France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Faint nose when first opened. The palate is very graceful, a touch oily, floral. Good depth and body. As the wine aires, it impresses me even more. Floral, delicate, but really good underlying substance. One of the best white Rhones I can recall tasting. I find the red Clos des Papes CdP to be, in recent vintages, big and Parkerized; this CdP Blanc is big, yet refined.
Very oaky nose, in line with my experiences with other vintages of this wine. So oaky on the nose that I don't taste it. Pierre, Michael and I discuss how we like the La Las and the base level Guigal Cote Rotie bottling, but not the Ampuis.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Vibrant nose of red brick and grilled meats. The palate is a touch dusty at first, but then the dark fruit and leather emerge more strongly. With air time, the wine broadens, opens up, showing sweet leather and dried, sweet fruits. Long, juicy finish. James and I return to this bottle a few hours later, and are both impressed with its complexities and the juiciness of the fruit, twenty years on.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
A good partner to the La Bernardine of the same vintage alongside it. This is sweeter than the Bernardine, with brown spices, and a long, sweet palate. Has the sweetness in the core that I expect from Rayas, but has filled out and developed nice complexities around that sweet core. The palate is lightweight and lithe. Good, long finish. Still very fresh after twenty years, with bright acidity.
Soft attack, but flavorful. Meat juices, some lavendar, ham. Very finessed nose. Pierre: "steak, with a layer of salt." As it aires, it condenses and firms up. Really powerful finish. With even more time, firmer, sweet liquorice, animal fur, long finish of ham and spice. This is an example of a Syrah that has gotten so pretty over the years, yet still retains plenty of power and flavor on a finessed package. This received many votes as wine of the night. Sadly, my last bottle.
Very dark, even the nose is brooding, with some animal fur. Hard to believe this is a '96; seems so young in color. Although on the palate the tannin is softer and the palate has gotten round around the edges. Very good. Weak vintage? Hardly.
Very nice, inviting nose. Like the '96 La Chapelle, very young in appearance and on the palate. Touch of liquorice. At first, this seems dark, dense and backward, in need of time to emerge, but when I come back to this wine after it aires, the fruit is almost candied, like cherry cordial.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(from magnum) - The nose initially is lovely, warm and beckoning; great nose. Great clarity: peachy, tropical notes. The palate is soft, shows spice, apricot/tropical fruit. Really very nice, sweet fruit . . . perhaps a bit too sweet due to the apricot/peach fuzz notes.
Nose shows pear, honeysuckle, very fresh, jasmin. I understand this to be all new oak (I might be wrong), but there's little of that on the nose. On the palate, the oak comes through in the roundness. Lovely texture, there is some grip here. What a pretty, floral palate. I usually think to drink Viognier young, but this one at six years is fresh and flavorful and is the perfect palate cleanser.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Not my favorite vintage by a long shot, this '03 surprisingly shows no heat on the nose. A bit of tropical notes in the nose, some apricot scents. The palate is soft and tropical and could use some structure.
Odd nose, showing diaper pale and band aid. Is this really funky Syrah or is this bottle damaged? Dark palate, resolved tannin, some animal fur. Lacks inner strength.
Taste from another table. Nose of animal fur, stewed meat. Palate is very soft and feminine. Drink now, as it's round and soft. James calls this one Mouton-esq.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Taste from another table. I smell this wine, and the nose is actually repelling. Maybe it's in part because of the older, more subtle and complex wines that preceded this. The nose is shocking it its fruit and forwardness. Pierre says blueberries. The palate is an over extracted, Parkerized, blueberry fruitbomb. This belongs in a flight of Barossa Shiraz as a ringer. Since writing these notes the night of the dinner, I've learned that this is a Robert Parker 100 point wine, which is completely ridiculous.
2007 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Marsanne Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
Poured by the Commanderie. Very nice, floral, perfectly acceptable aperitif without being complex.
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2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Faint nose when first opened. The palate is very graceful, a touch oily, floral. Good depth and body. As the wine aires, it impresses me even more. Floral, delicate, but really good underlying substance. One of the best white Rhones I can recall tasting. I find the red Clos des Papes CdP to be, in recent vintages, big and Parkerized; this CdP Blanc is big, yet refined.
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1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Very oaky nose, in line with my experiences with other vintages of this wine. So oaky on the nose that I don't taste it. Pierre, Michael and I discuss how we like the La Las and the base level Guigal Cote Rotie bottling, but not the Ampuis.
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1990 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Vibrant nose of red brick and grilled meats. The palate is a touch dusty at first, but then the dark fruit and leather emerge more strongly. With air time, the wine broadens, opens up, showing sweet leather and dried, sweet fruits. Long, juicy finish. James and I return to this bottle a few hours later, and are both impressed with its complexities and the juiciness of the fruit, twenty years on.
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1990 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
A good partner to the La Bernardine of the same vintage alongside it. This is sweeter than the Bernardine, with brown spices, and a long, sweet palate. Has the sweetness in the core that I expect from Rayas, but has filled out and developed nice complexities around that sweet core. The palate is lightweight and lithe. Good, long finish. Still very fresh after twenty years, with bright acidity.
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1991 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Soft attack, but flavorful. Meat juices, some lavendar, ham. Very finessed nose. Pierre: "steak, with a layer of salt." As it aires, it condenses and firms up. Really powerful finish. With even more time, firmer, sweet liquorice, animal fur, long finish of ham and spice. This is an example of a Syrah that has gotten so pretty over the years, yet still retains plenty of power and flavor on a finessed package. This received many votes as wine of the night. Sadly, my last bottle.
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1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Very dark, even the nose is brooding, with some animal fur. Hard to believe this is a '96; seems so young in color. Although on the palate the tannin is softer and the palate has gotten round around the edges. Very good. Weak vintage? Hardly.
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1995 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Very nice, inviting nose. Like the '96 La Chapelle, very young in appearance and on the palate. Touch of liquorice. At first, this seems dark, dense and backward, in need of time to emerge, but when I come back to this wine after it aires, the fruit is almost candied, like cherry cordial.
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1998 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet Flawed
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Yet another corked bottle of this wine, my third or fourth. Utterly disappointing.
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1998 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(from magnum) - The nose initially is lovely, warm and beckoning; great nose. Great clarity: peachy, tropical notes. The palate is soft, shows spice, apricot/tropical fruit. Really very nice, sweet fruit . . . perhaps a bit too sweet due to the apricot/peach fuzz notes.
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2004 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Nose shows pear, honeysuckle, very fresh, jasmin. I understand this to be all new oak (I might be wrong), but there's little of that on the nose.
On the palate, the oak comes through in the roundness. Lovely texture, there is some grip here. What a pretty, floral palate. I usually think to drink Viognier young, but this one at six years is fresh and flavorful and is the perfect palate cleanser.
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2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Not my favorite vintage by a long shot, this '03 surprisingly shows no heat on the nose. A bit of tropical notes in the nose, some apricot scents. The palate is soft and tropical and could use some structure.
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1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Odd nose, showing diaper pale and band aid. Is this really funky Syrah or is this bottle damaged? Dark palate, resolved tannin, some animal fur. Lacks inner strength.
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1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Taste from another table. Nose of animal fur, stewed meat. Palate is very soft and feminine. Drink now, as it's round and soft. James calls this one Mouton-esq.
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2007 Mas de Boislauzon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Quet
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Taste from another table. I smell this wine, and the nose is actually repelling. Maybe it's in part because of the older, more subtle and complex wines that preceded this. The nose is shocking it its fruit and forwardness. Pierre says blueberries. The palate is an over extracted, Parkerized, blueberry fruitbomb. This belongs in a flight of Barossa Shiraz as a ringer. Since writing these notes the night of the dinner, I've learned that this is a Robert Parker 100 point wine, which is completely ridiculous.
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