Community Tasting Note
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csimm wrote: 95 points
July 7, 2021 - 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape 99/100 point wine taste-off (and a couple of pirate Rhone wines): Black raspberry, fresh orange peel, cardamom, plum, and cassis present in a subtly candied and liqueur-like fashion, but stay true to the region from where it is attempting to honor. Does it taste like SQN? No. I mean, I don’t think so. If you mean is it modern and ripe and ripe and ripe and boozy and ripe, then I’d have to say there were other CdPs made by Frenchmen that tasted way more Californicated than the Chimere. There was a decent hit of alcohol here, which was perhaps my biggest ding, but otherwise it showed some meatiness and earthy wild fruitiness that gave it personality. Seamlessness was moving right along on the front and mid until the vodka-monger note wafted up and started fanning the tail. 94-95+ points, with upside after a few years in bottle to settle down and hopefully integrate more.
This was sampled again after 24 hours and had become a bit prune-ridden. It was holding up fairly well, but the ripe plum/prune note was prevalent enough that it took away from the rest of the delivery. Finished slightly bitter as well after the on-going exposure to air.5 people found this helpful 5,770 views
4 Comments
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Quiet Lion commented:
6/25/22, 10:40 AM - I love your notes so much.
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csimm commented:
6/26/22, 8:24 AM - QL You are too kind my friend. I hope my take on this wine didn’t come off too harsh. As in any larger comparative tasting, in this case a lineup of 100 point CdPs, some wines simply stand out over others, even if many/all are solid wines. This, like many SQN, needs time to work through its evolution. The booze was the biggest part of its wonkiness. I say leave these alone for at least 5-6+ years more. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
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Quiet Lion commented:
6/26/22, 9:17 AM - Not too harsh at all and you write so well. I too am disappointed and sometimes frustrated when a wine doesn't seem to be showing as hoped. I haven't tried any vintage of this but it's on my radar!
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csimm commented:
6/26/22, 9:38 AM - It’s no secret I’m a general fan of SQN, but I personally prefer what Krankl does on the domestic front over this CdP version. The other top CdPs were/are more compelling for me than the Chimere (for what it’s worth).