The South of France in Colorado: 1999 Chateauneuf Horizontal

[Blanquito]

Our northern Colorado group got together to test our livers and blow-out our senses with an action-packed horizontal of serious 1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. All told there were 17 wines (including a sticky) for 12 people, so we're catching up with your East Coasters!

Overall, a very impressive tasting. I thought 8 of the wines were sensational; it was hard to pick my top three from this group. I came away impressed with the 1999 vintage, at least within this exalted group of domaines. Most of these wines are drinking great now, while having at least half a tank left.

1999 Domaine de Marcoux - Very evolved color (orange) and a complex, expressive bouquet of dried strawberries, rosemary, funk and savory fruit. The palate was less impressive, but still very nice with bright acids, a bit of heat, tea and forest floor, and long savory finish. I liked this more than others. Drink now. (92 pts)

1999 Domaine de Marcoux Vieilles Vignes - This immediately came across as bigger, sweeter, denser, longer than the traditional bottling. The flavors were similar, but the depth was ratcheted up. That said, this wine seemed closed, tight, primary, and a little acrid, but I still enjoyed it. Closed or a weak bottle? (90-92 pts ?)

1999 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne - Very CDP bouquet of garrigue, lavender, dried cherries, with some sherry notes. Light bodied and dull on the palate, however, this was my least favorite wine. (87-88 pts)

1999 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Reserve - No notes.

1999 Le Clos du Caillou Les Quartz - Huge red raspberry aromas, followed with layers of fruit, glycerin, extract, and length. Shier on the nose and less generous on the palate than the Caillou Reserve, this wine is still a winner. (92-93 pts)

1999 Le Clos du Caillou Reserve - A huge, ripe, savory nose which says Chateaneuf in any language. There's a massive palate with no heaviness nor heat. This beauty is young, classic, sexy, and the quintessence of grenache. Teeth-staining. My WOTN. (96 pts)

1999 Usseglio Cuvée de mon Aïeul - Another sensational, expressive nose that sings the delights of CDP. Darker fruited (say, elderberry) than any wine yet, I just loved this youngster. Tangy, bright black fruits, this is awesome. My 3rd favorite. (94-95 pts)

1999 Chapoutier Barbe Rac - This wine caused a sensation, as it was the easily the most distinctive wine of the night, showing how akin the other wines are in flavors and style... A captivating bouquet of cured meats, incense, Asian spices, and lactic-yeast notes, I could sniff this all night. Very elegant texture and light-bodied even after the other wines, but still with terrific flavor intensity and a lovely menthol-cherry combo. My 2nd favorite. (95 pts)

1999 Vieux Télégraphe - Classic VT in my experience, this bouquet yells grenache again after that Barbe Rac Burgundian-detour. Rubbery, cranberry smells, with huge, chewy, kinky, spicy fruit that's long and satisfying. Still young. (93 pts)

1999 Beaucastel - Shy on the nose, short on the finish, the middle core of fruit is very nice. I pick up some exotic notes of cardamom and spices. Tastes open but still fairly muted. Hold. (91 pts)

1999 Pégaü Cuvée Réservée - Open, aromatic, big, juicy, awesome palate presence, with big fruit to go with great acids. A balanced bruiser, young and satisfying. (94 pts)

1999 La Gardine - This is very nice, the bouquet can't keep up with the competition, but there's great, yummy fruit. (89 pts)

1999 Clos de Papes - This about the ripe, big fruit and lush glycerin-infused mouthfeel. Miles to go still, but very enjoyable now. Quieter on the bouquet, and it seems pretty classically styled if not true old school. (93 pts)

1999 Janasse Chaupin - My notes say (admittedly hazy at this point): jammy, strawberries, huge savory fruit, great intensity and length. It was a bit more funky with Provencal nuances and garrigue than some of the others which showed purer red cherry and cranberry fruit. I really liked this and it had more oomph than the Clos de Papes. (94 pts)

[ChrisW]

That must have been a great tasting event!

There are not many opportunities to do a horizontal tasting of an older CdP vintage with so many wines present.

Interesting that the Clos du Caillou Reserve came out on top. Was this also the group consensus?

ChrisW

[DavidG]

Nice lineup - '99 is an often overlooked vintage in CduP, bookended as it is by the stupendous '98s and '00s - but there were some outstanding wines made, and it looks like you found a bunch of them. The only ones I've had from that lineup are the VT and the Beaucastel. My experience with the VT was similar to yours. I had a much more forward bottle of Beaucastel, though I think it's still young too.

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks for the notes Patrick...it seems like you had a better experience with these 99 C9s than we had in December...have you now been converted or the Road to Damascas so to speak?

[Blanquito]

Hey BWE Brethen,

So, the Clos du Caillou Reserve was the group's wine of the night, followed closely by Pegau. The others trailed pretty far behind.
The voting:
1) Caillou Reserve
2) Pegau
3) Vieille Julienne Reserve
4) Chapoutier Barbe Rac
5) Caillou Quartz
6) Clos des Papes

I was very pleasantly surprized by the 1999 CDPs, David. At least at this high level, the wines had excellent ripeness and concentration without a single instance of excessive alcohol or extraction.

I am not sure if I'm a total convert, Ian, though CDP is second in my cellar percentage after Bordeaux (for red wines), though Spain and Italy are gaining fast. I really enjoyed these wines, but the real problem is the cost-- these cuvees ain't cheap, and the one I would really seek out, Barbe Rac, usually runs about $80 to $100+ these days.

[HarryKaris]

Great range of wines. I Im happy that most of them did show so well, and it shows that 1999 is very much open for business now. Personally I think 1999 is better than expressed by the 'prof's.........

CdP-Harry