Bromley Wine Circle does Northern Rhone - 2nd November 2023

Beckenham
Tasted Thursday, November 2, 2023 by Vinumming & Ahhing with 118 views

Introduction

Lovely to try such a great selection of wines with a lovely South African addition to the line up

Flight 1 - Fizz (1 Note)

NV Mouzon-Leroux & Fils Champagne Grand Cru l’Ascendant Solera 90 Points

France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

Nose that takes a few minutes to get going starts with a few drops of grapefruit juice and a little sherbet pip. With some air some hints of sliced Cox apple and later some salted popcorn and a suggestion of toffee wrapper. The palate is very dry and there's a lovely quinine bitterness, dances across the palate and good length too. A find from CPH in Beaune.

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Flight 2 - Viogniers (2 Notes)

2019 Julien Pilon Viognier mon grand-père était limonadier 89 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes

Apricot kernel, some confit lemons and a suggestion of kumquat puree on the nose. Served with a 2021 of the same wine. This is fatter on the palate with a little less acidity but enough for me. Palate is rich and mouth coating. Good Viognier for the money from A&B

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2021 Julien Pilon Viognier mon grand-père était limonadier 90 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes

Served with a 2019 of the same vintage. This feels a little leaner. It has half a degree less alcohol. There is a passion fruit coulis quality to the nose, some white flowers and a hint of elderflower. Palate again texturally lovely. A bit more acidity. Good stuff from A&B

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Flight 3 - St. Josephs (2 Notes)

2010 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph 92 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

Coal dust, desiccated prune, olive brine on the nose. Really love this. With some air these aromas are complemented by steak tartare (complete with the cornichons and a just a hint of sweet vinegar) some ground pepper spice too. Palate has further spicy notes and some gorgeous plum fruit.

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2015 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph 91 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

Decanted for an hour. Youthful on the nose with iodine notes, some transitory grated dark-milk chocolate and some over-ripe strawberry. With air this recedes a little and as one of my table mates nails a touch of curry leaf. Palate has mulberry fruit and a hung meat character. Red fruited, rich and long. A hint of black cumin after a couple of hours. Excellent stuff.

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Flight 4 - Corni and friends (3 Notes)

2000 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 95 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

Beguiling wine. Dark, dark fruits. Some liquorice syrup, rosehip puree and a touch of walnut sponge sweetness. Palate savoury and youthful. There is a light redcurrant squash tartness sweetness. Texturally divine. Really outstanding stuff.

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2004 Graham Beck Shiraz Cape Winemakers Guild Barrel Select 90 Points

South Africa, Coastal Region

A back up bottle popped and poured after a failed Mullineux Syrah 2008. On pouring a sweet bramble jelly, marshmallow and coconut ice cream character is to the fore on the nose. As one would expect air really helps this come out of its shell, it seems to lose some of the sweetness and the coconut oak fade a little to reveal some savoury edges and a lovely venison carpaccio meatiness.

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2007 Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) Cornas Vin Noir 91 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

Served blind. Nailed rapidly as a 2007 by the Godfather of Cornas. Chapeau. There is a lovely beef and star anise character to the nose here. Iron too. With some air a couple of drops of both pineapple and blood orange juice come to the fore. Palate has a lovely acid profile and some Worcester Sauce richness. After a couple of hours there's more meatiness to the palate and a touch of hoisin.

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Flight 5 - Côte Rôties (2 Notes)

1998 Domaine de Vallouit Côte-Rôtie Les Roziers 88 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

Very much the archetypal game of two halves here. The nose is outstanding. Really old school, ferrous, smoky and with a rosehip sweetness / tartness. Then some beef pho and lemongrass emerges with some subtle flecks of ginger. Sadly the palate not at the same level a little stewed and short; definitely drying out. This was given every chance to shine having been stood up for 5 days before we broached. Also just Audouzed for 2 hours rather than decanting. Just would have been better 5 years ago.

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1990 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 93 Points

France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

Lots going on. Outstanding cork for the age of the wine. There's a lovely smokiness to the nose here, some hints of Bonne Maman figue violette jam, some stollen notes too. Palate is cool fruited and delightfully together, if served blind, I would have guessed half its age. With air there a layer and layer more aromas emerging. A little spearmint, some banana leaf and a little raw steak. Really good stuff.

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