2008 Domaine Jean Royer Le Petit Roy

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  12/19/2010, (See more on RJonWine.com...) 89 points

  (Domaine Jean Royer Le Petit Roy) Medium dark red violet color; nice berry, floral, plum nose; tasty, tart plum, tart berry, green pepper, green herb palate; medium finish

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  4/5/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (Petit Roy ROYER) Chateauneuf du Pape et al Dear Friends, Call me crazy, but this may be my favorite new house wine. I realize I'm in the minority here, but 2008 in the Southern Rhone continues to surprise and the low-impact/low-alcohol style of the vintage performs beautifully at the dinner table. As a side note, many of you continue to ask for comments on 2009 in Bordeaux and it's a vintage that will perplex as much as scintillate. There are far too many diffuse, alcoholic and candied wines in 2009 - I cannot remember a year with so many near-perfect, tear-worthy examples alongside just as many disappointing 14.0-14.5+% Cabernet and Merlot based wines that could come from Chile or even the Barossa? It is going to be very interesting to see if the critics are swayed by this somewhat sweet and even syrupy style (buffered by layered Bordelaise tannins and, in the best cases, ample acidity). I may be tooting the home-town horn here but the 2009 Bordeaux vintage reminds me somewhat of a top year in Washington State (more so than the style of Napa or Sonoma). Don't get me wrong, there are some phenomenal, knee-bending wines in 2009 but there are also historic, legendary Chateau that really missed a golden opportunity - that is not the mark of a great overall vintage. So far, in my opinion, 2000 and 2005 are better overall years in Bordeaux but the very finest 2009's could surpass either of those campaigns with a style that has touches of 1929, 1947, 1959, 1982 and 1990. Stay tuned...now back to the Rhone... With that, there is nothing perplexing about Jean Royer's 2008 Le Petit Roy - basically a mini-CdP aged only in tank (the wine is so darn versatile and delicious it needs to be tasted). As it was last year, the 2008 is as good or better than a wide range of examples from Chateauneuf proper and it requires little thought to open a bottle or three (due to the absurdly low price). What makes this vintage of Le Petit Roy so enticing is a magnetic texture of silken red fruit that harkens to Vosne Romanee as well as Chiroubles and Saumur. A seductive wine that wraps its cashmere arms around your palate and entices over many hours with tinges of cracked pepper, rock and red fruit. With the 2008, Royer's sultry and pure style is on full display - a persona that combines traditional Rhone elements with a texture and sap usually associated with Pinot Noir. It all adds up to a lip smacking, soil infused bottle of red velvet at moderate alcohol levels for Avignon (13.5-14.0%). Engaging and delightful - the 2008 is potentially even better than the 2007 as more of Royer's Chateauneuf Tradition and Prestige were used in the Petit Roy. This parcel has been bottled expressly for you by Jean Royer and his talented team of one. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED at this price up to 48/person until we run out ONE SHIPMENT ONLY 2008 Le Petit Roy (Jean Royer) ...plus a few bonus wines - two of Royer's boutique cuvees that we offered last fall (as far as I know, both of these 2007's were not imported to the US and were not available at retail in Europe). Royer has "a few" cases in library (less than 10 cases of each) so let us know if you are interested - both are very serious wines worth your attention. I am convinced the Hommage will best 90% of the top wines of 2007 if given the requisite cellar time. Royer's traditional approach with the Hommage is not for fun and games or show - it is for ageing and potential complexity. In addition, the bottle of Sola Regalis I had last week proves this wine is just now coming into its own - think a combination of Les Beaux Monts, St. Joseph and Avignon - really interesting wine with time on its side - could be a great blind wine in a number of years (give it at least 10 years in the cellar). (text reprinted from last time): 2007 Domaine Jean Royer Chëteauneuf-du-Pape "Sola RÄgalis" Syrah This is Royer's most limited wine - the allocation is almost not worth discussing (3-6 bottles per state). As the name indicates, it is a unique 2007 Chëteauneuf Syrah that will still be drinking well when my children graduate from college (the youngest is 1 so you can do the math). Royer plays with the formula for the Regalis when the vintage dictates its production only deciding at the last minute which tanks or barrels will be bottled (if any) as Regalis. Any lots that show too much wood or over-extraction are declassified. James Molesworth's review below is from bottle so the final blend seems to be a rousing success. This is basically impossible to find: 2007 Jean Royer Chateauneuf du Pape "Hommage a Mon Pere" EXTREMELY LIMITED This wine is underpriced for the vintage - it is one of the rarest wines in all of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It is like traditional Grenache cement - I don't mean vinified in cement, I mean actual cement. I have no doubt that in 30 years when all the 2007s are blind tasted, this old-vine throwback will emerge as one of the finest of the vintage. It is not sexy or manufactured to a win a tasting in 2009 - it's for 2029 and beyond. Would be a terrific choice as a 21st birthday wine (if you have kids born in 2007): Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Rhone2367 Rhone2368 Rhone2369