Monthly Tasting Group: All the Rhones
A - Side Public House, St. Paul, MN
Tasted Sunday, February 25, 2024 by rocknroller with 52 views
Introduction
This was the monthly big group event. The theme was Rhones from anywhere. We had a good mix of wines and group of about 16 attending. Food and service at A-Side was very good. A-side probably is better with whites and Champagnes, but it worked out fine.
NV Union Champagne de Saint Gall Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs 91 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Pale gold color. Small glass over 15 minutes. Crisp green, apple sweet tart, lean and minerally, yeasty. Quite good.
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NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Light gold color. Small glass over 20 minutes. Crisp green apples, toasted, burnt sugar, florals, pear, cherry, tart. Very good 92+ to 93pts.
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NV Famille Moussé Champagne l'Extra Or d'Eugène Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut
France, Champagne
Very tiny taste in what was a second go at this in the last month. Similar experience. Tart, rather mineral driven, white citrus, ginger, spicy. 91pts.
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2014 Delas Frères Condrieu Clos Boucher 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. The nose is complex offering a mix of fumé, pear, fusil, tropical fruits, flowers, stone fruit and flinty stone. The palate blends a healthy amount of minerality with peach, lychee, stone, fusil, pear, and subtle spices on a medium frame. This was showing well with a nice balance, not overtly boisterous or showy, very nice maturing character.
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2011 J.L. Chave Sélection St. Joseph Céleste 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Pale straw color. Small glass over an hour. Savvory, brine, peach, stone, pear; medium bodied, lots of river rock, stone fruit. Still solid. 91+pts.
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2016 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Fontaine 89 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Light gold color. Small glass over an hour. Same bottle as Gelweskj. Similar impression. Spicy, light tropical fruit, gravel, lemongrass and a somewhat bitter finish. 88-89pts.
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2000 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Dark red plus slightly murky color with a 1cm transition. Splash double decanted. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. Funky, saddle, dried earth, dried herbs, cassis, black cherry. The palate adds spice, pepper, and garrigue to the dark cherry and cassis fruits. Still drinking really well for the first hour, then tailed off somewhat.
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1998 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul 94 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very dark red color. Slow-O for an hour plus and then spash double decanted before the event. Oddly, I've never had the '98 vintage before. I loved the nose with its fresh garrigue up front; dillweed, scorched earth, leather, black cherry and kirsch. The palate is full bodied with dark fruits, black raspberry, cassis, scorched earth, garrigue, tar, and lots of gravelly minerality. Should last for another 5 yrears. 93+ to 94pts.
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2010 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul 92 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very dark red color. Small glass over an hour plus. This kind of took awhile to come around. I was disappointed at first. Though every time I went back to it, it seemed to be a bit better. By an hour, I thought this was in a pretty good spot. Red fruit on the nose, shellac, dense and full boded, youthful for its age, dark fruit palate, more earth and leather notes come and a deeper sense of damp earth over time. I think this will improve further. 91+ to 92(+)pts.
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2010 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Dark red color. Two hour decant. Drank a glass over an hour. Funky, brett, mushroom, spicy garrigue, horse leather, dark cherry, lacqueur, medium full bodied, classic Pegau. Not too much by any means, loved it. 93+ to 94pts.
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2014 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very dark red color. Unknown prep. Drank a small glass over an hour plus. Very floral, very green, medium bodied, but this really evolved over an hour so there's a lot more to come. Gut impression is 93pts as this evolved with maybe some upside as these age glacially.
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2014 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Delicious, so savory, deep leather, Captain Crunch cereal, red syrup, strawberry, raspberry, bright and long. Loved it! 94(+)pts.
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2011 Domaine du Gros 'Noré Bandol 90 Points
France, Provence, Bandol
Very dark red/purple color. Small pour. Deep, bigger, rustic, blackberry liqueur, creosote.
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2019 Domaine André François Condrieu La Maladière 87 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Small tasting pour. Sawdust, melon, subtle tropical fruit, sour, astringent palate. I wasn't feeling this.
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2010 Alain Voge Cornas Les Chailles 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Small taste, this had some air, brief note - leafy, sauvage, dry earth, dry tannins, dark red fruits.
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2012 Eric Texier Côte-Rôtie Vieilles Vignes 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Very dark red color. Just a small taste. Nice; juicy aromatics, earthy, cloudy, wood spice, full bodoed, black cherry.
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NV Laherte Frères Champagne Ultradition Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
Small taste. Oxidative, lacquer, white melon, baked apple, dried apple, chalk. 89-90ts .
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2005 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Small pour. This didn't hit me the way it usually does for some reason. VA, harsh, dried cherry, dried garrigue, saddle leather, spice, harsher finish. May have gotten better, but I didn't have enough to see. 90ish?
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2011 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Very dark red/purple color. Small pour. Dark fruits, slightly herbal, young, leather, cassis, aromatic with hydrocarbons, and a mix of red berry jam on the nose. The nose is better than the palate now, deep and earthy, savory, red fruits, more medium plus in weight, but with really grippy tannins. Lots of potential here, and quite fun now. 93-94pts.
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