Tasted Sunday, June 18, 2006 - Tuesday, June 20, 2006 by Siggy with 1,441 views
Four of us (Ben Andersen, Dave Dalluge, Kevin Sidders, and I) visited France for a nearly two-week tour through Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the northern Rhône, and Burgundy. It was the educational and hedonistic experience of a lifetime. After eating and drinking our way through Châteauneuf-du-Pape, we drove up to Valence and spent two solid days touring Condrieu, Cornas, Hermitage, and Côte-Rôtie.
(6/18/2006)
Dinner @ Pic Bistro. Very nice Chablis with zesty lemon and minerals. Crisp and clean. A steal at 50 Euros on the restaurant wine list.
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(6/18/2006)
Dinner @ Pic Bistro. Excellent St. Joseph, with a fragrant nose of blackberries and roasted meats. Wonderful balance and finesse.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 90% Marsanne / 10% Rousanne. Fresh, floral, with zesty acidity and a touch of honey and bitter almond.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Barrel fermented for 12 months; 100% Marsanne; 1/3 new oak. Grassy, with some interesting caramel and green apple flavors. Hides the new oak well. Very acidic.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. From 70 year old vines. 100% barrel fermented Marsanne. Spicy oak, with notes of vanilla, honey, and almond paste.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. From 70 year old vines. 100% barrel fermented Marsanne. Bottled March 2006. Young and fresh. Floral and citrus, with some nice fatness in the background. Good acidity. A better vintage for St. Peray. Very good to excellent.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Beef blood, grilled meat. Smells like a rare steak. Good minerality. Medium body.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Bottled 4 days prior to tasting. 20 months in barrel; 20-25% new oak. Spice, tannic, concentrated. Supple but not heavy in the mouth. Clean, ripe, pure fruit. Red berried. Light/medium body. Very good.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Ripe, jammy, roasted fruit. A little more simple and straightforward than the 2004. Tar and tobacco. Tannic.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. From 70 year old vines. A good result for a difficult vintage. Jammy purple fruits. Cinnamon and spice. Good acidity and purity of fruit. Definitely better than the 2003 VV.
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(6/19/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. Sweet purple fruits on the nose. Concentrated and structured. Baking spices and cinnamon. Very good.
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(6/19/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. Just finished fermentation. A little reduced. Dense and primal, with good acidity and palate heft. Concentrated. Seems promising but tough to evaluate.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Bottled two weeks prior to tasting; 50 cases produced. 100% Marsanne. Light grassy notes and some citrus.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Banana, tropical fruit, and nut notes. Fresh and clean, with good minerality.
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(6/19/2006)
Cask sample tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. 100% Syrah. Big nose. Jammy purple fruit. Doesn't quite follow through on the palate as the finish turns a bit drying. I think the addition of the Cask #14 fruit will help the final blend here.
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(6/19/2006)
Several cask samples tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Some will into the Renaissance, some into the "big" Cornas, and some of Cask #14 into the CdR. Cask #14: Young vines. Smoke and jammy fruit. Cask #24: 15 year old vines from Reynards vineyard, good structure and acidity; very promising. Cask #39: 80% Sabarotte vineyard, 20% La Geynale vineyard. Perfumed smoky nose and spice. Cask #43: Older vines from La Cote vineyard. Spectacular. Very structured and tannic, with expressive ripe red fruit. This will be an amazing addition to the "big" 2005 Cornas. Cask #34: Old vines from Reynards vineyard. Polished, very smooth. Tannic and big, with nice fruit and balance. Both the Cornas and Renaissance look to be fabulous wines in the making for 2005.
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(6/19/2006)
Several cask samples tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Some will into the Renaissance, some into the "big" Cornas, and some of Cask #14 into the CdR. Cask #14: Young vines. Smoke and jammy fruit. Cask #24: 15 year old vines from Reynards vineyard, good structure and acidity; very promising. Cask #39: 80% Sabarotte vineyard, 20% La Geynale vineyard. Perfumed smoky nose and spice. Cask #43: Older vines from La Cote vineyard. Spectacular. Very structured and tannic, with expressive ripe red fruit. This will be an amazing addition to the "big" 2005 Cornas. Cask #34: Old vines from Reynards vineyard. Polished, very smooth. Tannic and big, with nice fruit and balance. Both the Cornas and Renaissance look to be fabulous wines in the making for 2005.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted both from bottle and cask at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Lightly fined with egg white. From bottle, this had a fragrant nose of roasted meat and smoke. From cask, it showed rounder and juicier fruit. Less concentrated than the 05 cask samples or the 03, with slightly higher acidity. Very good.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Lightly fined with egg white; bottled 3 days prior to tasting. Deep rich fruit and smoked meat. Subtle spices. Beautiful balance and depth. Excellent.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Super-ripe fruit. Pure blackberry jam. Raisiny. Atypical and California-like.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Not as concentrated as the other vintages. Spearmint and red fruit; medium body. Elegant.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Pierre-Marie Clape. Initially a little reticent on the nose. Cherries and smoke. Very balanced and harmonious. Good minerality. Excellent.
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(6/19/2006)
Lunch @ Le Chandron, Tournon. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Fruity and nice. Cherries, caramel, and a touch of new oak.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 100% Marsanne; 25-30% new oak. Fresh acidity and orange zest. Crisp. Promising; still needs time.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 100% Marsanne with 40% new oak. 14.5% alcohol. Honey/gold. Butter and some orange flavors. Sweet spices. Oaky. Turns a little drying and bitter on the finish.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 100% Marsanne with 15% new oak. Deep gold. Soaring floral and apricot nose. Pineapple and green apple. Good minerality. Very good.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Recently bottled, and probably showing the effects. Not much fruit. Tar, tobacco, and iodine. Tannic and angular.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Super-concentrated nose. Rich jammy fruit, ink, tar, and leather. Massive. Atypical and almost Californian in style.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Fantastic nose, with a hint of licorice and burned rubber. Supple and smooth. Bloody and meaty, with great minerality and elegance. Excellent.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Plump and wide open for business. Bacon fat, animal, and moderate fruit. Forest floor and some licorice. Very good.
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(6/19/2006)
Tank samples tasted at the domaine w/ Jean-Louis Chave. #1 (Maison Blanche): Yummy sweet butterscotch. #2 (Les Peleat): Tighter, more floral and acidic. #3 (L'Hermite): All about the texture. Fat and plump; creamy butterscotch. #4 (Rocquil): Honey and white flowers. Beautiful. Chave's 2004 Hermitage Blanc holds huge promise at this stage.
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(6/19/2006)
Barrel samples tasted at the domaine w/ Jean-Louis Chave. #1 (Les Baumes): Bright, pure cherry fruit. Beautifully smoky and meaty. #2 (Les Peleat): Beautiful, high-toned fruit. Good acidity. #3 (Le Geuniere): Rich blackberry fruit and bright acidity. #4 (Meal): Dust, minerals, and bright fruit. Great purity, balance, and finesse. #5 (L'Hermite): Darker, rich, deep black fruit. #6 (Bessards): Very tannic and structured. Clearly the backbone of the finished blend. Chave looks to have a huge success with his 2004 Hermitage.
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(6/19/2006)
Tasted at the domaine w/ Jean-Louis Chave. Lighter-styled, with notes of tea, red fruits, smoke, and minerals. Fully mature and drinking superbly well.
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(6/19/2006)
Dinner @ Michelle Chabran, Valence. Same bottle as Vinsanity. I didn't take detailed notes, but I remember this being somewhat tight and closed.
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(6/19/2006)
Dinner @ Michelle Chabran, Valence. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Delicious. Melon, flowers, and tropical fruit notes. Nice balance and heft.
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(6/19/2006)
Dinner @ Michelle Chabran, Valence. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Tasted immediately after the 2004, this was bigger, less acidic, spicier, and oilier. I liked the 2004 better.
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(6/20/2006)
Blended barrel sample tasted at the domaine. Brick red. Big strawberry and leather nose. Very smoky, showing lots of licorice and earth. Good acidity.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Bottled Sept 05. Aged 24 months in 20% new oak. Ultra-ripe, almost raisiny jam on the nose. Huge figs and blackberries. Low acid, but still some good structure lurking underneath the fruit. According to Mme. Jamet, this tastes "like a California Pinot that tastes like a Syrah."
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted blind at the domaine. From a half-bottle that had been opened the previous day. I guessed this was the 1997. Mushrooms and sweet red fruits on the nose. Concentrated kirsch and earth. Smooth texture; light to medium body. Tomato paste and baking spices. Evolved. The nose is better than the palate follow-through.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 100% Viognier from 1 ha. Crisp. Honey, white flowers, apricots, and citrus. Good balance and acidity, with fresh minerality.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Bottled the same day we tasted. Great black/violet color. Light spice; good acidity. Some smoke. Really young and primal. This was showing a little lean and under-fruited -- bottle shock perhaps?
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 95% Syrah / 5% Viognier. Expressive fruity nose of red raspberries and blackberries. Plummy. Still very primal and tannic. Not as roasted as some other 2003s -- good acidity. Very good.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. 97% Syrah / 3% Viognier. Black. Initially closed and brooding on the nose. Smoke, meat, tar, ash. Smells like my BBQ smoker grill. Deep, dark fruit lurking in the background. Tight, tannic, and still closed. Excellent.
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(6/20/2006)
Lunch @ Auberge de la Source. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Excellent, oily Viognier. Fruit cocktail. Crisp minerality.
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(6/20/2006)
Lunch @ Auberge de la Source. Same bottle as Vinsanity. Jet black color. Impressively endowed -- blackberry, kirsch, light smoke, tobacco. Huge structure and intensity, but no heaviness. Still tight. Excellent.
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(6/20/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. Finished malo one week prior to tasting. Lots of sweet peach. Expressive nose. Crisp, with good minerality.
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(6/20/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. 15% new oak. Still undergoing malo. Reduced. Tough to evaluate at this stage.
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(6/20/2006)
Barrel sample and bottle tasted at the domaine. From barrel: very balanced and elegant. Smoke, licorice, subtle cherry fruit. Fine-grained tannins on the finish. Good. From bottle: Bigger and more complex, with deeper tannin and fruit. Spicy licorice and smoke. A little tart on the finish.
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(6/20/2006)
Barrel sample tasted at the domaine. 9 barrels to be produced (175 cases). Clean cherry fruit, moderate tannin. More concentrated than the 2004 Cuvee Classique. Light to medium body. A little tart and green. Blind, I would peg this as a Burgundy.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. From half bottle. Young vines. Perfume, some smoke, cherries. Expressive but a bit herbal, with some tartness on the finish.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. From half bottle. Black color. Beautiful smoky nose, roasted meat, charcoal. Medium bodied; good minerality. Nicely developed secondary characteristics. Excellent.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. Peach, honeysuckle, and white flowers. A touch of sweetness. Crisp and clean in the mouth.
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(6/20/2006)
Tasted at the domaine. An unusual sweet vinification with 40g residual sugar and 16% alcohol. No botrytis! Rich gold color. Big nose of pineapples, bananas, and caramel -- like Pineapples Foster! Good acidity and structure, so the overall result is delicious and not at all cloying. Very good.
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2002 Thomas-Labaille Sancerre
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
(6/18/2006)
Lunch at Maison Pic. From half bottle. I didn't take detailed notes on this, but I remember it being a very clean, fruity, minerally Sancerre. Excellent match with our long lunch.
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2000 Domaine Bernard Gripa St. Joseph Blanc Cuvée Le Berceau
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
(6/18/2006)
Lunch at Maison Pic. This was a real treat. Honey and fruit notes, with a good core of mineral and acid. Supple and delicious.
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2000 Domaine Bernard Gripa St. Joseph Cuvée Le Berceau
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
(6/18/2006)
Lunch at Maison Pic. Very smoky and meaty. Good structure.
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