Q4 2021 Wine Club: The Return with Aged Rhone

Back although quite a bit smaller than normal (typical guest list is closer to 30 with a max of 20 participants - this time we kept it to 10). Have to make some concessions for COVID. Great though to have something that was a bit ‘normal’ feeling. Ideal cheese again outdid themselves with the selections and truffle meatballs were back and of course some great wine.

Same penny voting system as always - 5 pennies per person which can be be voted as five in one wine or one in five wines or anything in between. All wines served single blind for those you brought and double blind for the others.

• 2017 Domaine des Tours Vaucluse Clairette

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vaucluse

  Bonus bottle to start off the day. This was just lovely. Honey and honey dew and very bright and a really well made wine.

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• 1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Wine #1: Strong start right out of the gate. It’s all gamey and smokey and the best of Northern Rhône. I called Cote Rotie perhaps because I liked it and that is one of my favorite regions. (5 pennies)

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• 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Wine #2: I think this might have been helped with a double decant as it was a bit chunky and that detracted some from the experience. It’s more fruit with a background of the more mineral notes. Drinks well (2 pennies)

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• 1998 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Marie Beurrier

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

  Wine #3: My favorite of the tasting (interesting that two of the most popular wines were 98 CdPs). This was lighter in style to the first two. More acid. Very fresh and yet kindof dark and brooding in style. More minerality. Very precise. Enjoyable wine. (7 pennies)

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• 1999 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Wine #4: More fruit here, red current, raspberry. Honestly this wine on reveal really surprised me. I would have taken it more for the south (thought it was potentially the Bonneau). Very bright. Went back to it and it had evolved some in the bottle but drinking differently than I expected. (2 pennies)

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• 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin

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

  Wine #5: Clear winner of the evening for the group. It is drinking really well. Some good red fruits. Younger in style to me. It was decanted and the decanter went quickly (I think first wine to be finished). The only year with Hommage where it’s Grenache dominated. Just a hint of funkiness to it. (17 pennies)

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• 1989 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Wine #6: Figs and more of those darker style of fruits. A bit dusty in nature. But very bright. Drinks well. (2 pennies)

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• 1989 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Wine #7: Again a more fruit based wine. Get some floral and potpourri. This was almost at the level of hand soap style format. Surprising given region. The only ‘good’ bottle that did not get much love (but I personally think Hermitage is a bit over-rated in Rhône) (0 pennies)

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• 1990 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne Flawed

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Wine #8: To me this was definitely off - nose of cardboard and while the initial taste is fruit it quickly goes back to the wet cardboard at the finish. Some people were more forgiving of it although it did not merit any votes. (0 pennies)

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• 1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards Flawed

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Wine #9: Two corked in a row which is a pity but it happens when you are playing in the old wine world. Too bad. (0 pennies)

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• 1996 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Wine #10: Back to the good stuff. Lots of black fruit and more mineral notes. Drinks really well. (2 pennies)

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• 1995 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

  Wine #11: Red fruits and very pretty. Lots of raspberry. Again drinking very well. This was fun to get to check back in on (3 pennies)

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• 2007 Mathilde et Yves Gangloff Côte-Rôtie La Barbarine

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Wine #12: A bit off from the theme (which was Rhone pre-2000) but very well liked by all. Bright and dried fruit and more potpourri in nature. It was a wine that needed a bit of time to open up and got better and better throughout the evening. (12 pennies)

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• NV Taittinger Champagne Brut Prestige Rosé

  France, Champagne

  The palate cleanser wine which was really lovely since we had a lot of big reds. This is fruity and easy and lots of acid and does a great job cutting through.

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• NV Robert Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Grands Blancs

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Another bonus bottle of bubbles to finish off the night. This drinks at it’s price point which is pretty reasonable for champagne. Nothing really jumps out but it’s good and classic and perhaps after an afternoon of a lot of reds it’s nice to just to have the bubbles.

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A bit more bad luck than we normally have with bottles but so it goes. My favorite was maybe the Bonneau although the Hommage was indeed wonderful and has a special place as the wine that got us into Rhône in the first place. Generally though all were very tasty (except the corked bottles) and so a successful time back.