C: deep garnet to mahogany rim The nose offers a heady bouquet of fresh compost, black pepper, dry stone and a mix of black and red fruits. The palate is relatively lean, but there is a smidgeon of flesh. The acid is a little more active, especially with the firmer condensed tannins and sappy rather green elements that creep into the finish. Perhaps a bit mean with its finer days in the past.
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Purchased from PC over 11 years ago for $15 when they were blowing out all those '02 Chapoutiers. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole lot (both white and red) right up to the 2002 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers from a few months ago. This one, sadly, misses the mark. It is lean, thin, astringent, green, drying, and not at all much fun to drink. The years haven't helped it any and have stripped away a lot of the fruit that may or may not have been there to begin with. This is the last of the '02s and I guess it is fitting that they are going out true to their supposed vintage character.
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Pungent nose of black and white pepper. Purple and Very concentrated for an '02. Minerally, iodine, asphalt, and blackberry. Great wine for such tough vintage.
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Rhone Walk-around Tasting (Carolines Wine Shop): 2.5 hectares; the colour is deep purple-ruby with vibrant aromas of red and black berry fruits warm, inviting nose. Beautifully textured, the entry displays plenty of ripe blackberries, smoke, cassis, cedarwood and vanilla essence. Excellent depth of flavour; there is plenty of flesh to coat the fine, gravelly tannins. Lavish wine that has a long farewell. Rather good but perhaps lacking complexity at this point.
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Seems fairly closed... tasting this is definitely an introspective effort, as the Les Granits seemed rather reticent. It had a fine texture and tannins, but other than the minerally-terrior, it didn't give up much fruit. Almost seemed fragile. Is this because it is closed or because it's from a dilute, off-year?
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5/2/2019 - rikipedia wrote: 84 Points
C: deep garnet to mahogany rim
The nose offers a heady bouquet of fresh compost, black pepper, dry stone and a mix of black and red fruits.
The palate is relatively lean, but there is a smidgeon of flesh. The acid is a little more active, especially with the firmer condensed tannins and sappy rather green elements that creep into the finish. Perhaps a bit mean with its finer days in the past.
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1/9/2017 - Mrboudin Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very nice on the nose but the greenish taste was not welcomeing for me.
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6/5/2016 - Neurowine1 Does not like this wine: 68 Points
Purchased from PC over 11 years ago for $15 when they were blowing out all those '02 Chapoutiers. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole lot (both white and red) right up to the 2002 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers from a few months ago. This one, sadly, misses the mark. It is lean, thin, astringent, green, drying, and not at all much fun to drink. The years haven't helped it any and have stripped away a lot of the fruit that may or may not have been there to begin with. This is the last of the '02s and I guess it is fitting that they are going out true to their supposed vintage character.
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12/15/2007 - Old_Winyards wrote:
Pungent nose of black and white pepper. Purple and Very concentrated for an '02. Minerally, iodine, asphalt, and blackberry. Great wine for such tough vintage.
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8/12/2006 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rhone Walk-around Tasting (Carolines Wine Shop): 2.5 hectares; the colour is deep purple-ruby with vibrant aromas of red and black berry fruits warm, inviting nose.
Beautifully textured, the entry displays plenty of ripe blackberries, smoke, cassis, cedarwood and vanilla essence. Excellent depth of flavour; there is plenty of flesh to coat the fine, gravelly tannins. Lavish wine that has a long farewell. Rather good but perhaps lacking complexity at this point.
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4/2/2006 - Old_Winyards wrote:
Seems fairly closed... tasting this is definitely an introspective effort, as the Les Granits seemed rather reticent. It had a fine texture and tannins, but other than the minerally-terrior, it didn't give up much fruit. Almost seemed fragile. Is this because it is closed or because it's from a dilute, off-year?
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