N Rhone Dinner

A real treat this evening. The flights were marshaled perfectly, I think, and the small pours followed by revisits led to a clear-ish head by the last flight.

• 2017 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru l'Esprit

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Pale colour. Bright nose. On the palate, a kind of clean energy, wonderful zip to it. Still some yeasty complexity but the overriding characteristic is of energy and line. Some discussion about whether this was opened too young - I don't have a strong sense of how this would age, but more than enjoyable now.

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• 2004 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  First of the Jamet flight. As a fellow diner remarked, Côte Rôtie is the well coiffed, dutiful son of the Northern Rhone. There's still a hint of edginess under there though. Garnet colour. Clean nose with just a hint of violet. Interestingly this was reported to throw off some CO2 on opening, and of the flight this was the most unruly, someone said it could have passed for Cornasien. Not sure how much further this has to go, but singing tonight.

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• 2006 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Pale garnet colour. Looking at my previous note - I think this bottle was a good half-step up. Pale garnet colour. Taut, concentrated - it's beginning to tell its story now, but still some opening up to do. Some discussion at the table as to how much improvement further uncoiling will bring - my sense is that the unraveling will reveal greater treats in store, however more educated palates than mine thought this might not be be the case. I wonder if i'll have the fortitude to leave my remaining bottle for long enough to find out...

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• 2007 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Definitely primus inter pares from this flight for me. Pale garnet colour. Parma violets on the nose, something floral, slightly high-toned to it, real length though, and a beguiling savouriness. Someone said this was the most Côte Rôtie of the flight and who am I to disagree.

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• 1999 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  If the Côte Rôties were at the well coiffed end of rural france, this is the over revved Ford Escort with a full ashtray and Pixies cassette in the stereo. This has that lovely line and brightness to it but there's just a bit too much brett (I think...lots of discussion as to what brett is, and isn't...) not quite faulty, but i've had better bottles.

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• 1999 Dumien-Serrette / Nicolas Serrette Cornas

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  Garnet colour. Slight funk on the nose, something menthol / eucalyptus maybe. Lovely line and depth - thrilling but well behaved. Lovely stuff this.

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• 1998 Dumien-Serrette / Nicolas Serrette Cornas Patou

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  Ah now. Similar garnet colour to the preceding bottle. Slightly cleaner nose perhaps? If the 99s were in the 5th year, the 98 is a slightly cooler sixth former, the type that smokes because he enjoys it rather than to look cool. There's lovely length to it, lovely balance, my wine of the flight.

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• 2006 Bernard Faurie Hermitage Greffieux-Bessards

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  White Capsule - 2006 Greffieux-Bessards. Lovely silkiness and concentration here. Still some way to develop, I think. Acid core but polite with it, lovely structure think the tannins are in perfect balance just now.

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• 2006 Bernard Faurie Hermitage

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Gold Capsule - Hermitage Greffieux-Bessards-Meal. On the nose - bigger, broader, more engaging than its flightmate. On the palate - there's wonderful depth here - but also a kind of glossiness to it, that I struggle to get on with. There's a split at the table as to wine of the flight. Going back to it over time - calmed down somewhat, but still a certain, reductive?, element.

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