La Janasse at The Oxford Wine Circle
Oxford University
Tasted Tuesday, January 15, 2013 by cr84 with 810 views
Introduction
William Kelley, president of the Oxford Wine Circle, invited me to this dazzling tasting where many of the most compelling Janasse were presented by Christophe Sabon and his wife. We first attended an official tasting in one of St Johns College's tasting room to eventually drag down some of the "left overs" to William Kelley and his buds' dining room in a flamboyant new building of Oxford University.
Closing
This event was a complete blast as the wines presented were showing extremelly well and all the partcipants were honored to get together to celebrate the otherwordiness of this compelling domain. At the end of the tasting, the whole room filled of enlightened student infinitely applauded Christophe Sabon for his presentation as if demanding for an Encore.
2011 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
With its extremely seductive nose, this Janasse 2011 white Chateauneuf du Pape beautifully introduces what is thence a precisely crafted mouth and final. ALthough the Roussanne is not shy in this wine, it gets softened up by the other white varietals present in the blending, making of this wine a more elegant Chateauneuf than most of its siblings of the appellation.
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2010 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône 86 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
A great QPR as long as it stays under the 8€ bar, this Cotes-du-Rhone displays peppery aromas of bluberries. Its final is short but well built up, nice!
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2011 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Terre d'Argile 89 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages
Displaying a darker and denser robe than the entry level Cotes du Rhone, this Terre d'Argile 2011 is also way more profound and fater than the former wine.
The mouth is full of provençal spices and dark berries. A wine worth making the effort to seek after. Score is 89+
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1999 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin 91 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Extremelly delicate and Chaupin-like, this 1999 seems like to be an unourished Chaupin as it doesn't have either of the structure, the concentration and the matter of its younger peers. I don't see any reason to age this any further.
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2001 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 96 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
I had glowing examples of this terrific Vieilles Vignes twice at the Veritas, NYC, to the extend that I rated them 98 and 99. This showing was regretfully less compelling, although still amazing, and more on secondaries aromas such as pine and humus. At this level, many factors can imply such a score variation, plus I absolutely don't think this wine has left its prime yet.
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1998 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 95 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
According to Christophe Sabon, 1998 was a great vintage with a weird evolution: from age 0 to 3, the 1998s were outgoing, fruity, and round; then, those wines entered a weird phase to get down an oxidative road. Today, those wines unleash their greatness and get back to what could have at first been expected from them... and, indeed, this Janasse Vieilles Vignes 1998 behaves extremelly nicely but, to me, it's less structured than the 2001.
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2009 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin 98 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This is fat, full bodied and extremelly flavorfull. Extremelly well organised and present, it's totally ongoing and easier to get through than the 2010. A beautiful expression of Grenache, this Chaupin 2009 represents a trendemous value for what it's currently being sold for -around 55€- and, as its big brother Vieilles Vignes 2009, is wildly open for business: I would have NO regrets drinking this mostly at this age.
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2010 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin 99 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This is a definition a finesse in a glass. It has the Chaupin style but is way more classic and universal than its 2009 relative. Awesomely made up and full bodied, this Chaupin would also satisfy the ones looking for delicateness in their Southern Rhone wines. This will hit its prime with age, no doubt about that.
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2010 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 100 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Atta kind of a wine! I would have made the trip to Oxford solely to taste this natural beauty. It extremelly more powerful and even more compex than the Chaupin of the same vintage; this Janasse Vieilles Vignes 2010 just blew my senses away. Scientifically...it has everything you would like to get from Chateauneuf-du-Pape vieilles vignes, Period.
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