Comments on: Saint-Véran to the Rescue

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:52:50 +0000

Haha…Good question! Perhaps it’s because of who’s behind it? (Would any part of the Caymus owners’ family tree do things on the cheap?)

Or maybe limestone-based cement for tanks is more expensive than any of us thought…

By: Fredric Koeppel

Fredric Koeppel — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:23:24 +0000

I forgot about “Silver” … I love that wine (but if only it were a little cheaper; why does a wine with no oak have to be as expensive as a wine WITH oak?????)

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:10:14 +0000

I’ve missed reading! I blame work for the absence, but I’ve got myself caught up after taking a couple of evenings to putter around the house…

Choosing a best-of for this is just maddening, I’m sure! But I’m right there with you on Grgich and Cakebread, and will go search for the others in the near future.

I’m currently enamored with Mer Soleil’s “Silver” (spectacularly refreshing) and Talbott’s Cuvee Carlotta…also wanting to get my hands on Macari “Early Wine” Chard. Not enough time in a day…

By: Fredric Koeppel

Fredric Koeppel — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:23:14 +0000

Hey, Kimberly, we’ve missed you. I agree about the dollar and the euro. If the euro doesn’t stop trouncing the dollars, we’ll never get back to the Old World.
I chose those 12 wines to reflect some diversity in grapes and styles and regions at not unreasonable prices. I mean choosing 12 wines about of 1000s is totally arbitrary, and if I did the same thing tomorrow, they would be all different wines.
Some California chardonnays that have that “great minerality” are Cakebread, Grgich Hills, Morgan’s Metallico, Bass-Porter (v. limited) and Girard.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:39:26 +0000

Mr, Koeppel, I hope that, for all of our sakes, the dollar stops falling against the Euro so we can continue to enjoy great French wines without paying dearly for it!

Also, how did you choose the 12 bottles for your case? Tough choice! Most California wines lack that great minerality. I don’t want everything to taste like butterscotch and pineapple…

By: Fredric Koeppel

Fredric Koeppel — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:53:39 +0000

De rien, M. Hughes.

Benito, Burgundy is indeed a great place to start drinking better white wines, especially with the 2005 vintage.

By: Terry Hughes

Terry Hughes — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:07:27 +0000

Let’s hear it for St-Veran. Or indeed any Chardonnay that is allowed to speak for itself. Thanks for the tips, M. Koeppel.

By: Benito

Benito — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:05:08 +0000

I tried the Cave de Prissé in July and loved it. It goes great with fresh summer vegetables. Only a few more months to wait!

I’m trying to drink more–and better–whites in 2008. Burgundy is a great place to start.