tasting Day and visit throughout Rhone Valley, north to south...

Unexpected first then turned ou to be great day of tasting, and meeting with owners and winemakers, thanks to all of them nd the people I met along the way, a great moment, great pleasure, and another moment to improve the palate and knowledge about those Wonderfull wines.

The first flight is Rene Rostaing's visit, it was a born again virgin visit as I used to work with them a bit when I had my wine store, and it was way worth it...

Then I called two Chateauneuf du pape estate on the way and the main happens... really, great styles, opposites and complementary... and a few people we met... fantastic day

• 2016 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Classique Ampodium 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  91+, a baby tasted on a day trip through rhone valley, well it shows nice violet, and northern Syrah style, with a licorice and cassis on the palate, a hint of wood, with good acid, quite a tart wine still, let it stay for 5/8 years at least, will show greatly

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  94 + This has a long way ahead of him, or hers, quite gamy, meaty, and ox, but the tannins are there, with hyper length, nice grip and crisp, superb wine, so young now... Needs time, maybe better than 2015...

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  I could easily give a 96/98 pointer to that as it is maybe one of the best wine I had this year, as a young one as well. My come back to the estate, and BOOM, the is quintessential Northern Syrah, man that wine shows smoky, hammy, and hyper Syrah Character, you smell that rocky, granit soils in that earth, lard smell, the palate is never-ending, crisp and so good, not for the faint hearted, lat it grows 10+ years... so Good ... So Good...

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 Rene Rostaing Condrieu La Bonnette 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

  Very flowery and not too ripe, good start, palate is nice and flowery, good texture, with a nice minerality, a crisp Viognier, that is not always the case here... I mean in Condrieu... Liked it

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Côtes du Rhône Blanc 87 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  50 % Viognier, 25 % Gr Blanc, 25% Clairette, given that this was a young boy, out of the shell, showing nice flowery, fresh and aromatic, some exotic fruits, palate is sweet , flowery, easy, not acid at all, quite lacking of crisp even. But the length is ok, asian food, for 7 Euros Cellar Door, NTS ( Nothing to Say :) )

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Côtes du Rhône Villages 87 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages

  87+, 50% Greanche, 50 Sy/Mour/Cari on slopy rolled stones, a quite gamy nose with dark fruits as well, the palate shows nice saltiness a the end, good berries as black berry and currant o the middle, no gripy tannins, smooth wine...

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Jules Rochebonne 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  From the 2016 super vintage, this a plus wine, 80 % Syrah, 20% Greanche, and it shows ... Density, power, some oaky character, spends a year in mixed aged barrel, some mango and slight ox on the nose, expressive ! good depth and tannins on the palate, power, moutfiling, and currants, some sweeties as well, more modern as "Australian" somewhat... I like it les than the little ones actually, but surely could age well

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Châteauneuf-du-Pape 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  80% Grenache, then Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, the nose is quite closed and lightly oaky, smoky, when the palate shows good acid, and roundness at the same time, both spidery and fruit, nice combination, with a good length, give it good decanting, 3/5 hours, and cellar for 5/10... Good Wine, modern style, no whole bunch etc... But nicely done

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Secrets de Pignan 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  91+ could be 92, that old vine grenache, 100 YO or more is the unique vineyard that makes the wine, the nose shows a gamy character, loads of ripe fruits, quite warm, hen the palate is so yummy and fruity, the crispiness combined with light ox gives the wine a great finish of both salinity and yummy candy, good wine,

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hesperides 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  92+ 50 Grenache, 50 Mourvedre, goes in oak when Secrets de Pignan is a 100% Stainless and concrete, This is Modern and concentrated, but man it shows so much more than the Pignan right now, usually not my jam, but the slightly naked character will go away for sure, the power on the palate and the depth of the wine is incredible, the good acid balances that big wine, but the whole wine is so well made with deep body... will last for a good decade or so... Keep it ... if you can

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Clos du Mont-Olivet Côtes du Rhône 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  From Bolène up north, that is 60% Grenache 40% Syrah, from a vineyard the salon family has now left. The nose is light and very fresh, herbs, and olive, very distinctive, yet not heavy, the palate is quite tight with a slight sourness but it is good, would open a bit before serving. Nice Q/P about 8 E at cellar door

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Clos du Mont-Olivet Côtes du Rhône A Seraphin 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  compared to the CDR 2016, this one is a lot more powerful, yet not as easily approachable, from 50 Syrah, 40 Grenache, and 10 Carignan, the nose is refined with ants of black olive, some tapenade, flowery, very sapid, good structure and body, nice, would hold for 5+

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  91+ as it may really evolve well, I needed to discover the estate which I am fan since, 80% grenache, 10 Syrah, 10 other varieties, with a great nose of herbs, dark olive, a hint of "naturel", bit reduced, the good bit... palate is vibrant, flinty, long and fresh, no heaviness here, good wine... 28,5 E cellar door, quite. bargain... it is a style, not on the dark and big southern style, more of a subtle and fresh enjoyable, and drinkable, liked it

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  90+ I get it why everybody think that is not a classical Chateauneuf, but yet that wine is so enjoyable and approachable right now, I can't help drinking it... it was so smooth, same blend as the 2014, 80% GR, 10 Sy, 10 others, nose is slightly less opulent than 2014 with a more gamy bit, like the Gonon Syrah sort of, meaty but not off, but the palate is silky, very fluid, loads of licorice on the aftertaste, really nice too... 26/27 E cellar door.. C mon that is great value

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 Domaine Jerome Gradassi Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  No marks there, tasted it at the Vinadea shop in Chateauneuf along wit a few other wines, after a good day of tasting... 80% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, lots of fruits, berries, still a bit closed, young, will surely improve after a 2/3 years, nice wine, need to taste it again...

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Mourre des Perdrix

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  No marks here, tasted it at the Viandea shop in Chateauneuf du Pape, along other few... Nose of meat and game, quite closed, good fruit and elegance on the palate, looks nice now, drinkable, needs more air to develop.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Domaine Bois de Boursan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Félix

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  No marks here, tasted at the Vinadea Shop in Chateauneuf du Pape, Grenache 60, Mourvedre 20, Syrah 10, others 10. Nice freshness, some pine trees smell, a good structure, fills the palate, good fruit aromas, a modern style C9DP I'd say. Good wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Mas de Boislauzon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Quet

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  last of the Vinadea quick tasting on that day, started early at Rostaing's :) well, this shows hints of very ripe notes on the nose, some"oxydation" which I recognize on some C9DP, not much into it anymore, some would find it very appealing, as super ripeness... I don't...but it not a default, definitely a style . On the contrary the palate is fresh, tight, vibrant and holds a good finesse, with a finish on serious tannins, give it another 5/8 at least to soften those tannins, honestly I liked the subtleness of Mont Olivet 2013 quite more than those babies with serious aging components... Time will tell

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

great to end up so nicely in that place that I couldn't do better