#alternativepairings
Chicago, IL
Tasted February 2, 2017 by acyso with 588 views
Introduction
There is a (possibly apocryphal) story of Robert Parker advocating 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (en magnum) as a pairing to sushi. As this is the tenth anniversary of the vintage, and since Robert Parker is a critic of such great renown, we decided to follow his sage advice and try this pairing.
Flight 1 - Real Wines (4 notes)
A few Champagnes and a dessert wine were served at this dinner -- they were all reasonable beverages.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Bérêche et Fils Champagne Reflet d'Antan
France, Champagne
2009 base, 6 g/L dosage, May 2014 disgorgement. It's odd. I had had this exact same disgorgement before, and thought it disappointing, but this bottle was showing very well tonight. This had a great balance of freshness and oxidative character, and there was plenty of white fruit here. Lots of taut acidity and chalkiness rounds out a really full-bodied champagne.
White - Sparkling
2007 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut
USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
This is a surprisingly sweet bottle of sparkling wine. There's some pronounced red delicious apple flavours here (but also with a fair bit of acidity), as well as a biscuity character. It's not bad, but the sweetness really throws me off a little bit.
Red - Fortified
1991 M. Chapoutier Banyuls Vin Doux Naturel
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Banyuls
From half bottle. This is like a Madeira without all the nice things that make Madeira Madeira. It's got a little bit of that shiitake mushroom quality on the nose from the oxygen, but it feels more like oxidation that was done accidentally than on purpose. The palate shows moderate sweetness, with some golden raisin and date flavours, and the alcohol pokes out quite a bit. The necessary acidity to balance out the wine isn't quite here either, unfortunately.
Flight 2 - 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (11 notes)
At age 10, the 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "wines" tasted here are a complete and utter disaster. They are laughably bad. I remember having tasted the vintage early on and being impressed by the luscious fruit on that wine. A decade later, none of the "wines" tasted today could reasonably count "luscious fruit" as a descriptor. Those that haven't otherwise been ruined but the modernist dogma of heavy oak treatments now suffer from flavours that evoke rotting fruit on an orchard in late October -- that sickly, rotting flavour is really quite vile. After that, there are two separate issues. Many of the wines actually suffer from extreme emaciation. With ten years for the baby fat to dissipate, the midpalate has just dropped out completely, leaving a wretched husk with weedy and astringent tannins on the finish. The riper "wines" suffer from alcoholic bitterness on the back end. The hyperbolic and hysterical pronouncements of Parker, Suckling, and their ilk reminded me a little bit of the current ambient climate, and I have endeavoured to render my notes to these "wines" with contemporary suitability.
Red
2007 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The failing wine advocate reports that this wine should have 95+ points! Clear bias for excessive ripe and alcohol wines, but thin weedy tannins! Why do these wines always score so well. Unfair!
Red
2007 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
MSM says this is good wine but I know better than that. Brown and pruney stuff. They are trying to sell wine that doesn't have much acid too. We are getting killed here, need to stop them scoring wines like this!
Red
2007 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Trying to buy wine and getting rotting fruit and poop. And it's showing bigly. Not what I expected. What a bad deal. We are getting killed here! Should be safe to expect red flavors not brown. Sad!
Red
2007 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Clos du Mont olivet is really candied and flabby. It has gained a lot of weight and this is a real problem! But the palate is still thin and tastes like bitter greens!
Red
2007 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
I am FORMALLY putting Clos Saint Jean on notice for this terrible wine! It should never have been made! So unbalanced! Tastes bitter!
Red
2007 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This is only 10 years old wine, why is the fruit on this decaying already? Tastes like rotting! And bitter on the finish too, and heat shows bigly. Bad wine!
Red
2007 Domaine de la Graveirette Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Listen. I respect Chateauneuf du Pape. Nobody respects it more than I do. I have tremendous respect for it. This is a good wine. It has red fruit and also some acid. I know plenty of Chateauneuf that don't have acid. This one has acid. It's great.
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