Hermitage and other N. Rhones

Jeff K's.
Tasted Thursday, February 13, 2014 by Loren Sonkin with 488 views

Introduction

Last night, my friend Jeff decided to pull some treasures from the cellar; 1990 Hermitage. He invited some friends over and we all brought some other bottles to join in. The wines were put into flights, and consumed, mostly non-blind over a few hours. Sadly, two of the 90's were corked. Still, we had a great time drinking the other wines. It reminded me that Crozes is really a source for value especially in the great vintages.

Flight 1 - Starter White (1 Note)

Flight 2 - Non-Hermitage - Northern Rhone Wines (3 Notes)

  • 2009 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

    I really liked this wine. Great value. This is a wine to purchase in great vintages. Purple in color. Black raspberries, Five-spice powder and maybe some black olives on the nose. On the palate, chalky with black raspberries. Nice acidity. Seems like it should age a bit. I think some see this label and under value it. It can be found for under $20, great QPR.

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  • 2006 Yann Chave Crozes-Hermitage 90 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

    Purple in color. The nose is tight at first, showing some clay. With air, some black currant fruit comes out. Then some olives and even some roasted herbs. This is mature on the palate and the most at peak of the flight. Juicy texture on the palate. Black raspberry fruit. With air, some drying tannins emerged. I would drink these up.

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  • 2007 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    I thought this the best wine in the flight. If there was a complaint, it had a bit too much oak on the nose. Perhaps, but I also think it was the least mature and have no doubt that will integrate well with time. The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, charred wood, and black pepper. Some said vanilla but I didn't get that. It is soft yet tannic on the palate. Lots of black raspberries with an under current of funk. Long finish. This is a lovely wine but needs to be held for a few more years at least.

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Flight 3 - Late Arrivals (2 Notes)

  • 2008 Bodegas Tritón Prieto Picudo Old Vines 91 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León

    This was a new wine. I assumed this was Tempranillo but when I got home, it appears that Prieto Picudo is the grape varietal. I guess I need to bring my Jancis Robinson book along with me. From Castilla y Leon in Spain. Cool. It did drink like a modern Tempranillo IMO. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is dusty with vanilla and cherries. Also a bit of spice. On the palate, tart dark cherries. Lush texture. Juicy acidity. A very tasty wine that, despite the oak and "international style" would work very well with food. Very cool. Nice to learn something every day.

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  • 2006 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers 89 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

    Purple in color. dusty on the nose with black raspberries, and some black olives. Plenty of tannins. The palate is nice but lacks the excitement of the earlier Crozes wines IMO. Some heat on the finish. It is a very nice wine, but given the producer and reputation of this wine, I might have had higher expectations.

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Flight 4 - Hermitage (4 Notes)

Closing

Thanks to Jeff for opening his home and cellar. Thanks to all for bringing some nice wines as well. It was a lot of fun.

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