From magnum. I swear, I need to start buying champagne in magnum format only. The wines just show so much more freshness and vitality. This is no exception. There's a sweetness here that is almost akin to cream soda -- not in a bad way, just that same kind of creamy sensation. Lots of life here still.
It's Condrieu, and I don't think it's something that I am ever going to get. It's got some riper elements, but also something that seems like tartness that helps to cut through the waxier elements. Touch of minerality, but at the end of the day, I just want acid, and that's missing here.
My expectations for this bottle were high, and they were met, but this didn't have the profile that I thought it would have. The nose had insane amounts of blood and iron, and a very elegant red-fruited quality -- a far cry from the burlier, blacker wine that I was expecting. The palate is lithe, with ample acids, some red fruit, and lots more of those iron and blood tones. It's quintessential Rhone, but also a bit different from the heftier modern incarnations of this wine. I'm not mad about that.
Initially, some potentially interesting elements with orange peel taking a prominent role, but then there's some old oxidative elements, followed by a bitter, likely oak-tainted finish. Par for the course for Chapoutier: bad.
From magnum. Better than the fifth of this I had recently. This is much fresher and shows a lot more red fruit. The nose shows more blood and dust than my previous experience. Still, the lightness of the vintage shows on the palate, but that's not a complaint, at least for me.
I don't know what the 1979 vintage bodes for Hermitage, but this was a wine that shows some serious freshness and power. There's still some of those high-toned ripe kirsch notes on the palate too. Overall, this is resolved, showing its red fruit and power, as well as some hefty bloody elements. My gut says that I wouldn't sit on this much longer, but given that this bottle was so fresh, this sort of prognostication is probably unwarranted.
This probably wasn't quite the solid bottle that it should have been. Felt a bit unfocussed, and a little dirty, but there were still some very pleasant red-fruited components here. An odd streak of green seemed to run through this wine as well. Good, but not up to the level that this wine ought to be at.
Maybe there is something to be said about these old Chave blancs. Yes, it's waxy and low acid, but this is actually pretty nicely composed. There are some aromas and flavours of butterscotch here that I could see being called over-the-hill, but this doesn't have much by way of oxidative elements. Some baked apple, perhaps? In any case, this was fairly enjoyable. I'm not sure it's something I'd want a whole bottle of, but the small glass did the trick nicely.
This is the real deal. Black and burly, just the way Reynard should be. It's a hefty wine with a good share of tannins still. Exposure to air helped to soften this up, but it's still a massive and potent wine. I think in the slightly cooler vintages, the Reynard is the one to go to, but that Chaillot handles the warmer vintages better (this isn't a popular opinion). Granted, the bottle of 01 Chaillot probably wasn't up to scratch, but from what I remember of the 01 Chaillot, it isn't as good as this.
These old "lesser" Guigal wines can be a real surprise sometimes, but I didn't find this particular bottle to be too convincing. Nice olive and brine elements on the nose, with a fair bit of acidity and elegance, but there's a sense of desiccation here as well. Given the age though, I've no doubt that there could be some impeccably stored bottles that are absolutely delicious.
Probably among my favourites for the young wines tonight. It's so pure, clean, and mineral. The fruit is a mix of red and black, and while there's a lot of material here waiting to reveal itself, there's already this delicious lightness that is immensely alluring. This will need time to come around, but it should be pretty damn special when it does.
Too young! It's classic Reynard power -- dense and dark, with black fruit and a relatively big tannic structure. There's some nice Allemand perfume to go along with this, but mostly the story here is of a delicious wine that still needs a lot of time to round off some sharp corners. Again, there's no doubt this is a great wine in the making, but the best course of action is hands off for a while.
I think many others at the table liked this far more than I did, and I can see the allure. It's a tropical and exotic wine, with tons of spices and fruits (hey, almost reminds me of a young riesling), and even some apricot jam. But the palate seems to fall flat on the promise of the nose; it's got some of those exotic elements, but it's got no acidity. Yes, I know that's just viognier being viognier, but me being me, I don't like it.
Served as a Rhone blind. Candied and sweet, with some plummy elements. There's a bit of spice and earth that are quite nice, but I can't get past the sweetness of this wine. Ended up thinking it was a CdP from the mid 90s. In hindsight, this does taste exactly like merlot if Rayas made a merlot. Which I guess is pretty much what this is.
Not sure that Rostaing has ever really done it for me, and this bottle didn't either. Of note is a slight bit of a lactic quality on both the nose and the palate here. It's not offensive, but it does seem a little strange. Overall, this should be clearly identifiable, if blind, as Northern Rhone, but there's a little bit of muddiness on the palate that makes this wine less than it really could be.
I quite liked this wine -- it's got a lovely dark fruited character, with that exotic perfume that Rayas seems to pull off all the time. It's definitely a big wine: the fruit shows a hint of sweetness and there's still ample tannins to resolve, but realistically, it's also pretty tasty right now already.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. Splendid showing for this wine. I think VT really does hit it out of the ballpark frequently -- have had old bottles from random vintages that have been stellar, but these young ones are no joke either. Only slightly funky (see: 1999 Pegau) with tons of ripe black fruit. There's this silky richness here that is really delicious too. The tannins are resolving, and there's a velvet texture on the finish here.
This is, for me, one of the best bottles of Clape I've had in a while. I liked this more than the 1994 magnum. It's a meaty, burly wine, with a heady, ripe nose chock full of sweet black fruit. It's a broad, expansive wine with tons of power. Nowhere close to ready, but I actually really enjoy the sweet black profile here already, and will happily slog through the tannins for it.
I probably got to this wine too late (read: 2 hours) and it had definitely turned by the time I got to it. The nose was actually very pleasant, with a really nice red-fruited profile. But the palate was pretty gross, turning intensely mousy.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. I didn't like this anywhere as much as I did last year. It's clearly a heady wine, with tons of fruit, but there's also a fair bit of ripeness and alcohol here, and I think that between the last time I tasted this and now, the wine has started to shut down a bit, so the luscious fruit that once used to counterweight the alcohol is not on full display, leading to a lot of heat and alcohol poking out now.
It's not a bottle that is going to blow your mind, but this is a more than solid bottle of Hermitage that I'd be happy to open any time. It's black fruited and powerful, and in general this wine speaks very true to its origins and grape. The ripeness of the vintage is on display here, manifesting itself in the sweet fruit. Fully resolved and ready now.
I'm told this was a pretty sad story right when it was opened, and I got to it about three hours in. There was no sign of that transformation by then -- it was a pretty classic Cornas syrah, with its black fruit and meaty notes. For a natural(?) wine, this is very clean, with no off flavours on the nose or palate. A nice streak of acid helps with the ripe fruit.
The nose shows a little bit of stink, but that is soon covered over by the nice fruit elements. The palate is obviously a bit simpler, and this isn't the most complex example of Cornas, but there's plenty to like nonetheless. The fruit is ample and sweet, and the palate comes across with more purity than I typically find in Clape. There's some slight heat on the finish.
From magnum. I have no idea what the story is behind this wine, but it's damn delicious. Really hits the spot for what I want for a Rhone in a ripe vintage -- it's hefty with some really rustic earthy expressions balanced by lots and lots of black fruit. It's unequivocally Cornas. The palate is the same -- just classic. Dense black fruit, sweet intensity, some mild meaty notes as well. Not a cheap wine at all, but I'm seriously contemplating picking up a few magnums of this.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. I liked this more than I thought I would. It's ripe, with lots of peaches and other sweet fruits, and obviously low acid as well, but somehow, something about this wine just worked for me at that moment in time. The balance in this wine is achieved by bitterness on the back end, and while that generally is something I don't like, that sweet/bitter mix did the trick for me.
This wine reminds me of the Domaine Chave St. Joseph, but with way more oak. Taking a moment to ignore the oak, there's so much to like here, with some smoked meat aromas on the nose, ripe black fruits, and black peppercorns. It's a ripe wine truly tasting of syrah. Then like some presumptuous yet mediocre modern artist who thinks that "improvements" can be made to classical forms, you go ahead and slather a crap ton of astringent oak on top, attenuating the pure fruit and leaving the finish drying and bitter. Improvement, indeed.
This is perhaps a slight bit more polished than I generally like, but it's still well within my personal tolerances. Silky black fruit on the nose here, with some serious extraction on the palate. This doesn't have the rustic elements I would expect from Cornas.
I think there's some collaboration with Kermit Lynch on this wine. The nose here is outstanding, and I think it's one of the things that I'm going to really like about the 2016 Rhone vintage -- that purity but intensity of red fruit on the nose of so many of these wines. The palate is definitely juicy and young, with plenty of fruit right now, but there are some jammy elements that I have a slight concern about, as well as a disproportionate bitterness on the finish. The power and weight is true to Hermitage here, but I wouldn't mind retasting this (especially blind).
I absolutely adore this wine. For the price, it is extremely difficult to do better, and honestly, this could easily wipe the floor with many other Rhones that cost twice or three times as much. I've decided to promote this wine to my personal list of Rhone wines worth a damn. Extremely similar to my last taste of this a few months ago -- red fruited, elegant, juicy, and unmistakably northern Rhone. It's an honest expression, devoid of makeup and trickery, and one that I'd be happy to drink any time.
Fairly nice for a Rhone white, with some ripe pineapple aromas on the nose. Obviously low acid, but the youthfulness of this wine does help to keep things a little more elevated. A touch waxy, but I do prefer this lighter and more fruit-forward style to that of, say, Gonon.
From magnum. Didn't really get this wine at all. Seemed way too polished and extracted for my palate. Not much by way of the elegance of syrah here, but more of just power heaped on. Feels a little hot and ungainly as well.
1999 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points
France, Champagne
From magnum. I swear, I need to start buying champagne in magnum format only. The wines just show so much more freshness and vitality. This is no exception. There's a sweetness here that is almost akin to cream soda -- not in a bad way, just that same kind of creamy sensation. Lots of life here still.
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2010 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Condrieu 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
It's Condrieu, and I don't think it's something that I am ever going to get. It's got some riper elements, but also something that seems like tartness that helps to cut through the waxier elements. Touch of minerality, but at the end of the day, I just want acid, and that's missing here.
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1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 98 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
My expectations for this bottle were high, and they were met, but this didn't have the profile that I thought it would have. The nose had insane amounts of blood and iron, and a very elegant red-fruited quality -- a far cry from the burlier, blacker wine that I was expecting. The palate is lithe, with ample acids, some red fruit, and lots more of those iron and blood tones. It's quintessential Rhone, but also a bit different from the heftier modern incarnations of this wine. I'm not mad about that.
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1995 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc Chante-Alouette 83 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Initially, some potentially interesting elements with orange peel taking a prominent role, but then there's some old oxidative elements, followed by a bitter, likely oak-tainted finish. Par for the course for Chapoutier: bad.
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1994 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
From magnum. Better than the fifth of this I had recently. This is much fresher and shows a lot more red fruit. The nose shows more blood and dust than my previous experience. Still, the lightness of the vintage shows on the palate, but that's not a complaint, at least for me.
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1979 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
I don't know what the 1979 vintage bodes for Hermitage, but this was a wine that shows some serious freshness and power. There's still some of those high-toned ripe kirsch notes on the palate too. Overall, this is resolved, showing its red fruit and power, as well as some hefty bloody elements. My gut says that I wouldn't sit on this much longer, but given that this bottle was so fresh, this sort of prognostication is probably unwarranted.
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2001 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This probably wasn't quite the solid bottle that it should have been. Felt a bit unfocussed, and a little dirty, but there were still some very pleasant red-fruited components here. An odd streak of green seemed to run through this wine as well. Good, but not up to the level that this wine ought to be at.
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1988 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Maybe there is something to be said about these old Chave blancs. Yes, it's waxy and low acid, but this is actually pretty nicely composed. There are some aromas and flavours of butterscotch here that I could see being called over-the-hill, but this doesn't have much by way of oxidative elements. Some baked apple, perhaps? In any case, this was fairly enjoyable. I'm not sure it's something I'd want a whole bottle of, but the small glass did the trick nicely.
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2001 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This is the real deal. Black and burly, just the way Reynard should be. It's a hefty wine with a good share of tannins still. Exposure to air helped to soften this up, but it's still a massive and potent wine. I think in the slightly cooler vintages, the Reynard is the one to go to, but that Chaillot handles the warmer vintages better (this isn't a popular opinion). Granted, the bottle of 01 Chaillot probably wasn't up to scratch, but from what I remember of the 01 Chaillot, it isn't as good as this.
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1983 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
These old "lesser" Guigal wines can be a real surprise sometimes, but I didn't find this particular bottle to be too convincing. Nice olive and brine elements on the nose, with a fair bit of acidity and elegance, but there's a sense of desiccation here as well. Given the age though, I've no doubt that there could be some impeccably stored bottles that are absolutely delicious.
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2013 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Probably among my favourites for the young wines tonight. It's so pure, clean, and mineral. The fruit is a mix of red and black, and while there's a lot of material here waiting to reveal itself, there's already this delicious lightness that is immensely alluring. This will need time to come around, but it should be pretty damn special when it does.
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2013 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Too young! It's classic Reynard power -- dense and dark, with black fruit and a relatively big tannic structure. There's some nice Allemand perfume to go along with this, but mostly the story here is of a delicious wine that still needs a lot of time to round off some sharp corners. Again, there's no doubt this is a great wine in the making, but the best course of action is hands off for a while.
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2016 Mathilde et Yves Gangloff Condrieu 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
I think many others at the table liked this far more than I did, and I can see the allure. It's a tropical and exotic wine, with tons of spices and fruits (hey, almost reminds me of a young riesling), and even some apricot jam. But the palate seems to fall flat on the promise of the nose; it's got some of those exotic elements, but it's got no acidity. Yes, I know that's just viognier being viognier, but me being me, I don't like it.
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1998 Domaine des Tours Merlot Vaucluse Reserve 85 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vaucluse
Served as a Rhone blind. Candied and sweet, with some plummy elements. There's a bit of spice and earth that are quite nice, but I can't get past the sweetness of this wine. Ended up thinking it was a CdP from the mid 90s. In hindsight, this does taste exactly like merlot if Rayas made a merlot. Which I guess is pretty much what this is.
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1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Flawed
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. Corked.
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2001 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Not sure that Rostaing has ever really done it for me, and this bottle didn't either. Of note is a slight bit of a lactic quality on both the nose and the palate here. It's not offensive, but it does seem a little strange. Overall, this should be clearly identifiable, if blind, as Northern Rhone, but there's a little bit of muddiness on the palate that makes this wine less than it really could be.
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2005 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Reserve 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
I quite liked this wine -- it's got a lovely dark fruited character, with that exotic perfume that Rayas seems to pull off all the time. It's definitely a big wine: the fruit shows a hint of sweetness and there's still ample tannins to resolve, but realistically, it's also pretty tasty right now already.
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1999 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. Splendid showing for this wine. I think VT really does hit it out of the ballpark frequently -- have had old bottles from random vintages that have been stellar, but these young ones are no joke either. Only slightly funky (see: 1999 Pegau) with tons of ripe black fruit. There's this silky richness here that is really delicious too. The tannins are resolving, and there's a velvet texture on the finish here.
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1999 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 70 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Extremely candied and sweet on the nose, and even if you could get past that, there's an incredible pile of brett.
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1997 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 70 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
What a contrast to the brilliant 1979. Stewy and dirty, but no discernible flaws either.
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2005 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This is, for me, one of the best bottles of Clape I've had in a while. I liked this more than the 1994 magnum. It's a meaty, burly wine, with a heady, ripe nose chock full of sweet black fruit. It's a broad, expansive wine with tons of power. Nowhere close to ready, but I actually really enjoy the sweet black profile here already, and will happily slog through the tannins for it.
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2016 Domaine Bouillot-Salomon Côte-Rôtie 70 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
I probably got to this wine too late (read: 2 hours) and it had definitely turned by the time I got to it. The nose was actually very pleasant, with a really nice red-fruited profile. But the palate was pretty gross, turning intensely mousy.
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2015 Domaine la Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure Rouge 85 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. I didn't like this anywhere as much as I did last year. It's clearly a heady wine, with tons of fruit, but there's also a fair bit of ripeness and alcohol here, and I think that between the last time I tasted this and now, the wine has started to shut down a bit, so the luscious fruit that once used to counterweight the alcohol is not on full display, leading to a lot of heat and alcohol poking out now.
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1990 Delas Frères Hermitage Marquise de la Tourette 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
It's not a bottle that is going to blow your mind, but this is a more than solid bottle of Hermitage that I'd be happy to open any time. It's black fruited and powerful, and in general this wine speaks very true to its origins and grape. The ripeness of the vintage is on display here, manifesting itself in the sweet fruit. Fully resolved and ready now.
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2012 Domaine du Coulet (Matthieu Barret) Cornas Billes Noires 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
I'm told this was a pretty sad story right when it was opened, and I got to it about three hours in. There was no sign of that transformation by then -- it was a pretty classic Cornas syrah, with its black fruit and meaty notes. For a natural(?) wine, this is very clean, with no off flavours on the nose or palate. A nice streak of acid helps with the ripe fruit.
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2016 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
The nose shows a little bit of stink, but that is soon covered over by the nice fruit elements. The palate is obviously a bit simpler, and this isn't the most complex example of Cornas, but there's plenty to like nonetheless. The fruit is ample and sweet, and the palate comes across with more purity than I typically find in Clape. There's some slight heat on the finish.
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2007 Domaine du Coulet (Matthieu Barret) Cornas Gore 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
From magnum. I have no idea what the story is behind this wine, but it's damn delicious. Really hits the spot for what I want for a Rhone in a ripe vintage -- it's hefty with some really rustic earthy expressions balanced by lots and lots of black fruit. It's unequivocally Cornas. The palate is the same -- just classic. Dense black fruit, sweet intensity, some mild meaty notes as well. Not a cheap wine at all, but I'm seriously contemplating picking up a few magnums of this.
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2007 Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From magnum. I liked this more than I thought I would. It's ripe, with lots of peaches and other sweet fruits, and obviously low acid as well, but somehow, something about this wine just worked for me at that moment in time. The balance in this wine is achieved by bitterness on the back end, and while that generally is something I don't like, that sweet/bitter mix did the trick for me.
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2011 E. Guigal St. Joseph Vignes de L'Hospice 83 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
This wine reminds me of the Domaine Chave St. Joseph, but with way more oak. Taking a moment to ignore the oak, there's so much to like here, with some smoked meat aromas on the nose, ripe black fruits, and black peppercorns. It's a ripe wine truly tasting of syrah. Then like some presumptuous yet mediocre modern artist who thinks that "improvements" can be made to classical forms, you go ahead and slather a crap ton of astringent oak on top, attenuating the pure fruit and leaving the finish drying and bitter. Improvement, indeed.
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2013 Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brûlée 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This is perhaps a slight bit more polished than I generally like, but it's still well within my personal tolerances. Silky black fruit on the nose here, with some serious extraction on the palate. This doesn't have the rustic elements I would expect from Cornas.
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2016 Louis Barruol Hermitage La Pierrelle 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
I think there's some collaboration with Kermit Lynch on this wine. The nose here is outstanding, and I think it's one of the things that I'm going to really like about the 2016 Rhone vintage -- that purity but intensity of red fruit on the nose of so many of these wines. The palate is definitely juicy and young, with plenty of fruit right now, but there are some jammy elements that I have a slight concern about, as well as a disproportionate bitterness on the finish. The power and weight is true to Hermitage here, but I wouldn't mind retasting this (especially blind).
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2016 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
I absolutely adore this wine. For the price, it is extremely difficult to do better, and honestly, this could easily wipe the floor with many other Rhones that cost twice or three times as much. I've decided to promote this wine to my personal list of Rhone wines worth a damn. Extremely similar to my last taste of this a few months ago -- red fruited, elegant, juicy, and unmistakably northern Rhone. It's an honest expression, devoid of makeup and trickery, and one that I'd be happy to drink any time.
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2016 Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) St. Péray Pur Blanc 85 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray
Fairly nice for a Rhone white, with some ripe pineapple aromas on the nose. Obviously low acid, but the youthfulness of this wine does help to keep things a little more elevated. A touch waxy, but I do prefer this lighter and more fruit-forward style to that of, say, Gonon.
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2015 Aurélien Chatagnier St. Joseph 85 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
From magnum. Didn't really get this wine at all. Seemed way too polished and extracted for my palate. Not much by way of the elegance of syrah here, but more of just power heaped on. Feels a little hot and ungainly as well.
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