http://www.cherriesandclay.com/2010/01/30/a-taste-for-lopez-de-heredia/

Cheers

Here are the notes. It is not overly expensive either! $35 for 500mL (WS 95)

1999, Chateau Pajzos Aszu 5 Puttanyos, Tokaji
Hungary
- Very surprising and delicious. This wine had a brilliant golden hue. The nose was of honey and apricot which were mirrored on the palate along with some caramel. It had a beautifully viscosity and was sweet, rich with intensity, balance and character.

Not sure if I am suppose to laugh at that…I hope so. One thing about this blog and others like it, is that it helps to educate consumers about what is actually out there…so many great wineries and most people are still awed by the Mondavi, Gallo, anything French names. It’s too bad and frankly I think it holds the industry back in terms of both quality and revenue.

Please keep your comments on the ageworthiness of Muscadet to yourself. Reading this post is like hearing someone share a secret of where to find morels or the whereabouts of a great fishing hole. The more people who know, the less there will be for us.

Factually you are correct on all fronts, they are beautiful with age and go great with cheese and roasted chicken too. However, please imagine the consequences for wine lovers like you and me if lots of people new that there are people making wines that sell for $15 that can age for 20+ years. Soon enough, the prices will rise and, heaven forbid, they will be scored too.

If more writers would continue to ignore the best producers making wines that sit on their lees for 2 years or more before release, then I will continue to be able to afford the cases and cases that I buy in years like 99, 02, 05, etc.

I would encourage you also not to mention the retailers who have the vision and the courage to sell these older wines when small releases come into the country. Perman Wines in Chicago, Chambers Street Wines in NY and others should not be bothered by customers other than you and me. If they are inundated with requests and sell out, from whom would I be able to buy my magnums of Excelsior (the cuvee above L D’or from Luneau Papin) that cost as much as $50?

And finally, I will thank you not to share tasting notes from the 1978 L D’or that I had two years ago from magnum in the Loire Valley that was the spitting image of older Chablis, only flintier and more alive.

Promise to keep all of the above to yourself and perhaps I’ll share some Muscadet from the 80′s with you next time you are in Chicago and we can laugh at all the people who spend lots of money on lesser wines.

Your friend and fellow Muscadet lover,

Damien

If you liked the ’99 “L d’Or”, you should definitely seek out the gorgeous ’89, which routinely pops up in my old NYC stomping grounds. Great Muscadets age wonderfully.

Also, a recent bottle of ’88 Tondonia Rosado was delicious. The stuff goes out to the marketplace in a sort of suspended-animation state and stays fresh and vibrant for many years.

Best,

Manuel