94 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent (Former Editor-in-Chief, Wine Advocate)
I love this wine... and will write it up myself shortly... but i am running late to pick up my son... so, I'm going to let Lisa Perrotti-Brown explain this unique wine.
"Blending has been commonly practiced by winemakers for centuries, on a most basic level, to achieve better balance and otherwise improve the overall quality of the various individual parts by creating a more complex sum. Today, legal limitations on the extent of blending include local labeling laws that restrict non-permitted grapes and the percentage of regionally sourced fruit within a wine that mentions a legally recognized, delimited region. In the good old days, going back a century or more, there were no such labeling rules. In the nineteenth and even into the early twentieth centuries, Bordeaux winemakers were known to “improve” their wines from difficult vintages with the addition of a little undeclared Northern Rhône Syrah.
Odyssée—a wine started in 2015 as a similar throwback blend by Pierre Graffeuille, managing director of Château Léoville Las Cases, and his friend in the Rhône, Matthieu Dumarcher—is now into its fourth vintage release. “At first, we tried blending wine from the Médoc with just Syrah from the Rhône,” said Graffeuille. “It didn’t work for us. We found that Grenache was a better complement. Grenache is plump, juicy and sweet—it matches better, in fact. We decided to create a new style of ‘Hermitage blend.’ So, the base is Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, blended with other varieties.”
The other significant difference between Odyssée and its historical inspiration is that this wine is not a Bordeaux base with just a splash of the Rhône. “We are looking at around a 60/40 blend. We want the blend to be shared almost equally between both regions,” said Graffeuille.
Before I tasted the wines, I have to confess I had doubts, just looking at grape variety blends. But, as with any great wine, style and character are reflections of not just varieties but places. I love this wine because it so clearly, beautifully conveys attributes of both the Médoc and the Southern Rhône. What’s more, they shine together beautifully. Straight Cabernet Sauvignon from the northern Médoc can be very structured, bordering on austere. Grenache from the Southern Rhône maintains the variety’s plush texture and generosity, but it is more savory/earthier in style than, say, from Australia or California, melding seamlessly with the restraint of the Médoc, while the Cabernet gives it backbone and lift. After tasting all four vintages, I think this northern Médoc/Southern Rhône marriage is inspired and downright delicious." Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Composed of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Grenache and 10% Carignan, the 2020 Odyssee is medium to deep garnet-purple in coor. After a little swirling, notes of black cherries, mulberries and wild blueberries tumble from the glass, followed by hints of lavender, Indian spices, and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate is coated with expressive black fruits, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced.
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2020 Pierre Graffeuille et Matthieu Dumarcher Odyssée
2/27/2024 - LM_NC wrote:
94 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent (Former Editor-in-Chief, Wine Advocate)
I love this wine... and will write it up myself shortly... but i am running late to pick up my son... so, I'm going to let Lisa Perrotti-Brown explain this unique wine.
"Blending has been commonly practiced by winemakers for centuries, on a most basic level, to achieve better balance and otherwise improve the overall quality of the various individual parts by creating a more complex sum. Today, legal limitations on the extent of blending include local labeling laws that restrict non-permitted grapes and the percentage of regionally sourced fruit within a wine that mentions a legally recognized, delimited region. In the good old days, going back a century or more, there were no such labeling rules. In the nineteenth and even into the early twentieth centuries, Bordeaux winemakers were known to “improve” their wines from difficult vintages with the addition of a little undeclared Northern Rhône Syrah.
Odyssée—a wine started in 2015 as a similar throwback blend by Pierre Graffeuille, managing director of Château Léoville Las Cases, and his friend in the Rhône, Matthieu Dumarcher—is now into its fourth vintage release. “At first, we tried blending wine from the Médoc with just Syrah from the Rhône,” said Graffeuille. “It didn’t work for us. We found that Grenache was a better complement. Grenache is plump, juicy and sweet—it matches better, in fact. We decided to create a new style of ‘Hermitage blend.’ So, the base is Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, blended with other varieties.”
The other significant difference between Odyssée and its historical inspiration is that this wine is not a Bordeaux base with just a splash of the Rhône. “We are looking at around a 60/40 blend. We want the blend to be shared almost equally between both regions,” said Graffeuille.
Before I tasted the wines, I have to confess I had doubts, just looking at grape variety blends. But, as with any great wine, style and character are reflections of not just varieties but places. I love this wine because it so clearly, beautifully conveys attributes of both the Médoc and the Southern Rhône. What’s more, they shine together beautifully. Straight Cabernet Sauvignon from the northern Médoc can be very structured, bordering on austere. Grenache from the Southern Rhône maintains the variety’s plush texture and generosity, but it is more savory/earthier in style than, say, from Australia or California, melding seamlessly with the restraint of the Médoc, while the Cabernet gives it backbone and lift. After tasting all four vintages, I think this northern Médoc/Southern Rhône marriage is inspired and downright delicious." Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Composed of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Grenache and 10% Carignan, the 2020 Odyssee is medium to deep garnet-purple in coor. After a little swirling, notes of black cherries, mulberries and wild blueberries tumble from the glass, followed by hints of lavender, Indian spices, and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate is coated with expressive black fruits, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced.
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2016 Château Juvenal Ventoux La Terre du Petit Homme
8/15/2022 - LM_NC Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent table wine in the category of GSM, a surprise from Ventoux.
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2005 Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition
12/10/2021 - LM_NC Does not like this wine: 70 Points
Raw tannins; harsh aftertaste.
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