Tasted blind – light lemon in colour. Quite muted on both the nose and palate—I think this partially caused it was served much too cold. After it warmed in the glass a bit it gave a chardonnay-like nose with well integrated oak, stone fruits and some hints of citrus. Good.
Pronounced nose that screams Cornas with meaty, iron, beefy and notes with some riper dark cherries coming through also. Opened up in the glasses after some swirls giving coffee grind notes too. Not as rustic as I remember. Lots of acidity here with easy-going tannins and a lengthy finish. Nice way to start the tasting. Drinks well now but no rush. Excellent.
Slightly darker in colour than the ’96. Another pronounced nose. This one of bell pepper and youthful red and black fruits with a nice lifting floral aspect. More feminine than the ’96. Once again there is lots of acidity here with flavours of sour raspberry. Great tannins and drinking quite youthfully. Polished for Cornas. Drink or hold. Excellent. 91+
Tasted blind – Wow, this is different. Dark, ripe and over oaked. Very creamy nose of vanilla and ripe sweet cherries that one taster noted was reminiscent of an Aussie shiraz/viognier blend. More of the same on the palate with gobs of oak and rich sweet fruit. Not what I expected when the wine was revealed. Definitely not my cup of tea. Average.
Tasted blind – darker red in colour with a gorgeous nose of pure cherry and raspberry fruit with hints of iron and leather. A slightly riper profile on the palate with well-integrated oak and softer tannins. Very delicious. Another polished Cornas. After guessing the 04 Guigal St. Joseph to be a TL because of all the oak, everyone was shocked to this wine unveiled. I guess we shouldn’t put generalizations and stereotypes on producers. Drinking very well but no rush. Excellent.
Tasted blind – slightly corked. A real shame because there is a really good wine under this TCA. I was really disappointed when this wine was revealed.
Tasted blind – Wow…what a beautiful nose. Very rustic with poopy notes, bell pepper, smoke and rubber. I guessed this to be Cornas simply from the nose. Whatever it is I like it and it’s been made in old school style. After a few minutes in the glass a nice floral note popped from the glass leading another taster to rightfully guess Cote Rotie. Elegant on the palate with pure red fruits and well-balanced acidity and tannins. A lengthy finish. Still lots of structure and fruit here. A beautiful wine that has a long life in front of it. Can drink now with lots of pleasure but there is no rush. Outstanding.
Tasted blind – medium red in colour. Riper nose of blackberries, cherries with some meaty notes underlying. Polished in the mouth with good acidity and rounded tannins. This suffered following the Ogier la Belle Helene. This needs time. Very good. 89+
Tasted blind – Ripe and almost roasted nose of dark fruits and berry liquor that lead some of us to believe this may be a ringer. Nope, just a 2003 from France. Lots of acidity and a New World profile. The person who brought this was correct to say this showed very little typicity. A good and tasty wine nonetheless. Shocking to think this has any relation to the beautiful 1997 Ogier we had a few wines back. Not sure how this will age. Good.
Medium red in colour with a slight brownish tinge. Looks young for its age. Nice rustic and barnyard-like nose similar to the ’97 Ogier. Extremely balanced in all aspects…fruit, tannin, acidity. A correct and beautifully aged Hermitage. Drinking very well right now. Excellent.
2007 Domaine Gayda Vin de Pays d'Oc L'Archet Cuvee Occitane 87 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc
Tasted blind – light lemon in colour. Quite muted on both the nose and palate—I think this partially caused it was served much too cold. After it warmed in the glass a bit it gave a chardonnay-like nose with well integrated oak, stone fruits and some hints of citrus. Good.
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1996 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Pronounced nose that screams Cornas with meaty, iron, beefy and notes with some riper dark cherries coming through also. Opened up in the glasses after some swirls giving coffee grind notes too. Not as rustic as I remember. Lots of acidity here with easy-going tannins and a lengthy finish. Nice way to start the tasting. Drinks well now but no rush. Excellent.
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1997 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Slightly darker in colour than the ’96. Another pronounced nose. This one of bell pepper and youthful red and black fruits with a nice lifting floral aspect. More feminine than the ’96. Once again there is lots of acidity here with flavours of sour raspberry. Great tannins and drinking quite youthfully. Polished for Cornas. Drink or hold. Excellent. 91+
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2004 E. Guigal St. Joseph Vignes de L'Hospice 82 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Tasted blind – Wow, this is different. Dark, ripe and over oaked. Very creamy nose of vanilla and ripe sweet cherries that one taster noted was reminiscent of an Aussie shiraz/viognier blend. More of the same on the palate with gobs of oak and rich sweet fruit. Not what I expected when the wine was revealed. Definitely not my cup of tea. Average.
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2001 Tardieu-Laurent Cornas Coteaux 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Tasted blind – darker red in colour with a gorgeous nose of pure cherry and raspberry fruit with hints of iron and leather. A slightly riper profile on the palate with well-integrated oak and softer tannins. Very delicious. Another polished Cornas. After guessing the 04 Guigal St. Joseph to be a TL because of all the oak, everyone was shocked to this wine unveiled. I guess we shouldn’t put generalizations and stereotypes on producers. Drinking very well but no rush. Excellent.
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1997 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Tasted blind – slightly corked. A real shame because there is a really good wine under this TCA. I was really disappointed when this wine was revealed.
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1997 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie Cuvée la Belle Hélène 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Tasted blind – Wow…what a beautiful nose. Very rustic with poopy notes, bell pepper, smoke and rubber. I guessed this to be Cornas simply from the nose. Whatever it is I like it and it’s been made in old school style. After a few minutes in the glass a nice floral note popped from the glass leading another taster to rightfully guess Cote Rotie. Elegant on the palate with pure red fruits and well-balanced acidity and tannins. A lengthy finish. Still lots of structure and fruit here. A beautiful wine that has a long life in front of it. Can drink now with lots of pleasure but there is no rush. Outstanding.
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1995 Marc Sorrel Hermitage Le Gréal 89 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Tasted blind – medium red in colour. Riper nose of blackberries, cherries with some meaty notes underlying. Polished in the mouth with good acidity and rounded tannins. This suffered following the Ogier la Belle Helene. This needs time. Very good. 89+
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2003 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie 85 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Tasted blind – Ripe and almost roasted nose of dark fruits and berry liquor that lead some of us to believe this may be a ringer. Nope, just a 2003 from France. Lots of acidity and a New World profile. The person who brought this was correct to say this showed very little typicity. A good and tasty wine nonetheless. Shocking to think this has any relation to the beautiful 1997 Ogier we had a few wines back. Not sure how this will age. Good.
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1991 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Medium red in colour with a slight brownish tinge. Looks young for its age. Nice rustic and barnyard-like nose similar to the ’97 Ogier. Extremely balanced in all aspects…fruit, tannin, acidity. A correct and beautifully aged Hermitage. Drinking very well right now. Excellent.
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