Occasional tasting group: Extensive Southern Rhône tasting with some extra's.

We all brought some bottles blind. We had to put them in the "low end" or "top end" box. One person randomly emptied the low end box first and after that the top end box. We tasted all wines blind.

Some people put their high end wine in the low end box.

And (for the first time) we had two exactly the same wines with enormous bottle variance.

This afternoon our host prepared a fully blind test of 10 white wines for us. After that we started with the Rhône wines.

Because there were more flights than Cellartracker can handle, I only split up between whites and reds.

• 2007 Weingut Johann Peter Reinert Kanzemer Sonnenberg Riesling Kabinett trocken 86 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Very pure Riesling bouquet. Straight forward. Pleasant citrus. Soft, friendly and clean with just a very little impression of sweetness in the finish.

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• 2007 Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc Pioneer Block 8 Friar's 83 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

  Cat pee, stable smells in the bouquet. First quite strong, later fading away. A lot of crispy citrus acidity. Asparagus. Slightly bitter in the finish.

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• 2007 Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio Alto Adige - Südtirol 82 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol

  Butter, banana, some honey. Firm acidity.

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• 2008 Deakin Estates Viognier 84 Points

  Australia, Victoria, North West

  Candy sweetness in the bouquet as well as the taste. Full bodied and a bit fat. Banana and other tropical fruits. Ok wine.

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• 2007 Bodegas Antaño Verdejo Rueda Viña Mocén 84 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda

  A lot of bitterness from the oak. Toasted, resin. Fat, butter banana and ok acidity. Maybe the wine needs more time. The oak is not integrated (yet)

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• 2003 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 'M' 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Complex, very pure/clean. Elegant. Pleasant citrus and some soft tropical fruits. Great wine.

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• 2005 Boekenhoutskloof Sémillon 86 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  Fresh supple and round. Soft acidity and some liquorice(?). Pleasant wine.

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• 2004 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

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

  Somewhat oxidised bouquet. Old butter. A lot of banana. Oak. Soft bitterness. I remember I heard/read somewhere you should drink this wine either very young or very old (10+years). Anyway, at this moment it is not very pleasant and I will not score it.

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• 2006 Château Bouscassé Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec Les Jardins de Bouscassé 87 Points

  France, Southwest France, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec

  Expressive and aromatic wine with tropical and floral flavors.

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• 2004 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello 94 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Full bodied and lush. A lot of oak and the wine can handle it. Citrus and peach. Soft and round bitterness. Great wine if you like the style (which I do).

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• 2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac Cuvée de la Reine des Bois 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac

  A lot of white pepper and spices. Also some liquorice. Full bodied, very juicy and firm tannin. Needs some more time; 2+ years.

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• 1995 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Janus Gran Reserva Pesquera 91 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Beautiful barnyard bouquet, good oak and some medicine. Rustic. Leather. Soft bitterness. A bit short in the finish.

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• 2003 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points

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

  In the start almost like a port wine. Full bodied and round. Soft spices and bitterness. Ripe and soft tannin. Although the wine shows some signs of maturity it is still very youthful.

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• 2001 Faustino Rioja Faustino de Autor Reserva Especial 88 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Beautiful spicy bouquet with just a little note of oxidisation. The tannin is still firm and sticky, but the wine is quite developed in the taste. Don't know what to think about the future.

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• 2007 Domaine les Grands Bois Côtes du Rhône Villages Cuvée Philippine

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages

  Full bodied, soft bitterness, as first note, but the wine did not seem to be a 100% fresh, so I did not score it.

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• 2004 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Good herbs like rosemary and thyme. Firm tannin and acidity. A very nice and complex wine which will improve with 3+ years of ageing.

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• 2007 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras Cuvée de l'Hostellerie 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras

  Beautiful barnyard bouquet. Very juicy with pleasant sweetness and soft tannin. The herbs/spices are hidden behind the fruit.

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• 2005 Domini de la Cartoixa Priorat Clos Galena 90 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Good juice, with cassis, coffe and cocoa. Firm but soft bitterness. The tannin is still too young. Give it 3+ years of rest.

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• 2007 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  Very expressive bouquet with a lot of barnyard, white pepper and spices. Very juicy wine and beautiful now. No need to wait, but who knows, maybe it will become even more complex.

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• 2004 Château Saint-Roch (Rhone) Lirac Flawed

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac

  Very juicy wine which was unfortunately corked. Pity, underneath the cork it seemed to be a good wine.

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• 2003 Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Auguste Favier 92 Points

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

  A pleasant little bit of barnyard. Smoky and spicy. A very elegant wine. Very pleasant drinking now, but no hurry.

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• 2007 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Sweet and lush bouquet. The tannin is soft and ripe, but also firm. Good spices/herbs. While 2007 is great to drink young, this wine certainly has ageing potential.

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• 2007 Domaine les Grands Bois Rasteau Cuvée Marc 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau

  Lush and sweet juice. Soft white pepper and other spices/herbs. The tannin is soft and supple. Decanted half a day before drinking this is a beauty, especially considering the price.

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• 2007 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras

  The wine is a little bretty in the bouquet as well as on the palate, but I like it because it adds to the complexity. Good herbs/spices, pleasant oak. Very juicy and good length. Good and soft tannin. Great drinking now, but also a good future.

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• 2004 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois 94 Points

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

  The bouquet is a bit locked at the moment even though the wine was decanted well before drinking. In the mouth there is pleasant sweetness, some chocolate and good bitterness. The tannin is soft but firm. Good concentration and very elegant. Needs some more years of ageing (2+)

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• 2005 Ferrer Bobet Priorat 93 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  A lot of sweetness and soft white pepper. Chocolate. Soft tannin. Complex wine. Will improve the next 2+ years.

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• 2005 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape 94 Points

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

  Friendly bouquet with ripe fruits and pleasant spices. Juicy. Soft tannin which makes the wine already a pleasure, but waiting some years is no problem. Clos St. Jean always ages beautifully.

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• 2005 Domaine de Ferrand Châteauneuf-du-Pape 89 Points

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

  Soft and not so expressive wine. There is pleasant soft bitterness and good tannin. Maybe this is not the right drinking moment, but the wine did not really impress.

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• 2005 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

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

  Very friendly sweet juice. At first the wine was open, friendly and easy with good fruit and spices. Little later it was less open. The tannin and bitterness showed there is plenty of room for more ageing. Great wine.

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• 2003 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard 94 Points

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

  Beautiful bouquet with good black forest fruits. Very juicy and complex. The tannin and bitterness is still firm, but the wine gained since the bottle I had about 20 months ago. Keep it a few more years will do no harm.

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• 2005 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape 91 Points

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

  Friendly and supple and open. Good sweetness of ripe fruits. Pleasant herbs and spices. Compared to the bottle earlier in this tasting there was less structure and complexity. (In tastings like this we bring wines blind and no one knows what everybody brings, so now we had two of the same bottles, with only one bottle in between. And everybody agreed this was a different wine. Bottle variance? Or different shipping/storage conditions?)

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• 1997 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Tea in the bouquet. Very mature wine. A lot of secondary and tertiary tastes. It has quite much bitterness, but drink it asap. It is still nice.

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• 2003 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Exceptionnelle 91 Points

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

  Pleasant bit of barnyard in the bouquet. Juicy. Soft tannin and bitterness and good complexity. Ready now, but no hurry.

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• 2004 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 90 Points

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

  Little barnyard and very round and pleasurable. Seems like the wine does not show its merits at the moment.

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• 2004 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 94 Points

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

  Expressive and complex bouquet with smells like pepper, spices, pleasant barnyard. Very juicy and expressive on the palate as well. The tannin shows some development, but is still youthful. Tasting this wine beside exactly the same wine brought by another friend. The difference is bizarre. So much bottle variance….

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• 2003 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Combe des Fous 95 Points

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

  Full bodied, black forest fruits, pleasant spices. Soft tannin. Beautiful complex wine which is a treat now and the soft tannin promises several years more.

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• 2005 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 94 Points

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

  Soft but firm tannin. Good spices and little pleasant barnyard. The wine is presenting itself quite nice already, but there is plenty future.

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• 2005 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou 94 Points

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

  Very juicy wine with chocolate/cocoa, white pepper, red and black fruits etc. Lovely and complex wine. Still youthful, but showing its merits.

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• 2006 Domaine de la Solitude (Lançon Père et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Cornelia Constanza Flawed

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

  enormously corked

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• 2007 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 95 Points

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

  Not so many notes because I was just enjoying. Concentrated juice. A lot of sweetness, but also good herbs/spices and pleasant oak in the background. Complex and harmonious wine.

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• 2007 Domaine Paul Autard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Juline 96 Points

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

  This is extremely beautiful. Sweet and lush and a lot of extraction. Black forest fruits, soft bitterness and tannin. Meaty, spicy etc. Great now!

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• 1998 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 94 Points

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

  Mature. A lot of garrigue. Little barnyard as well. Complex. Quite ready, but no real hurry.

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• 2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 99 Points

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

  Young and great juice. Very full bodied and lush, but not overdone. Elegant complexity, soft tannin. So extremely good now, but I don't give the perfect score, because otherwise I must drink all my bottles today or tomorrow.

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• 2007 Domaine de Ferrand Châteauneuf-du-Pape 96 Points

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

  WOW! Unexpected from this domain, but what a juice! This must be their best wine they ever made. Complex, beautiful oak, a lot of garrigue, soft tannin. Super! So young, but so beautiful. I wonder if it will be better in the future, but this sure has a future.

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• 2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul 95 Points

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

  Beautiful herbs/spices in the bouquet. Complex. Juicy and a beautiful balance. Good acidity and bitterness. Now, decanted well before drinking already a beauty and extremely enjoyable, but 5+ more years will be no problem.

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• 2005 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul 95 Points

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

  Extracted. Full bodied. Supple. Beautiful balance. Young but very tempting. Of course a lot of future, but this is already so great!

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• 2005 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 96 Points

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

  Extremely intense and complex. A lot of pleasant sweetness. Good and firm tannin which is also soft and approachable. Black and red fruits. The high score is because of the overall complexity. This is so complete. There is enough future, but will it ever be better?

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• 2005 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon 96 Points

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

  Primary red fruits. Soft bitterness and spices. Soft and friendly tannin, but it certainly is there. Elegant power. Great wine.

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• 2003 Kalleske Grenache Old Vines 94 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Not so many notes. I was impressed by the elegance and complexity of this wine especially in the bouquet. Even though I score it very high I wonder if there was some VA in the taste in the beginning. Anyway, it disappeared and there was so much to taste… So the score is without considering the VA. I hope I will ever taste this at another occasion.

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• 2003 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus-Ex Machina Flawed

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

  Extremly corked

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• 2006 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus-Ex Machina 96 Points

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

  Very fruit forward and juicy. Also complex, sweet and a beautiful balance. Although it even scores one point higher than my previous note, I think it has reached its limit now. There is more than enough future, but I have the feeling ageing will not add to the complexity and will result in a higher score. But don't be mistaken; this is wonderful juice.

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• 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 99 Points

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

  Only excitement! What a concentration and silky complexity. Hard not to give this the perfect score. I can hardly imagine this will ever become more enjoyable. But no doubt about it; this has potential to age. Is it worth waiting for instead of drinking it now? I wonder! One point left for ultimate perfection.

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