Uncorked DK does Northern Rhône - Guigal, Chave, Chapoutier and more

Friday, January 9th, 2009 Uncorked DK was gathered at Restaurant Premisse for a tasting of Northern Rhônes and a few jokers. It was arranged by Claus Schimmel and everybody was exited and anxious to see if the wines would deliver or be shy.

I had really looked forward to this tasting as cold climate syrah is a close relative to Burgundian pinot noir which I am obsessing with.

It turned out to be an everning where everything was optimal - the company, the food, the attentive staff and not least the wines. I ended up giving the magic 100 points no less than two times. That is 66,6% of the total times I have given 100 points! Indeed a night to remember.

All wines were served 100% blind. All wines had been thoroughly decanted. The points below are my own and points written as (U:XX,X) is the Uncorked DK group average.

• 2005 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc Le Méal 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Dark yellow. Sweet and exotic nose, almost Sauternes like with apricot and peach, but also tea and herbal notes. Very fat, but also with a certain lightness and a proper level of acid. Good aftertaste with plenty of licorice.
  (U:92,7)

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• 2005 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc l'Ermite 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Dark yellow. Compared to the previous still exotic, but more dry and serious in its impression - dried apricot, buttery acid and english licorice. There is good balance, intensity and a nice grapefruity acid. Unfortunately it burns too much in the aftertaste to leave a really excellent impression.
  (U:91,6)

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• 2005 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Dark red with a slightly ligther rim. A somewhat sour nose with red berries, dairy product and delicate herbal notes as well as roasted coffee beans. In the glass it gradually becomes deeper and fatter. In the mouth you sense that it is dry and youthful, but also present and intense. Loads of fine tannins and a good, slightly medicinal, aftertaste. Good lift and most importantly good balance.
  (U:95,5)

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• 2005 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Dark red with black core, slightly light rim. Deep and dry nose with mocca, dark berries and sweet oak. In the mouth there is plenty of sweet blackberries and a long aftertaste. Unfortunately this is neither balanced nor integrated. Sweet candied fruit and dry tannins are going in completely opposite directions. What a disappointment... no more than 92 pts at most. I decided to give it a chance and left a glass aside for a few hours. When revisited it had become more integrated and more refruited, herbal and with a touch of caramel. Closer to 94 pts and with potential for further development.
  (U:93,0)

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• 2005 K Vintners Syrah Skull 93 Points

  USA, Washington

  Inky black. Very dense nose with tons of sweet black berries and herbal notes. Sweet and strong, almost medicinal wine. Still it got proper balance and a certain elegance which makes it drinkable. I missed some complexity, but many in the group liked it better than me. It was a joker brought by Peter Solberg who intented to provoke us with the black label with "skulls and bones" motive. Well, we didn't move a muscle...
  (U:94,6)

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• 2006 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This is also inky black. The nose is sweet with a certain level of acid, loads of coffee and herbs. In the mouth everything is in balance and the wine is very intense. Very long aftertaste with sweet candied fruit and salty herbs (seaweed?). In spite of the huge concentration there is also good lift. This is not in the same league as the 2005, but not fat either. Some in the group found combination of sweet fruit and the acid to be "artificial", but bearing in mind how naturally these wines are made I think it is just part of the fascination.
  (U:94,6)

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• 2000 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Light yellow. Nice mousse. Really delicious gunpowder nose with big intensity, macadamia nut, sea water, minerals and fresh yellow fruit. There is big intensity and a certain lightness due to a fresh acid. It comes across as just a but short and is propably a bit closed. A great "feminine" champagne.
  (U:93,7)

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• 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 97 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Dark red core with slightly brown rim. On the nose there is first a sh*tload of stables, afterthat herbs, hung meat and read berries which seems very fresh. In the mouth this is intense, light and slightly drying in the long aftertaste. A high level of acid and extraordinary density of the fruit gives the wine another level. With it time it becomes more complex and reveals mushrooms, forrest floor and leather.
  (U:96,3)

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• 1989 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Dark red, slightly lighter than the 1990. The nose is light as a feather, but with a fantastic intensity and depth. It has some "brown champagne-like" notes that I often associate with Ponsots burgundies and which makes the wine appear very complex. There is also intense red fruit, hints of coffee and herbs. It is very elegant, light and complex. This enormously SUBTILE wine was for several minutes my winner in this heat, but with time it becomes more rustic and at the same time the 1990 showed more and more complexities and therefore just beat this.
  (U:95,8)

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• 2000 Sadie Family Columella 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Dark red. Intense and dark nose with sweet dark berries. In the mouth same berries, but also fresh acid that ensures a proper balance and the wine appeared almost seamless. It is a bit anonymous, but shows great class. The combination of density, acid and cool fruit is delicious. This was a joker introduced by the sommerlier Christian Aarø Mortensen and it turned out to be the provocation of the night as we never would have guessed for South Africa...
  (U:93,3)

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• 1990 Pascal Doquet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger 93 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Slightly golden yellow. Very intense and somewhat special nose with a touch of sherry, gunpowder, rye bread and nuts. A very fat, but also acidic champagne. It appeared almost sirupy. Some in the group found the oxidized touch to be "over the top". The style made me think of Krug, Seloss and Bollinger and Blanc de Noir. It was a huge surprise when it turned out to be a much cheaper blanc de blanc.
  (U:93,3)

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• 1999 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie Cuvée la Belle Hélène 98 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Dark red with a slightly light rim. An extremely intense nose with a very smoked character - tarred rope, tobacco, single malt whisky from Islay, dark berries and pepper. The taste is just as intense with tarred rope and licorice. It also very acidic, yet beautifully balanced. This is a very masculine wine, but without heaviness. With time in the glass it becomes more and more balanced and a bit less extreme without loosing its personality and strength.
  (U:96,6)

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• 1998 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Dark red with a slightly light rim. Very sweet and lightly smoked nose with some candied fruit and mocca. In the mouth it appears elegant, light and somewhat sweet. Good integration, seems almost seamless. The wine is seducing at entry, but tightens in the aftertaste, which reveals licorice and dry cuban tobacco. An excellent wine, but in this heat it got pretty much overshadowed by the other two.
  (U:94,8)

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• 1999 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 97 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Same color as the two previous wines. Big and slightly acidic nose with sweet red berries - strawberries mainly - caramel, marzipane and tons of herbs. The intensity is turned all the way up and there are also loads of fine tannins and acidic backbone. It is incredibly delicious and the herbal touch makes you think of the 2003 version even if this 1999 is more shy and elegant than the 2003. Initially I had this elegantier as the heat winner, but is was just a bit short cmpared to the Belle Helene. If Belle Helene was the ultimate masculine wine, this is clearly its feminime opposite.
  (U:96,2)

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• 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Dark red with a completely dark core and slightly light rim. Very intense nose with sweet dark berries, herbs, tea, coffee and some dried tobacco. In the mouth there is great lift and fine dry tannins. A very nice and elegant wine with dried roses and licorice in the aftertaste. Compared to the other two 1999 Lalalas this is probably somewhat closed.
  (U:96,8)

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• 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 100 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Dark red with slightly light and brown rim. Very sweet and intense - almost aetherial - nose with roasted coffee, tobacco, black tea and dried flowers. In the mouth there is enormous intensity, but also a lightness married to both bredth and depth. Notes of licorice, tar, herbs and pitch black berries. It appears seamless and with a stupendously long aftertaste. I gave the Mouline 100 almost instantaneously, but this kept growing on me as well and I had to surrender after 10 minutes of profound praising of the wine on my part.
  (U:98,8)

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• 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 100 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Dark red with a just slightly light rim. Extremely intense and sweet nose with dark berries and herbs GALORE. Unbeliveable seducing and very sexy. In the mouth it is equally intense with loads of berries and great lift. Great and very intense and long aftertaste with hints of licorice. It is actually difficult for me to describe the wine as it was very complex, but also immediately seducing. This is more of an emotional than a intellectual experience. Like 1990 DRC Romanee Saint Vivant with several extra levels of everything.
  (U:99,3)

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• 1998 Château d'Yquem 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Slightly dark yellow. Nose with sweet exotic fruit, some marzipane and glue (but none of the typical coconut...) Light, yet fat with a slightly unwelcome bitterness in the aftertaste. May well be a bit closed.
  (U:93,0)

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In conclusion it must be stated that when Northern Rhône plays then it is some incredibly big wines. I have rarely written that many notes with a recurring use of the key words intense, light and balanced. And that is the Northern Rhône magic: the extreme intensity combined with lightness and huge complexity.