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, including, in many vineyards, an ankle-spraining abundance of the potato-size stones called galet, which are considered a key to the quality of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Château de Ségriès, which is owned by a branch of the family that owns Domaine de la Mordorée, a top Chateauneuf-du-Pape producer, provides an excellent example of the quality potential of the Lirac appellation. Made from a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Carignan, hand harvested from 40 year old vines, the 2010 Château de Ségriès "Cuvée Réservée" offers ripe, vivid flavors of blueberry, raspberry, tobacco leaf and plum, with a firm lashing of ripe tannins at the finish. Although ready to drink now, this wine offers an additional aging potential of 2 to 4 years. -- Ben Giliberti