Northern Rhone Night for Last Thursday

A group of friends got together for our second focused tasting event. This was based on the Northern Rhone. Again, we picked a region that I'm not very familiar with, so it was a great opportunity to educate myself. All wines were tasted blind.

• 2002 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  The nose is complex but not powerful. I had to work to figure it out, which lead to a lot of different scents as I was thinking about it. I ended up with honeycomb, cooked summer squash, light peach skins, and bricks in the sun. The wine is super rich on contact, but the flavors are austere like the nose. Some lime flavors appear on the mid palate, and thick but elegant pear juice shows later. Everything lasts for a long time. I think this would've benefit from more time open before tasting.

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• 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage 86 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Light blackberries, black earth, and some lamb meat all show on the nose. This wine is lighter on contact with the palate but still shows full acid across the palate. Austere and juicy blackberries show along with tannins that dry out fully as the finish progresses. A bit of green and heat come in later as well.

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• 1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  This nose reminds me of a big entrée with carrots, spicy roast beef, worcestershire sauce, and some plums. The wine is light on contact with the palate and it delivers some great cherry flavors along with black pepper. Balanced acid and tannins work well together for a firm drying sensation that doesn't become overwhelming. Some minerality appears later too.

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• 1994 Domaine Gallet (Henri et Philippe) Côte-Rôtie 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  This nose is immediately firm and is dominated by pine boards, like 2x4's at the hardware store. Blackberry scents are there as well, as is something that suggests richness. The wine starts out lightly, and some aged cherry character shows initially. The aged cherries bloom nicely into some plum and spice flavors on the mid palate. It's full and firm on the finish. The age is serving this well as everything is pretty well balanced. 90-

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• 1999 Domaine de Bonserine Côte-Rôtie 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Bright cherries show on the nose along with some leather and smoky oak scents. The wine is smooth all across the palate, and it's very clean. Some enjoyable light blackberry flavors show through, and full tannins appear on the finish without getting too grippy. Some earthy notes show on the finish and it leaves me with a relaxing feel.

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• 1999 Domaine Courbis Cornas Les Eygats 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  The nose here is appealing and reminds me of dark cherries served over a steak. There are hints of worcestershire sauce and eucalyptus in the background. On the palate, the wine shows refined plums, leather, and some light acid that makes the mouth water. This is a very enjoyable expression of Syrah with flavors that linger politely on the finish.

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• 1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Nutmeg, dark cherries, and beef jerky show on the nose. Rosemary and beef jerky come through immediately on the palate along with some plum flavors. All flavors linger nicely, and the acidity runs out evenly on the finish. It works well for slow sipping.

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• 2000 Cave de Tain Cornas Les Nobles Rives 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  This nose shows a lot of funk, copper, and deeply aged cherry scents. I would've guessed it to be significantly older than 2000. The flavors are still in good shape though, with nice cherry fruit showing aged character along with solid acidity and tannins that show up later. Some vanilla and dusty notes show up to add complexity to the finish as well.

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• 1996 Alain Voge Cornas Cuvée Vieilles Fontaines 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  Dark plums and subtle mint scents show on the nose. Bright cherries show up on the front of the palate. Eucalyptus shows on the middle, and dark cherries and a light earthy note show later. The overall feel is a bit confusing because it's heavy in some ways, but delicate in others.

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• 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Roast beef and plums appear on the nose along with a bit of heat. Full on plums burst onto the palate along with some leather flavors. The tannins are even, and some spice shows up on the finish. The heat suggested on the nose causes no trouble and everything seems pretty clean.

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• 1998 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  The nose is complex showing plums, raspberry, leather and some dirt all wrapped together. The palate starts out lightly and then the leather bombs in on the mid palate. Raspberry flavors and some tannins dry out later. A green note appears as the finish evolves as well.

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I was struck by the consistent presence of meaty characteristics in the wines, as well as the austere or delicate feel many of them had right as they contacted the palate. I look forward to trying more of these wines in the future, as the budget allows! Thanks to everyone for such solid contributions and good company!