119004. I didn't see the label on this, so actually guessed it was a 169eme -- this bottle felt different from another bottle of the same release a few days ago. There was more acidity and brightness, and as with most of the more recent Krug releases, a lack of the typical Krug richness and more focus on the acidity. But of course, at the end of the day, Krug is Krug.
Disgorged May 2021, 3.5 g/L dosage. 78% 2016 harvest, 22% 2015 harvest. A grower champagne more in line with oxidative richness and broadness, but for my palate, the chardonnay isn't able to carry the structural components of the wine, so it feels slightly top-heavy. That said, this at least has plenty of the richer characteristics that I find missing in many grower champagnes.
Stunningly gorgeous, old-school syrah. This is perfumed but meaty with some brine notes throughout. The texture is silky and still shows a wisp of primary fruit though for the most part, you're getting more of a saline thing here. One of the standouts (for me) tonight in a field of some very heavy hitters.
I think others were more down on this than I was. Certainly it's very ripe and almost a bit sweet (someone described it as Harlan-like). In the glass, this settles down a fair bit with air, but mostly this is a wine about the potential now rather than current enjoyability. Massively scaled with a slight leathery element and lots of black fruit. Obviously tons of young tannin. Best to tuck these away and let them rest; it seems quite unprofitable to open one now.
In contrast to the 2015 which should not have been opened, the 2008 is showing quite mature, and for my palate, in a very good spot to drink now. Lots and lots of salinity, this feels thin and lacks the weight and concentration of the better vintages. Effectively resolved at this point, the tannins are present but silky. Some savoury tones on the finish. Not one that I think would have huge upside with further aging, but there's certainly no rush to open them now either -- I just don't think they're going to get appreciably better from where they are right now.
You know it's a pretty good dinner when there's a third of a bottle of Allemand left at the end of it (and not because the bottle was messed up either). Red-fruited, light, and very lifted with typical Allemand perfumed aromatics. Very clean on both the nose and palate, though this veers a little more towards the acidity to the detriment of all the other good things in this wine. Modestly chewy tannins on the finish still. In a very good spot now, with limited upside. No rush, though.
Showing very nicely today even if the dirt this is from is not at the same level as most other wines at the table tonight. Red fruit and generally more light than more recent vintages of this wine, this is easily hanging on and likely still has some gas in the tank. A slight herbal note adds interest.
Absolutely fantastic bottle of Crozes-Hermitage that could easily play at the same level as, say Gonon. An intense, pure red-fruited nose that actually reminds me a bit of an outstanding 2001 Monprivato from last night. Concentrated and complex, this is surely Crozes at its best. A real treat to try some Graillot wines with this much bottle age.
I really had trouble with this wine -- the nose was too bretty in a barnyard kind of way it was hard to get it to the palate. It certainly tastes better than it smells, but this bottle was triaged away in a night with so much wine.
Pretty awesome old school northern Rhone; somewhat reminiscent of the 1998 Vallouit Roziers tonight in the aromatics. The palate though shows a bit more freshness and primary fruit. Concentrated and tannic, this is easily the darkest of the Graillot wines tonight.
Very compelling secondary and nascent tertiary notes here, with a lovely herbal tone and some dried floral aromas. The nose isn't as perfumed and lifted as some of the younger wines, but there's definitely a lovely old wine perfume here. On the palate, this is rounded out with a lovely silky texture. For me, I think this would have been more interesting a few years ago, when there was still some more freshness.
Pretty clear that La Mouline was showing better of this little flight. The nose had a bit of volatility, and while the fruit was more present and primary here, the palate had started becoming a bit thin and showing a lot of high-toned notes. More interesting than good at this point, alas.
I think it was a toss-up whether the group preferred this or the 2009 (I preferred the latter). However I'll readily admit that this wine improved significantly with air, becoming more intense and structural. The fruit is a pleasant mix of red and black, and definitely shows on the ripe side. A slight bit of spice (which was more obvious in the 2009) as well.
A phenomenally good bottle of Bénetière, at least for my palate. There's a concentrated intensity on the palate that makes me think of small, shot berries. Gorgeously aromatic black fruit, that's not over the top with regards to the ripeness at all. Intense and tannic with an entrancing spice note, this is a wine that has plenty of room for improvement with age.
I actually thought this was the best of the Fonsalette syrah lineup, for better or worse. I really like the intensity of the black fruit here, but this wine lacks the saline component of a good northern Rhone; it drinks a little foursquare, if I'm being totally honest. Plenty of fruit here, but this lacks the lift and excitement that syrah can really bring out.
This started off really smoky (as in cigarette ash) and I quipped that Bachelet probably made this wine. It really wasn't very good, with that herbal green note and the unpleasant smoky tones. Revisiting this in the glass with half an hour of air, this started to just show some mild pyrazines and the fruit really started to come out more prominently.
Probably not a correct showing of this wine, given the slight oxidative elements on the palate here. Surprisingly fruity despite those oxidative qualities; probably drinkable if you really tried, there just wasn't much of a point to that tonight.
Most others at the table liked this much more than I did. For me, it was fine. It lacked plenty of the typical syrah qualities besides the fruit, which admittedly was clean and intense. The palate was similarly bulky in that way with large scaled fruit, but there was also a slight bit of earthiness that seemed to get in the way of the wine.
Kind of a dull, uninteresting wine. It ticks the right boxes and it's clearly correct, but lacking any excitement. Truth be told, the same could be said across the entire Fonsalette Syrah lineup -- the wines just don't taste enough like the northern Rhone. "But," the inevitable complaint begins, "this isn't from the northern Rhone." So what? With maybe a few Australian exceptions, if you can't make syrah like you do in the northern Rhone, why bother?
Somewhat light for an Hermitage, but plenty of red fruit here. This has lifted acidity and drinks in a very elegant, lighter style. Plenty of the expected Hermitage concentration here. Unequivocally a very old-school style of syrah that I really dig.
What do people see in La Chapelle? This wine has been a chronic underperformer for decades, and this bottle no exception. Dull and lacking any perfume, this just feels like some dime-a-dozen "premium" red wine with a bunch of oak and tannin. As charmless as it comes.
Although the nose on this right after pouring it out of the bottle smelled so much like TCA I just couldn't get it out of my mind, I also concede that the musty notes did not become more prevalent with air, and in fact cleared up some. Others liked this bottle a lot more than I did; I just couldn't shake the slight TCA note here (whether or not it actually was TCA, we'll never know). The fruit is red and elegant, the tannins fully resolved. This would've been a killer bottle if not for that persistent doubt in the back of my mind.
Would sir like a little syrah with his oak? This is probably one of the oakiest wines I've ever had (excepting all the ones that were incompetently made). I love the distinct American oak notes here, giving it lots of herbal qualities. The fruit is mostly secondary, showing more red than black, and there's a lot of acidity here to keep this wine lifted and bright. A very interesting wine, but I wish this actually had more weight on the palate.
Shows a very slight browned apple note, but this doesn't detract from the relative freshness of this wine. Less oily than most, this is almost definitely one of the most drinkable Condrieus out there; the problem is that at the end of the day, it's still a bottle of viognier. I definitely preferred the freshness here to the older 2007.
Shows its age and a modest oiliness that gets a little heavy on the palate. The ripeness doesn't do this many favours either. Not as bright and drinkable as the 2013, this has more browned, aged notes and more weight that make it less electric.
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Édition 168ème 93 Points
France, Champagne
119004. I didn't see the label on this, so actually guessed it was a 169eme -- this bottle felt different from another bottle of the same release a few days ago. There was more acidity and brightness, and as with most of the more recent Krug releases, a lack of the typical Krug richness and more focus on the acidity. But of course, at the end of the day, Krug is Krug.
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NV Minière F & R Champagne Absolu Blanc De Blancs Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
Disgorged May 2021, 3.5 g/L dosage. 78% 2016 harvest, 22% 2015 harvest. A grower champagne more in line with oxidative richness and broadness, but for my palate, the chardonnay isn't able to carry the structural components of the wine, so it feels slightly top-heavy. That said, this at least has plenty of the richer characteristics that I find missing in many grower champagnes.
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1998 Domaine de Vallouit Hermitage Cuvée Spéciale Les Greffières Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Hideously corked.
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1998 Domaine de Vallouit Côte-Rôtie Les Roziers 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Stunningly gorgeous, old-school syrah. This is perfumed but meaty with some brine notes throughout. The texture is silky and still shows a wisp of primary fruit though for the most part, you're getting more of a saline thing here. One of the standouts (for me) tonight in a field of some very heavy hitters.
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2015 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
I think others were more down on this than I was. Certainly it's very ripe and almost a bit sweet (someone described it as Harlan-like). In the glass, this settles down a fair bit with air, but mostly this is a wine about the potential now rather than current enjoyability. Massively scaled with a slight leathery element and lots of black fruit. Obviously tons of young tannin. Best to tuck these away and let them rest; it seems quite unprofitable to open one now.
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2008 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
In contrast to the 2015 which should not have been opened, the 2008 is showing quite mature, and for my palate, in a very good spot to drink now. Lots and lots of salinity, this feels thin and lacks the weight and concentration of the better vintages. Effectively resolved at this point, the tannins are present but silky. Some savoury tones on the finish. Not one that I think would have huge upside with further aging, but there's certainly no rush to open them now either -- I just don't think they're going to get appreciably better from where they are right now.
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2008 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
You know it's a pretty good dinner when there's a third of a bottle of Allemand left at the end of it (and not because the bottle was messed up either). Red-fruited, light, and very lifted with typical Allemand perfumed aromatics. Very clean on both the nose and palate, though this veers a little more towards the acidity to the detriment of all the other good things in this wine. Modestly chewy tannins on the finish still. In a very good spot now, with limited upside. No rush, though.
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2001 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Showing very nicely today even if the dirt this is from is not at the same level as most other wines at the table tonight. Red fruit and generally more light than more recent vintages of this wine, this is easily hanging on and likely still has some gas in the tank. A slight herbal note adds interest.
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2001 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Absolutely fantastic bottle of Crozes-Hermitage that could easily play at the same level as, say Gonon. An intense, pure red-fruited nose that actually reminds me a bit of an outstanding 2001 Monprivato from last night. Concentrated and complex, this is surely Crozes at its best. A real treat to try some Graillot wines with this much bottle age.
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1999 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
I really had trouble with this wine -- the nose was too bretty in a barnyard kind of way it was hard to get it to the palate. It certainly tastes better than it smells, but this bottle was triaged away in a night with so much wine.
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1999 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Pretty awesome old school northern Rhone; somewhat reminiscent of the 1998 Vallouit Roziers tonight in the aromatics. The palate though shows a bit more freshness and primary fruit. Concentrated and tannic, this is easily the darkest of the Graillot wines tonight.
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1979 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Very compelling secondary and nascent tertiary notes here, with a lovely herbal tone and some dried floral aromas. The nose isn't as perfumed and lifted as some of the younger wines, but there's definitely a lovely old wine perfume here. On the palate, this is rounded out with a lovely silky texture. For me, I think this would have been more interesting a few years ago, when there was still some more freshness.
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1979 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Pretty clear that La Mouline was showing better of this little flight. The nose had a bit of volatility, and while the fruit was more present and primary here, the palate had started becoming a bit thin and showing a lot of high-toned notes. More interesting than good at this point, alas.
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2005 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
I think it was a toss-up whether the group preferred this or the 2009 (I preferred the latter). However I'll readily admit that this wine improved significantly with air, becoming more intense and structural. The fruit is a pleasant mix of red and black, and definitely shows on the ripe side. A slight bit of spice (which was more obvious in the 2009) as well.
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2009 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
A phenomenally good bottle of Bénetière, at least for my palate. There's a concentrated intensity on the palate that makes me think of small, shot berries. Gorgeously aromatic black fruit, that's not over the top with regards to the ripeness at all. Intense and tannic with an entrancing spice note, this is a wine that has plenty of room for improvement with age.
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1983 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Oxidized.
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2005 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
I actually thought this was the best of the Fonsalette syrah lineup, for better or worse. I really like the intensity of the black fruit here, but this wine lacks the saline component of a good northern Rhone; it drinks a little foursquare, if I'm being totally honest. Plenty of fruit here, but this lacks the lift and excitement that syrah can really bring out.
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1996 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah Flawed
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Corked.
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1995 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
This started off really smoky (as in cigarette ash) and I quipped that Bachelet probably made this wine. It really wasn't very good, with that herbal green note and the unpleasant smoky tones. Revisiting this in the glass with half an hour of air, this started to just show some mild pyrazines and the fruit really started to come out more prominently.
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1994 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah Flawed
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Probably not a correct showing of this wine, given the slight oxidative elements on the palate here. Surprisingly fruity despite those oxidative qualities; probably drinkable if you really tried, there just wasn't much of a point to that tonight.
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1985 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Most others at the table liked this much more than I did. For me, it was fine. It lacked plenty of the typical syrah qualities besides the fruit, which admittedly was clean and intense. The palate was similarly bulky in that way with large scaled fruit, but there was also a slight bit of earthiness that seemed to get in the way of the wine.
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1983 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Kind of a dull, uninteresting wine. It ticks the right boxes and it's clearly correct, but lacking any excitement. Truth be told, the same could be said across the entire Fonsalette Syrah lineup -- the wines just don't taste enough like the northern Rhone. "But," the inevitable complaint begins, "this isn't from the northern Rhone." So what? With maybe a few Australian exceptions, if you can't make syrah like you do in the northern Rhone, why bother?
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1996 Jean-Michel Sorrel Hermitage Vieilles Vignes le Vignon 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Somewhat light for an Hermitage, but plenty of red fruit here. This has lifted acidity and drinks in a very elegant, lighter style. Plenty of the expected Hermitage concentration here. Unequivocally a very old-school style of syrah that I really dig.
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1998 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Oxidized.
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1995 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 85 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
What do people see in La Chapelle? This wine has been a chronic underperformer for decades, and this bottle no exception. Dull and lacking any perfume, this just feels like some dime-a-dozen "premium" red wine with a bunch of oak and tannin. As charmless as it comes.
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1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Although the nose on this right after pouring it out of the bottle smelled so much like TCA I just couldn't get it out of my mind, I also concede that the musty notes did not become more prevalent with air, and in fact cleared up some. Others liked this bottle a lot more than I did; I just couldn't shake the slight TCA note here (whether or not it actually was TCA, we'll never know). The fruit is red and elegant, the tannins fully resolved. This would've been a killer bottle if not for that persistent doubt in the back of my mind.
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1989 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace 93 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
Would sir like a little syrah with his oak? This is probably one of the oakiest wines I've ever had (excepting all the ones that were incompetently made). I love the distinct American oak notes here, giving it lots of herbal qualities. The fruit is mostly secondary, showing more red than black, and there's a lot of acidity here to keep this wine lifted and bright. A very interesting wine, but I wish this actually had more weight on the palate.
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2013 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Condrieu 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Shows a very slight browned apple note, but this doesn't detract from the relative freshness of this wine. Less oily than most, this is almost definitely one of the most drinkable Condrieus out there; the problem is that at the end of the day, it's still a bottle of viognier. I definitely preferred the freshness here to the older 2007.
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2007 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Condrieu 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Shows its age and a modest oiliness that gets a little heavy on the palate. The ripeness doesn't do this many favours either. Not as bright and drinkable as the 2013, this has more browned, aged notes and more weight that make it less electric.
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