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We’ve
had a steady diet of red Rhône wines over the last several months, what
with our Red Wings and
Rednecks doings. Hopefully,
that won’t be changing any time soon, now that we’re into the NHL playoffs. Our
Detroit Red Wings charged through Round 1
with a resounding sweep of the Columbus Blue Jackets,
and, as always, we were right there with our Vacqueyras, Chateauneuf
du Pape and more. We even threw in a couple of Left Coast Rhône Rangers
just to stir things up, and we might be doing more of those from here on out as
well! Here are our impressions of the wines we enjoyed during these four games.
Game 1 started off with a bang. We had a Chateauneuf du Pape gifted to us
by our friend and colleague, Alan Kerr aka
Canadian Zinfan, and we were joined by Scott
“the Geek” Tobias, who brought along some Vacqueyras action.
2005 Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf du Pape, 14% alc: Showing clean
dark color, with black fruit, iron and cola on the pretty, if not exactly
effusive nose; earthy flavors echo and expand. Big, chewy and structured for 10
years in the cellar or more, and while air helps smooth this some, time will be
its best friend. Scott found it “kind of leathery and tough, but very
appealing,” adding an impression of “a little cane sugar.” Find this wine
Imported
by Saranty Imports, Harrison, NY
2006 Comte Louis de Clermont-Tonnerre Vacqueyras Vieilles Vignes, 13.5% alc.,
$26: Clean dark color, with a tight nose of dusty black fruit, beetroot,
earth and a hint of chalk, all of which follows through much more expressively
on the palate. Full bodied, with ample structure and good length, this can age
for at least 5 years, maybe 10. Scott found it “more pleasant, but not as good”
as the Chante Cigale. Find this wine
Imported by Behind the Cellar Door Imports, LLC, Bloomfield
Hills, MI
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We celebrated the Wings’ 4-1 victory with a couple of Left Coast numbers.
2004
Sean Thackrey Mendocino Petite Sirah Sirius Eaglepoint Ranch, 15.3% alc.:
Clean dark color, with a little mint and dill over black plum and blackberry in
both flavor and aroma; rich and a little tart at the same time. Still a young
wine; smooth, full bodied and structured for many years of aging and
improvement. Find this wine
2003 Carlisle Russian River Valley Syrah, 15.5% alc.: Deep dark color,
not quite opaque, and throwing a tarry black fruit nose with a little oak and a
hint of balsa showing through; all of these impressions echo and expand on the
palate. Sleek, smooth and somewhat creamy, this is in a very good drinking
window right now, but by no means in any danger of fading any time soon. Find this wine
Shar Douglas and
Ken Hebenstreit joined us for dinner and Game 2, bringing along a
pair from Chateauneuf du Pape.
1999 M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape La Bernadine, 13.5% alc.: Just a
hint of rust to the garnet color, with effusive, aromatic smoke, mahogany and
beetroot on the nose; earthy flavors echo beautifully, and this is a little
funky in a good way. Full bodied, well structured and yet to peak, this is big,
rich and more than just approachable, it’s downright impressive. My wine of the
night, and there’s no reason the thing that it won’t keep going up for at least
another 5 years, maybe 10. Find this wine
Imported by Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL
2000 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Reservée, 13.5% alc.:
Smoky dark garnet color, with a classic Pegau personality of smoke, iron, cedar,
black fruit and earthy beetroot. Still very well structured and in need of
further time in the cellar, this actually
drank better on release with its
youthful exuberance. Certainly drinkable and even enjoyable, but its best days
are well ahead of it; try again in 5 years and see where it’s at. Find this wine
Imported by J et R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Since it was Chateauneuf du Pape theme, and we had 4 of the following in the
cellar, I decided to take a chance and sacrifice one, despite all I’d read about
it being in need of some serious cellar time.
2005 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape, 14% alc., $89: Clean dark
color, and somewhat shy on the nose, giving only a little earth, iron smoke and
beetroot; with big flavors of earth, iron, smoke, dark chocolate and black
fruit, this is full bodied, very well structured with good acids and dusty
tannins and very different in style from the Chapoutier and Pegau. Smooth in
texture and very much more approachable than reports had led me to expect, this
was very well received by all four of us, but don’t think that I’m recommending
popping corks liberally on these. I’d put them away for a good 10-15 years for
them to start showing everything they’ll have to offer. Find this wine
Imported by Vineyard Brands, Inc., Birmingham, AL
Domaine la Garrigue Vacqueyras has been a favorite of ours for many years now,
so it was no great leap to pick the following youngster up and see where it is
at, especially considering how well we liked their
'06 Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine.
2005 Domaine la Garrigue Vacqueyras, 14% alc., $20.99: Clean dark color,
with earth, iron, black fruit and leather flavors and aromas; big, rich and
chewy, with huge structure for many years in the cellar, and the astringent
finish puts a big exclamation point on that fact. Very big on promise, but needs
a minimum of 5 years; extended air helps, but… Find this wine
Imported by European Cellars, LLC, Charlotte, NC
I’ve read a little about the following producer, but this was our first crack at
tasting what they have to offer, and based on this one, we’ll be looking for
more from them.
2005 Domaine Phillipe & Vincent Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage, 12.5% alc.,
$27.99: Deep dark color, with rich, earthy black plum and blackberry shaded
with hints of black olive and bacon in both flavor and aroma; full bodied, but
without excess weight (check out the alcohol content). Almost ripe by Rhône
standards and quite tasty, this has the structure to develop for at least 5
years, but it’s already in a nice drinking window. Find this wine
Imported by Wilson Daniels, Saint Helena, CA
And finally, I found the following late model version of an old friend at
Costco, and had to give it a try, even if I do remember when we paid around
$9.99-12.99 for it back in the day…
2005 Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes Hermitage Les Jalets, 12.5% alc., $17.99:
Deep dark color, almost opaque; flavors and aromas of earthy black plum and
blackberry shaded with a note of smoke and hints of black olive and barnyard.
Very dry and somewhat astringent; full bodied and well structured. Wants some
time in the cellar, though it will serve well now with some air and grilled red
meats or a hearty stew. As always, a solid, if not particularly distinguished or
complex Crozes Hermitage, and we expected that when we bought it. Find this wine
Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., New York, NY
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Reporting from Day-twah,
geo t.
Other Recent Wine Explorations
More Holiday
Hijinx with Mr. Ridge (and Ravenswood too!)
More Red Wings & Red Rhônes 2009
Kermit Lynch's
Traveling Roadshow
2 Late Model
Cornerstone Cabs
Cono Sur 2008
A QPR Rave~Up
Francophilia
2009
The Wines of Charles
Hendricks
Wines of
Distinction from Madiran, Bordeaux & more
The Wines of
Terra Andina
Back to the May 2009 Index
Back to the Underground Index
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© George Heritier May, 2009
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