Les Dégustations Ugo

Le Chardonnay, ce caméléon en chemise blanche.  Le Chardonnay, c’est ce pote discret qui finit toujours par voler la soirée. Pas le plus bavard. Pas le plus tatoué. Mais quand tu rentres chez toi, c’est de lui que tu te souviens. J’écris cette note parce que le Chardonnay est mal compris. Trop vu, trop bu, trop caricaturé. “Ah non, moi j’aime pas le Chardonnay, c’est trop boisé.” Phrase entendue mille fois, souvent entre deux gorgées de rosé tiède. Sauf que non. Le Chardonnay, ce n’est pas un goût. C’est une matière, un terrain de jeu. Une toile blanche qui prend la couleur de ce qu’on lui donne. Le climat, la main du vigneron. Le silence ou le bruit du bois. Un Chardonnay peut sentir : le beurre noisette qui chante dans la poêle, une pomme coupée en deux sur la table de la cuisine, la craie humide sous les baskets, la brioche encore tiède du dimanche matin ou le citron pressé sur des huîtres, un soir de vent.  En bouche, il peut être : tendu comme un fil de funamb...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  A wine that doesn't try to impress, but lingers in the memory, like a good film you can watch again and again . AOC Luberon red, Cuvée Il Était une fois dans le Luberon, from Vignobles Amédée .  Vintage: 2021 .  🍇: Syrah, Grenache .  👀: The color is a deep red, but not dark. It shines like a freshly waxed car under the Provençal sun. Medium-plus intensity, not opaque, just enough to make you want to bury your nose in it without hesitation . 👃: First nose: ripe black fruit, blackcurrant, blackberry crushed between your fingers. Then it opens up, it breathes. A touch of garrigue, freshly ground pepper, a hint of dried thyme .  👄: The attack is supple, almost caressing. Then the Syrah arrives with its grain, its subtle spicy tension, while the Grenache brings sunshine and a smile. Fluid texture, polished tannins, nothing sticks. It's balanced, luscious, but not simplistic. The fini...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  . A taut, sincere, vibrant champagne, with no added sugar or unnecessary embellishment . Champagne Cuvée Homage to the Village of Baslieux-sous-Châtillon from @champagnesaintphilibert .  🍇: 100% Meunier, aged 50% in stainless steel, 50% in oak barrels .  👀: In the glass, the color is pale gold with hints of ripe wheat. The bubbles? Fine, but not shy. They rise confidently, in a tight, continuous stream . 👃: First nose: freshly bitten apple. Then it opens up: juicy pear, lemon zest, and then, gently, the oak arrives, evoking still-warm brioche, fresh hazelnut, a hint of light smoke, as if someone were toasting bread nearby . 👄: The attack is direct, frank, almost mouthwatering. Zero dosage is key. The substance is there: creamy texture, fine grain, a fleshy quality that coats the mouth without heaviness . The balance is beautiful: tension and indulgence equal immediate pleasure. The finish linger...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  Château de Rayne Vigneau 2015 is a Sauternes that takes you by the hand and gently leads you to where sweetness becomes emotion . Sauternes 1er Grand Cru Classé from Château de Rayne Vigneau @raynevigneau .  Vintage: 2015 .  🍇: 80% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc .  👀: In the glass, it's molten gold, like a sunset over the Garonne. A dense yet luminous color, somewhere between acacia honey and candied apricot. The legs are slow, thick, almost sensual. It clearly sets the tone . 👃: First nose: a festival. Dried apricot, ripe mango, roasted pineapple, then the botrytis arrives with its shoes full of saffron, beeswax, and orange peel. In the background, a touch of vanilla, a hint of gingerbread, and that incredibly addictive scent of yellow fruit jam left to cool on the windowsill . 👄: The attack is ample, enveloping. This is where Rayne Vigneau winks at you: the sweetness is there, yes,...

Le Pornstar Martini , ou l’élégance en talons hauts. Il y a des cocktails qui entrent dans une pièce avant toi. Le Pornstar Martini fait partie de ceux-là. Je l’ai revu l’autre soir, posé sur un comptoir collant de fin de service, dans un verre trop froid pour être honnête. Jaune solaire. Mousseux comme une promesse. À côté, son éternel acolyte: un shot de prosecco, servi à part, comme un clin d’œil coquin. Le Pornstar Martini, c’est un cocktail qui divise. Pour certains, c’est le symbole des années 2000 : soirées vodka-redbull, talons trop hauts, playlists douteuses, sucre à tous les étages. Pour d’autres, dont moi, aujourd’hui, c’est un vrai marqueur culturel. Un cocktail qui raconte une époque, une ville, une envie très précise : le plaisir sans excuse. L’histoire (promis, sans costume trois-pièces): Retour à Londres. Début des années 2000. Un type s’agite derrière les bars les plus cools de la ville : Douglas Ankrah. Douglas, c’est le genre de mec qui pense le cocktail ...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  AOC Grès de Montpellier red wine, Cuvée Ultreïa from Domaine Mas de Martin .  Vintage: 2018 .  🍇: Grenache, Syrah .  👀: In the glass, it's a deep red, almost dark garnet . 👃: First nose: the garrigue arrives unexpectedly. Thyme, rosemary, tapenade—we're clearly in the South, not on a postcard, but in the real world. Then come the black fruits: crushed blackberry, ripe plum, and that little peppery touch typical of Syrah that tickles your nose. With aeration, it becomes softer, deeper: a hint of cocoa, a black olive . 👄: The attack is direct but warm. No harshness, more like a firm handshake. The substance is there: round, enveloping, almost velvety, the Grenache brings the sunshine, the Syrah the backbone. Beautiful balance of alcohol and freshness, nothing overpowering. The tannins are present but polished. The finish is long, spicy, slightly saline, with that little something extra that makes...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  Dame Blanche 2024 is a luminous, tactile, and vibrant white wine. A wine for the present moment . IGP Vin de Pays d'Oc white wine, Cuvée Dame Blanche, from Domaine Terre des Dames .  Vintage: 2024 .  🍇: 100% Grenache Blanc aged in amphora .  👀: In the glass, it's a luminous pale yellow, almost pearly. The color is delicate, elegant, and unadorned: natural yet stunning . 👃: Initial aromas: fresh pear, white flowers, lemon zest. Then it opens up gently, revealing notes of almond, wild fennel, and a touch of minerality… A bit like a spring flowing through a field of dry grass at sunrise . 👄: The attack is direct and clean. The texture is fluid and almost caressing. The Grenache Blanc expresses itself with elegance rather than brute force. It's saline, with a touch of bitterness on the finish (the good kind of bitterness, reminiscent of grapefruit peel). The amphora does its job perfect...

La Syrah, c’est une lumière tamisée. Un vin qui parle bas, mais qui marque longtemps. Pas un cri. Pas une démonstration. Plutôt un regard appuyé au bout de la table. Je t’écris ça un soir un peu frais. Un de ces soirs où t’as envie de viande grillée, de vin sombre, de musique qui gratte un peu l’âme. La bouteille était déjà ouverte. La Syrah respirait. Moi aussi. Et je me suis dit : “Putain, ce cépage-là… faut qu’on en parle autrement.” Pas avec des fiches techniques. Pas avec des degrés d’alcool et des rendements à l'hectare. Mais avec le ventre. Avec les souvenirs. Avec la bouche qui salive avant même la première gorgée. La Syrah, c’est pas un vin. C’est une ambiance. C’est la nuit qui tombe sur une colline du Rhône. Le vent qui siffle entre les murets en pierres sèches. Les mains froides du vigneron, tachées de noir. Dans le verre, ça sent souvent : le poivre fraîchement moulu, l’olive noire écrasée du bout des doigts, la violette fanée, le lard fumé qui crépite trop...

🍷Eng And Fr .  The kind of bottle that tells you: “Relax, you’re in the right place.” .  Togouchi Rum Cask Finish Japanese Whisky 43% ABV. Aged in bourbon barrels and finished for 18 months in Jamaican rum casks. Sakurao Distillery. Distributed by @whiskiesdumonde .  👀: In the glass, the color is gold, almost amber, like a ray of sunshine that has passed through an old wooden cask. Bright, clean, crisp . 👃: First nose: vanilla, brown sugar, ripe banana. Then it gently evolves towards more exotic notes: roasted pineapple, molasses, candied orange peel. You can clearly taste the Jamaican rum cask influence, but not overpowering, rather a tropical elegance . 👄: The initial taste is soft, almost caressing. Round, supple texture, not aggressive. The bourbon provides structure: vanilla, light caramel, a clean woodiness. Then the rum arrives mid-palate, quiet but present: exotic fruits, cane sugar, a touch of spice that awakens everything. A warm, slightly dry f...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  A deep, Mediterranean, and authentic red from the Larzac region . Terrasses du Larzac red, Cuvée Fin Fond from Domaine Terre de Feu .  Vintage: 2019 .  🍇: Old vines Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Carignan .  👀: In the glass, a deep, almost garnet red with brick-red highlights . 👃: The nose grabs you immediately. Ripe black fruit, black olive, tapenade, dried herbs, thyme crushed between your fingers. And then that animal touch, a bit wild, warm stone, a distant wood fire. It's as if the Mourvèdre invited the Carignan to have a smoke behind the cellar while the Cinsault watched the sunset. It's Mediterranean, without the postcard imagery . 👄: On the palate, it attacks smoothly, almost tenderly. Then it stretches out. The substance is there, but without heaviness. The tannins are patinated, polished by time, like a jacket you wouldn't dare throw away. It's juicy, saline, slightly bitter on the ...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  The kind of bottle you open to celebrate something… or just to be there . Crémant d'Alsace Cuvée Grand Prestige from Maison Bestheim @bestheim .  Vintage: 2020 .  🍇: Pinot Blanc .  👀: In the glass, it's clear, bright, almost crystalline. A pale yellow color with silvery highlights. The bubbles are fine, regular, and persistent . 👃: First nose: fresh apple, a pear bitten into with gusto, lemon zest. Then it opens up to notes of white flowers, a hint of almond, almost a subtle brioche. It exudes precision . 👄: The attack is lively, direct, and refreshing. The bubbles coat the mouth without being aggressive, with a fine, almost creamy texture. The Pinot Blanc does the job: balance, freshness, elegance. A clean, slightly saline finish that makes you want another sip. Then another. And well, you know the rest. Le genre de bouteille qu’on ouvre pour fêter quelque chose… ou jus...

Le Côt , c’est pas un cépage. C’est un caractère. Un peu râpeux au premier contact. Un peu sombre sur les bords. Mais quand tu prends le temps de le mâcher, il te colle un souvenir plein la bouche. L’autre jour, un verre de Côt posé devant moi. Pas de fioriture. Pas d’étiquette qui crie. Juste un rouge sombre, presque opaque, comme une nuit sans lampadaire. Je le sens, je goûte. Et là, je me dis : Mais pourquoi on parle si peu de ce cépage ? Parce que le Côt, on le connaît sous un autre nom. Un nom plus lisse. Plus exportable. Malbec. Mais ici, dans le Sud-Ouest, il s’appelle Côt. Et ce n’est pas un détail. Le Côt, c’est un vin qui marche en grosses chaussures. Il n’entre pas sur la pointe des pieds. Au nez : la mûre écrasée sur un jean, la prune noire, parfois le cuir, la terre chaude, le poivre et ce petit fond sombre, presque sanguin.  En bouche, c’est une matière. Pas une idée. Une texture. Ça accroche un peu les gencives quand il est jeune. Ça serre la main franchement. Mais...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  A white wine from Provence that embraces its freshness, yet still possesses substance . Côtes de Provence Blanc Cuvée Classic from Domaine de la Tourraque @domainelatourraque .  Vintage: 2024 .  🍇: Rolle, Sémillon .  👀: In the glass, it's clear, crisp, and luminous. A pale yellow color with green highlights . 👃: First nose: fresh, immediate, clean. It smells of freshly zested lemon, a pear bitten into with gusto, and a touch of white peach. Then it gently evolves towards something sunnier: a floral, almost honeyed touch, thanks to the Sémillon, but without ever becoming sweet . 👄: Lively, direct, and straightforward attack. The Rolle takes the lead: tension, freshness, and energy. Then the Sémillon emerges in the background, adding a cushion, volume, and a touch of elegant richness. It's balanced, fluid, and incredibly easy to drink. The finish is clean, lemony, slightly saline, a l...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  An extra brut unfiltered, mineral and taut, with chalky notes more than sugar . Champagne Cuvée Village Nesle-Le-Repons from Champagne Saint Philibert @champagnesaintphilibert .  🍇: 100% .  👀: The color is pale gold, almost crystalline. The bubbles are fine, pressed, disciplined; they rise straight, without any unnecessary waves . 👃: The first nose is clean and precise. Lemon, fresh zest, Granny Smith apple, bitten pear. Then come the serious notes: wet chalk, oyster shell, fresh almond . 👄: The attack is as direct as a riff from The Cure: no effect, but immediate tension. The bubbles are fine, integrated, almost saline. The wine glides along a mineral, elongated structure, with an acidity that makes you want another glass before you've even finished it. The finish is dry, clean, unapologetically extra brut, with a touch of elegant bitterness that pops—I love it. Un extra bru...