The nose is balanced, but fat with tones of orange marmalade, red apples, creamy notes, nectarines, lemon curds, roasted nuts, and some noticeable rancio notes creeping in. The Full bodied feel is richer and textured but with the balance of the nose while showing off integrated, medium acidity. This is pretty good, but this bottle does feel like it’s fading a little bit and the rancio note is also a bit more prominent than I’d like for this to really hit those big highs.
The nose is pungent and with some restrained power to the tones of black cherries, black raspberries, peppery notes, leather, licorice, tobacco leaf, some oak, spice tones, and violets. The oak is noticeable, but it doesn’t overpower. Instead it does provide a framing for a more robust nose. The Full bodied feel shows off the robust qualities of the nose while showing good balance as well as tart, medium acidity and resolved, medium tannins.
Ohhhhhh, yes. This is a whole lot of savory and rustic with deep and layered tones of black cherries, black pepper, leather, licorice, black fruits, dried tobacco leaf, savory herbs, violets, earth, and funk notes. This is just flowing with a style that really brings you in. The Medium/full bodied shows off the savory qualities of the nose as well as a level of refinement and poise with crisp, medium+ acidity and integrated, medium tannins. This is a whole lot of yes. It is fully mature and holding up beautifully with a very old school style to the nose and palate that tickles my senses.
The nose is robust, deep, and balanced with layered tones of dark red cherries, raspberries, black fruits, savory tones, white and black pepper, herbs, leather, bacon fat, and some animale notes. The Full bodied feel shows off the robustness of the nose while showing off a real elegant quality at the same time. The Medium+ acidity is crisp and balanced while the Medium tannins are silky and integrated. This is just wonderful! This shows off almost everything I want in a mature Cornas and I love every bit of it.
This was a bit worrisome at first. It seemed like it may be slightly corked, but I also knew that this is Verset and these wines can be all over the place. I left it in my glass and came back to it later. This time it had blossomed and was a very animale-driven Cornas with roasted meats, black cherries, black raspberries, leather, funk notes, cigar wrapper, warm earth, and some cracked pepper tones. The Full bodied feel is robust and brawny with some slightly drying, medium+ acidity and resolved, medium tannins. Once this opened up, it was the kind of Verset Cornas you die for. Unfortunately this bottle wasn’t entirely on point so it didn’t hit the heights it can hit, but I’m still very happy that I had a chance to drink it.
The nose shows a ripe side with richer tones of black cherries, black raspberries, olive paste, licorice, liqueur notes, spices, and leather notes. The nose is a bit four square and lacks some expression. The Full bodied feel is balanced with medium acidity and slightly stiff, medium+ tannins. This does show off the vintage a bit with a richer profile, but that four square nature exists on both the nose and palate.
Was Guigal using more prominent oak even in 1989? I wasn’t the only one at the tasting that thought the oak was noticeable, so maybe they were? So, yea, there is a noticeable oak imprint right away along with tones of black cherries, raspberries, black olives, liqueur notes, licorice, tobacco leaf, spice notes, warm earth, and crushed violets. There is excellent complexity, but the tones come off slightly forced in a way. The Full bodied feel shows off the larger scale of the nose along with crisp, medium+ acidity and robust, yet mostly resolved medium+ tannins. This is ostensibly really good, but it just doesn’t have that extra heat of layering nor does it come off as savory. It’s more in the robust category with an oak imprint that exists on the nose and palate.
I’m………..gonna cry. I’ve never had a gentaz (and these opportunities become much less of a possibility each day) and this was just on that side of corked. I wish it was blatant, butnahhhhh. It had to show just enough to strip the wine a bit but still show you bits and pieces of what it can do. /sigh
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is nuanced and poised with deep tones of red cherries, strawberry creams, raspberries, licorice, spice notes, violets, leather, earth notes, and some herbs. This is the kind of nose that makes you take notice and dig deep into the glass. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and so refined with medium acidity and silky, medium tannins. This is just sexy and even in a less than stellar vintage, Rayas shows its quality and level through and through. This is firing on all cylinders and is just a pure joy to taste.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is perfumed and beautifully balanced with layered tones of dark red cherries, cracked pepper, violets, raspberries, savory herbs, licorice, kirsch liqueur, tobacco leaf, and crushed rocks. The Medium/full bodied feel shows off the balance and layering of the nose while possessing medium acidity and resolved, medium tannins. This is right in its zone and is just beautiful.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is deep, layered, and soulful with gorgeous and balanced tones of black cherries, crushed berries, blackberries, raspberries, licorice, liqueur notes, leather, and some spice notes. The Full bodied feel is robust while showing off the depth and layered qualities of the nose with medium acidity and silky, medium tannins that have resolved. This was a real treat and a truly amazing bottle on a night where there were a lot of great bottles.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is deep and layered with some power and refinement to the tones of black cherries, violets, black raspberries, savory herbs, liqueur notes, leather, spice tones, and some earth. There is so much depth with this showing off a seamless quality that is extremely enjoyable. The Full bodied feel shows off those robust but refined qualities with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium tannins. This was a great way to finish the tasting and night. In a different setting where I would have a bottle in front of me and time to really dig in, I could easily see a higher score. But, I’m still beyond thankful for the opportunity to try this.
1995 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
The nose is balanced, but fat with tones of orange marmalade, red apples, creamy notes, nectarines, lemon curds, roasted nuts, and some noticeable rancio notes creeping in. The Full bodied feel is richer and textured but with the balance of the nose while showing off integrated, medium acidity. This is pretty good, but this bottle does feel like it’s fading a little bit and the rancio note is also a bit more prominent than I’d like for this to really hit those big highs.
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1990 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
The nose is pungent and with some restrained power to the tones of black cherries, black raspberries, peppery notes, leather, licorice, tobacco leaf, some oak, spice tones, and violets. The oak is noticeable, but it doesn’t overpower. Instead it does provide a framing for a more robust nose. The Full bodied feel shows off the robust qualities of the nose while showing good balance as well as tart, medium acidity and resolved, medium tannins.
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1988 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Ohhhhhh, yes. This is a whole lot of savory and rustic with deep and layered tones of black cherries, black pepper, leather, licorice, black fruits, dried tobacco leaf, savory herbs, violets, earth, and funk notes. This is just flowing with a style that really brings you in. The Medium/full bodied shows off the savory qualities of the nose as well as a level of refinement and poise with crisp, medium+ acidity and integrated, medium tannins. This is a whole lot of yes. It is fully mature and holding up beautifully with a very old school style to the nose and palate that tickles my senses.
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1990 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
The nose is robust, deep, and balanced with layered tones of dark red cherries, raspberries, black fruits, savory tones, white and black pepper, herbs, leather, bacon fat, and some animale notes. The Full bodied feel shows off the robustness of the nose while showing off a real elegant quality at the same time. The Medium+ acidity is crisp and balanced while the Medium tannins are silky and integrated. This is just wonderful! This shows off almost everything I want in a mature Cornas and I love every bit of it.
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1988 Noël Verset Cornas 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This was a bit worrisome at first. It seemed like it may be slightly corked, but I also knew that this is Verset and these wines can be all over the place. I left it in my glass and came back to it later. This time it had blossomed and was a very animale-driven Cornas with roasted meats, black cherries, black raspberries, leather, funk notes, cigar wrapper, warm earth, and some cracked pepper tones. The Full bodied feel is robust and brawny with some slightly drying, medium+ acidity and resolved, medium tannins. Once this opened up, it was the kind of Verset Cornas you die for. Unfortunately this bottle wasn’t entirely on point so it didn’t hit the heights it can hit, but I’m still very happy that I had a chance to drink it.
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2003 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
The nose shows a ripe side with richer tones of black cherries, black raspberries, olive paste, licorice, liqueur notes, spices, and leather notes. The nose is a bit four square and lacks some expression. The Full bodied feel is balanced with medium acidity and slightly stiff, medium+ tannins. This does show off the vintage a bit with a richer profile, but that four square nature exists on both the nose and palate.
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1989 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Was Guigal using more prominent oak even in 1989? I wasn’t the only one at the tasting that thought the oak was noticeable, so maybe they were? So, yea, there is a noticeable oak imprint right away along with tones of black cherries, raspberries, black olives, liqueur notes, licorice, tobacco leaf, spice notes, warm earth, and crushed violets. There is excellent complexity, but the tones come off slightly forced in a way. The Full bodied feel shows off the larger scale of the nose along with crisp, medium+ acidity and robust, yet mostly resolved medium+ tannins. This is ostensibly really good, but it just doesn’t have that extra heat of layering nor does it come off as savory. It’s more in the robust category with an oak imprint that exists on the nose and palate.
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1991 Gentaz-Dervieux Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Réservée Côte Brune Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
I’m………..gonna cry. I’ve never had a gentaz (and these opportunities become much less of a possibility each day) and this was just on that side of corked. I wish it was blatant, butnahhhhh. It had to show just enough to strip the wine a bit but still show you bits and pieces of what it can do. /sigh
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1994 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 94 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is nuanced and poised with deep tones of red cherries, strawberry creams, raspberries, licorice, spice notes, violets, leather, earth notes, and some herbs. This is the kind of nose that makes you take notice and dig deep into the glass. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and so refined with medium acidity and silky, medium tannins. This is just sexy and even in a less than stellar vintage, Rayas shows its quality and level through and through. This is firing on all cylinders and is just a pure joy to taste.
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1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is perfumed and beautifully balanced with layered tones of dark red cherries, cracked pepper, violets, raspberries, savory herbs, licorice, kirsch liqueur, tobacco leaf, and crushed rocks. The Medium/full bodied feel shows off the balance and layering of the nose while possessing medium acidity and resolved, medium tannins. This is right in its zone and is just beautiful.
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1998 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 96 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is deep, layered, and soulful with gorgeous and balanced tones of black cherries, crushed berries, blackberries, raspberries, licorice, liqueur notes, leather, and some spice notes. The Full bodied feel is robust while showing off the depth and layered qualities of the nose with medium acidity and silky, medium tannins that have resolved. This was a real treat and a truly amazing bottle on a night where there were a lot of great bottles.
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1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin 94 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The nose is deep and layered with some power and refinement to the tones of black cherries, violets, black raspberries, savory herbs, liqueur notes, leather, spice tones, and some earth. There is so much depth with this showing off a seamless quality that is extremely enjoyable. The Full bodied feel shows off those robust but refined qualities with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium tannins. This was a great way to finish the tasting and night. In a different setting where I would have a bottle in front of me and time to really dig in, I could easily see a higher score. But, I’m still beyond thankful for the opportunity to try this.
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