More random Rhones notes

[AKR]

I find Rhone flavors to be different from other regions, and most bottlings are not as pumped up in price as cru classe Bdx. And for those still adding to their cellars, I'd rather use the slots in the racks for these, since they are hard to find later.

These are compiled from notes taken from late Dec 2017 to Aug 2018.

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I had a bottle of the 98 Mas de Boislauzon [CNDP] over the last couple of nights. It was solid, showing funk, and tannin still. Not very fruity. Looking at it, I realize I had tried this estate/vintage when it was younger. (This particular bottle was acquired many years later after release) Cork was soaked about 2/3 of the way up, so maybe it wasn't the best stored example. I'd give this one a B or so. The last few older CNDPs I've had this summer have all felt a touch faded to me. Most were from my own stash, held since release. Maybe its too warm to drink these now.

09 Dom. du Pradas [Gigondas] I'm not familiar with this estate but it seems to be a smaller, mostly grenache blend. Big, at 14.5% abv, but the vintage was a fleshy one. The wine is medium bodied, quite tasty, and showing maturity at the edges. I get cinnamon, saddle, and sweat on the nose/palate. There's just a little funk here, but its good. It's way more interesting that the middling, chunky Sonoma cab we had last night. I don't think the estate is consistently imported but it seemed solid enough to me; I'd slot it into the B+ grade zone. Saved a glass or two for tomorrow, but my inclination would be to enjoy over the next year or two. Overkill for a taco night wine, but it also drank well while cooking. Not much tannin nor acidity.

I had the 2015 version of the Autard CdR rouge. A 70/20/10 GSM mix. It tastes very grenachey, and I say that it in a neutral way. Lots of fruit, quite forward, 14.5% abv. It drinks well over a couple of days and is a good entry point for the vintage. At $15: its ok - it delivers pleasure - but its not such a deal that I would want more of it. I'm lucky, and this is a supermarket wine for my local store. I'd give 2015 a B on the scorecard. I pass on Autard's CNDP's now, not caring as much for the oak over time.

97 Cave des Tain 'Gambert de Loche' [Hermitage] This is the flagship single vineyard Hermitage from the big co-op. I'd never had one before and I think its not readily imported. Maybe a few hundred cases are made? Peppery, smoky, cloudy, orange rimmed. It tasted like a leaner, traditional Bordeaux to me, something like an 1988 Medoc. I guess it was interesting to try, but I wouldn't be particularly keeping an eye out for recent vintages of this bottling. Maybe they're better if one acquires in France.

01 Clos des Papes [CNDP] There's some sweaty, leather notes here. It's lighter in color than the Northern Rhones, and also medium bodied. I get raspberry notes on this along with a distinctly mature color. The women at the table much preferred this. I know the estate has her fans, and I've had some great examples of various years, but at prevailing prices for new releases, I can pass.

02 Guigal 'La Mouline' [Cote Rotie] This still had the wire wrapper around the glass. Plush texture. Despite decanting it still shows a little oak to me, and then fennel on the palate. Smooth and lovely. I've had very few 02 Rhones, I think I skipped that year, and I don't think much was imported in any case, but this was pretty good. Color wise - much lighter than the young Faury Cote Rotie on the table. It's always a treat to try rarities like this, and the contributor made sure that the wine steward/captain type of server tasted it.

15 Faury [Cote Rotie] This was very dark, purplish, and only 13% abv, despite being a huge year for the region. Really rich color, so striking compared to all the older reds. The nose is excellent - violets, floral notes. If those add complexity with time it will be an impressive offering. We decanted this, and I think that helped. I think owners should just wait though. A heck of a wine, and way better than the cool, lean 2013 Faury St. Joe I had a few weeks ago. One nice thing about a regular tasting group is being able to taste young wines like this and get a sense for how one might like them, no matter what tasting notes or critics say.

We had an 'ok' bottle of the 2000 Charvin [CNDP] last night with steak frites. I'd held it since release in proper storage, but it seemed like it was losing its fruit. 14.5% abv but feels medium bodied and elegant. No tannin nor oak. Before the food arrived one could pick up a little acidity here. Later it rounds out and improves in the glass. It was unfortunately a bit cloudy as it had gotten slightly shaken up on the walk over to the restaurant. Bouquet was orange zest and cinnamon. The SO's comment was that she would have expected a bit more for a $50 CNDP, and it's hard to dispute her on that. I like Rhones with some bottle age on them, but maybe I should have pulled this a couple of years earlier. I'll give it a B.

07 Dom. la Brunely [Vacqueryas] 14% abv This is a chewy, husky village Rhone that is fully mature. It has licorice on the nose, and black fruit on the palate. Full bodied and throwing some sediment in the last glass. The season for drinking these kinds of wines is coming to a close. This went with a lunch of ham off the bone, cheddar, Pommery mustard, and rolls -- after a bike ride. It was enjoyable, but I think bottles should be drunk up. This AOC doesn't keep as long, or develop, like CNDP or Gigondas I think. They are making a variety of vats here, and I think I laid down one of their luxe cuvees in 2010. Big estate, but I don't see it much on the West Coast. I'd give this a B+ but heading downwards.

14 Christophe Blanc 'les Vallins' [Condrieu] 14% abv. I haven't heard of this producer but decided to finally try this Rimmerman offering after purchasing a few years ago. It's very good -- a nose of lychees, apricots, and honey. Full bodied but enough zip to go with food. On the first night we had it with salads and omelots, and the balance (!) is the apertif for the next night. Normally Condrieu's do not survive a dinner with my wife and I, as we love this AOC. And its a special treat to have something like this midweek but she's meeting up with family this wknd w/o me, so this normally Saturday night wine got switched to a midweek call of duty. I love the balance here - the tension between fruit and spine are well lined up. No one would accuse this of being crisp, but for my tastes, it is good stuff. Not sure what the vineyard designation means. An A- in my ledger.

I had a bottle of the 2003 Dom. de Bonserine 'La Sarrasine' [Cote Rotie] the last two nights. It's very tasty, medium/full bodied, thick legs, some fine sediment in the bottle. Nose is pancetta, incense, and some tart cranberries. Tannins are all resolved, and there is still decent fruit to go with the acid. It drinks well by itself. A modern producer, with a heavy hand on the oak, but it seems to get absorbed nicely with time. Mature and to be enjoyed now. I liked this better than an 04 'La Garde' bottling from the same producer maybe 6 mos. ago. 2003 is a favorite vintage from the Northern Rhone for me. I hope with time 2015 evolves the same way.

We had an 89 Dr. Parce Dom du Mas Blanc Rimage [Banyuls] over the last few nights. It was very good, but again, sludgy sediment in the final glass. Lots of intensity, cinnamon and cocoa on the nose. A really wonderful dessert with a spectrum of chocolate oriented plates. [This is a dessert wine from the Midi, not precisely a Rhone, but mentally lump it in with them]

We had the 2007 Montfaucon 'Baron Louis' [CdR] on Friday and it was pretty good, albeit modern. 14% abv, and a bit of a grab bag of grapes, but a plurality of grenache. Seems to be their version of a CNDP, but from just outside the AOC, from very old mostly Lirac vines. Oak / wood seems resolved now, but for what I thought was a traditional/funky producer, its more up the middle/balanced. It can be served to non Rhone geeks. Not that much sediment for a 10+ yr. full bodied wine. I'm not sure they still have this cuvee anymore, and may have gone to a Lirac labeling for these vines. Still, very likable, and a B+ on my scorecard. I consider it fully mature.

We drank a bottle of the 2014 Lafage 'Centenaire' [Cotes du Roussillon] with linguine tossed with clams, butter, wine, oil, parsley, and lemon juice. They were both really good! It's a favorite supper, but we don't have it that often. The wine is a good pairing for it - crisp in texture, light/medium bodied, and some notes of the sea. It's not so steely or slatey that you can't sneak a glass in before diving into the food though. The wine sees some oak, according to Eric Solomon's website, but it doesn't seem apparent/heavy to me. I'm looking forward to trying this in future vintages. It's wonderful for weeknights. [Another Midi wine, I'm lumping into the random Rhones category]

95 Jean Deydier 'Clef d'Or' [CNDP] The nomenclature on this is unclear; I can't figure out if the vintner or the cuvee is really the name. It's a Kermit Lynch import and is lighter and more polite than what I associate with his So. Rhone portfolio e.g. VT, les Pallieres, etc. I was reading the 3rd edition of Lermouths book on the Rhone, and came across the page for the estate, and realized I had a bottle, and had never tasted it. So the 1995 got popped and poured last night. It leads off with a funky wooly note that blows off after 30 minutes. There are some red fruit flavors on the palate. For close to 14% abv, its medium bodied, and lightening at the garnet edges. It likely was better years ago, it doesn't seem to have the heft of the long lived 95 CNDPs. I think if one was tired of gooier versions of Rhones in the last decade, this estate might be something to consider, since its a traditional, furry example. The SO, who typically loves CNDP, only had a half glass although she admired its pretty label. It's a low B, and I suggest drinking up, even though I like Rhones with age on them.

15 Maxime Graillot 'Equinoxe' [Crozes Hermitage] 13% abv. Screwtop. This is Alain's son and I think its made with purchased/contracted grapes. It's very zesty & zippy with a Beaujolais like feel to it. I think it gets tank and neutral oak treatment, but it doesn't taste like there's any wood involved, to me. I didn't think the SO would like it, and as expected, she hated it and had only two sips. She rarely likes No. Rhones, except for big freakish years, or oaked up examples. Lots of pepper and crisp red fruit flavors here. It's not a natural pair for a strip steak and chilled beets, its too tart and doesn't have enough tannin. Very dark, purplish color and a grapey feel to the palate. I usually don't drink super young wines on release but I'd never had this bottling before and wanted to check it out. It's about the same on day 1 & 2. It's not my style and I'd give it a B-. My feel is that it should be drunk up right away.

We had a bottle of the 2001 Vieux Donjon [CNDP] last night with Indian curries and naan. It was a point - perfectly mature, complex, flavorful, long. It doesn't seem to be fading despite the years. This is one of the last bottles left from case purchased on release. We finished the whole bottle easily as the SO loves CNDP. For my tastes, I find that aging changes/improves these wines so much for the better. They gain 'sweetness' and add spicy, cinnamon, clove, orange peel notes as time goes on. I'd give this a A-. Not many 2001 CNDPs left at this point.

On this New Years Eve, with a pot of fondue and a loaf of crusty bread, we had the 2003 Dumien Surette 'Patou' [Cornas]. It's a wine geek's wine. Medium bodied, with some fading at the edges, and a nose of salty caramel, barnyard/animals, and saddle. On the palate the tannin is mostly resolved, or at least with a fatty fondue its not noticeable, but once supper is gone, its apparent that this is on the sinewy, masculine side. Intriguing nose, but the palate is only 20-30 seconds, which given how dense the the year was for the AOC is only average. It's an interesting wine, probably best on its own. I'm surprised the wife asked for some, and enjoyed it. This seems to be a producer that is not mentioned here on the interwebs, but it looks like Alan visited the vineyard last year. Rimmerman seems to have brought in the 2015 vintage, and I signed up for one of those, prior to popping this 2003. My hope is that 2015 will be better (and different) than the 2003's from the Northern end of the valley. I'd give this a B, maybe a B+ if you like distinctive flavors, even if they are not popular. The SO eventually decided it was too sauvage, and gave me the last splash from her goblet.

I just finished a bottle of the 2015 Barou 'la Bonne etoile' Viognier [VdP Collines Rhodaniennes] over the last few days. It is a good bottle of 100% viognier, lots of typicity, very fully bodied and flavorful/interesting. However it does not have the fine cut that I remember from their Condreiu AOC bottling. This is one of those cases were I think the pricier bottling is worth the premium. I'd give this a B and would repurchase occasionally, if it was convenient.

15 Dom. Comte Louis de Clermont-Tonnerre 'Vieilles Vignes' [Cairanne] This is from the negociant Alan Corcia, and is a K&L direct import. It's quite yummy! Medium bodied, with a garnet / purplish hue, and a brambly/spicy nose. There's some sandalwood here too on the nose -- we burn that all that time so I detect that in some Rhones. It's packing 30+ seconds of finish, although there is a slight touch of hotness in the finish (14% abv, maybe more?). Normally, I don't drink Rhones this young, but we're travelling and I generally would rather have vigorous fruity wines if they're going to be bouncing around in the truck for 300 miles. Solid stuff and I'm torn between a B+ or an A-. I'll see how the rest of the bottle develops tomorrow. If one buys CdR level / village wines, I think these enthusiast offerings in fat vintages are the ones to load up on, rather than the big mass market bottlings, which you can always drink on airplanes or BTG when dining out. Especially since this is only a ten spot at K&L.

13 Faury [St Joseph] This is the regular bottling not the VV. It's darker in color, more purplish in hue, but zippier/zestier and cooler in taste. 13% abv. It's better with the burgers, but that's more a function that its a food wine, rather than a sipping / quaffing while grilling wine. For my tastes its a little on the lean side. Some white pepper on the nose. I'd give it a B- for my taste, and wouldn't repurchase.

[stefan]

Interesting cross section of Rhone wines, Arv. 2002 northern Rhone were panned by critics, but my experience is that quality producers like Guigal did pretty well and were sometimes bargains.

Did the Vieux Donjon CdP go OK with the curries? I generally do not drink wine with Indian food.

[DavidG]

Nice notes Arv. I’m a fan of Charvin and Vieux Donjon and love the Guigal La Las despite their oaky modernity when I can afford them. I’ve fallen out of love with the really ripe Châteauneuf producers with their luxe cuvées. I was a big fan of a bunch of the 2007s when they first came out and went deep on them. A combination of how they aged and a palate shift away from max-ripe Grenache led me to sell all but the Beaucastel, Charvin, and Vieux Telegraphe when we downsized.

The 2002 Rhône vintage was awful, though the North fared a lot better than Châteauneuf, which suffered historic rains and flooding.

I haven’t had any Guigal La Las from 2002. Single bottle flyers on Jamet and Ogier Côte Rotie were OK and Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle was very good especially given their bargain prices, but not good enough to inspire further purchases. That Guigal managed no more than a "pretty good" La Mouline in 2002 is damning with faint praise. That said, prices were low and some producers may have done OK. But be aware it’s a roll of the dice.

I skipped Châteauneuf entirely in 2002 and would not recommend anyone ever buy any of these wines unless it’s ITNOS. I recall Robert Parker writing about having to swim out the door of his car as it was being washed away during his visit that year. A few years ago some friends double-blinded us on a flight of 2002s that I think they just wanted to get out of their cellar. The culprits were Beaucastel, Vieux Telegraphe, and 2 other well-known names that I don’t recall. They were thin, muddy, indistinguishable as Châteauneuf, and I think my first exposure to what wine from not-noble rot infested grapes tastes like. Blecchh!

[AKR]

* I don't think Rhones go well with curry, to be frank. I had a Hacienda de Monasterio last night with curry, and that doesn't pair either. Bubbly, beer, Germans, Alsatian, or Gewurz are what I think goes best, but unf, the SO will only really consume sparkling.

* I think the only 2002 I ever bought was the Telegramme, which was declassified VT, which had an awesome label. Maybe it was the first vintage. It looked like their normal label, in a mirror. I hardly saw any in the marketplace upon release (and the cellar was stuffed with good/great years from 98-01 anyways). Maybe some have migrated stateside with time, but like 2013 BDX, that seems like something that would have been blown out locally to Frenchmen rather than paying shipping, to just end up being discounted to hyper vintage conscious Americans.

Is anyone making lighter bodied Rhones beyond Charvin and (unobtanium) Rayas? It would be nice to have some that could be consumed during the hot summer.

[DavidG]

For lighter body Rhones I'd go Cotes du Rhône and save some $. I've liked Charvin Poutet, St Cosme Deux Albion, Jaume Grand Veneur, Alary Cairanne Font D'Estevenas, and Grand Veneur Champauvins but to be honest haven’t tried any more recent than the 2010s. Beaujolais at cellar temp also makes a good red summer quaffer.

[Nicklasss]

Strong mid summer Arv, with the Bordeaux and now the Rhône.

Nice selection for sure and with it very steap granitic slope, I guess Côte-Rôtie was still ok in 2002.

Nic

[Winona Chief]

I too, have mostly migrated from Chateauneuf to Cote Du Rhone and like DavidG, I am a fan of Charvin Poutet. I have had very good luck with low-priced ($8-$20) 2015 red wines from all over France and Italy.

Chris Bublitz

[jckba]

Arv - nice notes on a nice cross section of Rhone wines. And the next time you are in NYC, reach out to Ramon and let’s do a Rhône night @ Kayser or something of the sort.

While I have drank my fair share of CdR’s (Coudulet de Beaucastel, Mont Olivet, Ch des Tours) over the years, I think that CdP’s are worth the up charge and have no qualms with the ones I buy (Beaucastel, Charvin, Clos des Papes, Mont Olivet, Pegau, Saint Prefert, Usseglio, Vieux Donjon) cellar and drink.

[DavidG]

I didn’t mean to throw Châteauneuf under the bus (except for 2002). I generally prefer them to Cotes du Rhônes. Beaucastel, VT, and Charvin remain among my favorites, while I’ve given up on a lot of the luxury cuvees. The Cotes du Rhônes fill the bill when something lighter is needed during the hot weather or a less costly casual wine is in order.

[jal]

Except for one remaining bottle of Rayas, I don't think I have any Châteauneuf anymore. My preference is for more Northern Rhones for aging. At restaurants with ridiculously priced wine lists, I do usually go for Cotes du Rhones.

[Blanquito]

The 2015 Faury St Joesph is a crackerjack of a wine, and a ridiculous QPR. And the 15 V.V. is even better.

[AKR]

Hah! I'd ordered the 15 Faury St Joe from some place. But got shipped the 2013 instead, so I just opened it figuring it was not going to keep. I still haven't laid one of those aside yet.

[Blanquito]

I just bought 6 of the 2016 Faury VV.