Lamont’s Cottesloe

Reviewed: 6 January 2012

John Jens, one of the doyens of Western Australian wine retailing has landed a large shipment of imported wines directly to Perth after a visit to France in 2012. The majority of the wines appear to be from Burgundy, though there is also a good selection of wines from the Loire as well as Italy.

I took the opportunity to look through a cross section of wines and styles to get an understanding of the intrinsic quality of the range. It is worth highlighting that the wines have only just landed in Perth, so are still likely to be suffering bottle shock from the trip from France (in refrigerated containers). If anything, they will get even better in the coming months.

Overall, I was very impressed by the quality, but even more so by the value. The combination of the very high Australian dollar and the direct shipment has enabled Lamont’s to sell the wines at prices that I never imagined possible. Bravo.

If I had to limit myself to one region to buy from, I would suggest Burgundy. Both the Chablis and red Burgundies offer excellent quality at remarkable prices. Given the prices, I would suggest skipping the basic wines and try to get some Premier Cru wines.

Thanks to Lamont’s for hosting this tasting!

Reviewed

Piazzo – Arneis – Roero – 2011 (16.7). Pretty, floral nose with mineral highlights and lovely texture. The fruit is very subdued but the textural palate is long and savoury. Light weight, but easy drinking. A very food friendly European wine.

la Battistina – Cortese – Gavi – 2011 (16.8). A quite neutral nose, but the palate is bursting with vibrant tropical fruit. Pear, musk and spice all meld together forming a very appealing package, with racy acid adding zip to the finish. A lovely afternoon wine.

Domaine Lebrun – Sauvignon Blanc – Pouilly-Fume – 2011 (16.9). Quite a complex nose, with struck match and barrel ferment/lees aromas. The palate is full, round and generous, with the spicy fruit balanced by nervy acidity and a touch of minerality on the finish. I would like to see this settle down for a year, but the quality is good. Reflects the cooler year.

Domaine Fouassier – Sancerre – Les Chailoux – 2011 (17.1). Neutral fruit here with hints of lavender and lime. The palate is complex, chewy and textured, with excellent length. The acid is in check and the balance good. The length of flavour here is the key. A pretty wine that drinks well now and should sit well with lighter food.

Domaine Fouassier – Sancerre – Les Chasseignes – 2011 (17.3). This is quite a neutral wine. Opens with hints of apple, pear skin and a touch of herbs, with some honey to close. The oak, barrel ferment and lees work are superbly managed and is the defining character on the palate. Viscous, dense and mouth-filling, this is a serious wine, but only for the aficionado as you need to look hard to see the quality fruit.

Sebastian Dampt – Chablis – 2011 (16.8). Whilst the nose is muted, I like this. The palate is quite rich and round, with a lovely minerality that runs through to the finish. Good length and acidity make for an approachable wine for everyday drinking. Modern winemaking.

Sebastian Dampt – Chablis – 1er Cru – Les Vaillons – 2011 (17.5). This wine is a bit of a sleeper. It is so well balanced and easy to drink, that it is easy to overlook the quality fruit and winemaking. Good use of oak combined with ripe fruit make this a lovely drink now, but will improve further with age. Finishes with hints of honey, minerals, bees wax and a touch of salty tang.

Sylvain Mosnier – Chablis – 1er Cru – Cote De Lechet – 2010 (17.5+). Ripe fruit, reflecting the year. This has a touch of pineapple-like fruit on the nose. The palate is more austere with minerals over subtle fruit. I would prefer more mid-palate fruit weight now, but this will fill out with a few years in the bottle and get even better. Opened to show complex oyster shell/sea air/iodine notes.

Sebastian Dampt – Chablis – 1er Cru – Cote De Lechet 2010 (18). More weight to the fruit compared to the Monsier. Ripe fruit and expansive, though well-judged oak coat the mouth and add presence to the palate. Quite complex, the minerals build on the finish with sea air, honeycomb and poached peach. The flavours linger and leave a salty tang that is very refreshing.

Laurent-Savoye – Beaujolais – Fleurie – La Cadole – 2011 (16.8). Lovely colour to this wine. Fresh red berries on the nose. Cherry, sour plum and spice on the palate. Whilst this is supple and easy to drink, there is enough weight to pair this with red meats or chicken.

Philippe Livera – Cote de Nuits-Villages – 2010 (17+). A pretty wine that has life and vitality. The fruit is not particularly dense, but the acid keeps the finish fresh and light. An easy drinking pinot that has hints of earthiness and very fine tannins.

Jean-Marc Millot – Pinot Noir – Cote de Nuits-Villages – Aux Fauques 2010 (17.5+). More depth to the fruit compared to the Livera and more intensity to the colour of the wine. The palate is outstanding, with quite dense, ripe fruit and soft, texturing tannins. The slightly souring acidity combines with the fruit to make the finish memorable. A very smart wine.

Piazzo – Barbaresco 2009 (17). Modern, sweet fruit here that is not what I was expecting. The fruit initially presents quite rich, but the texturing tannins and souring acidity add authenticity and life to this wine. Slightly chewy, this will flesh out and develop with time. Hints of licorice and starting to show the first signs of development.

Piazzo – Barbaresco – Reserva – Vigna Giaia – 2005 (17.8). I like this. The tannins, acid and oak handling all hail its piedmontese origins. The tannins are fine, yet prodigious, and leave my teeth feeling lightly coated. Complex, and ripe, the restraint makes this wine. With air, the licorice, peppery fruit and excellent oak use add to the restrained power.

Domain Thenard – Pernand Veregelesses – Ile des Veregelesses – 1er Cru – 2009 (17.8). Sweet, fragrant fruit on the nose, with pretty, almost perfumed, red fruits. The palate shows more structure, with the acidity and firm (yet fine) tannins holding the fruit in check, though the perfumed fruit hints at how this wine will develop. A lovely Cote de Beaune that needs a few years to hit its best.

Domain Thenard – Corton – Clos du Rois – Grand Cru – 2009 (18.3). Complex, subtle and totally captivating, this is a beautiful wine. The palate is refined and elegant, with the fruit flavours expanding and evolving as the wine sits in the mouth and for some time after. The balance is outstanding with no rough edges. The finish is near seamless and only hints at potential. Remarkably elegant for a Beune red. The soft tannins make this an enjoyable drink today, though it is guaranteed to age well.

Jean-Marc Millot – Vosne – Romanee – 1er Cru – Les Suchots – 2010 (18.5). Wow! Wow! Wow!. What a wine. The palate is rich, ripe, dense, refined, long, textured, balanced and succulent. This is a superb wine that is mouth-coating, viscous and very long. The richness almost masks the structural components that guarantee that this will age for many years. A profound wine that is soft, young, fresh, fragrant and modern. One taster described this as a ballerina wine:- Athletic, supple, strong and graceful, yet very pretty.

Jean-Marc Millot – Echezeaux – Grand Cru – 2010 (18.7). Restrained, tight and taut, this is a wine of great potential. The lovely ripe fruit floods the palate with texturing oak adding interest. This is so impressive, as the fruit quality is outstanding and quite approachable, yet the structure is there to ensure that it will age superbly. The tannins are assertive, yet ripe. Outstanding, this captures the character of Echezeaux.