The Alain Geoffroy tasted flabby and even a bit watery, while the grand cru wine had ripe peach, pear and apricot aromas, was smooth and flavorful on the palate, and had a juicy finish.
But it had the characteristic pear, apple and honey flavors of his beloved Loire Chenin, and it was the first wine he'd tasted since his capture some two years before.
With his elderly parents helping, he began at a weekend place in pear country an hour's drive from the prime valleys--well removed from their fancy wine auctions and trellised tasting areas.