90s Northern Rhone Tasting
Dino's
Tasted March 10, 2010 by jahlove with 666 views
Introduction
I love Old World Syrah, so the Northern Rhone is definitely hallowed ground for me. This was my first time tasting the likes of Hermitage and Cote Rotie with this kind of age on them.
Flight 1 - Rhone Whites (3 notes)
An interesting selection of Rhone whites started off the tasting. Strongly disliked the L'Oree initially, but it really won me over in the glass, and was my #3 wine of the night. Wine of the flight easily. No contest.
White
1995 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Smelled oxidized at first, but with air in the glass revealed itself as an incredibly rich and complex white. Loads of baked fruit, custard, smoke, butter. Deep and long. Still has some acidity kicking. Slight heat, but still fascinating.
White
1998 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc Chante-Alouette
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Nose was not all that expressive. Some tropical notes. Still very lively acidity. Some said was maderized. There was some apple juice on the finish which I associate with maderized whites, but it wasn't bothering me. I thought the wine was powerful with still formiddable structure. Had a nutty, sherry like finish.
White
2006 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Much too young. Very disjointed with noticable heat. Ripping acidity on the back end. I'm sure this wine is better than it showed this evening. Almost feel bad about scoring it considering the company it was in.
Flight 2 - Cote Rotie (3 notes)
A wonderful experience that only served to underscore my love for this appellation. I was struck by the Guigal but the Jamet absolutely stole the show and was my #2 wine of the night. Not a disappointing wine in the bunch.
Red
1998 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Nose of herbs, olives and smoke. Lost of smoke. Spend campfire the next day kind of smoke. Still rather compact on the palate. There is definitely more in reserve. Exciting Syrah.
Flight 3 - Hermitage (4 notes)
An interesting collection of Hermitage wines - all within a year of each other but all in different places. The Vallouit was almost shockingly forward, the Meal was very promising but way too young, and the Delas (my favorite of the flight) was almost Barolo like in a strange way.
Red
1998 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Ah, the breakfast of champions. This has all those breakfast smells. The spent coffee grinds, the eggs, the bacon, some cigarette ash. I love it. Pepper as well.
Red
1999 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Sounds funny to say this for a wine that is a decade old, this seemed almost too young to score. Complex and brooding with rock solid structure. Visit again in another decade.
Red
1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Marquise de la Tourette
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
At first rubber sneakers (think Converse All-Stars) or maybe rubber ball and a little stink foot. But oh so silky on the palate. Lots of sour cherry. Almost Barolo-like. Persistent with nice depth and length. Very elegant.
Flight 4 - La Chapelle Mini-Vertical (3 notes)
Wow. Perhaps the most educational part of the evening. How can a decade old wine seem so insanely young and primary, as was the case with the 99 (note rated) and even the 97 (reluctantly rated). The one that gave the most drinking pleasure was the 95 which was my #4 wine of the night. The real treat in this mini-vertical, and not listed here, is the mystery La Chapelle. From 79, 80, or 81, this la Chapelle totally mesmorized me beyond the 93+ score that I attached to it. Maybe it was the fact that nobody, including the owner really knew what vintage it was. Unbelievable nose. You let anyone off the street smell that blind folded, there is no way they would guess that it was wine, let alone a liquid substance. It smelled like one of those pepper coated salames. It had complexity and depth without feeling heavy. Just very elegant and thought provoking. I could have spent an entire evening with just this one wine.
Red
1995 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Absolutely beautiful. This wine is right in its sweet spot to my taste. Smokey, meaty, dried tobacco, pepper, olives. Supremely balanced and very expressive.
Red
1997 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Not quite there yet. Still showing some primary fruit. Acid a little too prominent. Starting to show a little complexity with some nice coffee ground action. Needs more time.
Closing
I was incredibly happy to be able to attend this tasting and I felt like I learned a lot about Syrah in the Northern Rhone. First, it reaffirmed why it is I love the expression of this varietal and this terroir. And tasting what can happen with these wines with proper aging only reinforces my commitment to patient cellaring. I also learned that I need a whole evening to really get to know a wine. I found it very difficult to taste this many wines, of this caliber and pedigree, in such short order.
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