Commanderie des Costes du Rhone - Jean Luc Colombo dinner

Last Rhone event of the season before every one takes off for their quieter summer. Great to have Jean Luc with us and sharing stories about the wines and fun to see everyone again as we've been making more like every other dinner now that we live down in Florida.

Hors d'Oeuvres

• 2018 Jean-Luc Colombo Condrieu Amour de Dieu

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

  Pre-dinner sipper with some passed apps. We had made the mistake of walking to the venue and so I found myself more focused on water than on wine in the beginning so take these notes with a grain of salt. It's a slightly more standard style of Condrieu. A bit of honey. Touch of stone fruit. Lower acid. Easy drinking.

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Pan Seared Diver Caught Scallops
with Creamed Leeks and Black Truffle Sauce

• 2018 Jean-Luc Colombo St. Péray La Belle de Mai

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray

  A definite step up from the Condrieu. Despite the CT statement Jean Luc said this is usually a blend of Marsanne and Rousanne in most vintages, but in 2018 because of conditions the Marsanne didn't do as well and Roussanne did very well and so it was skewed closer to 95%. Which makes sense why I enjoyed the wine so much (I love that grape). Some honey and kindof a hint of spice and then lemon rind (just a touch of bitter to balance the sweetness of the honey).

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Seared Breast of Duck with
Crispy Spring Roll and Roasted Duck Demi-glace

• 2012 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas La Louvée

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  From a magnum. Darker fruits, touch of pepper. Very young, tight. It takes some time in the glass to open a bit but the initial impression is more one dimensional. A bit lower acid. Would be interesting to see what time does with the wine.

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Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Shallot Sauce,
Potato Gratin, Glazed Baby Vegetable

• 2014 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Les Ruchets

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  From a magnum. Another wine that is definitely on the younger side and so comes across as quite tight and like it needs time. Again the darker fruits. A touch of pepper. Less gaminess than you find in some syrah. This is quite young, but interesting to try it next to the '88 where you can see a bit more structure and there's more secondary/tertiary to it.

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Assorted Cheese Plate

• 2015 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas La Louvée

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  From a magnum. The alcohol is more apparent here but it was a hot vintage. Get the darker fruits and a bit of the spice and maybe now some floral as well (more in the background). Drinking next to some of the wines with a bit more age - give it time.

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Always fun to get to try a producer you don't spend much time with. We found a few older bottles and one of the less common offerings and so decided to bring those to get to compare with some of the other wines. Fun to share around with the team.

• 2007 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Vallon de l'Aigle

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  This is the best wine of JL Colombo that we had this night and I think with more time it's going to be really great (it is still much too young to be drinking). There's an extra elegance here. More violets with the dark fruits with a certain gravity (or maybe just graphite). Well balanced.

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• 1988 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Les Ruchets

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  Upon initial opening there was a touch of bottle shock and a bit odd but that blew off with some time in the glass. There's definitely benefit to the age. Acid more apparent that creates a more interesting backbone to me. Darker fruits. Some more layers with the age. Drinking nicely. I'm not sure that this is as good as the 2007 will be with time, but I still enjoyed it and maybe even a bit more on this evening.

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Fun to try the bonus bottles which shows how much age can help. Also fun to try the smaller vineyard project. Even though it was still young there is a lot there. A nice evening with friends.