Blind Tasting 1998 Rhone Syrahs (and Aussie ringers)

Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA
Tasted Monday, March 26, 2012 by zscheiner with 620 views

Flight 1 - "Pre" Wines (double blind) (3 Notes)

  • 2009 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Petite Ruche 88 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

    Light yellow. Pretty floral nose. Medium bodied with low to medium acidity. Waxy texture and a spicy, oaky, floral palate. Not a lot of fruit, just a bit of peach peeking through.

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  • 2009 Domaine Georges Vernay Fleurs de Mai 89 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Collines Rhodaniennes

    Big purple fruited nose. Medium bodied with medium acidity. Peppery palate. Blackberries, blueberries and a spicy, peppery finish. Light tannins. Very nice.

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  • 2010 Barton Orchard Syrah Coastview Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey

    Reticent nose. Subtle, elusive aroma that someone identified as cantaloupe, which I agreed with. Medium to full bodied with medium acidity. Fresh mixed berry palate with some brambly notes. Medium tannins. Quite nice but judging from the nose it might be a bit shut down at the moment.

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Flight 2 - Main Flight (single blind) (8 Notes)

  • 1998 J.L. Chave Sélection Saint-Joseph Offerus Flawed

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph

    Quite corked. (my 8th, group's 8th)

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  • 1998 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah 85 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

    Weird nose of Le Sueur canned peas, triggering a flashback to childhood Thanksgivings. Medium bodied with low acidity. More green on the palate, green peas, with some black raspberry mixed in. Medium tannins. (my 6th, group's 6th)

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  • 1998 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne 88 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Pretty nose, spicy and bretty, but not overwhelmingly so. Light to medium bodied with low to medium acidity. Leather, some mixed berry fruit, rustic with medium tannins. (my 4th, group's 7th)

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  • 1998 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde 89 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Showing very little on the nose over the course of two hours, a touch of cranberry. Light to medium bodied with low to medium acidity. Nice raspberry fruit mixed with savory flavors of dried beef and black tea. Light, fine-grained tannins. Really nice palate, but no nose was disappointing. I couldn't detect any flaws but the glowing notes here make me wonder if the bottle was correct. (my 3rd, group's 5th)

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  • 1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Enchanting nose of blackberry, raspberry and flowers. Kept sniffing this. Medium bodied with low to medium acidity. Black plum, blackberry and iron on the palate. Very light tannins. Delicious. (my 2nd, group's 4th)

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  • 1998 Warrenmang Shiraz Estate 86 Points

    Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Pyrenees

    Whoa, here's one of the ringers. Sweet raspberry and cotton candy nose, mixed with mint and chocolate. Medium to full bodied with low to medium acidity. Spicy, minty, peppery palate. Blackberry jam and a bit of heat. Lots of flavors but not my style. (my 5th, group's 3rd)

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  • 1998 Jean-Michel Gerin Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Lovely nose of spice, raspberries and roast meat. Light to medium bodied with low to medium acidity. Palate is just wow. Complex, mature and savory. Iron, earth, black tea and tart raspberry. Long, savory, earthy finish. By far the best wine of the flight to me, nothing else came close. (my 1st, group's 2nd)

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  • 1998 John's Blend Shiraz Margarete's 85 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek

    Ripe, sweet nose of blackberry jam and violets. Medium to full bodied with low to medium acidity. Chambord and black pepper palate. Clearly the other ringer. (my 7th, group's 1st)

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