Welcome back, children! It is the triumphant return of the fish report with a beat and my least hated, most favourite fish is ...
Forgive me for borrowing from the Roger Record, 1987's 'Radio KAOS' but it is a great record, far better than the flaccid effort from Fat Dave and Nic the Architect, who had lost his capacities so badly that another drummer had to be used on record and for the early parts of the tour, itself a tour de force in marketing over music.
The connection with this wine, or wine of any kind?
Well, this vintage of C St J provokes mixed emotions for me, somewhat like the fish hating reporter who names his 'least hated, most favourite fish...' And for all that my hackles rose when my excitement at a new Pink Floyd record was met by the marketing company version of a Pink Floyd sound minus any substance at all, I do still kind of like that sound.
This wine is under that creaking, Medieval closure known as cork. A closure so unreliable and inherently f*^%ed that it's saving argument is that there is a romance to the cork. The same romance that there is to having sex with a pox ridden prostitute and thinking 'well, I might get lucky and come out of this with an uninfected knob'. At any rate, in this case the bottle has navigated the Cilla of cork taint and the Charybdis of excessive oxidation; whether you are so lucky is a matter of chance.
The colour is dense, still more about primary purples and deep reds than any brick or brown.
A word of warning - this wine is far, far better on day 2 than day 1. How better? There is real integration of flavours and structure on day 2 and you get a very pleasing experience in terms of mouthfeel. The tannins seem far more sandy than grainy. On day 1 the tannins messed with my head - not aggressive but one moment I am thinking 'wood tannins to the maximum', then I am thinking 'no, you silly c*5t, those are sandy tannins; can you really not tell the difference?'.
The length and intensity are exemplary - whether on day 1 or day 2.
This maker has a history going back to early in the last century, but it rose to fame off the back of an orgasmic Parker review of the 2003 vintage. This brings me to one of my points of mixed feelings. Parker is an easy target these days. I regard him as doing a lot of damage to French wines by encouraging wines that were heavily extracted, over oaked and with over-ripe fruit, as befits a smoker. On the other hand, he did give a somewhat moribund industry a real dildo up the Arschloch.
This wine is a Parker wine. The label says 16% ABV and indeed it does have all the delicacy of a Jagdtiger. Big does not begin to describe it. On day 1 I also found it oaky - mocha and some vanilla notes. Now this is a CdP that does use oak - although no new oak for the Grenache, which makes up about 75% of the blend. However, the Shiraz and Mourvèdre do get new oak and you don't need a lot to notice it. On day 2 the oak is still there but it sits in the pocket and it is the fruit that makes the first charge, a bit like Fat Dave's guitar on 'A New Machine Part 1' and even his vocal on that track 'I have always been here...' It is just that on day 1 it was hard to notice.
On day 1 and 2 the fruit is a mix of the caricature and the genuine; again like 'A Momentary Lapse of (T)reason'. There are prune, baked fruit notes but also some surprising blue fruits and attractive dark berries. Also, the whole package is finished by some surprisingly fresh acid.
Overall, on day 1 this was more about the things I hate, like Fat Dave and his accountant mind, but on day 2 it was about the things I like, presumably the bits of Dave that survived his middle age spread and pompous English sensibilities - those moments of genuine artistry that survived.
It also has to be said that you get a lot of CdP for your coin here. My score relates to the objective elements - if you love the style, you will go higher, if you hate the style, you might go lower and if you are like me and try to take each wine on its merits you will probably fall around this mark. On day 2 this is fat but beautiful. And I do love the tannins. Yet, I do tend to pine more for the leaner stuff, the cranky, angular Roger, whom I think of as being un-Parkerised Bordeaux.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium color with brick red color. Light viscosity. Strong astringent nose but light fruit flavors. Softened taste and ready to drink. Smooth taste and not strong fruit flavors. I’d call it average and below expectations for a magnum gift.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pnp. Very hot from the outset, but smoothed out a bit after some time in the glass. Showing great potential, and I will wait a few years before visiting this wine again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
La Meat Maison Wine Fair (Papillon Bistrot): Sampled from magnum The wine feels fresh, rather lean, ripe cherries, berries, a touch earthy, spicy, pot pouri, vanilla. Palate is lean, easy, light cherry notes, it shows a more elegant version of the style, alcohol heat (16%), a few but drying tannins, medium finish but lacks complexity
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
ich war überrascht, dass der Wein trotz seiner 16 % Alc. nicht schwerfälliges und nicht marmeladig war. Aktuell wohl noch nicht ganz auf dem Höhepunkt u. meine letzte Flasche bleibt deswegen noch 3 - 4 Jahre im Keller
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very fruit forward (strawberry, cherry,). Not some much secondary notes such as forest floor and mushrooms. Definitely too young for me. Will develop and improve over at least the next ten years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I had this bottle at The Oven with the somm, Pratik. I had a small bit right away and decanted the bottle for over an hour while drinking it with malai kofta and mulligatawny soup. I agree with the previous notes in some respects. There is some good fruit here, with notes of kirsch and sour cherry or dark cherry, garrigue, maybe some other things. The problem is that the alcohol is 16%, which is just over bearing and ruins the wine for me. Too much heat. Even at this price point it is not something I would buy again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
CdP clearance night. Split wine session. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Long legs. Nose imedium+ intensity, with aromas of kirsch, liqueur, red cherries, redcurrant, hint of brett and animal. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, high alcohol (16%! why am I even shocked anymore?), medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of kirsch liqueur, garrigue, Provencal herbs, white pepper spice, sweet ripe red cherries, redcurrant. Long finish. Good quality. Quite classic CdP. Trying to be somewhat elegant but falling short. Alcohol heat is evident. Still young now, and some medium term ageing of about another 3-4 years should be good.
PnP with no decant, had outdoors on a lovely spring evening. I am a huge fan of this winery (and this entry level bottling specifically) and have been buying this and the Vieilles Vignes each year since 2010. Very nice, completely open for business in 15 minutes. Great for summer sipping, nice and light bodied - try to slip this in to the mix when the ladies get tired of rose. I recommend no decant for this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Grilled strawberry, worn leather, thyme, lavender, sagebrush. Jumps out of the glass.
Mouth: Sweet notes of juiced strawberry, red plum, and glazed raspberry flip back on to themselves, showing just a bit of melted licorice before taking on bitter grilled garrigue notes. A light hit of tar checks in on the very finish together with rounded tannins but the grilled garrigue still holds sway in the end.
Overall: A bit of a classical take here, even in spite of the juicer upfront fruit that shows first. This goes full tilt into the bitter herb end of the finish, giving it both balance and room to run. Drink now-2032. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse, Muscardin
91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose was ripe and intense with a wave of crushed blueberry, sweet--sweet herbs, brown sugar, confectionary spices and dusty minerals. On the palate, I found velvety textures ushering in liquid violet florals, spiced blueberry, black raspberry and spice with brisk acidity, hints of savory herbs and tobacco. The finish was medium in length, resonating on balsamic spices, caking minerals and dark berries, with the slightest hint of heat. This is a big mouthful of a wine, but I can certainly see the draw for those who prefer a bigger style of Châteauneuf du Pape.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice and powerful nose of black salty licorice, ripe black cherries, good freshness.... Super delicate mineral and salty building up with ripe red and black cherries, very well balanced, one of the most fresh and feminine Clos Saint Jean!!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nez : certes un fruit pas encore totalement ouvert mais un côté pur dégagé tout de même sur de la mûre, de la prune, du réglisse, des épices et du graphite.
Bouche : l’attaque est très douce et aromatique. Précis et soyeux, avec plus de structure et de densité que la cuvée classique des millésimes 2013 et 2014 dégustées en parallèle, le palais offre un bel équilibre sur des notes de mûre, de cerise, d’orange sanguine et d’épices. Le grain de tanin est fin en bouche puis se resserre légèrement en fin de bouche. Finale de plutôt bonne longueur, savoureuse sur de la cerise kirschée, l’orange sanguine, des épices, et des notes herbacées.
Note : 16,25-16,5/20 i.e. 91-92/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
10/21/2023 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Welcome back, children! It is the triumphant return of the fish report with a beat and my least hated, most favourite fish is ...
Forgive me for borrowing from the Roger Record, 1987's 'Radio KAOS' but it is a great record, far better than the flaccid effort from Fat Dave and Nic the Architect, who had lost his capacities so badly that another drummer had to be used on record and for the early parts of the tour, itself a tour de force in marketing over music.
The connection with this wine, or wine of any kind?
Well, this vintage of C St J provokes mixed emotions for me, somewhat like the fish hating reporter who names his 'least hated, most favourite fish...' And for all that my hackles rose when my excitement at a new Pink Floyd record was met by the marketing company version of a Pink Floyd sound minus any substance at all, I do still kind of like that sound.
This wine is under that creaking, Medieval closure known as cork. A closure so unreliable and inherently f*^%ed that it's saving argument is that there is a romance to the cork. The same romance that there is to having sex with a pox ridden prostitute and thinking 'well, I might get lucky and come out of this with an uninfected knob'. At any rate, in this case the bottle has navigated the Cilla of cork taint and the Charybdis of excessive oxidation; whether you are so lucky is a matter of chance.
The colour is dense, still more about primary purples and deep reds than any brick or brown.
A word of warning - this wine is far, far better on day 2 than day 1. How better? There is real integration of flavours and structure on day 2 and you get a very pleasing experience in terms of mouthfeel. The tannins seem far more sandy than grainy. On day 1 the tannins messed with my head - not aggressive but one moment I am thinking 'wood tannins to the maximum', then I am thinking 'no, you silly c*5t, those are sandy tannins; can you really not tell the difference?'.
The length and intensity are exemplary - whether on day 1 or day 2.
This maker has a history going back to early in the last century, but it rose to fame off the back of an orgasmic Parker review of the 2003 vintage. This brings me to one of my points of mixed feelings. Parker is an easy target these days. I regard him as doing a lot of damage to French wines by encouraging wines that were heavily extracted, over oaked and with over-ripe fruit, as befits a smoker. On the other hand, he did give a somewhat moribund industry a real dildo up the Arschloch.
This wine is a Parker wine. The label says 16% ABV and indeed it does have all the delicacy of a Jagdtiger. Big does not begin to describe it. On day 1 I also found it oaky - mocha and some vanilla notes. Now this is a CdP that does use oak - although no new oak for the Grenache, which makes up about 75% of the blend. However, the Shiraz and Mourvèdre do get new oak and you don't need a lot to notice it. On day 2 the oak is still there but it sits in the pocket and it is the fruit that makes the first charge, a bit like Fat Dave's guitar on 'A New Machine Part 1' and even his vocal on that track 'I have always been here...' It is just that on day 1 it was hard to notice.
On day 1 and 2 the fruit is a mix of the caricature and the genuine; again like 'A Momentary Lapse of (T)reason'. There are prune, baked fruit notes but also some surprising blue fruits and attractive dark berries. Also, the whole package is finished by some surprisingly fresh acid.
Overall, on day 1 this was more about the things I hate, like Fat Dave and his accountant mind, but on day 2 it was about the things I like, presumably the bits of Dave that survived his middle age spread and pompous English sensibilities - those moments of genuine artistry that survived.
It also has to be said that you get a lot of CdP for your coin here. My score relates to the objective elements - if you love the style, you will go higher, if you hate the style, you might go lower and if you are like me and try to take each wine on its merits you will probably fall around this mark. On day 2 this is fat but beautiful. And I do love the tannins. Yet, I do tend to pine more for the leaner stuff, the cranky, angular Roger, whom I think of as being un-Parkerised Bordeaux.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2023 - Risky Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark berry, slightly tart, needed to open for about 30 minutes. Medium texture.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2023 - Superfly008 wrote: 80 Points
Medium color with brick red color. Light viscosity. Strong astringent nose but light fruit flavors. Softened taste and ready to drink. Smooth taste and not strong fruit flavors. I’d call it average and below expectations for a magnum gift.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2023 - NJG-323879 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pnp. Very hot from the outset, but smoothed out a bit after some time in the glass. Showing great potential, and I will wait a few years before visiting this wine again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2022 - WilD wrote: 92 Points
Nice C9dP. Typical garique flavours. Drinking very well now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2022 - Risky Likes this wine: 90 Points
medium body, dark berries, slight baking spices
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2022 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent, beaucoup de fruit.un peu de réglisse. Bel équilibre, très droit tout en étant ample avec des tanins arrondis. Délicieux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2022 - leachriscellar wrote: 92 Points
Dark cherry, plum, chocolate flavors with currant & clove scents.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2022 - kostaslonis wrote:
La Meat Maison Wine Fair (Papillon Bistrot): Sampled from magnum
The wine feels fresh, rather lean, ripe cherries, berries, a touch earthy, spicy, pot pouri, vanilla. Palate is lean, easy, light cherry notes, it shows a more elegant version of the style, alcohol heat (16%), a few but drying tannins, medium finish but lacks complexity
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2021 - Nahebub wrote: 91 Points
ich war überrascht, dass der Wein trotz seiner 16 % Alc. nicht schwerfälliges und nicht marmeladig war. Aktuell wohl noch nicht ganz auf dem Höhepunkt u. meine letzte Flasche bleibt deswegen noch 3 - 4 Jahre im Keller
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2021 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened in 2021 and drank without decanting. Great Cherry and floral aroma. Should have decanted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2021 - stijndries wrote: 88 Points
Very fruit forward (strawberry, cherry,). Not some much secondary notes such as forest floor and mushrooms. Definitely too young for me. Will develop and improve over at least the next ten years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2021 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine: 87 Points
I had this bottle at The Oven with the somm, Pratik. I had a small bit right away and decanted the bottle for over an hour while drinking it with malai kofta and mulligatawny soup. I agree with the previous notes in some respects. There is some good fruit here, with notes of kirsch and sour cherry or dark cherry, garrigue, maybe some other things. The problem is that the alcohol is 16%, which is just over bearing and ruins the wine for me. Too much heat. Even at this price point it is not something I would buy again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 91 Points
CdP clearance night. Split wine session. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Long legs.
Nose imedium+ intensity, with aromas of kirsch, liqueur, red cherries, redcurrant, hint of brett and animal. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, high alcohol (16%! why am I even shocked anymore?), medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of kirsch liqueur, garrigue, Provencal herbs, white pepper spice, sweet ripe red cherries, redcurrant. Long finish.
Good quality. Quite classic CdP. Trying to be somewhat elegant but falling short. Alcohol heat is evident. Still young now, and some medium term ageing of about another 3-4 years should be good.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/21/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP with no decant, had outdoors on a lovely spring evening. I am a huge fan of this winery (and this entry level bottling specifically) and have been buying this and the Vieilles Vignes each year since 2010. Very nice, completely open for business in 15 minutes. Great for summer sipping, nice and light bodied - try to slip this in to the mix when the ladies get tired of rose. I recommend no decant for this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2020 - RoyaltyCoins wrote: 91 Points
Medium ruby
Nose: Grilled strawberry, worn leather, thyme, lavender, sagebrush. Jumps out of the glass.
Mouth: Sweet notes of juiced strawberry, red plum, and glazed raspberry flip back on to themselves, showing just a bit of melted licorice before taking on bitter grilled garrigue notes. A light hit of tar checks in on the very finish together with rounded tannins but the grilled garrigue still holds sway in the end.
Overall: A bit of a classical take here, even in spite of the juicer upfront fruit that shows first. This goes full tilt into the bitter herb end of the finish, giving it both balance and room to run. Drink now-2032. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse, Muscardin
91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2020 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beaucoup de fruits rouge, le vin est droit, sapide et frais. Petite influence d’herbe seches. Superbe!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2020 - Hawk94 wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful CDP, fresh, loads of fruits, pure and delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2020 - Crimson25 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decent CdP, good for price, nothing special
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2019 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 89 Points
The nose was ripe and intense with a wave of crushed blueberry, sweet--sweet herbs, brown sugar, confectionary spices and dusty minerals. On the palate, I found velvety textures ushering in liquid violet florals, spiced blueberry, black raspberry and spice with brisk acidity, hints of savory herbs and tobacco. The finish was medium in length, resonating on balsamic spices, caking minerals and dark berries, with the slightest hint of heat. This is a big mouthful of a wine, but I can certainly see the draw for those who prefer a bigger style of Châteauneuf du Pape.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2019 - blaine wrote: 88 Points
Somewhat muted, not the best CSJ example. Gonna wait on my other two. Modest nose, modest palate. Nice finish. Maybe just closed down right now...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2019 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 90 Points
Walk around tasting. Tasted in a flight of 4 vintages, this is probably the most structured wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2018 - Omar Khayyam wrote:
Sampling the December 8, 2017 new releases (små partier) from Systembolaget (Systembolaget, Stockholm): Much more tight on the nose than the Santa doc. Stern, grippy, great potential but not really ready to drink. Under the surface there's a lot of dark berries. (91-93)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2018 - Opusone99 wrote: 92 Points
Sans prise de notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2017 - etyc Likes this wine:
Clos Saint Jean wine-dinner with Vincent Maurel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Earthy, with plush, polished, ripe tannins, fresh, sweet, ripe, red fruits and a nice, purity in the soft textured, pure, kirsch finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2017 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Very nice and powerful nose of black salty licorice, ripe black cherries, good freshness.... Super delicate mineral and salty building up with ripe red and black cherries, very well balanced, one of the most fresh and feminine Clos Saint Jean!!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2017 - I've Got Bottle (JP Abela) wrote: 92 Points
Printemps Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017; 4/7/2017-4/9/2017 (Châteauneuf-du-Pape): Couleur : rubis – léger violine.
Nez : certes un fruit pas encore totalement ouvert mais un côté pur dégagé tout de même sur de la mûre, de la prune, du réglisse, des épices et du graphite.
Bouche : l’attaque est très douce et aromatique. Précis et soyeux, avec plus de structure et de densité que la cuvée classique des millésimes 2013 et 2014 dégustées en parallèle, le palais offre un bel équilibre sur des notes de mûre, de cerise, d’orange sanguine et d’épices.
Le grain de tanin est fin en bouche puis se resserre légèrement en fin de bouche.
Finale de plutôt bonne longueur, savoureuse sur de la cerise kirschée, l’orange sanguine, des épices, et des notes herbacées.
Note : 16,25-16,5/20 i.e. 91-92/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2017 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Printemps du Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting. (La salle des fêtes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape): Fresh red berries and cherries. Very round and supple. Creamy and good garrigue. Still very youthful, but this will be a beauty 6+ years from now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2017 - Philippe_C wrote: 93 Points
Nose of cold and ripe black cherries, licorice, spices cake... All "en finesse", sappy tannins, ripe red cherries, nice acidity, cold vintage
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment