Les Dégustations Ugo

Il y a des choses qu’on pardonne facilement à un resto. Une nappe tachée. Une chaise bancale. Même une carte des desserts triste comme un dimanche soir. Mais un vin mal servi ça, non. L’été, surtout. Tu commandes un rouge, et paf : le serveur te dépose un verre à 25°C, presque bouillant, comme s’il avait passé la matinée sur le rebord de la fenêtre, en plein soleil, à écouter Nostalgie. Tu le portes aux lèvres, et ça brûle la bouche plus qu’une lampée de café tiède oublié dans une tasse Ikea. Pas d’arôme, pas de structure, juste une fatigue. Le vin transpire, et toi aussi. À l’inverse, le blanc arrive parfois en mode glaçon. Tellement gelé qu’il pourrait faire concurrence à un Mister Freeze goût citron. Tu sens le froid te clouer les papilles, comme si tu venais de lécher une rampe de métro en hiver. Tu cherches la texture, l’acidité, les arômes, mais tout est congelé dans une capsule polaire. Alors on fait quoi ? Un rouge trop chaud, tu es foutu. Tu peux attendre, tu peux ...

L’homme qui a dompté les bulles Il est né la même année qu’un roi. 1638. Louis XIV à Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Pierre Pérignon à Sainte-Menehould, en Champagne. Deux destins qui, chacun à leur manière, allaient faire rayonner la France : l’un par la couronne, l’autre par la coupe. --- Quand il arrive à l’abbaye d’Hautvillers, Dom Pierre Pérignon n’a rien d’un inventeur fantasque. C’est un moine, un bénédictin méticuleux, qui voit dans le vin une quête d’harmonie. Ses confrères lui confient les vignes, les caves, la gestion du cellier. Et lui, il se met à observer — comme un scientifique qui prierait entre deux fûts. À cette époque, les vins de Champagne sont souvent troubles, instables. L’hiver, la fermentation s’interrompt. Au printemps, elle redémarre toute seule dans les bouteilles. Les bouchons sautent, les flacons explosent, les moines s’arrachent les cheveux. Certains appellent ça un miracle. Lui, il appelle ça un problème. --- Et pourtant, c’est cette fermentation capri...

La part des anges Ça commence toujours comme ça : tu sors un fût de son silence, tu poses ton oreille, et tu entends presque la respiration du bois. Dedans, le vin ou le whisky vieillit, se transforme, se gorge de temps. Et dehors… il disparaît. Lentement. Discrètement. On appelle ça la part des anges. Un mot magnifique pour une chose toute simple : l’évaporation. Chaque année, quand le liquide vieillit en barrique, une partie s’échappe naturellement à travers le bois. Dans le vin, ce sont quelques millimètres qui s’évaporent. Dans le cognac ou le whisky, ça peut représenter jusqu’à 2 % du volume par an. Une perte inévitable, mais aussi une bénédiction : parce que c’est ce lent travail d’échange entre l’air et le bois qui affine, qui polit, qui donne de la profondeur. Mais tu sens bien que ce n’est pas qu’une histoire de molécules en fuite. Ce serait trop triste, trop technique. Ce souffle-là, on préfère l’imaginer comme une offrande invisible aux cieux, comme un deal secre...

Quand un puceron a failli tuer le vin. Le phylloxéra. Imagine un minuscule insecte invisible à l’œil nu… mais qui a eu plus d’impact sur l’histoire du vin que n’importe quel critique, que toutes les modes, que tous les coups de clim’. Ça commence au XIXe siècle, dans un moment où l’Europe vit sa grande romance avec le vin. Les vignes s’étendent, les verres se remplissent, on discute terroir dans les cafés enfumés, on rêve déjà d’exporter au bout du monde. Et puis… le monde vient à nous. Littéralement. Depuis l’Amérique, dans les valises botaniques et les cargaisons pleines de bonnes intentions, débarque un passager clandestin : le phylloxéra. Petit puceron jaune-vert, à peine plus gros qu’une poussière, mais avec une mission quasi biblique : s’inviter dans les racines de la vigne, y sucer la sève et détruire tout sur son passage. Pas vite, pas dans un grand boom hollywoodien… mais comme une gangrène lente, qui grignote, qui affaiblit, qui condamne. En quelques années, c’est...

Dans le rouge du Negroni Il y a des soirs où tu n’as pas envie de bulles, ni de mojito sucré, ni de grands crus pompeux. Tu veux juste quelque chose de net. D’amer. D’élégant. Un verre qui claque comme une gifle, mais laisse derrière lui une caresse. C’est là que le Negroni arrive. Ce rouge incandescent, traversé par la glace, qui s’impose comme un coucher de soleil liquide. Florence, 1919 — ou comment un caprice devient une légende Imagine la scène : le Caffè Casoni, les fauteuils en cuir un peu élimés, le bruit des chaussures vernies sur le carrelage, et derrière le bar, un certain Fosco Scarselli. Arrive le comte Camillo Negroni, un dandy aventurier qui a roulé sa bosse entre l’Amérique et l’Europe, connu pour son goût du rodéo (oui, un comte italien cow-boy, la classe ou le ridicule, à toi de voir). Le type est fatigué de l’Americano, ce cocktail déjà bien populaire (vermouth, Campari, eau gazeuse). Trop sage, trop civilisé. Alors il lance : — « Fosco, fais-le plus fort...

La magie des bulles invisibles Tu as déjà entendu le silence d’une cuve qui bouillonne ? C’est un drôle de paradoxe. Ça ne fait pas de bruit, et pourtant ça pulse, ça vit, ça fermente. La fermentation, c’est un peu comme le cœur d’une cave : invisible, mais essentiel. Un moment fragile où tout peut basculer. Un monde où le sucre se transforme en alcool, où les levures bossent comme des petites ouvrières de nuit, dans l’ombre. --- Pourquoi on le fait Sans fermentation, pas de vin. Point. Le jus de raisin, c’est bon, sucré, gourmand… mais ça reste du jus. Si tu veux que ça prenne une autre dimension — qu’il y ait de la chaleur, de la profondeur, ce petit feu qui fait tourner la tête — il faut laisser faire les levures. Elles croquent le sucre, recrachent de l’alcool, balancent du gaz carbonique et, mine de rien, créent des arômes que personne n’aurait devinés dans la grappe. Un jus de raisin qui devient vin, c’est un passage initiatique. Un avant / après. Comme un gamin qui p...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A sunny, sincere, and vibrant Châteauneuf du Pape. .  Red Châteauneuf du Pape from Domaine de Trapadis @domaine_du_trapadis .  Vintage: 2023 .  👀: Deep garnet, dense like forgotten school ink. It catches the glass like a promise, a little opaque, a little mysterious. . 👃: Direct explosion. Ripe black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, then that warm breath of garrigue: thyme, rosemary, and a touch of black tapenade. In the background, a hint of leather and black pepper, like a nod to the wild side of the Rhône. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear the cicadas singing again. .  👄: It's sunny without burning, powerful but not bodybuilding. The fruit spreads out with amplitude, the tannins are present but round, a little grainy like pure cocoa. There's a salty touch, a freshness that keeps things moving. It's the heat of the South mastered. And then this finish, long, spicy, wi...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A vodka born in the heights (2042 M), which keeps the head cool and the heart warm. .  Spirits Selection 2025 Gold Medal Vodka .  🍇: French wheat blended with a Queyras potato distillate .  👀: Crystalline, obviously. But not smooth like a supermarket vodka, no; this one has a density in its transparency, a sort of polar shine. . 👃: First inhale: it smells clean, but not sanitized. More like a discreet background of hot cereal. Then come notes of sweet potatoes, a hint of toast, a hint of iced vanilla. It's clean, frank, with a certain authentic je ne sais quoi. .   👄: The attack is gentle, then the build-up reminds you that we're talking about a 41.5°. A controlled warmth, not a burn, a muscular hug. Round, almost creamy texture, balanced by a grain of wheat that adds tension and a slight final dryness. The finish? Long, clean, mineral, like a breath of fresh air at the...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A free Morgon — not pumped up, not made-up. Just pure pleasure. . Morgon Red, Cuvée Corcelette from Domaine Striffling . Vintage: 2020 . 🍇: 80-year-old Gamay vines . 👀: Clear ruby red with garnet highlights. Makes you want to dive right in. Like a cherry juice in slow motion. . 👃: It hits you with a mix of fresh red fruits — cherry, raspberry — and that slightly earthy, damp note so typical of Corcelette. There’s also a hint of menthol. In the background, a touch of stone fruit pit, soft almond. . 👄: Juicy, straightforward attack — almost crunchy. The fruit pops, then glides into a supple, fluid texture. There’s depth, there’s honesty. The tannins are soft, the acidity runs clean, and the finish hums with that mineral vibration that recalls the stony slope. You can feel the wine took its time without showing off.  ________________________________ 🇫🇷Un Morgon libre, pas bodybuildé, pas ma...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A lively and sincere Riesling, which crashes like a fresh wave and leaves a salty trace on your heart. .  Old Vine Riesling, Cuvée Thal, from Domaine Virginie and Pierre-Yves Meyer @vinsmeyerbliensch .  Vintage: 2023 .  👀: In the glass, it's a light yellow. Clear, brilliant. Just looking at it makes you want to bite into it. . 👃: First a smack of lime, then a wave of white flowers, and that hint of a wet stone after a storm. Digging a little deeper: a zest of grapefruit, a touch of white peach, and that slightly petroly scent typical of Riesling that whispers in your ear, "I'm from Alsace, baby."  It's fresh, precise, almost mineral. . 👄: The attack is sharp, lively, and tense. Then the wine gently rounds out: a fine, fluid texture, carried by an acidity that pulses and makes your mouth water. The fruit returns, juicy, somewhere between green apple and candied lemon. And behi...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧This rosé gin is summer in a bottle. Open it as an aperitif, and you'll thank me later. . Cuvée Mediterranean Style Rosé Gin from Maison Antidote @antidote.gin  . 👀: The color. A soft pink, almost raspberry jam lit by the last rays of sunlight, crystalline and luminous, dancing in the glass like a sunset reflection on the water. You want to dip your hand in it, like a child discovering grenadine syrup. . 👃: It smells of the Mediterranean even before you drink it. Herbs, citrus, a hint of saltiness reminiscent of sea spray. But also red fruits that tickle memories of summer picnics: strawberries, raspberries, and that hint of orange blossom that takes you straight to a Provençal market. .  👄: The attack is clean yet silky. The texture is fluid, almost airy, and the fruity notes linger without ever becoming syrupy. Herbs and citrus linger elegantly across the palate, while the finish lea...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧Le Pèlerin 2023 is the South arriving with its suitcases full of black fruits and garrigue. .  Faugères red cuvée Le Pèlerin from Domaine Saint Martin d'Agel @domainesaintmartindagel .  Vintage: 2023 .  🍇: 55% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 10% Carignan .  👀: An intense ruby ​​color with glints. . 👃: The first nose is a sunny slap: ripe black fruits (blackberries, plums, crushed blueberries), then spices, black pepper, garrigue, and a hint of licorice arrive. It smells as if a cherry jam had taken a carpool with a basket of thyme and rosemary. A slight smoky, almost leathery note that makes you want to dig deeper. . 👄: The attack is juicy. The wine is powerful. The texture is velvety, with young but already polished tannins, tight without being harsh. The fruit explodes on the palate, then the spices take over, with a long, slightly warm finish that coats the palate like a glowing su...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A wine that's been patient and, when you open it, immediately throws a slow 2007 in your face. .  Fronsac red cuvée Haut Carles from Château Carles @hautcarles_officiel .  Vintage: 2007 . 👀: Deep garnet, but subdued. The edges are beginning to gently turn to brick, like patinated leather left to wander in the sun. The brightness is still there, not extinguished; it's like an old lamp that flickers but refuses to die. . 👃: It speaks directly. Prune, candied cherry, a hint of cold cigar reminiscent of the smoky evenings of Parisian bistros before the ban. There's leather, a hint of undergrowth, and above all that sensation of dried leaves, almost autumnal. You can tell the wine has matured. . 👄: The attack is supple and rounded. The tannins? Melted and polished, they've lost their adolescent fire and become velvety. We find plum, a hint of bitter coffee, and that slight hint of licorice...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧This Beaujolais Villages Blanc Granit 2023 isn't a wine for philosophizing, it's a wine for enjoying. . Beaujolais Villages Blanc cuvée Granit from Domaine Striffling @domaine_striffling . Vintage: 2023 . 🍇: Chardonnay . 👀: The color is pale, bright like a September dawn. It catches the light with a slight silvery sheen. Clear and clean, but with a density that makes you say: OK, this is hiding something. . 👃: It immediately leads to Williams pear and a hint of lime. Then, behind it, it rounds out: a hint of acacia honey, opening white flowers, toasted almonds. And the deeper you dive, the more you pick up a mineral aroma, almost like sun-baked stone. As if an orchard had been planted on a granite terrace. . 👄: A frank but not aggressive attack. A taut, lively texture, with a straight-ahead energy. There's crisp pear, tangy citrus, then a rounder, almost buttery aftertaste that coats the to...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A rosé Champagne that shines like a summer sunset.  . Rosé champagne from Domaine Alexandre Bonnet in Les Riceys @domainealexandrebonnet . 👀: In the glass, it's not just any rosé: it's a Miami Beach sunset. Salmon pink, brilliant. The bubbles? Fine, persistent. . 👃: First aromatic hit: raspberry bitten straight from the bush. Then it unfolds into jammy wild strawberry, a little nod to Amarena cherry, and behind it... a deeper, almost cooked touch. As if the fresh fruit had invited vintage rock to the party. . 👄: Direct, lively, but not aggressive attack: it sparkles like a well-delivered response. The body is there, ample, enveloping, with a delicious red fruit coating the tongue. And then, bam: the structure takes over, the wine tightens, gains in integrity, and finishes with a saline and slightly spicy touch. The finish? Long, vibrant, magnificent.  ________________________________ ...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧This Côtes du Rhône white is a ray of liquid sunshine. . Côtes du Rhône white cuvée Les Plans from Domaine de Trapadis . Vintage: 2023 . 👀: A luminous pale yellow, almost translucent, with silvery highlights. It's simple and pure, without any makeup. . 👃: It starts off straight with white-fleshed fruits: crisp pear, still-a-slightly timid white peach, a hint of fresh almond. Then, the deeper you dive, the more you pick up a floral note like acacia, and a slight aniseed twist that raises your eyebrows. It's fresh, straightforward, and makes you want a second glass before you've even started the first. .  👄: This is where it gets serious: a lively attack, like a sip of iced water after a run (except it's much better). The texture remains light but not lean, there's a discreet fat coating. The flavors return to pear, but this time juicier, with a bright yellow lemon and a saline finish. ...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A cognac that combines elegance . Prulho XO Cognac from Maison Prulho @cognac.prulho . 👀: Warm amber, shot through with reflections reminiscent of the golden crust of crème brûlée. The surface shines like a slowly spreading syrup, promising a rich, rounded story. . 👃: Sensual explosion: candied fruit, dried orange peel, marinated prunes. Then, notes of polished wood, beeswax, and a touch of aged leather. As it airs, a sweet, almost pastry-like vanilla evokes memories of a rum baba. . 👄: Round, broad, and immediately enveloping attack. The texture is silky, but with a slightly sharp edge that awakens. It warms, it caresses, it insists. Perfect balance between sweetness (honey, dried apricot, fig) and woody-spicy tension (cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of white pepper). The finish is endless, like a Dire Straits slow dance that you don't want to stop.  ________________________________ 🇫🇷Un cogna...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A Syrah from the Southwest that balances fruit, oak, and rock'n'roll. It's generous, it's straightforward, and frankly, if you like this grape variety, you'll love it. . IGP Comté Tolosan Syrah aged in oak barrels from Domaine de Gayssou @domaine_de_gayssou . Vintage: 2020 . 🍇: Syrah. Vine age: 50 years . 👀: Dark, deep, almost opaque, with purple highlights. We can already tell this isn't going to be shy. . 👃: A direct explosion of ripe black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, and more. It smells as if cherry jam had hitched a ride with a prune Armagnac, the whole thing drizzled with a dash of freshly cracked black pepper. And behind it, the wood gently emerges: a hint of vanilla, toasted, like a memory of still-warm toast. . 👄: The attack is straightforward, with a lovely chewiness. The Syrah delivers its share of juicy black fruits, supported by a tight but not aggressive tanni...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧Idylle 2023: Juicy fruit with a spicy twist . Grignan-les-Adhémar red cuvée Idylle from Domaine Escalin @domaine_escalin . Vintage: 2023 . 🍇: Syrah, Grenache . 👀: In the glass, it's bright, a cherry red that catches the light. It looks light and joyful, but you can sense a slightly more serious side lurking. . 👃: The nose is a basket of red fruits that's been shaken too hard: fresh cherry, raspberry, a hint of redcurrant, and behind it, a slightly deeper, slightly peppery breath, reminding you that the Drôme still has one foot in the south. . 👄: On the palate, it starts off with a bang: a fruit that pops like a cherry bitten into. The texture is fluid but not elusive, with round tannins that caress rather than bite. It's juicy, fresh, and has a hint of spice. A balance that makes you want to come back for more without thinking.  ________________________________ 🇫🇷Idylle 2023 : un fruit j...

🍷Eng And Fr Description of the Domain in the first comment  .  🇬🇧A white Burgundy that makes Sauvignon dance: lively, direct, energetic.  . Saint-Bris white from Domaine Verret @domaine_verret . Vintage: 2023 . 🍇: Sauvignon . 👀: In the glass, it sparkles. Pale yellow, almost lemon-squeezed, with silvery highlights that pop like a wine for friends ready to be poured into the evening. . 👃: It goes straight to the herbaceous, screaming side of Sauvignon, but not vulgar. There's also a hint of grapefruit and lime, as if a mojito had lost its mint leaves and kept just the energy of the zest. A flint likeness, a warm stone after a storm. Very clean, very frank. .  👄: The attack hits like a gentle slap: lively, tense, tangy. It then slides in with an almost crystalline lightness. You bite into a lemon wedge, take a sip, and hey presto, you feel more lively than before. The finish remains straight, lemony, saline, with that little vegetal twist that recall...