The monster and chenins

Dinner at a friend's home.

2021 Thomas Batardière L'Esprit Libre - big nose of toast upfront. Good acidity on the palate, maybe a little on the lean side. Lots of flint on the nose, and very crispy on the palate. More than an hour after opening, we've also got green apple notes, too. Very enjoyable, just as one would expect from this wine.

2021 Pierre Menard Anjou Clos des Mailles - this was much bigger on the palate, fatter, richer, much more ripe and alcoholic than expected.

2021 L'Ange Vin L'Iris - this was a very interesting and complex wine. Strangely it smelled like yogurt with lactic acid,along with pineapple and other tropical fruits. There's good acidity on the palate with a long finish.

2022 Pierre Mang Le Parc Rouge, en magnum - opened at least a day before. The nose was really sweet, like juicy berries. Very fragrant with some dried herbs, and a little leather, too.

2004 Pax Syrah Cuvée Keltie - started drinking around 50 minutes after decanting. Still got that huge nose of ripe and jammy fruit, very metallic, and still alcoholic after mellowing out for 20 years. Still going strong after more than 3 hours in the decanter.

2003 Clos Mimi Étiquette Rose - this was sooooo ripe, sweet like cough syrup. Nose was pretty flinty, kinda like natural wine. After 1½ hours still going strong, still hot and alcoholic on the palate.

2020 Pierre Mang Coteaux du Layon Faye Cosmos - so rich, really sweet and ripe, so tropical, with apricot notes.

1985 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge - popped and poured. The nose was really big and open, so fragrant, with lots of leather, a little smoky and wonderful toasty notes. There was also a little hint of farmy notes. The palate was on the light side, but it was all about that beautiful nose.