Fifteen out of the 16 wines I had not tried before, and I approached the task with mixed emotions of skepticism – I count my self as a Rhone skeptic - and optimism – I half expected to come away having been converted on the road to Damascus.
The wines (with lowest available US prices in parentheses, or estimates):
Flight one: white hermitage
JL Chave Hermitage Blanc 1997 ($119)
I tried this earlier in 2008 and it was just as good this time. Straw, honeysuckle, licorice, pineapple, orange blossom; it has an oily texture, is rich and concentrated with a long, fine finish. Montrachet-like - 96+
Flight two: mature C9s
Brunel Les Cailloux 1988 ($100 est.)
Earthy mushroom, soy, saddle leather, antique shop; tertiary; dilute on the palate and a bit clapped out, falls away vertiginously; like an old relic from a Thomas Hardy novel, a nice old biddy in decline – but I really enjoyed it - 85
Pegau Cuvee Reserve 1995 ($80)
Steaming horse shit, sweaty armpits, mushrooms, stewed fruit, barn door, old leather sofa, complex, rustic, sauvage; like rolling in the hay with the milk maid
, a veritable treat – 89Beaucastel 1995 ($75)
Candied note; raw, laser-like primary streak, meatiness; harsh on the palate; neither refined nor impressive - about as smooth as Sir Les Patterson, needs more time though – 85
Flight three: young C9s
Charvin 2001 ($90)
Floral, light smooth texture; laciness; Cote-de-Nuits aspirations in boorish company, but this is not Chambolle-Musigny and grenache rusticity inevitably shows through; good to drink now and will no doubt improve – 91+
Roger Sabon Cuvee Prestige 2001 ($48)
Smooth entry, but dumb; then cloves, medicinal flavours/hospital bandages; it had a hot alcoholic finish that no one really cared for. I liked this object of hate and derision more than I expected but I wouldn’t buy it - 87++
Charbonniere Les Hautes Brusquieres Cuvee Speciale 2001 ($55)
Primary raw and aggressive fruit, some notes of white pepper. Drinking this now is like banging your head against the wall, but it could turn out to be splendid in time as the primary fruit recedes and the garrigue-y notes develop - 90++
Flight four – Cornas
Chapoutier 1996 ($50 est.)
Beguiling and alluring nose of mint and thyme, but a shortish, flat finish - 87
Verset 1998 ($55)
Cinders/embers – November bonfire; vigorous and vibrant palate of red fruits and green olives that almost smacks you round the face; feisty and carnal; a thrill to drink such an esoteric wine from this legendary old man; a curiosity and a delight - 92+
Allemand Reynard 1996 ($60 est.)
Vibrantly fruity, cured meat, old socks, bonfires and gunpowder. Another thrillingly quirky wine - 90+
Voge Vieilles Vignes 1999 ($45 est.)
Young, primary and un-constituted; it has laser-like bitter red cherry and raspberry fruit, with earthy herby notes. Needs time - 89+
Flight five – Cote-Rotie and Hermitage
Jamet Cote Rotie 1998 ($100 est)
This big cat has big cojones - like the adolescent lion as it thumps its tail whilst eyeing the lionesses prowling past. It comes across as a bit awkward and uncouth; furry, gamey, animal and feral notes, this may have a lot to offer when it is tamed - 91+
Gerin “Les Grandes Places” Cote Rotie 1998 ($125)
Modern bottle and more modern style, corpulent, with overtly caricatured sweet bacon fat signature. This is the least complex wine in the flight, but an enjoyable quaffer - 89
Saint-Cosme Cote Rotie 1998 ($80)
Nothing inherently wrong with this, but soporific and with what Dale noted to be a somewhat soupy texture - 88
JL Chave Hermitage, 1986 ($100)
Light translucent maroon; medium-bodied, refined with notes of game, pepper and red fruits. An aristocrat among the bourgeoisie, this wine had a certain breed and gravitas, conspicuously lacking in all the other reds last night - 91
Flight six: sauternes
Chateau Coutet (Sauternes, Bordeaux) 2001
No notes, but this nectar was absolutely splendid. Second best wine of the night. (Patrick only paid $27 for this. I though I had a bargain when I paid $44 at Franks) 93++
There were some fascinating rhones that night; they are the antithesis of bland corporate wines. The mature C9s were a lot of fun but rudimentary and rustic, while the younger ones were slicker but revealed the limitations of the raw materials – Grenache, moudevre etc. I remain deeply skeptical that these southern rhones can ever achieve the heights of the greatest northern rhones…let alone burgundy and Bordeaux. Pumping up the alcohol ain’t the solution either.
The Cornas flight was the most fascinating, and these are arguably the ones to seek out. But these wines are more old style curiosities than lending themselves to superlatives. But if I stumble across the odd bottle or two of Verset Cornas at a reasonable price I will be sure to snaffle them up.
The Cote-Roties did not really do it for me either…I was rather put off by the furry, soupy textures of some of them – none of them could hold a candle to a Guigal La Mouline, while in the same flight the Chave distinguished itself for its breed and class.
The Chave Blanc meanwhile was sublime and is a candidate for my white wine of the year in 2008 (it was the runner up). It was comfortably the WOTN.
I remain a Rhone skeptic unfortunately but I really enjoyed the tasting. I want to drink more Chave. But at the end of the day, at these price points you can probably do better in burgundy; you can definitely do better in Bordeaux. I suspect if it had been a burgundy or Bordeaux tasting the hangover would be mild rather than thumping.
Disclaimer: The scores are merely for comparative purposes, and make no pretence for accuracy, objectivity, consistency and fairness. The plusses reflect the degree of (un)readines
