still love Pinot, but moreso the wines of Burgundy, Cheverny in the Loire Valley, or the Jura. Here is what I found, in the approximate order of my preference: 2002 Panther Creek Pinot Noir White Rose Vineyard , $35. 2002 St. 2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Ribbon Springs Vineyard , $44. 2005 Thomas Pinot Noir , $45.

Our bottle of 2007 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Clos des Briords was corked, sadly, as was our 2005 Luneau-Papin L D'Or. The palate was as youthful as the 2005 I had a few months ago. Domaine de la Pépière's Granite de Clisson is an example of this kind of wine - a superb wine last produced in 2005. Someone said pineapple.

Many people consider these to be the finest Chenin Blancs from the Loire Valley and in the world. 2007 was not an easy year in most of the Loire Valley, and Vouvray was not spared the rainy cool summer that dampened prospects for many growers all over the region. And happily, I can afford to buy and drink them.

It's also an egalitarian system - the host who feels flush can select 2002 Vosne-Roman é e 1er Cru wines as the theme. Recently it was our turn to host wine group and I chose Loire Chenin Blancs as the theme. This night for me was further proof for me that the Loire Valley offers truly profound white wines at reasonable prices.

And as far as I know, 1988 wasn't a particularly great vintage - just a normal working class year in the Loire Valley. The 2006's from Chidaine are quite good, although if you're used to the 2005's they will seem light. The 2006's are probably typical and the 2005's are probably extra rich and intense. And under $25.

He brought a lovely gift of a bottle of 2005 Bouzeron crafted by the master M. We enjoyed the remaining half of a bottle of 2005 Desvignes Morgon Javerni è res, 2nd Upper Terrace Bottling , on its second day open. We then opened a bottle of 2002 Cazin Cour-Cheverny Cuv é e Renaissance. Aubert de Villaine. We'll see.

Thierry Puzelat, along with his older brother Jean-Marie, is responsible for a big lineup of delicious wines from the Touraine and Cheverny appellations in the eastern part of the Loire Valley. 2002 Puzelat Touraine Pinot Noir La Tesni è res $18 I stumbled on this bottle, the last in the store, at Astor the other day. It works.

Moving to the Rhone valley in France I tried some wines from Eric Texier. wine I really loved and found quite unique was the 2005 Domaine de Roally Vire'-Clesse' from the Macconnais, France. Domaine Francois Pinon from the Loire Valley makes some demi-sec (semi sweet) wines from Chenin blanc. don't know. great wine.

went with the 2002 Domaine des Baumaurd Coteaux du Layon Clos du Sainte Catherine , $28 on release, imported by Ex Cellars Wine Agency. And the 2002, a great year in this part of the Loire Valley, should still have plenty of ripe fruit to go along with complexity and some sweetness. That's right, Alice Feiring! think so.

But they are different from the same wine in 2002, for example, in that they might mature more quickly. It certainly went well with steak, but it was not memorable, didn't inspire me to buy the 2005 version ($35) and lay it down. BrooklynLady and I loved this wine when we visited Adelsheim Winery. Now THIS, this is mature wine.

But then Peter Liem in his truly excellent blog Besotted Ramblings and Other Drivel wrote about Damien Laureau's Savennières in his February 9, 2008 post (to which I cannot seem to create a link), calling it the finest example of Savennières from 2005. 2005 was a very good year in Savennières, as it was in most of France. Rabbit?

BrooklynLady and I went to France together for the first time in October of 2005. We went to the Loire Valley and our plan was to see the various villages, and Tours, of course, but also to feast on the wonderful food and wines of the region. And if I ever go back to the Loire Valley This goes for about $55.

went with a Gamay from the Loire Valley, a glass of 2006 O. 2005 Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Tuffeaux (about $23, Dressner stuff again, might be sold out at this point but there are other Chidaine wines on the shelf - try one). 2002 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses (about $17, readily available). Beaujolais.

Some interesting wines from July that did not get individual posts: Loire Valley 2006 Olga Raffault Chinon Rose , $15 ( Chambers Street Wines ). 2005 Francois Cazin Cour-Cheverny Vendanges Manuelles , $13.50 (Chambers Street Wines). Cour-Cheverny is a tiny appellation in the north-west part of the Loire Valley.

2002 Sylvan Cathiard Vosne Romanee , $25 (secondary market). An Oregon Pinot from cult producer Peter Rosback, but not from the Willamette Valley. 2005 Belle Pente Willamette Valley Pinot Gris , $17. Loire Valley 2004 Cazin Cour-Cheverny , $12. 2005 Domaine de Belliviere Jasnieres Les Rosiers , $28.

So for all of you who want to poke your toe in the waters of the Loire, here is my case. Not a case from all over the world like Lyle's and Joy's, but Brooklynguy's case of Loire wine, a case that I believe will make anyone who likes wine a Loire lover. Most are from 2005, a wonderful vintage. That's pretty intense.

In the end I settled on an experiment that interested me from the Loire Valley - Bernard Baudry's 2004 wines. have enjoyed this wine very much in recent years, although the 2005, supposedly a great year in the Loire Valley, is not yet drinking well in my opinion. This wine is a real step up in price at about $25.

We enjoyed this soup tremendously with a hunk of bread and a glass of Muscadet, specifically the 2005 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Clos des Briords Vieille Vignes, $14. This is not exactly a young drinking Loire red - this is an age worthy wine to be sure. Their fish is always delicious, the freshest and must flavorful I can get.

If you like Loire wines, you're not going to do better than this. 2005 Eric Texier Vins de Pays O Pale , $16 - This is a sweet wine made entirely from Viognier grapes. My 4's 2002 Domaine du Closel Savennieres les Coteaux Moelleux , $28 - this is a rare sweet wine from Savennieres, crafted only in certain vintages. Just yummy.

So why, when I decided to research and report on Pinots that cost less than $25, did I all of the sudden take a little break from Pinot, and re-discover my passion for the reds (and whites) of the Loire Valley? get less pleasure from them than I do from a $15 Loire red, for example. Why not? So that's it?" Overnight - washout.

We continue our foray into blind tasting Thursday night, and the theme is young Loire red wine. I've been so focused on Burgundy lately that I haven't had a Loire red in a little while. So over the past few days BrooklynLady and I exercised our palate a bit, went to the red Loire gym, if you will. And really cheap too.

2005 Catherine and Pierre Breton Bourgueil Trinch ! , $17. really liked it though, and I imagine that it is amongst the best such Cabernet Franc wines of the Loire Valley. The Bretons are, to me, amongst the most reliable producers of red wine in the Loire Valley right now. 2001 Palacios Remondo Rioja Propiedad H.

little context this time - Domaine Huet is one of the most well respected producers in the Loire Valley, and probably is the biggest name in Vouvray. The Wine Doctor posted a bunch of tasting notes and plenty of interesting information about Domaine Huet as part of his Loire Profiles series. And the home made spaetzle.a

2002 Pian del Ciampolo was in stores until a few months ago and it was graceful, light bodied, but pretty intense wine. 2003 is supposed to be far superior to 2002 in Tuscany and I was excited to try the new vintage. Fuller bodied than the 2002, intense smokey cherry and leather flavors, very earthy. Now, the weekend's wines.