Another lazy Sunday dinner with La Las, Chaves, Chapelles, Rayas, Plume and Celestins

The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown
Tasted Sunday, July 7, 2013 by dcwino with 703 views

Introduction

It was a hot summer day but eight of us organized another lazy Sunday dinner to drink some rhones. Justin was a bit under the weather so seven of us gathered in the grill room at Capella hotel. We were seated at the semi-private dining room which was almost cellar temperature, perfect for drinking rhone wines. The wine service was perfect and the food was also exceptional. The restaurant was mostly empty and we had the place all to ourselves which was really nice.

Flight 1 - Krug Rose - consistently decadent (1 Note)

  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    Vinous nose, as usual more copper than pink, strawberry, raspberry essence and ginger. Lovely medium weight, delicately sweet, not too acidic and ethereal palate. Krug NV Rose is always consistent and provides immediate gratification. Serious yet easy to enjoy.

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Flight 2 - Three very distinct expression of Rhone whites (3 Notes)

  • 2009 Domaine la Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Acquired at the domaine by Alan and not commercially available, I believe. Really surprising as I was expecting very ripe oily wine but very precise, mineral and fresh, reminding me a mineral Chablis. Very floral nose, some white and yellow fruits and seashell. Medium weight, minerality and strong presence of acidity. Lovely wine that went well with shellfish.

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  • 2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    This is an impressive and hedonistic wine for sure. The style is extremely consistent year in and year out. Tropical fruits, intense sweet ripe yellow fruits and mango as in Baumard quarts de chaume. Oily, unctuous and sweet palate with a slight hint of heat at the end. Impressive, expressive and hedonistic wine. This was a crowd pleaser and others loved it even more.

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  • 2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 96 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Subtle nose displaying lanoline, ripe yellow fruits but not tropical, grapefruit, petrol and pepper. Silky, oily palate, noticeable mineral presence and incredible concentration. There is a hint of oxidative note but it goes away and gets noticeably fresher with an hour of air. It is a serious wine with beautiful balance that needs at least ten years of further cellaring. I would highly recommend five hours of decanting in cold cellar. I was the only one who preferred this to the 96 Beaucastel Roussanne VV.

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Flight 3 - Two 2005 CDPs, great contrast (2 Notes)

  • 2005 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 99 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    I am not a big CDP buy but man do I love the Rayas! This seems a bit more advanced than the bottle drank last year which is a good thing in this case. Beautiful red fruit driven Burgundian nose, presence of wet tobacco and garrigue hints the true origin. Serving it next to the 05 Plume further accentuated the decadent yet delicate nature of the wine. Light brown in the rim. Decadently expressive nose displaying cherry, raspberry, tobacco, garrigue, crushed white pepper, smoke and sweet spices. The palate is airy yet intensely flavored, sweet jammy fruits yet precise. Lovely long and seamless finish. Wow wine that is flirting with perfection.

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  • 2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Plume du Peintre 97 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    We held a single blind tasting of twenty also of top young CDPs a few years back and this was my wine of the night. I thought the wine was hedonistic yet beautifully balanced. In this occasion, especially served along the 05 Rayas, this is a CDP on steroids. Intense black fruit driven nose, blackberry concentration, crèmes de cassis, smoke, charred steak and rusted metal. Unctuous palate displaying unbelievable concentration and the theme of rustic metal continues. Although incredibly concentrated and ripe, it doesn’t appear to be highly extracted and the overall expression remains pretty cool. Still remains very primary, this may last a century. The heat is under control.

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Flight 4 - Celestins, one is doing better than the other (2 Notes)

  • 2001 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 96 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    The wine reminded me of the 05 Rayas served earlier with wet tobacco and garrigue but a bit more ripe and also some black fruits. Expressive floral nose, dry cherries, fruitcake, tobacco, garrigue and yellow raisin. Medium concentration, lovely fluid palate. IMO, this is a classic CDP that has reach the peak but no need to worry about a decline.

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  • 1998 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    After sipping the 01 Celestins, my hope was very high. Unfortunately this was ripe, pruney and port like. Cherry liquor, matured port, tobacco, dark raisin and earth. Soft palate, warm round ripe fruits and noticeable bitter end that clips the finish. This reminded Paul, a perfectly matured 77 vintage port. Unfortunately this cost 5X more. Was this an off bottle? Not sure. Caveat Emptor!

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Flight 5 - Chaves, both youthful, one more concentrated than the other (2 Notes)

  • 2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    A mini vertical is always educational and this was served along with the 05. Noticeable difference in concentration but the flavor profile is very similar. Fresh crushed blackberry, raspberry, wild flowers, white pepper, limestone and earth. Medium concentration, silky palate, integrated tannins and good length. It is ready to go in terms of the palate expression but the fruit is still very youthful, ie it hasn’t achieved the Chave typicity of burgundian red fruits, charred steak and garrigue. Need to decant for two hours minimum but possibly four.

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  • 2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 97 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Once again, extremely impressive showing. Crushed blackberries, crèmes de cassis, a hint of licorice, smoked meat, white pepper, mineral, flowers and animal. Excellent concentration,, silky, cool and sensual palate, bright acidity and nicely integrated tannins. This is a beautiful youthful wine that will become something monumental with time. I don’t quite know how to explain but this concentrated cool syrah is very Burgundian for me.

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Flight 6 - Chapelles, one corked but they are so much like (2 Notes)

  • 1989 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Perhaps not as big and ripe as the 90 but this is no shy wine. Initially soft, round and subtle nose but with air, it became quite expressive. Ripe black fruits, meaty, leather, a hint of mint and earth. Excellent concentration, round warm palate, bright acidity and nicely integrated tannins. Definitely needs to be decanted. Drinking beautifully.

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  • 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle Flawed

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    First snip, ever so slightly corked. Tobacco, dark jammy fruits, licorice, baked fruits, leather, tapenade ash and meat are all there but perhaps one part TCA. Exceptional concentration. So so so slightly corked.

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Flight 7 - Both great, both displaying La La signatures (2 Notes)

  • 1989 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 99 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Just so beautiful in every way, just perfect amount of flowers, blackberries, tapenade, smoke, sweet spices and earth. Sensual silky palate, sweet jammy fruits, bright acidity, fully integrated tannins and long finish. This wine is all about balance and harmony. All the elements have come together beautifully and the result is complex yet singular expression. My WOTN, slightly preferring this to the 05 Rayas but both great wines.

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  • 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 97 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    The resemblance to the 89 La Turque is uncanny but seems extremely youthful. Fresh blackberries, crushed rock, smoked meat and flower. The fruit quality seems slight more black than the 89 La Turque. The palate is fresh, cool, silky and seamless, excellent concentration, good acidity and nicely integrated tannins. Still very young but very enjoyable. It will only get better.

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Closing

We started around 4:30 but the dinner lasted until 9. I had to leave early but most of the brethren moved on to the bar for a nightcap. This was another memorable dinner sharing great wines amongst the great friends.

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