April 26, 2022 - Best of 3 bottles drank so far. Good cork. Double decanted 1 hour before. Served at 15C. Dark crimson in bottle, slight bricking around edges. Delicate bouquet. Mid to light mouthfeel. Juicy dark fruit with some underbrush hints of bacon. Very complex and nuanced. Light structure, very limited tannins. Great pairing with amatriciana (guanciale). I’d say this bottle was at its apogee.
December 15, 2021 - Similar to last bottle but richer with more structure. Double decanted for one hour plus which was fine. Drank with magret de canard/duck breast. Excellent marriage.
May 7, 2020 - Quasi impenetrable dark red in bottle; vivid red with light red edges (not orange/brownish despite age) in glass with significant legs. Light floral bouquet. Dominant light raspberry, low tannins and lighter bodied that I was anticipating. Not a case of integrated strong tannins. Delicate wine, that, in my opinion, lacks a little punch and complexity--perhaps it would have been better a couple of years ago. Still a lovely wine. Paired with beef; perhaps, would be more suited to fowl or lean pork (eg tenderloin), notably given light raspberry. Not enough body/tannins to cut through fatty dishes. Good right out of the bottle, although benefited slightly from decant of c.1 hr. Ensure that serving temp in is 15-17C range, best to start at lower end of range and see how it evolves. Time to drink up.
December 14, 2015 - Weekly tasting group #196; Northern Rhône vs Southern Rhône (@ RW): In the bouquet red and dark fruits, leather, bacon and rustic smells. On the palate the same fruits, minerals, leather and bacon again, spices like white pepper, firm acidity and good tannin with still a soft bite. Good length. Beautiful wine, ready now and the next few years. 90 - 91
April 27, 2015 - Weekly tasting group #165; Rhône (@ RW): In the bouquet juicy red and dark berry fruits, blood, bacon, minerals and metal. On the palate juicy ripe fruits, beautiful acidity and mild tannin. Friendly wine with a good length. Ready now and the next 3+ years.
November 17, 2014 - [J&B Rhone tasting] OK but no match for the 2007 and 2009. I can't say you get great value here given the price tag.
August 27, 2011 - Glorious blueberry, plummy fruit bursts from this nose. The alcohol is a tad higher than the previous wine but I see nothing lacking in terms of ultimate harmony. It is a swashbuckling, vigorous nose (just as I’d expect at this age) but everything is in the right place and shows flashes of great things to come in the future. At the moment the palate is perhaps most suitable for the brawny lover of red-blooded hedonism, but this is not an over-blown, over-whelming fighting wine – it is a damned good young Hermitage from what is clearly a top bunny vintage for this producer. It is true I usually prefer minimalist, sculpted little beauties, but when a wine can manage such levels of stirring vehemence and still do that whole harmony thing I’ll drink the bleeder with a big grin slapped across my face. Good stuff, needs time.