Sunday, December 8, 2013

Domaine Gachot-Monot Côte de Nuits-Villages 2011

Here's a bit of boring geography. In southeastern France, there is a strip of land that grows grapes that make my favorite wines. The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, or wine region, is collectively known as Burgundy or Bourgogne. The northernmost area of Burgundy, within the Côte d'Or, is the Côte de Nuits. Collectively, the area masterfully makes the best Pinot Noir in the world. Most of that was merely to let you know that I know where the wine I'm reviewing comes from. My lesson about the globe is over. Now, onto the wine.

Kermit Lynch is a wine merchant who travels Europe's wine regions looking for wineries that have outstanding wines, but may not have the means to distribute their wines efficiently or at all. The Gachot-Monot vineyard was such a find for Kermit. He saw that the area near the town of Corgoloin was ripe for the picking. (Pun intended.) Damien Gachot works the vineyards and makes the wine. Kermit Lynch brings it to the world. One of the fantastic wines that has made it across to America is the Domaine Gachot-Monot Côte de Nuits-Villages. The "Villages" at the end means it's more like a casual table wine rather than the super expensive wines from Beaune or other pricey areas. It's still nothing to snub your nose at. I got this bottle for just over US$30.

I had the distinct pleasure of sampling the 2011 vintage tonight. It emerged from the dark bottle the color of a flawless ruby. You could see through the glass, the wine and make out shadowy shapes on the other side. This was certainly not a deep, heavy wine that is prevalent in Bordeaux. It was light, easy and perfect. As with most French wines, there is a complexity to it that is hard to describe without sounding like a complete loon. There are hints of strawberry, cherry, limestone, mushroom, blah blah blah, typical aromas and flavors that wine experts impart on French Pinot Noir. The only thing you need to know is this wine is simply exquisite. It has a mild tannin structure so it doesn't make your face pucker. It has a bright fruity taste, but not sweet or jammy like some Pinots from California or Australia. The overall effect of the wine was that it made a hectic day fade into oblivion. I was going to pair it with something from the kitchen so I could tell you how it could be matched up. What happened was I just drank the wine and forgot to grab something out of the deli drawer. Even after drinking the wine by itself, I can still make a judgement call about what you can pair it with. Plan on a great meal of lamb, pork loin, or game birds (quail, pheasant) with some veggies, a little smoked Gruyere and bread. The upscale, but not ridiculously expensive, wine will match an upscale but not expensive dinner. Or, if you're really a mutton head like me, just sit on your couch and drink it while you're watching food shows on the telly. Love a French wine today. This French wine. Cheers.

Here is a link to Gachot-Monot. http://www.gachot-monot.com/
And here is a Kermit Lynch link. http://www.kermitlynch.com/
See more reviews at www.talkingsimian.com


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