Medium yellow. Medium weight, not at all oily. Beautiful ripe peach and citrus with a deep soil base and excellent acidity. Elegant, long, and tons of potential.
Aged in concrete for 22 years. Garnet core fading to light tawny color. Very smoky, leathery aromas. Medium to lighter bodied. Complex mix of herbs, ash, dull red fruit, a citric twist, excellent acidity, and some residual acidity. Something lightly "sausage" about it too, but it is clean. Excellent length, dry finish. Extraordinarily interesting, elegant wine that just oozes Syrah character. It's not done yet, either.
Deep purple/ruby. Pungent green herbs, olive, and licorice on the nose. Rich, round, soil-filled attack with naturally sweet but not overripe fruit. Potent blackberry, creosote, and herbs with incredible layering and depth but no heaviness. Penetrating and persistent. Extremely impressive and has the look and feel of a 50 year wine.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Clear light ruby center. Sweet raspberry and toffee aromatics. Medium weight. Bright, perfectly ripe red fruit and herbs on the entry, very supple mid-palate, and then strong acidity, licorice, tobacco, and tannin kick in leading to a serious, dry finish. Chewy for its weight. It currently shows more Mourvèdre than the 15% in the cepage. I think this is outstanding, but it needs a good deal of time to integrate the front and back ends, which are almost like 2 different wines right now.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Muddled garnet with fading. The Pegau "magic sauce" (i.e., a touch of brett) on the nose. Complex faded but gently sweet red fruit, earth, excellent acidity, and a tobacco/tannic finish. Nicely fluid but completely resolved and probably attenuating at this point.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Light tawny colored core. Stewed scents with obvious VA. Medium weight. Still some sweetness but prickly feel with a short finish. I'm sure there are better bottles of this out there.
2020 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Medium yellow. Medium weight, not at all oily. Beautiful ripe peach and citrus with a deep soil base and excellent acidity. Elegant, long, and tons of potential.
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2000 Xavier Vignon Cornas
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Aged in concrete for 22 years. Garnet core fading to light tawny color. Very smoky, leathery aromas. Medium to lighter bodied. Complex mix of herbs, ash, dull red fruit, a citric twist, excellent acidity, and some residual acidity. Something lightly "sausage" about it too, but it is clean. Excellent length, dry finish. Extraordinarily interesting, elegant wine that just oozes Syrah character. It's not done yet, either.
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2020 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Deep purple/ruby. Pungent green herbs, olive, and licorice on the nose. Rich, round, soil-filled attack with naturally sweet but not overripe fruit. Potent blackberry, creosote, and herbs with incredible layering and depth but no heaviness. Penetrating and persistent. Extremely impressive and has the look and feel of a 50 year wine.
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2019 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Clear light ruby center. Sweet raspberry and toffee aromatics. Medium weight. Bright, perfectly ripe red fruit and herbs on the entry, very supple mid-palate, and then strong acidity, licorice, tobacco, and tannin kick in leading to a serious, dry finish. Chewy for its weight. It currently shows more Mourvèdre than the 15% in the cepage. I think this is outstanding, but it needs a good deal of time to integrate the front and back ends, which are almost like 2 different wines right now.
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2004 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Muddled garnet with fading. The Pegau "magic sauce" (i.e., a touch of brett) on the nose. Complex faded but gently sweet red fruit, earth, excellent acidity, and a tobacco/tannic finish. Nicely fluid but completely resolved and probably attenuating at this point.
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2001 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Flawed
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Light tawny colored core. Stewed scents with obvious VA. Medium weight. Still some sweetness but prickly feel with a short finish. I'm sure there are better bottles of this out there.
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