TN: Charles Joguet Les Varennes du Grand Clos 1999

I do not usually post many TN, even if I love to read those written by
regular posters in the group.

Tonight, I wanted some red wine to go with homemade pizza. I finally
decided on my last bottle of Charles Joguet "Les Varennes du Grand Clos"
1999.

It is quite right to say that I discovered the red wines from the Loire
with the wines by Charles Joguet. It was my good friend Luc, caviste in
Angers, who introduced me to this Domaine. This bottle was probably from
my second trip to the Loire, back in 2002. I do not think Cellartracker
existed then. At least I had not my small wine holdings there, so I
cannot really say when I purchased this bottle.

I had not great expectations, for I had opened another Charles Joguet
from the same vintage (Clos de la Dioterie) three years ago and I did
find them a bit thin and green. 1999 was not the best vintage for reds in
the Loire, mind you (it actually was a "vintage de merde").

But tonight this "Les Varennes du Grand Clos" 1999 was singing. Totally
clean after popping the cork, it displayed some black fruit with a
tobacco note that I loved. In the mouth, it was so easy to drink, with
tannins resolved and a beautiful acidity and a great balance.

I do not consider myself a heavy drinker. In fact, I normally drink just
a couple of glasses of wine with friday's dinner. But today, this small
12% alc. vol. was so nice that I ended drinking the full bottle (my wife
is not drinking for nine months).

It was probably not the very best wine I have ever drunk. Neither the
most complex. But it was a wine in its peak (I probably drunk it 10 years
in advance as the average Wine Disorder contributor), with a lot of
"digestibilité". Even if I know that Loire reds are an acquired taste,
and assuming that many people will think this humble Joguet wine would
taste green or herbaceous, I loved it from the first sip to the last.

We need more 12% alc. vol. wines like this. If we are to be objective, it
was a B+ in Dale's scale. But it felt like a 100 pointer, for it was the
right wine for the righ moment.

Too bad that Charles Joguet lost the Domaine of his name for financial
issues, and Luc, my caviste in Angers, dropped their wines from his
portfolio.

Sorry for the emotional rant!

s.