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Rhône or Nôwhere 2.0
Malcolm, NE
Tasted March 7, 2024 by thesternowl with 60 views
Introduction
Well, it was decided a few months back that the band should get back together for Rhône or Nôwhere 2.0. A similar format was followed from the previous iteration and once again, the unicorns from the Rhône stood no chance. The lineup was literally an embarrassment of riches as each wine could have easily been the central focus for a special meal and/or occasion. Based on previous experience, I was better prepared to record notes; however, the notes are still informal since the setting wasn’t conducive for anything more. Most wines were opened a couple of hours prior to consumption unless otherwise noted.
Flight 1 - Bonjour! (1 note)
As tradition requires, a night of this sort should only begin one way: with Champagne! And if it’s Champagne, it might as well be from a magnum. Would Grande Année ‘96 suffice? Bien sûr!
White - Sparkling
1996 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année
94 points
From magnum, the 1996 Grande Année pours a brilliant pale gold color with a persistent mousse. Initially, the wine showed more oxidative notes but it freshened up considerably with air (in fact, a tiny amount was leftover for the next morning and it remained brilliant, racy even!). On the nose, notes of almond, citrus, honey, chalky minerals and brioche. On the palate, wine is developing with absolutely brilliant acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and zippy. The 1996 vintage is simply amazing. Here we are, 28 years past vintage and this bright and full of life! Granted, it’s a magnum, but still. Drink now with patience or enjoy through 2046+. Merci Matt!
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Flight 2 - Les Vins Blancs (3 notes)
White
1994 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc
93 points
The 1994 was initially a bit shy on the nose but after many hours in the decanter, it showed such amazing character. In fact, it shared some characteristics with a lightly peated single malt scotch, with light smoke, marmalade, honey, golden raspberry and wet stone. More of its character was unlocked with food. In this case, monkfish, sweet potato, leek, and winter truffle. Drink now through 2034+. Merci Matt!
White
1999 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée
93 points
100% old-vine Marsanne from the Les Murets lieu dit which is predominantly east facing on the hill. The 1999 “L’Orée” was the most powerful of the three Hermitage Blancs tonight. The nose was redolent of marmalade, honey, buttercream frosting, and slate. Luxurious texture with a long finish. Lovely with monkfish, sweet potato, leek, and winter truffle. Drink now through 2034+. Merci Dave!
White
2007 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc Le Méal
94 points
100% old-vine Marsanne from the Le Méal lieu dit which is predominately south facing. The 2007 “Le Méal” is a wine of beauty and balance with notes of yellow flowers, wet stone and honey suckle. Surprisingly fresh for a 2007. Super delicious with monkfish, sweet potato, leek, and winter truffle. Drink now through 2037. Merci Dave!
Flight 3 - The Pope's Holiday Digs (5 notes)
Red
1989 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Selection Reflets
94 points
I snuck this bottle into the flight of CdPs as a bonus offering from my cellar. Frankly, I was more curious than anything as I thought it could be old and tired. But if it wasn’t, I wanted to make sure the special moment could be shared. A special moment it most certainly was. The 1989 is vinous and mostly tertiary with predominate notes of mushrooms and forest floor while the mixed berry fruit set was more baked and dried. This not only held fast throughout the night, it showed some spring in its step as the hours went by. If I’m using wine as a metaphor, this is yet another reason to respect one’s elders. Often there are stories to be heard so it’s careless to dismiss. Stop and listen and you could gain some wisdom. A brilliant wine and a lovely pairing with cassoulet, Toulouse sausage and duck confit. Drink now through 2029.
Red
2000 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve
92 points
The color was a brilliant pale ruby color and slightly cloudy. Noticeably lighter in complexion than the others in the CdP flight. Yep…it has that scintillating, heady nose that is so unique to Rayas. Pine needles, wild strawberries, cardamom…woof. This bottle had some VA but I didn’t mind. Perhaps not the most exciting Rayas but I’m splitting hairs here. A very nice pairing with cassoulet, Toulouse sausage and duck confit. Drink now and through 2035. Merci Matt!
Red
2013 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Marie Beurrier
94 points
I opened this bottle of the 2013 “Cuvée Marie Beurrie” the day before and poured into a ship’s decanter for a couple of hours before returning to the bottle. In the glass, just, wow. This is developing still with the darkest brambles and stone with purple flowers and garrigue. This is so beguiling, so deep with tannins and acid for days. Full of power and grace and stunner with cassoulet, Toulouse sausage and duck confit. This could use another decade easily and drink well through 2053.
Red
2005 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
94 points
Talk about an enormous wine. This bottle was downright youthful and packed to the gills with fruit and character. Dark fruited with anise and black pepper. It was just so dense that everything seemed locked up right now…and we can thank Mourvedre for that. This was very tasty with cassoulet, Toulouse sausage and duck confit. If I were going to open another one of these, I would probably hold until 2030 and this will probably last for another 25 years beyond that. A massive wine with a long future yet ahead. Merci Dave!
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Red
2015 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
94 points
Oh yes…gimme all them funky cherries and all dat black licorice. There were also Ferrara Red Hots®️and a generous hit of black pepper. I simply adore Pegau; for all of its unapologetic character and authenticity. This 2015 brought the business tonight and was smashing with cassoulet, Toulouse sausage and duck confit. Merci Charlie!
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Flight 4 - The Brunette, The Blonde and the La Las (3 notes)
Red
1990 Gentaz-Dervieux Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Réservée Côte Brune
96 points
Okay…so I entered the night fully aware that we were going to be taking down some unicorns…but this?! I wasn’t prepared for this. I walked into the room, greeted my fellow brothers-in-wine and began to set my contributions next to the other bottles in the line-up. I casually scanned from left to right in complete wonder at what was on display…and stopped halfway, as my eyes recognized a label from the recesses of my memory. A label that had been filed away under the category of “Academic” since there was very little likelihood that I would ever see a bottle, let alone have an opportunity to enjoy it. And yet, here I was, in a small town north of Lincoln, NE, staring in disbelief at a bottle of 1990 Gentaz-Dervieux. I turned to our host who, at this point, was smiling at me; like a childhood friend who had invited me over to play with his GI Joe Aircraft Carrier, the U.S.S. FLAGG. “F***ing Gentaz?!”
The nose? Magic. Brambles, granite, mushrooms, cumin, espresso, purple flowers, leather, smoke; so sanguine, so savory. Vinous. Rustic. Tremendous with Iberico pork cheek, mushroom ragu with lavender and thyme. I took my time. Drink now through 2035+. Merci Matt!!
The nose? Magic. Brambles, granite, mushrooms, cumin, espresso, purple flowers, leather, smoke; so sanguine, so savory. Vinous. Rustic. Tremendous with Iberico pork cheek, mushroom ragu with lavender and thyme. I took my time. Drink now through 2035+. Merci Matt!!
Red
1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
94 points
Believe it or not, this is my first La-La and what a way to do it with a 1994 no less! Flintstone vitamins, gym socks, pomegranate, purple flowers, minerals like crazy…and what seemed like an impenetrable wall of granite. Tons of baking spices. Modern? Yeah of course but my goodness the quality is indisputable and this worked really well with Iberico pork cheek, mushroom ragu with lavender and thyme. The reality is, even at 30 years old, this is youthful. Drink now through, I dunno, 2044? Merci Matt!
Red
2004 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde
93 points
This was a real treat after the Gentaz-Dervieux since Rene Rostaing is Marius Gentaz’s son-in-law. While the vineyards that belonged to Marius are now famously part of the Rostaing domaine, that vineyard goes to Rene’s Côte Brune; this is his Côte Blonde and arguably his most famous bottling. This 2004 pours a cloudy ruby with brambles, purple flowers, blood, dust and leather. Slightly rustic which is what I want from Rostaing. I love the individuality and how it paired with the Iberico pork cheek, mushroom ragu with lavender and thyme. Plenty of life left. Drink through 2034+. Merci Matt!
Flight 5 - The Birthplace of Syrah (4 notes)
Red
1988 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
94 points
The 1988 Chave Hermitage Rouge came out guns blazing and super primal with mushrooms, organic earth, rotundone, loads of coffee, and even some spinach accompanying the dried fruit set. Complex doesn’t even begin to describe and it seemed as if it was just getting started. A classic pairing with grilled lamb and Moroccan spices. Drink now through 2040. Merci Matt!
Red
1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
94 points
Not to be outdone, the 1989 Chave Hermitage Rouge showed more brambles than the ’88 along with other desiccated blue and black fruits. Dried flowers, beef, blood, leather and mushrooms. Every time I have the pleasure of drinking old Chave, I’m reminded that these wines have so much character and there is a reason they are so adored. Lovely with grilled lamb and Moroccan spices. Drink now through 2040. Merci Matt!
Red
1988 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle
92 points
The fruit for "La Chapelle" is sourced predominantly from Le Méal and Bessards (with a little form Greffieux and Rocoules. Relative to the two Chave’s, the 1988 “La Chapelle” seems a bit more like a Hermitage fastball right down the middle of the plate. Desiccated mixed berries, olives, purple flowers, and minerals with a touch of ethyl acetate. Again a great pairing with grilled lamb and Moroccan spices. Vinous and drinking well now through 2035. Merci Matt!
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Red
1999 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite
93 points
The vines for Chapoutiers “L’Ermite” are largely pre-phylloxera and some are well over a century old. Along with the typical associated fruits and non-fruits: brambles, spiced grilled meat and minerals, this bottle of the 1999 had a bit of a radish note, some old dusty leather-bound books and also had a touch of ethyl acetate. A touch closed relative to the other wines in the Hermitage flight but certainly didn’t seem to be fading and the grilled lamb and Moroccan spices helped to unlock some of its character. Drink now through 2035. Merci Dave!
Flight 6 - The Cornas F'ing Masters (3 notes)
Red
1996 Noël Verset Cornas
95 points
First, the Gentaz and now, Verset?! Be still my beating heart! Noël Verset is a freaking legend. His first vintage was during the period of peace between the first and second world war which means, for most of his career, Cornas was a tough place to make a living making wine. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that things began to turn around and by that time, Noël was in his 70’s. Talk about perseverance. By the time he made this 1996 vintage, he had already started selling off some of his vineyards and by 2006, he was done making wine altogether.
And this 1996? It is lighter in color than the other wines in the Cornas line-up; almost a pale garnet with a transparent core. The nose is just crazy. I just wanted to smell it for the rest of the night. Wild mixed berries, dried purple flowers, garrigue, tobacco, and coffee. This was a Cornas of elegance and thinner on the palate relative to the Allemand and Clape. Long finish. Divine with venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion. Drinking very well now and could hold for longer but why? Merci Matt!
And this 1996? It is lighter in color than the other wines in the Cornas line-up; almost a pale garnet with a transparent core. The nose is just crazy. I just wanted to smell it for the rest of the night. Wild mixed berries, dried purple flowers, garrigue, tobacco, and coffee. This was a Cornas of elegance and thinner on the palate relative to the Allemand and Clape. Long finish. Divine with venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion. Drinking very well now and could hold for longer but why? Merci Matt!
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Red
1997 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas
94 points
As Noël Verset started to divest in his vines, there were several producers who came away with some real treasures. The most famous was Franck Balthazar who was able to purchase Verset’s prized holdings in Chaillots. Perhaps less known is Auguste Clape also purchased some ex-Verset vines in the Sabarotte lieu-dit. The 1997 Clape pours a much deeper color, nearly opaque purple. Dense brambles with some black licorice, lavender pastilles and minerals. Somewhat reticent even at 25+ years old. The venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion helped coax this Clape from slumber though. Drinking well now but easily has the stuffing to see 2037 and possibly beyond. Merci Matt!
Red
1999 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard
95 points
Another producer to inherit some vineyards from Verset was Thiérry Allemand who purchased Noëls holdings in Reynard. That vineyard is the cornerstone for this wine. The 1999 Allemand “Reynard” is still full of fresh brambles, some cow pasture, and beautiful purple flowers. It’s sanguine with inorganic earth and gentle spices. Bangin’ with venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion. This is gorgeous and should be outstanding through 2040+. Merci Matt!
Flight 7 - Au Revoir (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1990 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Vin de Paille
98 points
Okay, so we’ve had Gentaz and Verset along with a ridiculous collection of other truly great wines; the likes of which could have easily stood very much on their own and been the showpiece of the night. But we weren’t finished yet. So why not another mythical creature? Chave’s Vin de Paille is so rare. It’s only been made a dozen or so times in history and always in tiny numbers. The 1990 Vin de Paille pours like a liquid Tiger’s eye with notes of persimmons, golden raisins, and peach crisp. So rich and yet, not cloying. An amazing pairing with foie toast and candied chestnuts. Drink now through infinity. Honestly, I don’t know how a wine like this ever dies unless it lives a hard life. Merci Matt!
Flight 8 - Epilogue (1 note)
Red
2011 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant
95 points
As Rhône or Nôwhere 2.0 concluded, our heads were spinning. Spinning not only due to the consumption but from the out-of-this-world lineup. As we tried to gather ourselves, a bottle of 2011 DRC Romanée St. Vivant was generously opened to toast the evening’s frivolities. I mean, wow. The 2011 R-S-V pours a bright but deep ruby with no signs of age. It’s dark fruited and slightly green, probably still needing another decade+ to flesh out. There is some beautiful use of oak with gorgeous baking spices. Way more closed than the 2011 DRC Echezeaux we enjoyed a couple years back. Clearly amazing. Clearly a baby still. Afterwards, a friend with more experience than (in respects to DRC) mentioned that Echezeaux usually shows well when young while R-S-V typically needs the most time. Something that I’ll keep in mind. To my palate, this will be best after 2030 and should be excellent through 2050+. It’s got that kind of guts and balance. Merci Matt!!
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Closing
Rhône or Nôwhere 2.0 more than lived up to the previous edition. Remarkably, there were zero corked bottles and faults were minimal; once again beating the odds. As such, picking favorites is truly an impossible task as each bottle showed so well. That being said, the 1990 Gentaz-Dervieux and 1996 Noël Verset were true bucket-list wines and the 1990 Chave Vin de Paille was such a special treat that I may also never see again. And anytime that DRC is being shared, how can one forget?! A massive thank you to our host who opened his beautiful home and cellar for such a legendary evening. Matt, your hospitality and generosity are truly second to none.