WLTV Offline Get Together
Cotes Du Rhone Restaurant in Chicago
Tasted January 20, 2008 by Claudio161 with 1,001 views
Introduction
Meet for an offline event with a number of great folks that I met online at WineLibrary TV. The bottles had all been opened/decanted for various times - but to the best of my knowledge they had all received some air time prior to the restaurant. The focus was on CdP wines. All wines were tasted using a Waterford Mondavi Syrah glass which is listed as being the proper glass for CdP.
Each of the participants brought a bottle of wine and everyone was able to get about a 1oz pour.
Flight 1 (12 notes)
Same as the introductory notes
Smell: Smoke, leather, earth, dark fruits - overall a very nice general appeal
Taste: Nice smooth impression and well integrated/balanced. Young baby wine though - needs more age. Also some oak notes and leather saddle.
Overall: Totally different than when opened at 1:30 pm and recorked for xportation to restaurant at 6:30 pm CST. Really interesting how it was very different when compared to how it tasted upon opening. Bet this will be even better in the future!
Sight: Medium Dark
Smell: Leather; Earth; Roasted Dark Fruits; Some Oak; Dark and Sensual smells???
Taste: Similar to smell; nice balance; acid+body is full; again I have to stress that the balance is great
Overall: Fine +, somewhat young and will be better in the coming years
Smell: Big boy nose; some alcohol heat; Provencal market nose; leather; aged dark fruit; also a nice jammy characteristic; oak wood as well; Arugula/peppery?
Taste: Huge attack; high acidity; medium length; heat; some slight out of balance aspects of the wine
Overall: fine to fine+
Smell: Some nice floral (subtle); some oak; slight heat and acidity on the nose
Taste: Some toasted nuts (vanillin?); seems still young; some heat
Overall: Acceptable +
Smell: "Jamminess"; wood smoke; some spice box; chocolate muted notes
Taste: Hits you as a great wine. Just so much going on at once. Oak; Medium acidity; Medium body; Weight is med to heavy; balance is really good. Sorry not more specific - it was just a wow wine.
Overall: Outstanding! I want some!!!!
Smell: Alcohol; heat; some candy store smells; oak; sweet syrup; does not seem too sophisticated
Taste: Nice but nothing memorable; quaffable but not tremendous
Overall: Acceptable
Sight: Medium Dark; Clear/Clarified wine; Low Viscosity
Smell: Thin appeal? 6 on a 10 scale. Not much fruit; Bouquet has some grape juice notes
Taste: Balance is slightly out of whack; med to low acidity; length is medium; short on finish
Overall: Poor
Sight: Medium dark
Smell: Forgettable; candy-ish nose
Taste: Bad; lacking balance
Overall: don't buy
Sight: Medium color; medium viscosity; clarified wine
Smell: Raisiny and sweet; stewed plums; sweetness - off balance
Taste: Portish-type wine with a lot of sweetness. The sweet aspect is slightly too much.
Overall: Acceptable minus (-)
Closing
Overall it was a very fun and great tasting. Made me appreciate Chateneuf du Pape's even more!