2003 Domaine Auguste Clape Le Vin des Amis

Community Tasting Notes (4)

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  3/11/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:

  $14.50 retail, after discount. Opened side by side with the 2004 Vin des Amis (see TN), the color on the 2004 is noticeably younger looking, with bright purple color. The 2003 is ridiculously jammy - like strawberry / raspberry jelly - with burnt / baked / raisiny elements that recall a warm-climate wine, like, say a lower end Paso Robles or Lodi Zin. My guess would be that there was limited triage on this lower-end Vin de Table and plenty of sunburned grapes went into the mix in 2003... The 2004, by comparison, has a much more typical Rhone profile: spicy Syrah notes, dusty red fruit, with light herbal elements. On the palate, the 2004 is a bit lean, with spice and good underlying adicity. A nice, straightforward wine with versatile food possibilities... The 2003, on the other hand, is a totally different beast in the mouth, with overripe, jammy fruit and noticeable heat. My gut feeling is that the 2003 is going to fall apart fairly quickly and would suggest drinking it up ASAP. I liked the '03 much better 6-8 months ago. Neither vintage is anything to keep for very long, IMO, though the 2004 might get a little better as it settles into the bottle, say, over the next six months...

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  8/2/2005 - Ben Andersen wrote:

  $14.50 retail, after discount. This wine might have been suffering from travel shock last time I had it (see TN). It seems to have settled down over the last four months. The nose is still pure raspberry jam. The palate is coming together. Ripe and juicy. This drinks almost like a barrel sample.

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  3/29/2005 - Ben Andersen wrote:

  $14.50 retail, after discount. Nose of pure fruit jam - strawberry / raspberry. Palate not as fruit driven - smokey, black fruit, spice. Less fruit on the palate than I recall a previous bottle having.

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  1/29/2005 - Ben Andersen wrote:

  $16.14 retail, after discount. On the nose, quite primary, with ultra-pure strawberry / blackberry fruit. A hint of smokiness on the palate, in addition to the vibrant fruit. Opened side by side with the '03 Clape CdR (see TN); Le Vin des Amis was more open / expressive, with less structure than the CdR. At just over half the price of the CdR, certainly a good value.

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