France Trip Part 2 - Northern Rhône

Tasted Sunday, June 18, 2006 - Tuesday, June 20, 2006 by Siggy with 1,526 views

Introduction

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.

Flight 1 - Lunch @ Pic, Valence (Day 3) (3 Notes)

Flight 2 - Dinner @ Pic Bistro, Valence (Day 3) (2 Notes)

Flight 3 - Alain Voge (Day 4) (10 Notes)

  • 2004 Alain Voge Saint-Péray Harmonie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Péray

    (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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  • 2004 Alain Voge Saint-Péray Cuvée Boisée

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Péray

    (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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  • 2003 Alain Voge Saint-Péray Fleur de Crussol

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Péray

    (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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  • 2004 Alain Voge Saint-Péray Fleur de Crussol

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Péray

    (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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  • 2004 Alain Voge Cornas Les Chailles

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (6/19/2006)

    Tasted at the domaine. Beef blood, grilled meat. Smells like a rare steak. Good minerality. Medium body.

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  • 2004 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2003 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2003 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2004 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2005 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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Flight 4 - Domaine Auguste Clape (Day 4) (10 Notes)

  • 2005 Domaine Auguste Clape Côtes du Rhône Blanc

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

    (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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  • 2005 Domaine Auguste Clape Saint-Péray

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Péray

    (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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  • 2005 Domaine Auguste Clape Côtes du Rhône

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

    (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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  • 2005 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2005 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2004 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2004 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2003 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2002 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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  • 2000 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    (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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Flight 5 - Lunch @ Le Chaudron, Tournon (Day 4) (1 Note)

Flight 6 - M. Chapoutier (Day 4) (7 Notes)

Flight 7 - Domaine Jean-Louis Chave (Day 4) (3 Notes)

  • 2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (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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  • 2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (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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  • 1992 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    (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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Flight 8 - Dinner @ Michelle Chabron, Valence (Day 4) (3 Notes)

  • 1999 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 2004 André Perret Condrieu Chery

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    (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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  • 2003 André Perret Condrieu Chery

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    (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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Flight 9 - Domaine Jamet (Day 5) (3 Notes)

  • 2004 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 2003 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 1996 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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Flight 10 - Gilles Barge (Day 5) (4 Notes)

  • 2004 Domaine Barge Condrieu La Solarie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    (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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  • 2005 Domaine Barge Saint-Joseph Clos des Martinets

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph

    (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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  • 2003 Domaine Barge Côte-Rôtie Cuvée du Plessy

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 2003 Domaine Barge Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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Flight 11 - Lunch @ Auberge de la Source (Day 5) (2 Notes)

Flight 12 - Domaine Clusel-Roch (Day 5) (8 Notes)

  • 2005 Clusel-Roch Condrieu

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    (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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  • 2005 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 2004 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 2004 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 2004 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Petite Feuille

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 1997 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (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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  • 2004 Clusel-Roch Condrieu

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    (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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  • 2003 Clusel-Roch Condrieu Cuvée P

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    (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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