As stated I was in Paris in May, and the second tasting I had on the trip was at the offices of Les Vin IDS. I was hoping for a blind tasting like we had in May 2022, sadly, it was not in the cards for me. Hopefully, the next trip will include an IDS blind tasting! I am looking at you Ben my man!!! This post, like so many of the other Parisian posts, that are NOT yet posted, is horribly behind. My sincere apologies to Ben and the IDS team. So, without further ado – the tasting!

Oh, and yes, Avi Davidowitz, from Kosher Wine Unfiltered finally made a trip to Paris in May! Congrats my man!

Le Vin IDS Wines

Thankfully, many of the supply and wine bottling issues of 2022/2023 are gone and all the wines were available and ready to taste in May of 2024! As stated there were many wines and they would have been perfect for a blind tasting but extenuating circumstances did not allow for that on this trip.

As is customary, I ask Ben to open the windows to air out the room, as soon as I enter, as the smell of tobacco ash is always insufferable. I understand France is one of the last few advanced nations in the world where smoking is still a thing. I have never tolerated it, the smell makes me retch, so Ben is always so kind to air out the room before we begin tasting his wonderful wines.

Once that was done I took in the room and I realized this was going to be an awesome tasting. There were tons of new wines and wines I had never seen yet. Though, at this time, none of these wines are in the USA, yet!

Two new Champagne and a white wine

Sadly, none of the new 2023 wines are out yet, so I will have to wait for those to come here before tasting them.

What we tasted were two new Champagne from Maison Jeeper and a lovely 2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier. The 2022 Paul Aegerter (yes they changed the name again) white wine had not yet been bottled, so we did not get the chance to taste that.

If you are wondering where the name Maison Jeeper comes from:

The house was founded by Armand Gourtobe, a winemaker whose legs were injured while rescuing American soldiers. To thank him and reward him for his courage, the U.S. army gave Gourtobe a Jeep which he then used to tour his vineyard, thus gaining the nickname ‘Jeeper’ which he naturally used for his Champagne bottles. (From Sommeliers International).

I thought they were both exceptional and Champagne that most people will love, though they are expensive!

Finally, the 2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier is a stunning white wine. The 2021 vintage has blessed us with many a great white wine and thankfully this one will not break the bank! Bravo!

Red Wines

The next 13 red wines, mostly from the 2021 vintage, outside of the 6 2022 Paul Aegerter Burgundies (yeah as stated before, yet another new name).

We started with a run of the 2022 Burgundy wines. They were all nice to lovely! The last one was the closest Burgundy that Aegerter has made which reminded me of the 2019s. We started with a Domaine Aegerter Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits. That was followed by a 2022 Domaine Aegerter Volnay. Then came the bigger/riper Burgundies and the Premier Cru. The 2022 Domaine Aegerter Beaune Premier Cru, the 2022 Domaine Aegerter Nuits-Saint-Georges, followed by the 2022 Domaine Aegerter Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, and finally the 2022 Domaine Aegerter Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru. That is two QPR WInner and four QPR WINNER, quite a good run.

Then came the 2021 Bordeaux wines. These are all new wines – with some new wineries and the return of Chateau La Gaffeliere, with its second wine as well, the Clos La Gaffeliere. There are new wineries like the Chateau Lespault-Martillac, Chateau Puyblanquet, and Chateau Edmus. Quite a bunch of new wineries that IDS has made kosher in 2021. The last time a Chateau La Gaffeliere was made in Kosher was 1993! Some 28 years ago!

The shockers here are the 2021 Chateau Puyblanquet, Saint-Emilion, 2021 Chateau Marquis d’Alesme Becker, Margaux, and the 2021 Chateau La Gaffeliere. The Gaffeliere and the Puyblanquet are made from a majority of Merlot, which helps in the 2021 vintage. However, the Marquis d’Alesme Becker is a majority Cabernet Sauvignon and it shined bright in the 2021 vintage. Impressive!

Between the Marquis, Puyblanquet, and the Chateau Gaffeliere – it proves that there exist Kosher 2021 Bordeaux wines worthy of being bought. Bravo!

Sweet Wine

Finally, we cannot end this post without discussing the 6 Puttonyos Tokaji! Look this is a sweet wine, it is ripe, it is candied, and yet it is seductive, enveloping, and bracing in its acidity. It lacks the funk of Sauternes, but it surpasses it with its approachability, seduction, and rich mouthfeel. In ways, the funk of Sauternes can get in the way of the sheer enjoyment of botrytized wines, and this wine is proof. We have had a few 5 Puttonyos Tokaji made Kosher but this is the first and only 6 Puttonyos Tokaji! The next level is Aszú Eszencia, which is really close to the 6 Puttonyos (150 (grams per liter vs 180 grams per liter), and then there is the granddaddy of them all the Eszencia (at 450 gpL).

This wine is a baby. Look around and the market is selling the 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2013 vintages. It is crazy to even think this wine is accessible and showing its best at this point. Still, it is a wine that is fun now, but one that will evolve richly over the next 30 years.

The wine, like almost all Six Puttonyos Tokaj, is 500 ml and it is not cheap but it is a lovely wine that deserves your attention!

Closing

My many thanks to Ben Uzan for setting up the meeting, sharing his wines with us, and taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us. The wine notes follow below in the order they were tasted – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here and the explanation for QPR scores can be found here:

N.V. Maison Jeeper Brut, Champagne – Score: 92.5 (QPR: GREAT)
This Champagne is a blend of the 2020 and 2022 vintages.
The nose of this wine is lovely! with rich yeasty notes, lovely peach, quince, red apple, creamy notes, brioche, citrus curd, and rich salinity.
The mouth of this medium-bodied sparkling Chardonnay wine is rich, with a creamy texture, and notes of ripe Asian pear, apple, lemon, and grapefruit, with small mousse bubbles.
The attack is creamy, rich, and persistent, with the fruit and mousse playing well together.
The finish is long, and yeasty, with brioche, citrus, and brioche lingering long. Nice! Drink until 2028. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

N.V. Maison Jeeper Brut, Grand Rose, Champagne – Score: 92.5 (QPR: GREAT)
Like the Brut, this wine is a blend of 2020 and 2022 vintages.
The nose of this wine is ripe with strawberry and creme, rich salinity, but also ripe with raspberry, brioche, and lovely minerality. Fresh, ripe, and refreshing!
The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is richer than the Brut, riper, and more layered, with ripe strawberry, raspberry, and rich peach, highlighted by its peak note of strawberries and creme, the mousse bubbles are persistent, and the acidity is intense and the mouthfeel is plush and creamy with some orange peel, orange notes, and the orange blossom notes that interplay with the strawberries and small bubble mousse. Bravo!
The finish is a bit muted but the attack and mouthfeel make up for that and it may come with time. Drink until 2028. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Leognan – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc & 20% Semillon.
The nose of this wine is lovely, ripe, extracted, and funky with intense funk, straw, hay, smoke, rich toast, sweet oak, Asian pear, smoked duck, citrus, gooseberry, wet grass, green notes, and sweet herbs. Bravo! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine has richness, precision, and an impressive verve, the funky minerality follows through from the nose with ripe Asian pear, lovely gooseberry, lemon curd, and lemon Fraiche, followed by ribbons of minerality, saline, graphite, all wrapped in a toasty, funky mouthfeel, lovely! The finish is long, tart, ripe, balanced, and refreshing with great acidity, smoked duck, smoked pear, gooseberry, and tart lemon, lovely! Drink by 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

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