French white wine values tasted in 2004

The selected French bottlings have given me much pleasure for the price. I have purchased them again for personal consumption. Featured values include eight Loire Valley whites.
 

The below wines were tasted in France, in 2004 (between April and December).
 

 Gros plant - A.Michel Brégeon

2002 - USD 8.4 - the shy nose speaks redcurrant, little white fruit, apple, and mineral - the palate is dense with the same notes, snappy without any harshness, quickly fading away - the weak aftertaste whispers redcurrant, little white fruit, apple, and mineral - notice that the wine loses a little verve if you do not drink all of it within the first hour

 Bourgogne aligoté - Robert et Raymond Jacob

2002 - USD 9.6 - weak aromas - tiny beads of gaz on the tongue, grapefruit, powerful, more alcohol than fruit (chaptalised), fresh, the wine fades away quickly, flows easily, and asks for more

 Côtes du rhône - Domaine Roger Perrin - Prestige

2003 - USD 11 - on the palate: fruit, alcohol heat, freshness - the persistence is long, with almond and apricot

route de Châteauneuf, 84100 Orange, tél : +33 (0) 4 90 34 25 64

 Muscadet de sèvre et maine sur lie - Marc Ollivier - Domaine de la Pépière - Eden

2000 - USD 11 - no fruit - a weak nose - on the palate: onctuous, tiny beads of gaz on the tongue, hazelnut, fresh but less so that other Muscadets (gained some magnitude since last year)

 Muscadet de sèvre et maine sur lie - Marc Ollivier - Domaine de la Pépière - Clos des Cormerais - Cuvée Vieilles Vignes - Vin élevé en fûts de chêne

1999 - USD 11 - a finely balanced winemaking - fruit dominates the nose, with a note of toffee - very intense on the palate, velvety, toffee, grapefruit, fresh, pure

 Muscadet de sèvre et maine sur lie - A.Michel Brégeon - Liger d'Or

1997 - USD 14 - the wine reminds of a 15-year-old Chablis or of a 30-year-old Vouvray Demi-Sec, yet it shows less alcohol - the nose shows grapefruit, apple, mushroom and tropical fruit - onctuous, with an intensity of taste, dries the taste buds, apple

 Vouvray - Yannick Lemaire - Lemaire Fournier - Sec [en fait tendre : 9 g/l de sucre résiduel]

2002 - USD 14 - In the spring and in the summer : a nose typical of good Vouvray, sanwich loaf, very mature pear, minerally - tiny beads of gaz on the tongue, intense, peach, pear, broad but not heavy, more alcohol than density - a long aftertaste of apricot, pear skin, alcohol burn
- Since then one bottle out of two is unpleasant : with gaz beads and sour taste dominating

Lemaire Fournier, 201 rue Neuve, 37210 Vernou s/Brenne, 02 47 52 12 46

 Cheverny - Hervé Villemade - Domaine du Moulin - La Bodice

2002 - USD 14 - a nose of white fruit, acacia, oak cask - onctuous, cask, balanced and lively

 Cheverny - Hervé Villemade - La Crope - (fûts)

2001 - USD 14 - a nose of toffee and cool fruit - onctuous, almond, toffee, cool fruit, fresh - vanilla (same tasting notes on Day 1 and Day 2)

 Vouvray - Yannick Lemaire - Lemaire Fournier - La Coudraie [10 g/l de sucre résiduel]

2002 - USD 21 - akin to the Sec but more intense and more refined - a quiet nose - the palate is intense, onctuous, broad, fresh, fruit dominates, meat(!) and alcohol, a hint of bitterness - hazelnut, dries the tongue, alcohol (keep a few bottles until 2010)

Lemaire Fournier, 201 rue Neuve, 37210 Vernou s/Brenne, 02 47 52 12 46

This article is completed by a primer on organizing wine tasting parties.