2003 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting with GMS ringers from other countries
Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA
Tasted Monday, January 14, 2013 by europat55 with 594 views
Introduction
Notes from the organizer:
"The 2003 vintage was a very warm one throughout France, and produced relatively powerful wines in Bordeaux, the Rhone region, and Burgundy. Particularly in Burgundy and the Rhone region, the wines showed a forward richness and ripe fruit character that was perhaps more reminiscent of California or Australia than France.
As these 2003s age, there continue to be debates about the vintage. While some argue that these wines will mature early, others, others note that, as these wines have begun to evolve in the bottle, the classic terroir-driven complexities have begun to emerge in both the Chateauneufs and Burgs, with the Chateauneufs still showing massive dry extract but beginning to display a broad range of spices, garrigue, bacon fat and all of the other nuances that come out with age. As is often the case, there is no general rule that one can apply -- it comes down to individual domaines, what microclimates their vineyards were in, and how they vinified the wine.
The 2003 Chateauneufs have now reached their 10th birthday, and it's a good time to check in on them. Those that are maturing quickly should still be in their peak drinking window, while those that are built for the long haul should have opened up enough for us to see how long the road is ahead. Tonight, we'll try several of the top wines of the vintage, including the Clos des Papes, Cuvee du Vatican Sixtine, Grand Veneur Les Origines, and the Cristia Renaissance. For comparison, we'll have one ringer Spain, California and Australia, each from a Chateauneuf-like varietal blend."
2007 Château Carbonnieux Blanc 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Very zesty wine. A little rough at first, but excellent once you get past the first impression. Would probably fare better with food.
UPDATE: I revisited this bottle after a few days in the fridge (vacu-sealed) and it improved significantly... the zesty part faded off a little bit revealing a much more rounded mouth feel. 88->90.
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2005 Sans Permis La Petite Colline 89 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Consistent with my previous experiences with this wine. Outstanding QPR @ $10 !
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