Solid as a Brick

We were in a bit of a party mode and Brickers invited us around to his place for a few wines and a bowl of soup. Brickers is a real card and can draw well as well as tell stories. But just as impressive is how he brings out wines to attract one’s attention.

One of the other invited guests opened their wine first, a 2004 Dagueneau Pouilly Fume ‘Pur Sang’. The wild man of the Loire made the best Sauvignons in the world, consistently – solid as a brick! Pale as ever with the most amazing liveliness and acidity allied to minerals, herbs and stonefruits, I saw some oxidation which seemed to integrate with the wine in the glass. It would be easy to underestimate how this could change for the better, but alas, it went down a treat as it was, so I’ll never know…

A rock solid, blue-chip vintage for Burgundy is 2009. Brickers supplied two. The 2009 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 1er ‘Cazetiers’ was remarkable soft, supple and sweet. Not like the Faiveleys of old which were all tannin and extract. This had great dark berry fruits with knife-edge char, toast, game and funky brett. If you could handle the horses, it was a revelation. Otherwise, it will only get worse. Next was a much cleaner 2009 Bouchard Pere Volnay 1er ‘Clos des Chenes’. Clean and clinical, without too much personality really. Hard to fault, I would have preferred drinking the previous wine for character alone.

Serious wines were then on the drinks list. The 2009 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape was dark in colour and dark in fruit; raspberries with game, and plump sweetness backed by a serious backbone. Layers of funky interest lurked below the fruit, and I felt this could turn any way and in any time. Rounding off the party was a 2007 Pio Cesare Barolo. The similarity of Nebbiolo to Pinot Noir was not lost on the guests. Of course darker and more severe in fruit, with sour berry and brick and earth too. This was a lighter, elegant but truly traditional in flavour profile, yet modern in accessibility, the tannins supple and sweet and sour in fruit.

We raise a toast to you Brickers, for such generosity! You’re solid as a brick, mate!