catching up on random Rhone notes

[AKR]

I tried a different bottling from this producer over the last couple of days. 2016 Domaine Rosier 'Cuvee Jean Philippe' Brut [Blanquette di Limoux] It has a nutty nose, a palate with what feels like a touch of sweetness, and a fine bead. Some apple notes on the end. It seems to be vintage dated, although I don't know if the wines are intended to taste different each year. Good midweek casual bubbly if one would rather have something French, although our preference is for CA sparkly Roederer Estate. This is actually from the midi, but geography isn't my calling card.

I've been drinking an 01 Dom. Montpertuis [CNDP] the last couple of nights, and while enjoyable/good, I thought it would have been better. I've had this dusky, sedimented 14% abv wine since release. This one is a Neil Rosenthal import, whether that makes any difference. I know he's tight with Asimov and all that, but I've generally not loved the Rosenthal stable the way I like Kermit's Rhones or Jeff Davies Bordeaux etc. On the nose the I get a mulberry, seaweed, celery like mix which then segues into a raspberry, pruney like palate. Although the estate is described as traditional, the wine feels more modern, and perhaps harvested on the later side. Tannins are all absorbed now (if there were any) but it feels like its fading now. Normally I like Rhones with bottle age, but this might have been one I would enjoyed younger, perhaps 5-6 years ago. I find there's a touch of stinky dog here, real Rhone funk, maybe from the mourvedre. I'd give this a B or so. I'm not sure any makes its way stateside anymore.

I love the 2001 Vieux Donjon [CNDP] too and enjoyed another great half bottle yesterday. It packs so much intensity into something where the weight and color look so light. Only a few left, and I guess they'll be finished up in the next year or so. We had another bottle of the 2001 V-D last night with chanterelle pizza, and it was fabulous as always. I was a little surprised to find a few left in an improperly labeled box, so that was kind of nice. These have developed so amazingly well over the years. I get a real sense of sweetness at this age, which I don't remember in their primary youth.

I had a 2013 Vincent Paris 'Granit 30' [Cornas] last night, with some hoisin chicken, snow peas, and jasmine rice. On the plus side I thought the tannins were resolved, and is pretty gluggable for what is normally an AOC of gravitas. It shows cool cranberry fruit, along with saddle, and a zippy acidic edge. On the down side it feels quite light bodied to me, not really what I'd expect from syrah/Cornas. And it doesn't have the sauvage that Dumien Surette can show. I put half the bottle away in a 375ml, corked up in the fridge, and we'll see if deepens at all in a day or two. I'd give this a B. If there was such a thing as 'picnic Cornas', this felt like that to me.

I had a glass of the 2011 Charvin [Cotes du Rhone] tonight. It's getting a little funky, and isn't as rich as other years, but its still a good wine. I think this 15% abv was probably better when it was younger, even though this is a CdR that handles some bottle aging. The funk blows off a little as it breathes though. My feel is that these should be consumed now. It's not like 2010 which can run longer.

I opened a 2001 Roger Sabon 'Prestige' [CNDP] that I've had since release and I'm very impressed. It's a 15% abv but doesn't taste hot nor flabby. Some lavender and nutmeg on the nose, lightly bricking edges, but holding up fine after 24 hours out on the counter. It's concentrated yet not heavy, with 30-40 seconds of finish on the tongue. A very impressive example from a producer who I hardly ever buy. I'd give this traditional CNDP an A-.

I had a bottle of the 2000 Pegau [CNDP] tonight and it was slightly off, a touch bretty. With decanting it mostly blew off and showed a bloody, barny nose with decent fruit underneath. Great mature coloration. I liked it better when younger, maybe 5-10 years ago. I agree that it was not in the same league as 98 or 01. I also think the 99 ended up being much better than I realized upon release. I'd thought those were more in the guzzle up category and consumed them all by age 10 or so, but they were really so balanced. For my tastes, and my stash, it's time to finish them up. I'd give this bottle a B, disappointing in the context of what it has been, or can be.

I had the 2010 Mourchon 'Grande Reserve' [Cotes du Rhones Villages] version of this, which is a 15% bruiser from Seguret. It's a bit pruney and shows some bretty notes too. I've had other bottlings of theirs - which I've liked better - but this doesn't seem to have aged well. I'll pass on this going forward. Maybe its better when youthful, but I feel like I remember a 2007 at roughly age ten wasn't as overripe. B- for me.

I had a pretty disappointing bottle of the 2001 Grand Veneur 'les Origines' [CNDP] last night. We took this out for dinner, and I paired it with a slab of iron pan seared king salmon, which is my go to dish at this place, along with a BYO CNDP. But this one came across a bit closed, with a pruney note on the palate. It wasn't bad per se, but just underwhelming given the years of cellaring, and how well a 2000 of the same had showed a year or so ago. Generally I like this producer, especially their Clos de Sixte, Champauvins and other bottlings, so its not a modern style thing. My example hadn't aged all that well, so maybe its just bottle variation. I'd slot it into the B- grade. Even on day 2, this 15% abv did not improve.

I had the 2009 Yves Cuilleron "l'Amarybelle" [St Joseph] rouge over the last two nights. Purchased on release, and decanted half the bottle into a split for the second night. 13% abv, and according the importer, this gets all the labor intensive treatment: hand harvesting, green thinning, fruit dropping etc. It's from a hillside terrace on stony soil, and this cuvee is no longer offered, its grapes having been folded into the Cavanos bottling now. Only a little new oak is used during elevage, and at age ten plus, I don't detect any on the nose/palate. It leads off with a peppery and smoky nose, more so on day 2. The palate is tight on the first day but on the second day becomes expansive with red berry fruit. The tannins are mostly gone but there is a strong acidic line here. I had it mostly without food while cooking dinner each night. The fruit is a touch on the wan side, but maybe this would have been a better younger. I like this but would not buy it again; I haven't had many of Cuilleron's extensive lineup but I've liked his whites better. The wine - to me - is balanced in how it might appeal to modernists or traditionalists. I'd slot it into a B grade.

I finished my last bottle of 98 VT over a couple of nights this week, with sushi on one of the nights. The 98 Vieux Telegraphe [CNDP] remains a benchmark example for the estate and AOC. It's rich, savory, beefy, sweaty and more. I've had this a bunch since release and can't recall one that has disappointed. It drank well on the 2nd night too, so I don't think its tipping over yet, although most other 98 CNDPs are on the downswing now. Solid A wine.

Last bottle of this 14 Christophe Blanc 'Les Vallins' [Condrieu] yesterday with Thai food. Maybe slightly fleshier than the prior example, but its still drinking great at age 6. This producer manages to get the balance between a full bodied wine and the acidity to keep it fresh very well. That seems very hard to do, as so many white Rhone taste too flabby to me. Great floral notes here too. Other than garagiste, I haven't seen this carried elsewhere.

Last bottle of the 07 Grand Veneur 'Clos de Sixte' [Lirac] consumed over the first few days of the new decade. It drank quite well between ages 8-10 ! I never picked up any pruney notes that some 07 So Rhos developed as they aged. Incredible abv here, but it all worked out. A rare reload for me....normally I just move on to whatever is good as a current release.... (I did purchase the 2016)

My last bottle of 00 Autard 'Cote Ronde' [CNDP] finished tonight with a crock pot of chili and corn bread. The wine was enjoyable in that it was an aged Rhone - which I like - but compared to so many of peer CDNPs of this era it didn't have any magic. I'd give it a B like the prior example. Perhaps this producer is better before age 10. I haven't been wowed by other vintages of Autard I've laid down either.

I am making a mushroom risotto, garnished with bacon crumbles, for supper tonite so I thought a 2001 St Cosme [Cote Rotie] might pair well with that given the AOC's typical earthy & smoked meat notes. However the wine is thin and cool - nothing at all like 99 and 03 Cote Roties. The nose has some celery, umame and the palate is mostly dominated by a strong acidic spine and wan fruit. The oak - if any - is not the issue here just the general vintage characteristics. I prefer the bigger years for NoRho and this didn't do it for me. Anti QPR given the price & years. C+ in my ledger, and this is a producer I enjoy. Very zippy wine, for a red.

We had a 2000 Dom. Sorin 'Cuvee ULM' [VdP] last week which was surprisingly good. I think the ULM stands for ultra long maceration as it gets a few years on its skins in barrel. Not sure but that also might be why it only carries VdP designation or perhaps its cepage is not AOC compliant. Heavy bottle, fancy label, and a wax seal. I wasn't expecting much but it was great on the first day - cedar, raspberries, rose petals. Tannins are all resolved and it is drinking well. 14% abv. Sediment is very heavy, so needs decanting, or just not drink the last glass.... Lightening at the edges. By day 2 it fades. But I'd give this a B+ (This is sort of like a Bandol, but is not entitled to use that AOC)

I pulled my final bottle of the 07 Charvin [CdR], at age 12 and its pretty good but prior bottles were better. The strong grenache fruit of its youth has blurred out, like a jawline turning jowly. It's a been a nice wine to have in the afternoons, without food. These have been so joyful - its been a long time since I bought so much CdR from a single producer - but the Charvins were worth the space/effort.

The last couple of nights I've been sipping on the 16 Guigal 'blanc' [Cotes du Rhone] with some pork in a korma sauce. These wines go well with Indian food, I feel. Medium bodied, great verve, and a nose of cut white pears, lychees. I like it better than the 2015 version. These have dropped in price ever so slightly at our Costco, down to $11 and that's a great deal for crisp Viognier. This gets an A- in my ledger.

I've been enjoying a 2014 Jean Michel Gerin 'La Champine' Viognier [VdF] the last few nights. Even though its not VdPCR, I'm grouping it mentally into that same area since its bottled up in Ampuis from regional grapes. (Can viognier get that AOC, or does it have to be syrah only?) This is only 12.5% abv, and raised in steel tanks, but it tastes a fleshier than descriptors might make it sound. It gains weight and depth each day it is open (but kept corked in the fridge, and is nicest on the last / third night). It's a medium gold, mild viscosity with a bouquet of stone fruit and flowers. There is a little Provencal herb note here too. It's great on its own on a hot day, but also quite nice with a slab of pan seared Coho salmon. Good finish of 20 - 30 seconds. I was hoping it would be like a baby Condrieu, but I don't think it has all the same elements, since there's a touch of bitter quinine here too. But its still quite likable, although only an 'ok' value at $24 on the West coast. My SO tasted it and didn't want any ... and generally she'll always glug back a glass of Condrieu. It's been a long time since I've had any of Gerin's wines, maybe the last I can remember was a zippy Cote Rotie from the 90's era. But it remains a fair enough strategy to buy the better producers smaller AOC wines, relying on their cellar skills and vineyard connections for quality. I'd give this a B+ on its last night. Maybe it just needed more air? I never really decant whites/dessert wines (ex Porto). It was a couple notches lower on the first night I thought, tight and no bouquet.

I opened a 2013 Barou [Condrieu] tonight to go with take out Thai food. Compared to the 2014 (sampled at age 3) vs. this 2013 at age 6 this doesn't have the same verve nor freshness. It might also have been a fuller bodied vintage. Lots of floral, cut persimmon notes here - a palate of lychee notes but a syrupy heavier feel to it. I suspect the vintage differences are only half the story here and its just the accelerated aging that seems to afflict viognier driven wines. I'd give this a B grade.

We had a 1990 Galets des Papes [CNDP] last night with a bowl of bucatini in a zucchini/tomato/meat sauce. The cork was a little soggy half way up, but extracted cleanly. The hue is a pale garnet, and it has a glorious captivating nose. I got cinnamon, sandalwood, orange peels - just a whole box of potpourri. The texture is excellent too - perfectly balanced with fruit and acidity - and the wine is all resolved on the tannin side. You get a real sense of sweetness here after it has developed in bottle that I don't find in brasher youthful grenache. 1990 was a fabulous vintage in the AOC and at this point, that might have been my last bottle, but wow was it great. The only thing maybe holding it back from a top grade is the depth and length of flavor. This is an estate I should put back on the buy list; I don't think I've purchased any since 1998 and 2010 (maybe?). I slot this into the A- zone. Great stuff!

I've been drinking the 2015 Christophe Billon 'Les Corendies' [VdP C-R] the last 3 nights. It's 13.5% but feels a bit richer and glossier to me. Dark purple/black in color. Boysenberries on the palate. A touch of tannin if you really slosh it around the mouth, but to me its a wine that is actually better without food. White pepper on the nose too. I really enjoy it and would expect bottles to keep well for another few years. Modern styled, in a good way. For my tastes, it slots into that tough zone between A- and B+ wines. It's going to be fun watching the 2015 vintage develop over the years.

09 Alain Paret '420 Nuits' [St Joseph] This is a 12.5% abv rouge that is hand picked from a steep granitic single vineyard site near Rouchecourbe. I have not tasted one before but drank it over a couple of nights casual sipping it in the kitchen. This bottling get its name from the 420 nights it spends in various forms of new oak. But by age ten, for my tastes it has soaked the wood all up, and is quite pleasant. It is medium purple, no bricking/fading, with a floral nose of violets, and bright red berries on the palate. They don't make much of this and I don't see any of Paret's lineup locally. Not much sediment. I like it and would buy it again. B+ or better. Just a shade of tannin left. The label is fairly striking - dark navy blue with silver script, and in modern vintages, a gnarled vine. It looks quite regal.

We split a 2015 Jean Luc Columbo 'La Redonne' blanc [Cotes du Rhone] last night. It's 13.5% abv, and a blend of 2/3 viognier and 1/3 roussanne. The label says its the perfect wine to serve with 'sea bream en papillote' but we had it with grilled cheese sandwiches (squished in my waffle iron). True to Columbo's preference for non regional bottle shapes, it comes in a tall riesling style bottle. The wine was a bit underwhelming, not offering the floral lushness I would expect from a ripe vintage viognier driven wine. It might have been a touch too warm, but even as it cooled it never really expanded. For blanc CdR, I like Guigal's better. Strangely my local supermarket carries a lot of JLC's wines - a couple Cornas, roses, blancs etc. I think I once even saw a St Joe of his there, which I didn't even know they bottled. I wouldn't have expected to see any of those, and I only buy this producer infrequently, and when I do, I'm usually left a bit wanting after consuming them. There's a little pear fruit on the nose, not much on the palate. At least the SO quite liked it, and had a couple of glasses. I'd give this a B-.

I've been drinking the 2001 Paul Autard 'La Cote Ronde' [CNDP] the last couple of days. It's quite a bit better than an underwhelming 2000 last year. I've stopped buying this producer, and the general style of heavy oak has grown less appealing to me...but it all works out in this now old enough to vote Chateauneuf. Color is a dusky orange, fading at the edges, looking quite evolved, but the cork and fill are excellent. (I'd bought 00 and 01 on release, stored properly) I get a little iodine, cinnamon, sandalwood on the nose. Lush fruit, strawberry driven, a touch of orange peels on the palate. Low acid, no tannin. Delightful 45 second long finish. I'd slot this into the A- bracket on my scorecard. By the time the 2001 So. Rho rolled around I had a cellar full of the 98, 99, 00's and was getting rather blase to the all the good vintages. So I didn't really buy that many outside a few favored names. But now in the fullness of time, I think many are/were as good as the 98s, even though nearly all of both have been drunk down. If I'd had a perfect crystal ball, I might have saved some money/space allocated for 00 to 01.

To mark the passing of mitsommer, Swedes and their vassals/husbands etc. mark the occasion with much consumption of aquavit, crustaceans, and herring. I popped a 2016 de Nalys 'blanc' [CNDP] in a miscalculation. I'd pulled Kenji Alt Lopez recipe for sous vide lobster, and it sounded like it would pair with big fat, buttery white. I hardly ever drink white CNDPs, but I thought this might work. Bad call I was wrong...the wine is lean & taut and I should have gone with a viognier based wine instead.I combined a couple Maine lobster tails with grated butter, fresh dill, and sea salt and cooked them at 140F for an hour and change with the precision cooker, while guzzling up a glass of the white. This blanc is non descript, showing the straw flavors of chenin blanc, even if it may not have any of that varietal in the blend. Light colored and bodied, despite the stated 14% abv.

I had a couple glasses of the 2003 Tardieu Laurent 'Les Roches' [St Joseph] with a mushroom risotto and porcini ravioli last night (starch fest!). It's still quite dark, and full bodied, with a bouquet of pine cones and then fried breakfast sausage. Generally I don't like T-L wines, having been especially disappointed with how they age, but this one is quite good just as good as an 03 T-L Crozes a few months ago. I don't find these plump 03's to be fading at all in these Northern appellations, even if it doesn't have the brighter acid I'd expect from a St Joe. At sweet sixteen in age, the wood has all nicely rounded out here. I'd notch this a little lower than counselor Drew, giving it a B+. BTW, this bottle was a Premier Cru import. Perfect cork, 13% abv, and lots of sediment on the bottom.

I'm drinking this 09 Guigal [Crozes Hermitage] too, and mostly agree with Loren's observations. For my tastes I don't pick up any edgy acidity or anything. I had it without food, and its a well rounded wine. It doesn't show glaring oak or anything to me, but it has a full, plushy mouth feel. Just a hint of smoke and olives. As others note, a nice wine in the ripe vintages, especially since I favor the fatter NoRho years. Interestingly, the label states 13% abv, which feels low considering the viscosity. I've bought this in 03, 09, and 15. At least where I am, this is surprisingly hard to find compared to their 2mm bottle production of the red Cotes du Rhone. That's always on the shelves of nearly every wine store all the time. The Crozes shows up at a couple stores for a few months and that's it. 2015 sold through locally in a couple of weeks and never got restocked. Strangely, looking at the label of this 09, it seems to be French market label (back label in French, Red Tax stamp on top etc.)

I had the 2007 Lucien Barrot [CNDP] over the weekend. I've had other good vintages before like 1995, 1998 (way back when!) and thought it was comparable. It's a traditional Chateauneuf, not jammy nor jacked up. There is a little funk leading off, but it rounds with air over an hour or so. Classic spiciness here along with some beef blood. It pairs well with food and I'd slot it into the B+ notch.

I had a bottle of this 2005 Domaine La Milliere VV [CNDP] over the last few days. This is the US import from North Berkeley, so I'm not sure if its the exact same as what might be in other markets. 14.2% abv. Paired with steak frites and Bearnaise sauce, which went well. It has bouquet of hazelnuts, and raspberries on the palate. This is a touch of old school funk too, but just a touch. I'd lump it into the resolutely classic camp. I'm surprised that I have not had one before, but this example would move this estate on my buy list. It's medium bodied, ruby hued, without much sediment. Tannins are resolved. Overall just balanced grenache with a touch of spice. It has aged well, and I'd give it an A-. It deserves attention from those who don't buy/drink the So. Rho any more.

I had a couple glasses of the 2003 Tardieu-Laurent 'Les Grandes Bastides' [Crozes Hermitage] last night and loved it. Normally I really dislike the T-L lineup, top to bottom, all of their AOC. I too find that the oak seems out of balance, and didn't like the way they aged. But this one was a huge (positive) surprise. I don't think this 13.5% abv wine is the same bottling as OP as it seems to be a blend of various purchased grapes, but the label specifies that it too gets the new Allier oak treatment. Somehow between time, and the richness of the vintage -- 2003 is my favorite NoRho year -- this Crozes is doing well at sweet sixteen. It leads off with a nose of lavender, mint, sage. And then opens into a plush, rounded palate loaded with red fruit and pipe tobacco. Good but not great concentration. I like this, but would say that the 2003 Crozes 'Gaby' from Colombier and PJA's 'Rourre' bottling were a head of this on the leader board. Both of those other two also get a strong spine of oak too. My last glass, about 4 hours after the first, seemed a bit less rich than the first, so I'm sure this on the downslope, but its keeping well for its AOC. For me, this sits at the cusp of B+/A- quality. This really is one of the few times I can recall liking a T-L after it has some age. Their Cornas, Cote Roties, et al have all left me non plussed. I especially dislike their SoRho's too.

I had a bottle of this over the last 4 days: 2015 Domaine des Amphores Syrah "Les Iris" [IGP des Collines Rhodanniennes] Only 12% abv, but refreshing good wine that seemed to gain some depth over a few days, although I would still consume it now. Lots of floral notes in this syrah. It also has some zip to it, just enough to be good with food, but not so much that its shrill. Organic/biodynamic etc. I think it might low sulfur too. A great QPR to replace Cotes du Rhones. Likely hard to find, but worth shipping. This gets a B+ in my ledger, this lighter styled wine really grew on me over the days. It threw some sediment for a such young bottle btw.

I pulled the cork on a 2001 Roquette [CNDP] and am enjoying this fully mature bottle. It's a rusty red, cloudy, with orange rims. I get some iodine, sea salt, and funk on the nose. Tannins are resolved, low acid. I suspect it was better a few years ago. My bottle had a slight bit of seepage/non spinning capsule, so I was worried about the condition, but after pulling the cork, it seemed like that must have happened on bottling, since the cork looked good on the sides. It's a good but not great wine, and I would have thought in 2001, it might have shined more, although I never had this in its youth. This lighter 2001 slots in to the B+ line in my ledger. Despite loving the Brunier's various estates/bottlings, the name changes here leave me confused too. And $40 to $50 for a "Piedlong" seems kind of pricey for new vintages esp when I occasionally see comments on current Vieux Telegraphe being available in the mid $50s.

I had a couple glasses of the 2015 Puech Haut 'Prestige' [Coteau de Languedoc] with a fondue and a raclette respectively. Maybe not an optimal pairing since a crisp white would likely have been better than a plush red....but I really liked the wine. Very well flavored, deep, and for my tastes the oak seemed ok with all the rest of the stuff going on (and dinner). It's unabashedly a modern, international wine though. Understanding that enthusiasts may not like this style based on reading about it, I still think people owe it to themselves to try the juice and see what they think personally. I've had an older bottle of their 'Clos du Pic' bottling in the past and was very impressed with how that aged, so I'd expect this to have some vigor too.

09 Durand 'Lautarets' [St Joseph] Dark purplish hue, still quite primary in color. Nose is flint, minerals, and wet slate. Then some Italian herbs on the palate, along with plums. I had made a tangy bucatini with goat cheese for supper, and wanted a zippy wine to go with it. The SO wasn't drinking -- and she won't drink No.Rhones -- so I figured this would be my chance to open this, rather than a Chianti. It's a good food wine, but also has enough standalone flavor/body to be enjoyed while prepping everything. I think this gets destemmed, and a bit of new oak treatment, but its well balanced, and doesn't feel overtly modern/international/OTT to me. This 2009 is drinking great now, so enjoy it. Sadly, this almost doubled in price for the 2015 vintage, so I didn't get any. I guess that's the recurring story of all the AOC up there. A- in my ledger, and nice enough to be a Saturday night wine. The last glass on day 2 has a heavy amount of cloudy sediment, but tastes a little denser and better than earlier ones.

Right now, I'm enjoying the screwcap closed 2015 Dom. Courtois 'La Source' [Cotes du Rhone] that Rimmerman brought in a year or two ago. It has kept well despite being open in the fridge for 4 days. Fairly dark in color, medium bodied, spicy notes on the nose. It doesn't show any cloying notes that some OTT grenache blends have; it tilts more middle / AFWE than international/modern. There is some menthol notes here as well. It's a likable wine, lots of value for $10, although for my tastes I wouldn't reload. Glad to have tried it though, and I really want to support anyone who's bottling with modern closures. I've been hit with corked bottles twice in the last few weeks - on stuff I had cellared for more than a decade each - and it really bums me out. One thing I'd observe about the Courtois - in a world of wines where some producers are sneaking in residual sugar - this feels very dry. It's not Texier, but for those who don't want gooey, sweet wines they might like this. I was subjected to some heavy RS Cali blends over the holidays, and they were so gross, I had switched to crappy whites instead.

Been enjoying a bottle of this 2010 Charvin [CdR] the last few days. 14% abv. I get some roast hazelnuts kinds of notes. It's a nice wine and keeping well. However I do like the 2007 expression of this better.

Been drinking a bottle of the 01 Font de Michelle 'Etienne Gonnet' [CNDP] over the last few days. I've had it since release, and it has porty, licorice notes on the nose. The SO normally loves CNDP, but only has a glass of this, I think this cuvee is a little too ripe for her. There's some orange peel, potpouri spices here too. I find it cloying on the palate. Color is on the light garnet side, but its a big 14.5% abv. I wanted to like this more. For a traditional producer, it tastes more modern. I suspect this would have been better younger. If I bought this estate/cuvee again, I'd drink it younger, despite normally liking Rhones well after they have shed their grapey baby fat. Slots in at the B grade for my ledger.

I'm drinking a cellar 'lost & found' 2007 Mourgues du Gres 'Les Capitelles' rouge [Costieres de Nimes] right now. I think this flagship bottling gets the old vine syrah, and a little more aging, compared to other offerings. I'm not sure that really makes anything better. There is a kind of sameness, a heaviness, that I get in many of these tete du cuvees from smaller AOC's in 2007. 14.5% abv, dark and full, some licorice/prune and then finally a red plum flavor. Also meatiness. I don't think its overly oaked or anything - or at least not apparently at this point - but it feels ponderous. I had a couple of glasses over a couple of nights while prepping simple suppers (tacos, roast chicken etc.) but switched to water for eating. This I think would show better in a panel tasting, with the stuffing to smoke out comparable wines, but gets to be too much with a whole bottle to drink by myself. The SO took a sip and declined, opting for a hot cider with spiced rum instead. I'll give it a B as it is objectively good, and mostly up my alley for the zaftig wines I favor, but maybe I should have just had a gamay instead.... Added later: I'd bump it up to a B+ by the third (and final) night.

I had an 07 Segries 'Clos d'Hermitage' [Cotes du Rhone] last night. In this TN I point out that its made by Henri Lanzac at Segries, although the label is discreet about that, only mentioning Lanzac on the bottom in small type, and not stating Segries at all. This is a single vineyard CdR owned by a regional celebrity, who has their neighbors manage/vinify/bottle up their GSM grapes. So it's sort of affilliated even if not explicitly part of the Segries lineup. It's a big, dark wine at 14.5% abv. Thick legs. When I first opened the bottle, I got a tiny prickle on the tongue, but it quickly blew off, and I didn't detect any flaws. There is licorice/fennel on the nose; on the palate its low acid, easy to drink while prepping dinner, but it is heavy, perhaps the grapes were picked too late. I'm not sure when would have been the right time to drink this -- young when it must have been grapey or after some years when it should have settled down. Other than a few Charvin CdR's this should be finishing up the Cotes du Rhone level wines from the 2007 vintage for me. Pricing has always been ambitious for this bottling, so I'll pass on current releases. I'm conflicted on what to grade it -- I'll see how the rest of the bottle is tonight but would likely slot in on the B to B+ zone. Maybe on the low side if one feels the wine is too girthy.My kids came home with some trout, so I made trout almondine (albeit with almond flour rather than slivered almonds) for supper. The wine doesn't go with it all -- its like a sommelier war crime.

My last bottle of 00 Grand Veneur 'les Origines' [CNDP], and the SO and I are just inhaling this tonight. It is in fabulous form - aromatic, complex, densely flavored. We are staying in, and haven't even got to dinner, and 2/3 of the bottle is gone. This is just great stuff. So much better than a 2000 Charvin CNDP maybe a month or two ago. Of the fine 98-01 CNDP vintages, I've generally thought 00 was the one the one that is drinking the worst today, even though I would not have thought that 10-15 years ago. But this example is a real credit to the vintage.

07 Dom. des 3 Celliers 'Privelege' [CNDP] This was the debut vintage of this estate name/cuvee, but the brothers involved had some relationship to St. Benoit, and have been making wine for generations. This was a Garagiste DI with only a couple hundred cases made; I've not had/heard of it before. It's a big, super fruity wine, that runs 15% abv. We had this burgers and strip steaks, and it was very popular, with even non wine drinkers slurping it up. It was finished first, before the 2000 and 2001 St Emilions. It's the usual GSM blend that has all the marks of good winemaking. If it was oaked, it's not showing today, and it doesn't feel like that anyways. I'm really surprised with how tasty/balanced this was, and sad I only got one glass. My sister, who normally doesn't like rouges, loved it too. I'd give this an A-. It avoids the prune/raisiny notes some complain about in 2007 So. Rhones. Hopefully we'll see some more vintages/cuvees stateside soon.

15 Dom. Louis Clerc 'Syrah' [Vin de France] This is an understatedly named/labeled 300 cs production wine that is mostly declassified Cote Brune from Cote Rotie AOC, mixed with a little older non AOC syrah. This grower has only been bottling under their own name for maybe a decade or two; I have never tasted their regular Cote Rotie. For a warm year, the wine is only 12.5% and is cool, savory, and AFWE. No sediment, medium bodied, but decent color. I opened it on a Friday and had a glass by itself, and the same way the next night. It was very zippy, underfruited, lean/taut in those samples. On day 3 after having breathed for a bit, and being served outside with a platter of charcuterie, it finally opened up and tasted decent. The nose is white peppers and fading flowers. Not a long finish, and more saline than fruit, but all in all it ends up being an "ok" wine, but not one I'd repurchase. It was a C grade wine upon opening, but after 48 hours, it slots into the B- level. Perhaps those who like more classic styled No. Rhones will enjoy this mini C-R. Their terroir looks pretty steep.

[Nicklasss]

Hello Arv.

What a summary! I just went through quickly and need a nap! I'll read more carefully this noon, during lunch.

Nic

[brodway]

Nick...

nice notes, i drink a good amount of Rhone / Languedoc on regular nights and enjoyed your notes... especially those for the 2001 vintage, which i enjoyed quite a bit. went through 2 cases of 2001 Donjon and have 1 bottle left which i'll drink next year on its 20th year anniversary....agree on the sneaky sweetness with good acidtiy and balance ... i remember paying under $30 a bottle at the time and it was one of the best buys ever.

the Puech Haut Prestige was a steal at $14 for the 2001 vintage...most non French wine drinkers i serve this to are amazed at the QPR this bottling offers....it continues to trade at under $20 a bottle.

Pegau had a weird phase in 99-2000....i've had some good bottles and some really off bottles...there were comments years ago on BWE about this but i don't recall the specifics

[Jay Winton]

I try and wave the Rhone flag here with little success. I continue to find a CDR a good midweek choice that pairs well with a variety of food. Thanks Arv for all the notes. I think the oldest CNDP I have is 2005; I've had a few you listed with good results.

[JCNorthway]

Count me as a Rhone fan. And I agree that Cotes du Rhones are a good match for a lot of foods.

[AKR]

I pulled a box of mixed 01's out at some point in the last year, which explains why there are so many of them relative to everything else. Also in reviewing those, I realize I didn't have much/any Hermitage last year, which seems different than my recollection, but who knows. I generally want to have something like that with other enthusiasts. The SO doesn't like them

The various 'Puech' named producers are all really good. Rostaing may not be the most pleasant person from what I read, but his ones in particular are very good, and age/develop far longer than the prices suggest. However finding them is not so easy. K&L gets a wave a couple times a year, so I set up a flag on there to give me a heads up.

Cotes du Rhone are good, but so many now, especially the high scoring types, are basically really jacked out now, so they are goopy when young, and pruney when old. I think for cellaring oneself it makes sense to only keep the small production special ones, since the good but widely available ones are always around when in on premises consumption situations e.g. bars/restaurants/hospitality/travel etc.

Thanks for reading!

[jckba]

Damn Arv, that’s a huge assortment of Rhône wines with tasting notes. Love me some Grenache or Syrah and with or without the Viognier

[Nicklasss]

Quite detailled notes Arv. You're probably the BWEer sampling the most CdP.

I'm with you on Vieux Donjon, always excellent.

The few times I had Autard, me too i thought it was overdone and oaky.

Is Guigal the King of Rhône? Seem like you can get wrong with their wines.

Nic

[Blanquito]

I’ve always really loved the 2000 Grand Veneur Les Origines. I’ve had 6-7 bottles since 2005 and it never shut down. And like you, I find it so much better than the 2001 version of this wine.

[stefan]

Gosh, Arv, that is more Rhone than I drink in five years. I do love northern Rhone, but the price has moved up so much that I buy much less now. I buy CdP for my son in law because he likes them a lot, but I am not fond of the modern style. I tend to stick to Vieux Telegraphe and Beaucastel, although I have had some good experiences with Roger Sabon 'Prestige". I'll watch for Vieux Donjon as your note suggests that I will like it.

[brodway]

Nick...

I'm not sure i'd call Guigal the King Of Rhone but it can always be found in most fine wine shops....i recently opened a 99 Guigal Cote Rotie Blonde and it was really singing...it had layers of flavor and kept opening up in the glass with fruit and a floral bouquet that was addictive...was hinting at Pinot like quality... used to be an unreal value...still is relatively reasonable as they make quite a bit of it.

[Dandersson]

Many King's of N Rhone: Chave, Chapoutier, Guigal, Jaboulet, Clape, potentially Voge. I have certainly missed some...

[jal]

I know the proof is in the end product but I am not a fan of Guigal. I visited the winery in 2016 and here were the impressions I had at the time:

"This felt like a visit to a Pepsi bottling plant. Huge almost fully automated we were on a tour at teh same time as a 19 people group bus from Iceland and after touring the operation we escaped before the tasting as that would have taken hours. Plus we saw they were not serving any LaLas (not that we expected any, but we would have stayed for a Mouline sip "

The whole visit was so impersonal, I know wineries are a business and I'm not the foolish romantic type like Kevin Kline in French Kiss, still this was definitely too commercial for my taste.

So many great small producers in the Rhone that there really is no need to go to the huge ones.

[Blanquito]

Faury is making some lovely, serious Syrah at very reasonable prices (for the moment). The 2015 and 2016 Fauvy VV’s are delicious wines with terrific depth.

[Nicklasss]

Guys, what i mean is that for the quantity produced, and the relative quality at almost all wine level, Guigal deserve kind of respect.

Of course there are smaller producers that produce great wines, with poetic and romantic wineries, but you can't be the King with 300 cases of wine for the entire World.

Nic

[brodway]

Blanquito...

are you referring to the Faury St. Joseph VV? never had one but see its available at a retailer in upstate NY

[jal]

Nic, quantity and quality they offer but price advantage? Sorry I don't see it. One can find the same or higher quality at better price from other producers, sure the trio of La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne that they produce is special but are priced about 3 times higher than other producers' single vineyards Cote Rotie. Are they better? Perhaps, but they're a luxury item produced in a factory, same as a Hermes or Louis Vuitton bag.

[Blanquito]

Blanquito...

are you referring to the Faury St. Joseph VV? never had one but see its available at a retailer in upstate NY

Yes, that’s the one. Overall I prefer Levet more than faury for sure, but the 15 and 16 Faury VV were/are like $36 which is a great deal.

[AKR]

For better or worse, I think Guigal should get some credit for making lots of wines, some in huge quantities, that are generally consistently good or better. Any other producer making 2mm cases would have huge variation (remember all the issues with Vitiano?!) in results. Guigal is one that seems to have figured it out, but it probably came at the cost of that UC Davis like facility. As mentioned, their small production stuff is what is worth the cellar spots. The blanc CdR is like 4k cases IIRC, the rouge is 2mm. But I can deal with some oak, and I respect that not everyone can.

My 15 Faury never showed up (I was sent 13 instead) but at least WilliamP here poured us some excellent 15 Faury C-R. I agree that this is a good producer worth looking for. They might even be bottling up a Crozes now? or maybe I'm confusing them with Paris.

If I was voting for a 'King of the Rhone' I'd probably give the edge to Chapoutier, but again, like Guigal, not everyone likes their wines especially the AFWE / WB crowd. I like everything they make, top to bottom, although the top end cuvees are tasted very rarely.

[Blanquito]

Like many on the wine boards, Southern Rhône used to be a big part of my cellar and consumption, but it’s dried up to virtually nothing. Part of it was a palate shift on my part, but most of it was caused by the well-known shift to ever higher octane wines the region, egged on by the critics.* I still enjoy my older vintages of CDP (the age worthy ones at any rate), but the since circa the 2005 vintage, southern Rhône has left me cold by and large. I sold off almost all of my CDP.

Northern Rhône I still seriously dig, but prices are steep these days for the producers I like. Fortunately, I still quite like many of Chapoutier’s wines also and I’ve had some wonderful La Morderees from the 1990’s in the last few years and some terrific bottles of his Les Granits both the Blanc and rouge. I’ve never quite understood the animus toward Chapoutier’s wines from the AFWE — they aren’t the apotheosis of sauvage and terroir by any means, but neither are they modernist monstrosities for my taste.

*for my money, Jed Dunnuck has the worst professional palate out there, it seems like there’s no limit — bigger, riper, sweeter, boozier, and oakier is always better in his world. Oh, he will rate more balanced wines highly (his scores are silly high pretty much across the board), but his true enthusiasm is reserved for the ooze monsters.

[AKR]

Like many on the wine boards, Southern Rhône used to be a big part of my cellar and consumption, but it’s dried up to virtually nothing. Part of it was a palate shift on my part, but most of it was caused by the well-known shift to ever higher octane wines the region, egged on by the critics.* I still enjoy my older vintages of CDP (the age worthy ones at any rate), but the since circa the 2005 vintage, southern Rhône has left me cold by and large. I sold off almost all of my CDP.

Northern Rhône I still seriously dig, but prices are steep these days for the producers I like. Fortunately, I still quite like many of Chapoutier’s wines also and I’ve had some wonderful La Morderees from the 1990’s in the last few years and some terrific bottles of his Les Granits both the Blanc and rouge. I’ve never quite understood the animus toward Chapoutier’s wines from the AFWE — they aren’t the apotheosis of sauvage and terroir by any means, but neither are they modernist monstrosities for my taste.

*for my money, Jed Dunnuck has the worst professional palate out there, it seems like there’s no limit — bigger, riper, sweeter, boozier, and oakier is always better in his world. Oh, he will rate more balanced wines highly (his scores are silly high pretty much across the board), but his true enthusiasm is reserved for the ooze monsters.

well at least when RP was looking for his One True Son to take over the Rhone beat at the WA, he did find the next Dalai Lama in Jed. I realize Rimmerman comes with his own set of issues - and he's no stranger to hype either - but I've generally found his Rhone choices to be mostly ok. He has a pipeline to some producers that are not as well as represented otherwise, and of the bigger houses like PJA his prices are usually national best easily.

[Dandersson]

Like many on the wine boards, Southern Rhône used to be a big part of my cellar and consumption, but it’s dried up to virtually nothing. Part of it was a palate shift on my part, but most of it was caused by the well-known shift to ever higher octane wines the region, egged on by the critics.* I still enjoy my older vintages of CDP (the age worthy ones at any rate), but the since circa the 2005 vintage, southern Rhône has left me cold by and large. I sold off almost all of my CDP.

Northern Rhône I still seriously dig, but prices are steep these days for the producers I like. Fortunately, I still quite like many of Chapoutier’s wines also and I’ve had some wonderful La Morderees from the 1990’s in the last few years and some terrific bottles of his Les Granits both the Blanc and rouge. I’ve never quite understood the animus toward Chapoutier’s wines from the AFWE — they aren’t the apotheosis of sauvage and terroir by any means, but neither are they modernist monstrosities for my taste.

*for my money, Jed Dunnuck has the worst professional palate out there, it seems like there’s no limit — bigger, riper, sweeter, boozier, and oakier is always better in his world. Oh, he will rate more balanced wines highly (his scores are silly high pretty much across the board), but his true enthusiasm is reserved for the ooze monsters.

I can admit to being a big fan of Chapoutier. The quality and power of flavor of the Ermitage L'Ermite and La Pavillon, two of the best wines I have tasted in my life. Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne, Crozes Hermitage Les Varonniers, Meysonniers, St Joseph Les Granits. Awesome wines one of my favorite producers in the world.