4/19/2021 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Quite delicious and very long on the palate.
I would buy it again, in a heartbeat.

3/11/2021 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

This is CdR on steroids!!
By any other name, a very, very good CH9dP but heck, it's a CdR.
And yes, I do know the back story, that is why I buy it.
The huge plumy aroma soars from the glass, the not TOO rich wine coats the palate and goes on and on. Not obtrusively tannic either.
If you have some, then get stuck in.
It has easily a decade of drinkability ahead of it.
Not for the fainthearted, this IS one for Rhone lovers.
The 2016 of this cuvee is reputed to be even better, that is truly scary.

1/25/2021 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Sylvain Pataille in my experience never fails to please.
Medium bodied Pinot with no obtrusive tannin, that is so obviously Northern Hemisphere. Red fruited nose and great cherry on the palate, without a hint of obvious sweetness - so attractively "lean!!" Never had a bad bottle.
This wine, year on year is great value for money and is a "go to" cuvee.

1/25/2021 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Middish pink, fine bubble mousse with a persistent red fruited nose.
On the palate, more cherry but also strawberry held in a decent structure with an attractive dod of minerality. Served with Welsh Lamb Rack cutlets and Mahomes in a Championship game. Really quite memorable, on many levels. This is serious Fizz for the money!!

1/12/2021 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Tonight, glorious!!
With the remnants of Sundays Roast Ribeye, just perfect and unexpected.
Just a half, but I have some left.
When a wine gets this good one should just drink it!!

12/26/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

There was substance, character, some minerality and chalk on the back end.
No obtrusive lemon, just a hint of background citrus and a length that this cheapie had no right demonstrating.
I imagine that most buyers will have consumed their bottles, it was only good luck that I had forgotten about this half dozen. In my case, no point waiting - this Setilles from a great White Burgundy vintage is far better than I ever hoped that it would be.

10/6/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

So much better tonight, than last time.
Decanted, and after 2 hours was better than I ever thought this wine could achieve. What shone this time was the wonderful mouthfeel and the length of the finish.
To be honest, I cannot imagine this wine getting any better but who knows?!
This was a shockingly good bottle of Northern Rhone Syrah!

8/22/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

This wine has all of the components to be very, very good.
Tried several times from half bottle over the last 6 months and currently is not drinking well.
Decanted and aerated last night, tasted over 4 hours and whilst it got a little better towards the end of the bottle, it was a very stubborn bottle.
The upside is that I have a case of halves, to keep on monitoring the development before I get torn into my bottles.
My advice, stay clear until several TN's are posted that the corner has been turned.
I might take a look at the 2015, in the meantime.
Also the Raspail-Ay in half.
It is worth noting that the Sarrasine 2013 on it's day, was an absolute stunner!!

6/7/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

Being brutal - utter garbage!!

The colour bordered on orange, there was no significant nose and on the palate - all I got was a recently departed Norwegian Blue! lol

My experience of the 2005 GA, has been less than spectacular.

6/7/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

An absolute cracker!!
Worth the wait, all that you would want from a bottle of 'Ermitage.
Not a Chave or Chapelle, more 2nd/3rd rank but none the worse for that.
Having bought Alexandrins wines, Cote Rotie & Ermitage from 2015 on, I am more than happy that these wines will deliver.
My advice is that if you see these wine in the marketplace, then snap them up. I have, and am delighted with them.
The only caveat is like this one, is to be patient.
Opening a single bottle too early is like pouring it down the sink, if you have a case - then have a go to track the wines development.

5/10/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Good concentration of flavour.
Very attractive colour.
Gulpable, Northern Rhone Syrah, a very good wine for food.
Terrific value for money

3/16/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

An excellent bottle of Cote Rotie which is drinking very well at the moment.
Whilst decanting, a large deposit of sediment was observed, always the mark of a good winemaker.

2/11/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

No better than ok. Currently I enjoy the NV far more than I did this bottle. I find this no little distressing, as I am - most certainly a Bolly fan. I have purchased the 2008 Grande Annee and look forward to reviews of the impending release of the 2012 GA. If I were you, I would give the 2005 a body swerve and look to the 2007!

1/8/2020 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

OMG!!
I could wax lyrical here but no point. Probably impossible to source, this single bottle has been perfectly cellared since arrival in the UK.
Gulpable, but that would be a heinous waste. A waft of red fruit on the nose but it is on the palate where all the action is. A smidge of smoke and then the not so delicate raspberry slips into 4th gear and soooo long on the palate, it is indecent!! LOL Note A full 3 hours in the decanter before the wine revealed itself!
Accompanied by the remnants of Sunday dinner, so roast Scottish Ribeye, Yorkies, Mashed potatoes, Broccoli and a great gravy.
For the money, this wine is oh so memorable, it makes me think why do we chase great vintages when we can buy this sort of quality for a song!!

12/28/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

In my bottle, the fruit had begun to fade and nothing on the nose.
I adore Gigondas and Sarrasine is amongst my favourites.
To my taste a disappointment, but there again it may have been a marginally faulty bottle.

12/28/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

A historical tasting note.
Tasted in the Summer of 1988.
Unbelievable!!
Pale in colour.
On the nose, the belief that I was strolling knee deep in a meadow of spring flowers, so pungent was it. Loads of yeasty brioche. This must be what heaven smells like!!
Acidic, but in a softer way, very, very attractive and full on the palate, oh so memorable.
This was my benchmark Bolly, once tasted; NEVER forgotten.
I now have bottles of the Grande Annee 2008, which I hope can live up to the 1976. It is said that one should never go back. When they release the 2008 RD, I will be at the front of the queue, elbows out clutching my debit card and hoping for an action replay!!

11/30/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

A cracking bottle. Not light and full of lemon, this is proper Champagne that commands, nay demands respect. Some flowery aspects to the nose and on the palate, at least medium bodied full of fruit, this is a serious wine that grabs my attention, it finishes with the slight rasp of bitterness is very attractive. I have tasted many different Champagnes, Bolly IS my favourite, I have enjoyed Krug and now Roederer joins the list. Welcome on board!! lol

11/19/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

A half bottle from a supermarket.
A non lurid pink. Unmistakably Bolly, a more serious Rose. To be honest, I normally body swerve Roses, defining them as wines for those who cannot decide between white or red. This Rose has a tad of the strawberry on the nose and on the palate, without being sweet. As far as pairing it with food, slightly stumps me. It is however, a wine that is deserving of my attention, and yes I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Bravo Bolly!!

10/31/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this bargain Pataille cuvee.
It demonstrated to me that great value is out there if you are prepared to look for it. Now fully mature, with the exuberance of youth in the rear view mirror but still highly enjoyable.
Given the good run of vintages, 2018 for Pataille may be an absolute beezer!!

10/28/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

My example was the Wine Society Exhibition Hermitage which I am reliably informed is the Farconnet.
Did not show well the first night. Not faulty or corked but just closed up. Cling filmed the top of the decanter, to be tasted the following day.
2nd day, it began to show it's class. Not exuberantly but quietly, and over 6 hours improved, demonstrating high quality Northern Rhone Syrah with the merest hint of the ER. The best bit was at the end where I got an excited tingle at the end of my tongue and it was drinking well. This wine has a way to go, happily I have 18 bottles left to trace it's assured evolution. Another year and I will try another bottle.
With the straight Chave Hermitage Rouge retailing from £170 -£350+ per bottle depending on the vintage. I paid £36/$48 per bottle in January 2018 for these bottles, as this Chave Farconnet cuvee can demonstrate way more than a tad of the Chave fairy dust, without melting ones debit card. lol!!

10/28/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

This wine is Farconnet, relabelled so I am informed.
Did not show well the first night. Not faulty or corked but just closed up. Cling filmed the top of the decanter, to be tasted the following day.
2nd day, it began to show it's class. Not exuberantly but quietly, and over 6 hours improved, demonstrating high quality Northern Rhone Syrah with the merest hint of the ER. The best bit was at the end where I got an excited tingle at the end of my tongue and it was drinking well. This wine has a way to go, happily I have 18 bottles left to trace it's assured evolution. Another year and I will try another bottle.
With the straight Chave Hermitage Rouge retailing from £170 -£350+ per bottle depending on the vintage. I paid £36/$48 per bottle in January 2018 for these bottles, as this Chave Farconnet cuvee can demonstrate way more than a tad of the Chave fairy dust, without melting ones debit card. lol!!

10/21/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Sweet red fruit, garrigue herbs there and it sustains right across the palate with a long finish.
I only bought a case of 12 of the 2015, inexplicably missed the better!! Grrhhh! 2016 but snaffled 2 cases of the not too shabby 2017. This cost me for the 2017 in the UK £12.50 delivered or about $15.50 which is a bargain.
I would unhesitatingly recommend any Rhone fan to try this wine from any recent vintages, you will not be disappointed.

10/20/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

Tried 2 bottles, both on the verge of undrinkable.
Gave them both plenty of air but no improvement.

10/18/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

An utterly gorgeous Lirac.
Red/black fruited, southern Rhone red.
Too young to drink but impossible to resist.
I only bought 9 bottles, I wish that I had bought a shedful.
I have read how good the 2016 Mont Redon CH9dP is.
If this Lirac from the same vintage is as good as it is, one can only surmise how good it's more exalted brother is!??!

10/14/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Does not like this wine:

I really didn't like this wine.
It had little fruit and a persistent medicinal edge.
I have recently tasted the Raspail-Ay Gigondas 2014 which was quite lovely.
Maybe this was a bad bottle, we shall see?

9/22/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

I decanted a full bottle and waited 3 hours before tasting. I almost tipped it all down the sink, so disjointed it was. But I persevered, given that I am no longer a child and have learnt the benefit of patience. After 5 hours it is quite enjoyable, quality red fruits to the fore on the nose and palate. This wine should be approached in 2 years time, unless you are prepared to decant it 24 hours in advance. Of late, I have tasted the 2012 & 2013 and really enjoyed them. I have industrial quantities of the Thalabert 2015/16/17 in my cellar, such is my confidence in these wines. I do really like Crozes, which on it's day can give one a decent tad of the Hermitage, happily foregoing the inflated price.
I will confess to residing in Scotland, so I may have been indoctrinated with that nations quest for VFM!!??!!

8/31/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

A really enjoyable CdR. You get the garrigue, black fruits & no appreciable tannin. I paid less than £10 for this beauty and it is terrific with a steak. I buy it most years, but with 2014/5/6/7/8 being good to brilliant there is plenty of competition out there. What this wine delivers is gulpability, you actually drink it rather than faced with an OTT sipping iteration which I dislike.

8/28/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

A wonderful Raspail-Ay Rouge.
A mere infant at the moment, over 5 decanter hours began to reveal itself. The last drop was quite lovely. I see a great evolution for the future.
Deep red with a red fruit nose, it was full across the palate.
I think that it will get better and better, but if drinking now decant a day ahead.
I have lots of Gigondas in my cellar, from 2015 Hominis Fides, Tourelles, L'Argnee, Gardette Ventabren, Racines Pallieres, Cazaux Sarrasine & Raspail-Ay.
So plenty of fun ahead comparing! lol!!
And enough to look forward to with 2016/17/18 not being too shabby either.

8/19/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Tasting note for the 2012 & 13 Thalabert out of half bottle. Decanted and tasted after 2 hours. No appreciable tannin and a bit of deposit left in the bottle. Lots of blue fruit, really great and Jaboulet is back on song!! I have bought the 2015 & 17 in bottles and halves. Plenty of life left here, but I will drink my 12 & 13 over the next 2 years.

8/11/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

I felt that the wine has gone into hibernation and is very much closed up.
So unfair to pass judgement.

7/16/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious with scents of bready components predominating on the nose with a little bright acidity. Of late I have tasted bottles and halves and the quality has been remarkably consistent. With the combination of reserve wines and some excellent recent vintages wine, I do think that Bolly is very much on song. I do not think that it will suit everybody, I like my Fizz full and toasty, for those who venerate more delicate and floral, this is at the other end of the spectrum.
Mind you, I did taste the Bolly 1976 RD in maybe 1989 and that on the nose was like walking through the most amazing floral Spring meadow!!
That is my Bolly reference point and today I would mark it 98/100. Cristal gets top points from tasters, I have never had the pleasure but I have just snaffled some Bolly Grand Annee 2008, and live in hope?!? However, the Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut NV is enough to be getting on with, on a regular basis!! I do keep some in cellar, it does seem to do no harm. lol!!

5/18/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Took several hours in the decanter to show well. Good blackberry nose with red/black fruit on the palate which lengthened appreciably with time. I also got the "slatey" taste which I have read about but not before encountered. This wine might have "Taffy" associations?!? lol Not your modern fruit driven Crozes, more a semi-intellectual and serious wine that none the less was highly enjoyable. This was my first Cosme Crozes, normally I buy their upmarket Gigondas. This was impressive and cheap at £15 bottle. This was a wine that benefited from time in the cellar, I do not normally keep Crozes for 8 years, maybe a lesson for many of us!??! My opinion is that this Crozes is terrific now, it may get a bit better but if you have some, throat a bottle and decide yourself. I have 2 more bottles and will drink them before the end of the year.

5/12/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Absolutely gorgeous now. A terrific Raspail Gigondas. Good on the nose and long on the palate, it cannot be faulted for the money. £19/bottle. It needed 2+ hours in the decanter.

4/24/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

For me the House style is unmistakeable! Toasty on the nose and full on the palate, Bollinger satisfies my quest for Fizz. And I cellar it for a year or two for added complexity. Maybe not for those who demand a light and ethereal product, for me of late Bolly has been on a good run!!

4/23/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

A fair rasp of tannin on opening, which mellowed and it was obvious that it was a very good wine. The following night, utterly transformed into a hugely enjoyable N. Rhone Syrah with not a trace of a hard edge. A mixture of both black and red fruits on the nose, fun to drink but with a serious character that let you know that it meant business. Great and exuberant fruit on the palate. I buy La Rosine and Lezardes and they are incredible value for money, which is rare in Northern Rhone. I filled my boots with 15/16/&17. You will not be disappointed!! This IS a Cote Rotie lookalike at CdR prices. This costed me £14/$18 per bottle (all in, including taxes and delivery) which is a bargain in anyone's language!!

4/6/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Last bottle of several cases, and the best. Was it ever thus!?! Guigal's CDR Rouge never fail to please, my advice is to stick several cases into the garage and develop a case of amnesia. Always give it a couple of hours in the decanter and you will not be disappointed. This final bottle at it's demise was nicely fruited, a tad of garrigue and a terrific example of CDR. This is not intellectual wine, it is great for a BBQ in Summer or a Cassoulet in Winter - supremely gulpable. And for £10 or $13 an absolute bargain. I have bought industrial quantities of the 2015!! Note that I have bought Guigal's CDR most years since the mid 1980's.

4/2/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Deep red, and initially not forthcoming on the nose. It took 6 hours to come to itself and was well worth the wait. Garrigue on the palate matched the aromas of Mediterranean herbs, and a mixture Northern and Southern Rhone in style. Overall a terrific bottle, which is just as well as I bought the 14/15/&16!! Great for a Ribeye, game or a hearty stew. This is a cuvee to follow, as are the Perrin Famille.

3/22/2019 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Tonight just perfect, aromatic, smooth Northern Rhone Syrah. I knew that I was onto a winner when I saw the deposit that the wine has thrown. So long on the palate, at the moment 2 minutes and counting. This is the time to drink the wine, I have left other wines to "get better" and seen them fall off the cliff. Great winemakers sprinkle their fairydust over some vintages and send them into the stratosphere. Chave, Graillot, Beaucastel (+Coudoulet), Roc de Cambes and Jaboulet have done it for me. Now I can add Rostaing to this list. This bottle cost £22 or $29 and it is/was totally off the wall!! My advice, if you can find it - buy it, you will not be sorry!!

9/2/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Cracking wine, improved up to 4 hour mark. Not a great Crozes but for the money (£14,60) very good value. Recommended!

6/3/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Reserving judgement. Currently too big for my palette making it undrinkable. Absolutely not a bad wine, more that it needs time to tone down to my tasting spectrum. On reflection, the 09 Varroniers was the same.

5/12/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour wrote:

A good N Rhone Syrah, just a year or two short of proper drinkability. Great structure, body and a nascent nose, I think that I committed infanticide!
This was my 1st bottle of Le Grand Courtil, and I have the '15/'16 as well, so feeling my way. I look forward to seeing this Crozes deliver what it surely can!

5/7/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Enjoyable. a good dod of N Rhone Syrah just lacking a little on the nose. Another 6 -12 months would do it no harm, the tannins have melted away and is currently quite attractive. Nicely into its drinking window.

5/3/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Caveat, I think that I like this wine. Not much fruit, restrained bouquet, tannic but I can appreciate that that it might turn the corner and eventually blossom. The experience of this bottle was reminiscent of a Clape bottle back in the 80's or early 90's which marked me, and not in a good way. I bought Vincent Paris 15 & 16, so it is not a lost cause. My advice, keep this wine for 5 years, but today - not for me.

4/16/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Utterly gorgeous. Everything you would want from a Southern Rhone red at a nonsense price! £17 or $24 a bottle, this is spectacular bargain territory!
It took a couple of decanter hours and a vigorous encouragement but who hasn't been there.
This is one that will be seared into my memory!

4/15/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Several hours in the decanter helped, when it got there it was worth it! I bought the wine on advice and a punt. I had thought that buying a simple Bourgogne or a generic might not deliver, how wrong I was. Grivot, Pataille or Bellene have given me much pleasure without spending too much. I'm not a fan of over extracted, warm climate Pinot so these wines and this one is right up my street! Pataille Marsannay or the strait Bourgogne wines are now on my radar, terrific value for money without breaking the bank. Will be drinking a bottle tonight!

3/10/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Had a bottle last night whilst watching the England ODI.
It was terrific taking 4 hours to fully reveal itself.
This vintage has taken years to come around, but some other subscribers say it is OTT. I put it down to the 2 million bottle production and maybe 10 bottlings. I still have 18 bottles remaining which I am delighted about.
I have drunk this CdR label since the early 1980's and vies with Coudoulet as my favourite S Rhone "generic!"
It would appear that I got a superior bottling, just the luck of the draw. My sympathies for those who got an earlier maturing version.

2/6/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

Very good but not quite there yet. Required around 5 hours to truly reveal itself, unlike the recently tasted 2007 which was utterly gorgeous. In my mind requires 2 years. Better still, try the 2005 if you've got some!?!

1/3/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Does not like this wine:

Seems that I was unlucky. My bottle was undrinkable, with wine it happens occasionally. I am so envious of those who got the real deal!?!

1/7/2018 - Taffy-on-Tour Likes this wine:

An hour in the decanter metamorphosed this Chave beauty into a grade A++ experience. Fragrant with raspberry and oh so silky on the palate, an utter pleasure to consume. Only purchased 3 of the 07, 6 of the 05 but a dozen of the '10. Marcel "Rocks!?!" My reference for 100 for Hermitage is the 1990 La Chapelle, I still have an unbroken case of 12, purchased en primeur. To get the Chave magic at an everyday(ish!) price is utterly breathtaking.

12/9/1977 - Taffy-on-Tour Does not like this wine:

From a terrible vintage. The wine was totally lacking of fruit BUT for all its faults the minerality shone through, clarion like.
For me, my first 1st Growth.
An educational experience that in hindsight was well worth the price!