Nice and easy rhone white. It's definitely fuller bodied. A bit more dominated by the white flowers. A hint of honey in the background, but that's more muted. Tasty.
Poured from a mag. This was drinking very well right now (owner said the 750s are not going quite as strong). It's definitely got all of that iron and more metallic notes to it. Well integrated. Fruit perhaps a touch more faded. Enjoyed the savory cote rotie style though.
Drank side by side with the 1995. I think this started a touch more closed. I love this vintage, but I feel like it's often still drinking on the young side. With time in the glass (and we drank over the course of a few hours) it started to open up and I think overtook it's older brother. Lots of black fruits, lots of meaty notes. Still quite young with a long life ahead. Will continue to hold on our bottle.
Drank right next to its younger brother the 97. This was open and singing from the start. I think perhaps a bit closer to drinking window (the 97 is still tight to me). There's a wonderful herbaciousness to this wine that I don't always get in Cote Rotie. Great spices. Lots of pepper. Black fruits still going strong. Drinking incredibly well right now (although not sure if the owner had decanted before).
This wine was quite interesting. First time I've gotten so much sweetness on a Chave blanc but there's really not another word for it. It has some of the white floral note as well, but the piece that stands out is almost a candied (it's a dry wine, just giving off the sense of sweet). Good mouthful. Very bright.
What a treat to try this. It's definitely time to drink up, but the wine was drinking really well. Has gone from secondary to tertiary notes. I get a bit more leather. But those darker black berries are still going well. And it's a bit funky and savory as well. Very fun wine.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Man I love this wine. It's the white wine that can make you a believer. Powerful and elegant at the same time. Lots of honeycomb and delicate white flowers and springtime. Wonderful freshness.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Just a small sip. The nose would lead you to believe the wine is over the hill, but on the tongue it's definitely still going. Very light and gentle. Still has the red fruits. It's also got more secondary and tertiary flavors. Again some of that leather that comes out in more aged wines. Very nice. I suspect it's getting towards the end of it's life though so could be time to drink up.
Wow was this singing. It is animal in a glass. And intense. A vibrant wine if you were. One that kindof grabs you right from the beginning and shake you around a bit. Need to be comfortable with the savory. I think there might be fruit there, but it's overpowered with all of the blood and meat and I swear there might even be claws in the mix. Really enjoyable though.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was in my contenders for WOTN. It started a bit more closed down and we actually left it open to breath for awhile while we drank some of the others on the table. With that time it started to really open up. The Rene Rostaing before it was all power and intensity. This was more beauty and refinement. It's powerful too, but there's that lovely edge that grenache can have where it's a bit lighter and softer and this had that. Red cherries. Very nice.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Amazing how young this wine tastes when it's almost 30 years old. Very bright red fruits. A certain prettiness to it. This was perhaps a bit overshadowed by the Bonneau I had right before that I thought really rocked it, but a fun wine to get to try. Many years left.
What a treat to get to try. Drinking younger than its year but that could be because the fruit is still quite there. Interesting because I get some more red fruit notes to this. Cranberry and other slightly sour, slightly sweet red fruits. Also a bit of that oiled leather note at the end (which tends to show the age a bit more). Hint of funk.
Drinking incredibly well. It's a beautiful wine. Old and aged just right. Some sweet fruits. A hint of the sour side again. Not quite as funky or animal, but very clean and nice in its own way.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very nicely done wine. On the heels of a few bottles from the 70's it is clear that this is quite young with a long life ahead. Lots of spiciness. Lots of sour currants. It's perhaps a touch more basic than the celestins, but still quite a nice wine.
Teeny tiny pour so more of what I got was the essence of the wine than individual flavors. This was great though. Very vibrant and powerful and jumping out of the glass. Really quite enjoyable.
2016 Domaine Barou St. Joseph Blanc Le Sud
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Nice and easy rhone white. It's definitely fuller bodied. A bit more dominated by the white flowers. A hint of honey in the background, but that's more muted. Tasty.
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1985 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côte-Rôtie Les Jumelles
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Poured from a mag. This was drinking very well right now (owner said the 750s are not going quite as strong). It's definitely got all of that iron and more metallic notes to it. Well integrated. Fruit perhaps a touch more faded. Enjoyed the savory cote rotie style though.
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1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Drank side by side with the 1995. I think this started a touch more closed. I love this vintage, but I feel like it's often still drinking on the young side. With time in the glass (and we drank over the course of a few hours) it started to open up and I think overtook it's older brother. Lots of black fruits, lots of meaty notes. Still quite young with a long life ahead. Will continue to hold on our bottle.
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1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Drank right next to its younger brother the 97. This was open and singing from the start. I think perhaps a bit closer to drinking window (the 97 is still tight to me). There's a wonderful herbaciousness to this wine that I don't always get in Cote Rotie. Great spices. Lots of pepper. Black fruits still going strong. Drinking incredibly well right now (although not sure if the owner had decanted before).
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2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
This wine was quite interesting. First time I've gotten so much sweetness on a Chave blanc but there's really not another word for it. It has some of the white floral note as well, but the piece that stands out is almost a candied (it's a dry wine, just giving off the sense of sweet). Good mouthful. Very bright.
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1982 Robert Michel Cornas
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
What a treat to try this. It's definitely time to drink up, but the wine was drinking really well. Has gone from secondary to tertiary notes. I get a bit more leather. But those darker black berries are still going well. And it's a bit funky and savory as well. Very fun wine.
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2015 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Man I love this wine. It's the white wine that can make you a believer. Powerful and elegant at the same time. Lots of honeycomb and delicate white flowers and springtime. Wonderful freshness.
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1962 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Just a small sip. The nose would lead you to believe the wine is over the hill, but on the tongue it's definitely still going. Very light and gentle. Still has the red fruits. It's also got more secondary and tertiary flavors. Again some of that leather that comes out in more aged wines. Very nice. I suspect it's getting towards the end of it's life though so could be time to drink up.
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1988 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Wow was this singing. It is animal in a glass. And intense. A vibrant wine if you were. One that kindof grabs you right from the beginning and shake you around a bit. Need to be comfortable with the savory. I think there might be fruit there, but it's overpowered with all of the blood and meat and I swear there might even be claws in the mix. Really enjoyable though.
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1988 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was in my contenders for WOTN. It started a bit more closed down and we actually left it open to breath for awhile while we drank some of the others on the table. With that time it started to really open up. The Rene Rostaing before it was all power and intensity. This was more beauty and refinement. It's powerful too, but there's that lovely edge that grenache can have where it's a bit lighter and softer and this had that. Red cherries. Very nice.
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1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Amazing how young this wine tastes when it's almost 30 years old. Very bright red fruits. A certain prettiness to it. This was perhaps a bit overshadowed by the Bonneau I had right before that I thought really rocked it, but a fun wine to get to try. Many years left.
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1979 Domaine Jaboulet-Vercherre Hermitage Rochefine
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
What a treat to get to try. Drinking younger than its year but that could be because the fruit is still quite there. Interesting because I get some more red fruit notes to this. Cranberry and other slightly sour, slightly sweet red fruits. Also a bit of that oiled leather note at the end (which tends to show the age a bit more). Hint of funk.
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1979 Patrick Jasmin Côte-Rôtie La Chevaliere du Château d'Ampuis
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Drinking incredibly well. It's a beautiful wine. Old and aged just right. Some sweet fruits. A hint of the sour side again. Not quite as funky or animal, but very clean and nice in its own way.
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2000 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very nicely done wine. On the heels of a few bottles from the 70's it is clear that this is quite young with a long life ahead. Lots of spiciness. Lots of sour currants. It's perhaps a touch more basic than the celestins, but still quite a nice wine.
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1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Teeny tiny pour so more of what I got was the essence of the wine than individual flavors. This was great though. Very vibrant and powerful and jumping out of the glass. Really quite enjoyable.
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