January 14, 2023 - Some fruit on the nose. Not hugely aromatic on initial pour. Dark fruit and cherries on the palate. Opened out nicely after time in the glass.
August 21, 2022 - Decanted from a magnum, there was only a little sediment. Started drinking an hour later and finished over the ensuing hour (but the decanting didn't change the experience very much compared to the sample tried upon opening).
Medium to deep purple. Medium intensity nose. Medium density (rather elegant) and medium+ intensity on the palate, with a regular/medium finish. Nice ripe dark fruit and Northern Rhône juiciness/freshness, and maybe also a little of that granite 'minerality'. Little to no signs left of the wood (in line with how the wine was matured: 25% in French oak barrels and 75% in concrete - whereas meanwhile in more recent vintages Chapoutier seems to have shifted to longer/more maturing in wood than concrete for this wine). Tannins were almost fully resolved and the wine seems to have shed quite a bit of the pepperiness and exuberance it probably had in its youth (and which I have recently noticed in younger Northern Rhône Syrah's). Apart from those signs of evolution though, not (yet) all that much in the way of tertiary flavors.
Certainly well-made and enjoyable, but I had expected a little more richness and complexity for this price (I paid 54 EUR/magnum in 2018) and given the exceptional vintage, the terroir, the wine maker's reputation and the reviews from several wine critics.
March 22, 2022 - Decanted 1 hour. definite pleasing evolution during dinner. Grippy, pencil to start with, later allowing rich but dry fruit to shine. Pleasingly complex and paired v well with food. Still has a couple of years to go to peak?
March 20, 2020 - Will probably need one more year or two, but it is getting there...rich lots of red fruits...some tobacco to the nose
August 19, 2019 - Couldn’t resist opening one when I came across it in the cellar after quite some Tuscan adventures recently. This has come together very nicely now and shows earthy, cherry, cloves and minerals notes, none of the initial vanilla any more. A warm wine in character, but well structured and balanced, still solid tannins and crisp acidity. Smooth, yet showing nice herbal resistance to food. Reconciles me with saint Joseph 😊. No particular idea how long this will travel, but given some recent let downs in Rhône, why not drink it if it is nice now?
March 2, 2019 - Oinorama Wine Fair 2019; 3/2/2019-3/3/2019 (Zappeio): This is a pure Syrah showing ripe red and black fruit, rustic profile, sous bois, earthy, round with cinnamon scented oak notes. The palate is juicy with firm tannins, medium body, very fresh still, with medium to long finish.
December 12, 2018 - A week in the Northern Rhone; 12/7/2018-12/15/2018 (Lyon, Vienne, Ampuis, Chavanay, Hermitage, Cornas, St. Joseph, Condrieu & Paris): At the Chapoutier tasting room. From the southern part of St. Joseph near Tain. 80% in barrels and 20% in concrete. Give this two years and will age up to 12 years. I prefer this to the Crozes-Hermitage it has a bit more grip and interest on the finish - dark fruit and pepper - good acidity.
September 24, 2018 - Quite a powerful nose, intense. Spiced red and dark fruits. Classy; smooth and supple On the palate. Some sneaky tannins but very approachable. Has some minerality - easy drinking.
September 10, 2018 - Burgundy, Rhone, Provence Trip; 9/3/2018-9/15/2018 (Burgundy, Rhone, Provence, France): Tasted at M. Chapoutier. Dark red color, 50yr vines, clay soils, 35% oak in 2 and 3yr barrels, 65% cement. Dark red berries, blackberry, lightly savory, pepper, dry firm tannins.
February 16, 2018 - Tightly knit but quite closed at this moment. Very smooth tannins and reserved cherry notes as well as hints of vanilla.