2016 CdP (and some other wines over dinner)
NY Racquet and Tennis Club
Tasted Thursday, May 23, 2019 by MC2 Wines with 638 views
Introduction
A new format for the Commanderie des Costes du Rhone. We had a tasting of 17 of the major CdPs all from 2016 which was followed by a BYO dinner with mostly old CdP but a few Northern Rhone as well.
Flight 1 - 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape (17 Notes)
As part of the tasting there is a voting program. Everyone votes first, second, third place. And then there's points associated with those. Clear winner for the group was the Clos des Papes, followed by the Janasse and then the Pegau.
Flight 2 - BYO Dinner (10 Notes)
Closing
CdPs were an early wine love for me although I think it's fair to say that I am not quite as enamored as I once was. There are some interesting ones and even interesting ones in the more fruit forward style. I thought the Clos des Papes was showing very well. And I appreciated the Vieux Donjon and Marcoux more than I expected. Overall a lovely evening. Would love to do something similar for Cornas/Cote Rotie.
2016 Domaine la Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape Julien Barrot
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Interesting - this wine evolved quite a bit during the tasting. It started off fairly restrained but if I poked beneath that exterior I was getting a lot of the floral notes you get in hand soap (the nice hand soap at least). That blew off with time and then the fruit started to poke through a bit. Generally darker in style. Bit of tannin and the drying sort. Decent acid. Overall impression that the wine is too young to be drinking now, but I will say with an hour or two in the glass it got to a relatively nice place. A nice clean and crisp style. Let's be very clear - although this is a 'stone's throw from Rayas' this is not a Rayas or even really a poor man's Rayas - it has none of the candied red fruits or tea leaves or herbal or ethereal. But it is a nice wine and certainly in a more accessible price point.
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2016 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
My general impression of this wine is based a bit more on what I think it will be in the future more than what it is right now. If I was picking among this group for a wine to drink tonight this is definitely not it, but if I'm thinking about a wine I might want to drink in 20 years I could see this standing the test of time. Initially though it starts off with a bit of a sour side. Like unripe red fruit. Almost a touch bitter. Definitely tannin and they lightly coat the mouth. Fast forward a bit and it's starting to open some. Fruit tastes a bit better. Other parts still more closed. I think just a lot more time here.
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2016 Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
I went back to this one a few times during the night since it did reasonably well in the point scoring and I felt like I had to be missing something. Didn't ever really get interesting for me though. This wine is muted. It's tannin and a bit of chalkiness. Young for sure. But even trying to poke through I didn't sense much coming. Not the fruit that CdP is so known for and not some of the more savory or different notes. For me, just didn't really do it.
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2016 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
I think I was one of the few at the tasting that liked this wine. It's aged in all concrete tanks and never sees any oak. For me, that was ok. Seems to create a slightly softer style. It's unripe cranberry and tannins and maybe just a hint of alcohol although that blew off quickly so it almost felt like I imagined it. There's a softness to the wine that I appreciate. Not for drinking now, but maybe in 10 years?
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2016 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Clear number one for the group and I'll say probably for me as well. This is what the best CdP should be like. It's not shy with the fruit - all up there in a darker more blackberry style which surprised me. And there's a hint of sweetness to it. More ripe than some of the earlier ones. But also this great freshness in the wine. It's moderate bodied. There's balance. Decent amount of tannin at the moment, but it doesn't detract from the wine. It's actually drinking nicely now although I suspect I'd like it a lot better with some age. Clearly well constructed. Mostly Grenache (the quote I heard was winemaker thinks of Syrah and Mouvedre as 'salt and pepper' - for flavoring only but should not dominate the blend). I liked this producer a lot when we visited a few years ago and nice to see that it does stand up quite well compared to brethren.
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2016 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Another wine that I think I might have liked a bit more than the group. Yes, definitely CdP. It's got some of that wonderful fruit (although again, darker in style which I don't associate with Grenache) and yet there's a softness to the wine. Almost a velvety style. A bit of maybe asian spice that helps to balance. Enjoyable.
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2016 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
One of the bottles at the table was corked. I was on the side with a 'functioning bottle' although I'm not sure that helped this wine much. I found the first part of the taste enjoyable. It's for sure more in that fruity and fun style. You can kindof get the alcohol but in the way that suggests wine. Then kindof halfway in the alcohol seems to take over and more in the flavors of grain alcohol than wine alcohol and it's a offputting. Preferred the beginning flavors, but overall wasn't keen.
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2016 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
I'll admit this producer had a bit of an uphill climb with me since the last time I had it was a blind tasting of CdP where I brought the bottle and felt like it was wildly overpriced for what it was (one of the single vineyards I think). That was a few years ago. I will say that for the style this is in these guys do it well. This is much more approachable than a lot of the other wines we were trying. Lots of red fruits. Ripe, but not overripe which I had worried about. Touch of alcohol, but balanced. In that hedonistic style. It's not something I'd seek out, but I was ok with it.
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2016 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Another wine that I'll admit I was a bit skeptical of coming in. Have had this in the past and my impression is always big and fruity and perhaps overdone. And yes - it is all sorts of fruit right out of the gate. But here again, while loads of fruit and ripe, it's not overripe. It's got that cranberry flavor where even with the ripeness there's almost a counterbalancing sour note or something to it. Again some of those spices. This isn't a wine for the faint of heart, but it is a well done wine.
Also one that continued to change. Later in the evening some (including me) were getting blue fruits (again surprising - not sure where that comes from with Grenache).
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2016 Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This is what I was expecting from CdP which is funny because this is a producer who makes very little CdP. It's ripe ripe ripe. And when I put three ripes in a row that is to say veering towards the overripe. Candied in nature. Lots of sweet. Lower acid. Reminds me of cotton candy. The impression after drinking it and the after taste is that one I used to get as a little kid when I snuck a ton of candy and it had shifted from being enjoyable to feeling a bit off. A bit offputting. Not for me, but if you like that very forward style...
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2016 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Another surprise of the tasting for me. I liked this one more than I expected to. I think it's because the first flavor I got was cinnamon and I find that quite appealing. Some red and black berries. Nicely structured by which I mean there is some acidity. It's a veering towards the hedonistic style, but in a well done way. Came back later in the tasting and getting a bit more rose hips and floral notes in the wine as well. Enjoyable.
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2016 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
I do not have the same brett sensitivity that many do and that came through quite clearly listening to everyone talk about this wine. For me it's going back to the handsoap and the floral and all of that. It's got some red fruit as well, but that is more muted. Some more drying tannins. I will say more intense than I expected (that hand soap didn't strike me as the classy stuff found in upscale hotel bathrooms). But with time it started to open up and blow off a touch. Quite a few folks in the room got Elmer's Glue and I just didn't. With a bit of time there's a hint of barnyard. But I thought that was a nice counterbalance to the floral and fruit. Overall enjoyable. Has it's own style.
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2016 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Another wine where my impression and group's impression diverged a bit. To me this was the straight up hedonistic CdP. Lots of fruit. Lots of intensity. Again I'm getting that hand soap (this is like the stuff you find that has colors that don't exist in nature in some cheaper restaurant chain). I can taste the alcohol and unlike with some of the others it doesn't really blow off. Hardcore tannin. Softens a bit with time in the glass. Others thought it was overly acidic but for me it was more the opposite - I wanted some acidity to cut some of the other flavors.
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2016 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
No idea why, but this wine reminds me of a wine that has spent a reasonable amount of time in oak. Actually, could be because I get a ton of vanilla on the palate in addition to the darker fruits (which are also quite prevalent). Also that woodsy spice that sometimes comes from it. Doesn't make sense as I'm sure it's aged in old wood. But there it is. Strange. In the part of the tasting that seemed to be more high octane CdP.
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2016 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Another pleasant surprise for me. This is fruity and has a touch of alcohol, but there's this wonderful freshness in the wine as well. Almost a minty note. And with time it seems to come together a bit more. I think it's quite young and could use more time, but it's a wine that I'd be interested to try again in 10 years.
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2016 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was a funny wine. Definitely lower acid more of that full mouthful.
Upon first trying I got a lot of tart and tangy. I expected fruit and that did come with time. Not really my jam.
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2016 Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Impériale
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Darker fruits. Reminds me of black currant but not super ripe. Maybe a bit of floral. Darker notes just in general. Last wine of a 17 wine CdP tasting and my palate was a bit shot here. My impression was more towards the forward style but not quite as intense as some others (say the Vieux Telegraphe served alongside).
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