Clean, clear fruit. Tasty, fruity... Crozes-y? Rather anonymous, though pleasant enough to drink. With air it becomes a bit more savory but it never really takes on a sense of place.
From vines in and around Cornas, unsulfured. Ripe and deep and delicious. It's this close to being over the top but it retains the wild character and grip of a Cornas wine. It's pretty raucous in its extreme youth; a year or so of rest might be enough to let it settle into its groove.
This is firming up a bit, with bramblier and weedier elements taking a greater share of center stage. This bottle has been open three days and just keeps on going, with the vegetal aspects increasingly tending toward the medicinal herb end of the spectrum. Unmistakably Northern Rhone in origin. Just a knockout value; can't wait for the 2012s.
2010 Jeannine Boutin Crozes-Hermitage Les Hauts Granites
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Clean, clear fruit. Tasty, fruity... Crozes-y? Rather anonymous, though pleasant enough to drink. With air it becomes a bit more savory but it never really takes on a sense of place.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2011 Johann Michel Cuvée Grain Noir
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône
From fruit from younger vines in the Cornas AOC as well as from outside it. Bleh. Very ripe and with a distracting lactic note. Not impressive.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2012 Domaine du Coulet (Matthieu Barret) Côtes du Rhône Petit Ours Brun
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
From vines in and around Cornas, unsulfured. Ripe and deep and delicious. It's this close to being over the top but it retains the wild character and grip of a Cornas wine. It's pretty raucous in its extreme youth; a year or so of rest might be enough to let it settle into its groove.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2011 Franck Balthazar Côtes du Rhône
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
This is firming up a bit, with bramblier and weedier elements taking a greater share of center stage. This bottle has been open three days and just keeps on going, with the vegetal aspects increasingly tending toward the medicinal herb end of the spectrum. Unmistakably Northern Rhone in origin. Just a knockout value; can't wait for the 2012s.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue