Northern vs Southern Rhones

Brooklyn Wine Exchange (BWe)
Tasted Thursday, January 29, 2015 by paul195 with 699 views

Introduction

This tasting was organized and hosted by Tim Farrell of BWe for young collectors to showcase wines from the Northern and Southern Rhone. Both flights included specific wines to highlight the age worthiness these moderately priced reds. The first flight was from Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the south and the second from Cote Rotie and Hermitage in the north. The CnP flight was a horizontal tasting of three producers from the 2000 vintage; along with a 2012 from one of them, and the second flight includes a three vintage vertical of each of Guigal's Cote Rotie Brune and Blonde and Hermitage.

Flight 1 - Southern Rhone (4 Notes)

Flight 2 - Northern Rhone (6 Notes)

  • 2009 E. Guigal Hermitage

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Note provided by Tim Farrell of BWe

    Similar notes to Cote-Rotie. However, the bottle showed quite nicely on THIRD day. The intense woodiness had finally faded and some real classic Northern Rhone blue and black fruit showed through. Forget about the rest of the bottles for five...Summer Olympics.

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  • 1999 E. Guigal Hermitage 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Decanted for an hour. Deep ruby color, nose of dark fruit, white pepper and hints of bacon fat. Medium bodied, with silky integrated tannins. Plummy dark fruit core. Long finish

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  • 1981 E. Guigal Hermitage 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Bright garnet core with a brick colored rim. An initial bouquet of mature red fruits, warm spice and a bit of forest floor. The fruit still remarkably fresh hangs beautifully on the wines well defined structure. Smooth silky texture, with excellent balance and a lingering finish. The last bottle of a case bought in 1985 and well enjoyed over the last 30 years.

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  • 2010 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Note provided by Tim Farrell of BWe

    As tight as a Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum, with considerable oak tannin and flavor obscuring any real Syrah-ness. Clearly a well-made wine, with all the right parts for aging, but not particularly enjoyable bottle at this stage. Double-decanted five hours before serving.

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  • 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Decanted for five hours. Medium ruby core with a brick edge. The bouquet was a little tight with red fruit, spice, some floral notes and a wiff of olive eventually present. Medium weight, resolving tannins, clean red fruit flavors with nice acidity and balance. A little lacking in complexity, however this wine is just entering maturity, at least in magnum format, and may improve with a few more years in the cellar.

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  • 1981 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Similar appearance to the 1981 Hermitage, just slightly lighter color. The initial bouquet showed mature red fruit, spice and a touch of cedar. A generous palate of ripe cherries, pepper, smoke and cedar. The structure, balance and texture of this medium bodied 34 year old was excellent but just a half step behind the Hermitage in intensity. As with the 1981 Guigal Hermitage, this is from a case purchased in 1985.

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Closing

Note provided by Tim Farrell of BWe

The most interesting thing to see in this tasting was the way the wines were "built" for aging. The 2012 Pegau was just about as delicious as a 2012 CDP could be, quite open and elegant, with intense floral notes and elevated acidity. The 2000 Pegau was well on its way in evolution, but still a pleasant wine, a delicious wine. And will continue to be for another decade.

The young Guigals, on the other hand, were blocky and closed. According to winery notes, they are using more new oak on Brune et Blonde and Hermitage than in the past, even though one would assume that Guigal's wines are being drunk at younger ages than in previous generations. After all, aren't these are the wines to drink while Ex-Voto and the LaLas are aging? Even the 1999s, which were the favorites of our customers, seemed severe and not showing much, though there was a certain lightness to the texture and weight of the wines.

The 1981 Hermitage was the wine of the night. The nose seemed quite similar to the 1981 Cote-Rotie, however the depth of fruit still present in the Hermitage was stunning. Big, dark, berry fruit with some of that classic Northern Rhone smoke and pepper.

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