Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Two by Pierre Laplace (France)

Pierre Laplace disappoints and then impresses, all in one day.  I opened a bottle of Laplace's Chateau D'Aydie 2001 Ode D'Aydie and I was suspect of the wine right from the get go.  This is a blend of 80% Tannat, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Madiran region - the wine smelled off right from the pop of the cork (although there was a good seal and no seepage up the side.  Smell was non-descript but once it was in the mouth there was no mistaking that taste - cork ... oh yuck ... too bad, this wine had such potential and I love a good Tannat.  

I looked through my cellar and found an even older bottle of Laplace, this time a 2000 Aramis, a blend of Tannat and Cabernets (no percentages were given) from the Cotes de Gascogne.  There was certainly nothing fresh about this wine, but there wasn't anything corky about it either.  Plenty of sediment and a light brick in colour.  The nose was forest floor and old fruit, dried and sweet with a bit of spice to keep it all together.  The palate followed on the heals of the nose with spice and a bit of wood; there was also fruit in here, but it was fruit that had been dried on cedar planks and seasoned with pepper ... this one's quite good if you keep in mind its age.

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