Drinking Rhones at Capella

Eight of us got together to drink Rhone reds.

• 2012 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille 95 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Surprisingly understates, perhaps the primary fruits are masking but showing very little oak. Grapefruits, lemon oil, a hint of tropical fruit, pine needle and limestone. Excellent concentration, dense oily palate, bright acidity, good mineral expression and nice long clean finish. I am surprised by no noticeable oak and lovely balance.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Coup de Coeur 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Riper, rounder and even denser than the 12 Peter Michael. Ripe yellow pit fruits, tropical yellow fruits, sweet spices, noticeable oak a la sesame and a hint of mineral. Excellent concentration, dense, round and warm palate and the finish that clips due to oak. I prefer the 12 Peter Michael for the balance and not showing oak.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Gary who distributes this brought it. Compelling nose displaying lemon oil, fresh granny smith, smoke, yeast, toast, wild flowers and mineral. Very good concentration, fine mousse, sweet yellow fruit driven palate impression, good acidity and lovely finish. It showed very good concentration and balance. Need a few more years to settle and gain complexity but already very enjoyable. I highly recommend. Just like the 02 Dom, the average CT score will go up in a couple of years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1998 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc Le Méal 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Deep golden color concerns me. The initial oxidative note blew off revealing medium expressive nose of apple peal, apple tart, candied orange, dryt apricot, burnt sugar, creme brulee, almond paste and sweet spices. Dense yet airy palate which I often find in Chapoutier hermitage blancs, almond and dry fruit driven sweet palate impression, good acidity and long nutty finish. Certain very ripe impression but not oxidized. It is quite enjoyable but others liked it even more. I preferred the palate to the nose.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

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

  As some of you are aware, the 89 Beaucastel has a significant bottle variation. Based on my sampling, I would guess that 10% is great, 50% average, 20% below and 20% almost undrinkable. This was served blind to me outside, easy to pick as the 89 Beaucastel, a textbook example of an average bottle. Baked fruits, black fruits, plum, licorice, leather, iron, blood, caramel, autumn leaves and raw button mushroom. It slightly lacks the freshness as well as garrigue and flowers that I get in great bottles. Medium concentration at this point, warm and round, sweet dry fruit driven palate impression, silky and medium finish. Quite enjoyable. I believe others liked better than I.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 94 Points

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

  Lovely fresh black fruits, blackberries and black cherries, lavender, garrigue, leather, white pepper and mineral. Good concentration, lovely polished silky and vibrant palate and nicely integrated tannins. This is a classic Beaucastel that is drinking beautifully, really a food friendly wine with exceptional balance.

  Post a Comment / 5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence 94 Points

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

  A gift from the restaurant, lovely gesture from Will, the manager. Started slow, my initial thought was a bit tired with oxidative note. Spoke too soon as it opened up nicely becoming more expressive and fresher. Medium expressive complex mature nose of plum, dry cherries, kirsch, smoke meat, garrigue, caramel, black truffle and tea. Good concentration, sweet dry red fruit driven palate impression, silky and polished, a hint of tannins and subtle medium finish. It is fully matured and drinking nicely. Started around 91 and moved up to 94 pts. I would recommend decanting.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Deux Frères Flawed

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

  Nice appearance but very oxidative note. Very pruney and very 2003. Even no oxidative note, this is very ripe.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Plume du Peintre 97 Points

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

  I suppose the impression can’t vary much for a monster scale wine like this in a couple months. Ripe black fruits, framboise, cherry liqueur, licorice, baking spices, root beer and ink. Initially Gary called it very Aussie shiraz like and I agree wholeheartedly. One of the biggest CDPs and certainly the biggest03 CDP that I encountered. Incredible concentration, silky and polished, dark incense and framboise driven palate impression, no noticeable tannins and incredibly long finish. Although ripe and sweet, I am not so sure whether this is a typical 03. For now, if you love the big scale well-crafted wine like SQN, you will love this wine. This will need another ten to twenty years to gain enough tertiary notes to make sense to the traditional CDP lovers. Impressive for sure.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 Points

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

  The first thing that I jot down was classic ripe style of CDP. Blackberries and cherries, baked fruit, fruit cakes, tobacco, sweet spices and a hint of garrigues. Good concenetration, warm and round, dry cherry driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins and lovely finish. This wine is drinking beautifully with nice balance but will improve if you a lot enjoy tertiary notes.

  Post a Comment / 4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou Flawed

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

  When I saw this bottle, I was really looking for to drinking it. Pop and pour, I thought it was corked. With air, quite inky and black fruit driven, the fruit is coiled and there is something slightly off putting. Some definitely liked it more than me. Not corked but a bit off.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1990 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 100 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Perhaps this was benefitted by being so different than the CDPs served before but I doubt it. Explosively expressive yet incredibly polished. I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t see the need to take note. Simply perfect! Came from the same source as the previous two great bottles but this seemed even better.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1991 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  If the 90 La Mouline was benefited by being so different than the CDPs served earlier, this certainly suffered to be in the same flight as the 90 La Mouline. A bit monolithic, black fruits, plum, sweet spices and earth. Good concentration and good length. It will benefit a few more years of cellaring and then will last for a long time. Not the best showing but even at best, no match to the 90 Mouline.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac Cuvée Madame 94 Points

  France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Monbazillac

  Purchase a case at release for $94, certainly could have done better buying Burgundy but no regret as all have been so darn delicious. Apricot Preserve and Orange marmalade kind of deliciousness with sweet spices. Unctuous and thick but still quite precise and certainly not cloying It kind of reminds me five or six puttonyos tokaji, intensely fruits, not terribly complex, dense yet airy and the most importantly, very tasty.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1980 Château d'Yquem Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  TCA tainted. I tasted nevertheless, and it shows excellent concentration and airy palate. Such a shame!

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Great time was had by all!