Magnificent bottle of classic old-style Chinon entering its prime drinking zone. Deep aromatics evoke smoldering cigar tobacco and a miscellaneous earth funk. The crimson-toned fruit might have a bit denser flesh than the norm but the hot vintage doesn't seem to have thrown any of the equalizer dials out of whack or introduced any overly ripe or overly sweet flavors. It really feels like it has the balance between the fruit and the funk, and the raw material it was born with vs. the elements it took on with age, perfectly dialed in. A slight tannic grittiness resurfaces towards the end so it's not without the structure to keep on going. The funny thing is I don't think I even bought this with any interest in the wine per se, only as a comparison piece to the Franc de Pied. But it's complete and lacking for nothing in its own right, I'm not even sure the FdP can be any better, but I'll have to dig one up soon and find out.
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Quite good for a 2003. Compact and sweet on nose and palate, with concentrated wild strawberry and cherry flavours, but one-dimensional and although there is a little Joguet coolness in the background, there isn't really enough, so the wine is a little stodgy, albeit enjoyable. I can't see it falling off the cliff anytime soon, but neither can I see it improving.
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This wine actually improved on day 2. Earthy with mature fruits taking a backseat. I have enjoyed this wine every time I have tried over the last 15 years. This wine might last forever.
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This was singing after 2 hours of air. deep ruby in colour, with a bit of bricking. Classic Loire cab franc nose, with blackfruits, minerals, green olives, iron and earthy herbal notes. Similar flavours on the medium bodied palate with wonderful tannins. There was no hint of overripeness here: this 2003 is outstanding and classic Loire cab franc. This shows no signs of slowing down (A-).
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Similar to my TN from two years ago-- red currant, green olive, green peppercorn, tannins fully resolved, truly delicious and elegant, impeccably balanced and a great example of what Varennes can achieve in elegance.
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Richard Jennings TN hits the nail on the head-- sweet red fruit, green peppercorn, and green olive nose; sweet and tart currant, slightly roasted fruit (not quite jammy despite the 03 vintage), green olives on palate, tannins resolved, and an elegance that Varennes often achieves. Delicious now.
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Similar pattern as last few bottles, very austere and stinky on day one. Day two this wine sings with very, very dark, earthy fruits and is a joy to drink. I recommend anyone trying this wine that is funkaphobic to decant for a few hours minimum and then share the love.
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Starts off very dry and austere, but with a little time and persistent swirling, it blossoms into a nice little wine. A lot of cinnamon on nose this time around. Palate is very old world (ie. not a lot of upfront fruit, little vegetal) but very well balanced and a delight to sip, smell.
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Brett, brett, brett, brett, brett...PUKE. Really stanky, did not change much on aeration. Nose of dirt and skank, sweaty horse bathed in wet cardboard. Tastes like an old rug soaked in sour cherry with some ash thrown in. Too bad because behind the poop I can taste what I believe is a very nice mint or licorice component. More brett crap from France...surprise!...NOT. These days it shocks me when I drink a Frenchie without it. Terroir my A==.
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P & P'ed. Nice and skunky out of the gates with that nice Loire funk. Mellowed a little with time and picked up dark berries, wet straw and damp earth. Finally became very creamy and fruity. This was hitting all of my francophile buttons tonight!
Day 2 - Less funk and actually drank very much like a ripe burgundy!
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green, leafy tobacco gave way to impressive dark fruit (but not at all roasted). has developed nicely since last tasting and the clumsy feel of the vintage seems to have gone away. I used to think this vintage wouldn't age well, but I suspect this will improve greatly over the next decade. very elegant and clean wine.
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An interesting wine, nose of wet earth and dusty fruit. This carries through on the palate and I wonder if the grape or perhaps old barrels might not be responsible for this. Not wholly unattractive though, and certainly a flavor I have smelled and tasted in other wines. The wine has very ample tannins that, quite frankly, are not likely to mitigate much before the fruit fades. There still is a pretty good dose of sour cherry, some green olive and sous-bois and not much else to compliment that wet earth flavor. I had hoped an hour in decanter would liven this up, but alas, it seems to be about what it is. Drink this guy in the next 6 months, it won't improve and it is certainly drinkable today. Just don''t serve it with a $30 steak, it is more a hamburger helper type wine at this point.
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Tasted blind - Nose is expressive and robust. Shows ripeness, but the herbaceous notes show cabernet franc typicity - 2 of the 4 correctly identified as Chinon, which should allay any fears from traditionalists due to the ripe year. Palate is extremely structured and very backward, but there was still an underlying complexity that suggests this will be special with age. Should hit its peak in 10 years.
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dark ruby/purple color. lots going on on the nose. I like that! everything from dark fruits to herbs to cinnamon to charcoal, cola. each sniff, something new. juicy mouthful of fruit with plenty of tannins and acid to carry it to maturity. long fruit filled finish. this is a keeper. ****
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$23.99 retail, after discount. Rich nose of red / black fruit and chocolate. Perhaps just a hint of herbs. Paired with freshly killed, grilled wild turkey. Opened side by side with the '03 Jouget Cuvee de la Cure (see TN), which has a less generous nose and more in the way of herbaceousness. On the palate, the Varennes de Grand Clos is well-balanced, with fine acidity and firm, yet in no way overpowering tannins. Slightly dusty / chalky, with a cedar note on the back end. Very nice wine. The Cuvee de la Cure has a much harder edge, darker fruit, more of a spicy / cola / herbal note and more coarse tannins. A less polished wine, but still very nice.
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$23.99 retail, after discount. Relatively dark color. Dark cherry fruit aromas. On the palate, medium bodied and fairly structured. More fresh black cherry fruit and cola flavors. The acidity gives this wine a bit of a lift. Finishes with somewhat chalky tannins. This will probably benefit from short-mid term cellering. Impressive.
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6/18/2022 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Magnificent bottle of classic old-style Chinon entering its prime drinking zone. Deep aromatics evoke smoldering cigar tobacco and a miscellaneous earth funk. The crimson-toned fruit might have a bit denser flesh than the norm but the hot vintage doesn't seem to have thrown any of the equalizer dials out of whack or introduced any overly ripe or overly sweet flavors. It really feels like it has the balance between the fruit and the funk, and the raw material it was born with vs. the elements it took on with age, perfectly dialed in. A slight tannic grittiness resurfaces towards the end so it's not without the structure to keep on going. The funny thing is I don't think I even bought this with any interest in the wine per se, only as a comparison piece to the Franc de Pied. But it's complete and lacking for nothing in its own right, I'm not even sure the FdP can be any better, but I'll have to dig one up soon and find out.
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2/1/2021 - Julian Marshall wrote: 89 Points
Quite good for a 2003. Compact and sweet on nose and palate, with concentrated wild strawberry and cherry flavours, but one-dimensional and although there is a little Joguet coolness in the background, there isn't really enough, so the wine is a little stodgy, albeit enjoyable. I can't see it falling off the cliff anytime soon, but neither can I see it improving.
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1/4/2021 - tbone wrote:
This wine actually improved on day 2. Earthy with mature fruits taking a backseat. I have enjoyed this wine every time I have tried over the last 15 years. This wine might last forever.
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5/6/2019 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherries, full bodied, gravelly/earthy. Surprisingly strong for 16 years. No signs of past it’s prime however would drink now.
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11/23/2018 - JohnSh wrote: 91 Points
This was singing after 2 hours of air. deep ruby in colour, with a bit of bricking. Classic Loire cab franc nose, with blackfruits, minerals, green olives, iron and earthy herbal notes. Similar flavours on the medium bodied palate with wonderful tannins. There was no hint of overripeness here: this 2003 is outstanding and classic Loire cab franc. This shows no signs of slowing down (A-).
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4/8/2016 - Machiavelli wrote:
Had a pleasant amount of funk, dark berry fruits, ripe, lighter than expected on the palate. I'm not optimistic of its future. Drink up.
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12/12/2015 - Machiavelli wrote:
Light, black fruit, horsey, bell pepper. Fresh, medium bodied, low-medium tannins, balanced, medium length finish. Solid
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6/16/2014 - jmht wrote: 91 Points
Similar to my TN from two years ago-- red currant, green olive, green peppercorn, tannins fully resolved, truly delicious and elegant, impeccably balanced and a great example of what Varennes can achieve in elegance.
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1/15/2014 - tbone wrote:
I love earth. I love funk. Craving an earthy, stinky wine and this delivered. Not for everyone but this satisfied on every level. Quality juice.
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2/11/2012 - jmht wrote: 90 Points
Richard Jennings TN hits the nail on the head-- sweet red fruit, green peppercorn, and green olive nose; sweet and tart currant, slightly roasted fruit (not quite jammy despite the 03 vintage), green olives on palate, tannins resolved, and an elegance that Varennes often achieves. Delicious now.
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1/12/2010 - tbone wrote:
Similar pattern as last few bottles, very austere and stinky on day one. Day two this wine sings with very, very dark, earthy fruits and is a joy to drink. I recommend anyone trying this wine that is funkaphobic to decant for a few hours minimum and then share the love.
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2/17/2009 - tbone wrote:
Starts off very dry and austere, but with a little time and persistent swirling, it blossoms into a nice little wine. A lot of cinnamon on nose this time around. Palate is very old world (ie. not a lot of upfront fruit, little vegetal) but very well balanced and a delight to sip, smell.
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10/29/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 80 Points
Brett, brett, brett, brett, brett...PUKE. Really stanky, did not change much on aeration. Nose of dirt and skank, sweaty horse bathed in wet cardboard. Tastes like an old rug soaked in sour cherry with some ash thrown in. Too bad because behind the poop I can taste what I believe is a very nice mint or licorice component. More brett crap from France...surprise!...NOT. These days it shocks me when I drink a Frenchie without it. Terroir my A==.
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5/26/2008 - tbone wrote:
This wine is in a good place now, drinking very well. Similar experience as last bottle.
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5/4/2008 - tbone wrote:
P & P'ed. Nice and skunky out of the gates with that nice Loire funk. Mellowed a little with time and picked up dark berries, wet straw and damp earth. Finally became very creamy and fruity. This was hitting all of my francophile buttons tonight!
Day 2 - Less funk and actually drank very much like a ripe burgundy!
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4/25/2008 - br wrote:
green, leafy tobacco gave way to impressive dark fruit (but not at all roasted). has developed nicely since last tasting and the clumsy feel of the vintage seems to have gone away. I used to think this vintage wouldn't age well, but I suspect this will improve greatly over the next decade. very elegant and clean wine.
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3/29/2008 - slanum wrote:
How they managed to make a wine this vegetal in this vintage eludes me. Not out and out bad, just very underwhelming.
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2/6/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 85 Points
An interesting wine, nose of wet earth and dusty fruit. This carries through on the palate and I wonder if the grape or perhaps old barrels might not be responsible for this. Not wholly unattractive though, and certainly a flavor I have smelled and tasted in other wines. The wine has very ample tannins that, quite frankly, are not likely to mitigate much before the fruit fades. There still is a pretty good dose of sour cherry, some green olive and sous-bois and not much else to compliment that wet earth flavor. I had hoped an hour in decanter would liven this up, but alas, it seems to be about what it is. Drink this guy in the next 6 months, it won't improve and it is certainly drinkable today. Just don''t serve it with a $30 steak, it is more a hamburger helper type wine at this point.
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2/6/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 87 Points
WIML87. No formal notes. Tasted at an offline. Nice little Chinon but lack any concentration. Drink now.
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12/15/2006 - sivilli wrote:
Tasted blind - Nose is expressive and robust. Shows ripeness, but the herbaceous notes show cabernet franc typicity - 2 of the 4 correctly identified as Chinon, which should allay any fears from traditionalists due to the ripe year. Palate is extremely structured and very backward, but there was still an underlying complexity that suggests this will be special with age. Should hit its peak in 10 years.
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9/6/2006 - br wrote:
dark ruby/purple color. lots going on on the nose. I like that! everything from dark fruits to herbs to cinnamon to charcoal, cola. each sniff, something new. juicy mouthful of fruit with plenty of tannins and acid to carry it to maturity. long fruit filled finish. this is a keeper. ****
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6/15/2006 - blue wrote:
Good Fruit, iron, olive. very nice on the palate.Need some cellar time.
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5/21/2006 - DanSm wrote: 83 Points
Acidity and tannins mark the expression of the Cabernet Franc. Adequate fruit, which was common due to the super hot summer of '03.
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4/11/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$23.99 retail, after discount. Rich nose of red / black fruit and chocolate. Perhaps just a hint of herbs. Paired with freshly killed, grilled wild turkey. Opened side by side with the '03 Jouget Cuvee de la Cure (see TN), which has a less generous nose and more in the way of herbaceousness. On the palate, the Varennes de Grand Clos is well-balanced, with fine acidity and firm, yet in no way overpowering tannins. Slightly dusty / chalky, with a cedar note on the back end. Very nice wine. The Cuvee de la Cure has a much harder edge, darker fruit, more of a spicy / cola / herbal note and more coarse tannins. A less polished wine, but still very nice.
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2/16/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$23.99 retail, after discount. Relatively dark color. Dark cherry fruit aromas. On the palate, medium bodied and fairly structured. More fresh black cherry fruit and cola flavors. The acidity gives this wine a bit of a lift. Finishes with somewhat chalky tannins. This will probably benefit from short-mid term cellering. Impressive.
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11/26/2005 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 85 Points
Red berry fruity nose. Nice character on the palate. Good/Very Good.
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