Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Mevushal ?

With our lunch with Calvert Woodley and an Indian friend who has an interesting project for India (to be followed), we served :
Valandraud Blanc 2007 n°1
Valandraud 2002 and Valandraud 2002 kosher mevushal, in other words, heated at 85° Celcius (185 F), a sort of flash pasteurization. Valandraud 2002 still shows good fruit, dark blue, with tannins still present. The wine is beginning to be drinkable and will most likely be good and pleasant to drink in 2 to 3 years and even much longer…
Valandraud kosher mevushal 2002, with a tile-red color, aged wine, dark but still with a soft palate, no harshness, tannins soften by the heat. Pleasant, soft, silky, it only lacks a bit of vibrant fruit and the wine shows 10 years more than its age.
However, it already had this color and taste 5/6 years ago, and in my opinion, will still be like that for the next 5/6 years, if kept in a cellar. Wouldn’t this “religious” technique help for other austere and cold vintages? I should have used this kind of treatment for a few bottles of my “normal” 2004 to see.

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