Northern Rhones

Strip Club Meat and Fish, St. Paul, MN
Tasted Wednesday, February 18, 2015 by rocknroller with 567 views

Introduction

Six of us gathered on a frigid sub-zero night for a mid-week Northern Rhone extravaganza. Turned out to be a fabulous night with some very good food to boot.

Flight 1 (4 Notes)

NV Michel Arnould & Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve 91 Points

France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was another nice showing for this Champagne. I thought this was showing nice pear, melon, apple, and minerals with a very deft, consistent and light bodied palate palate that seemed well defined.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club Brut 92 Points

France, Champagne

Light medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour hour or so. The nose is bright with a light airy minerality that that just kind of soared, with some hazelnut, citrus , and pear. The palate has nice depth, medium full body, creamy mousse, rich, pear, citrus peel, and very good length. This seems to be coming into its own now.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1983 S.A. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 92 Points

Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

Barely a light medium gold color. Drank 1 glass form 375ml. This had a very interesting nose with a cedarbox quality along with a more understated and less obtrusive fusil character; along with apple, citrus, and some pungent florals. The palate is light and remarkably fresh with it color not giving away its age at all. On the palate, there's lime, kiwi, apple, and a stony minerality that glides into a clean finish.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne 91 Points

France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

Light-medium gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. This was rather oaky on the nose and palate, with the latter being rather angular and sharp. Patience paid off as the nose opened and showed some nice white flowers eventually along with lemon, light toast and mineral. The palate improves and softens but still retains the dominating oak with lemon and citrus luring in the background. This wasn't quite as good as a bottle a few months back. Needs more time to resolve, assuming everything else holds together.

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

Flight 2 (6 Notes)

2007 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard 94 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

Very dark red color. Double decanted for 30 minutes; drank 1 glass over 2 hours. This was splendid, and my WOTN until we got to the '88 Chave. It had about everything you could ask for. The nose was killer with "spice-pourri," a combination of perfumed florals and spicebox that wowed, black olive, peppercorn, earth, dried herbs, fine dried earthiness and hints of cedar. As good as the nose is here, the palate does not disappoint either, elegant, medium full bodied, cherry, pepper, olive, dry earth, dry extract, fine tannins, cedar, and a silky dried forest floor finsh. Excellent

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Marcel Juge Cornas 89 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

Very dark red plus color. PNP. Drank 1 glass over 2 hours. The nose is dominated by a herbal, green character along with green olive that just didn't work for me. There was some earth and blood meal as well as a little roasted meat and a mix of red and black fruit. The palate was somewhat better with a rustic nature, olive, iron based minerals, blood meal, green, herbal, some earth, black cherry, and cassis on a medium full bodied frame. I have to say I was expecting a more refined experience. 89pts?

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2012 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph 90 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Roasted meat, savory, herbal, olive, cedar, black fruits on the nose. The palate is dense, full bodied, savory, ripe black fruits, herbal, silky texture, roasted meat, mineral, medium plus finish. Young, needs 5 years. 90(+)pts.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle Flawed

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

Unfortunately lots of VA. Just not right.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1997 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 92 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

Dark red color. Double decanted for 40 minutes, then had probably 90 minutes open before serving. drank 1+ glass over 2+ hours. This definitely needed air, as it was quite acidic and light upon opening. As with some other recent notes, this took on weight and the nose was very nice with lots of cooked bacon and bacon fat, roasted meat, and then a floral element came around with the red fruits and anise not far behind. The palate became more defined, red fruits, cherry, some currants, lacquer, kir, and a very distinct loamy earthiness. This needed the air initially, but I think it fell off after a couple hours more. 91-92pts at peak.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1988 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 98 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

Dark red color with a clear 2mm margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. This was flat out ridiculously good. I have to echo bill00's comments. Wow, killer nose and palate, very complex and beautifully integrated. This had everything you'd expect from a classic Northern Rhone; perfumed, floral, beautiful horse saddle leather, roasted meat, blood, subtle bacon. The palate was every bit as good as the nose with elegance and and sophistication, leather, saddle, earth, ethereal, pretty red fruits, and impeccable balance and perfect integration along with a 90+ second finish. Wow, what a treat!!! 97-98pts.

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