Syrah and Rhône style
blends rouge - imported
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Australia
 '93
Eileen Hardy: On release, it was a dead-ringer for the '89 Grange,
what with the intense crushed berry fruit almost standing up to the
massive amounts of creamy vanilla oak. Syrupy texture. Several years
have past, and the fruit is starting to slip away. Drink it now, while
it's still pleasant. SY (5/01)
'96
Wynn's "Michael" Shiraz - Australia ($38): Deep fruit with a hint
of mint on the nose. A little waxy. Big, deep fruit on the palate with
that little salty thing some Shiraz's can get. Moderate tannins. This
is damned good juice folks. Give it a few years. I bought a few for
the cellar. JD (7/99)
'96
Penfolds "Bin 707" Cabernet - Australia ($48):
Deep, deep color. Black fruit and eucalyptus on the nose with plenty
of spicy American oak. Blackberry and black cherry fruit on the palate
with big tannins. A full bodied wine that needs years. JD (7/99)
'96
Melton "Nine Popes" (Australia) ($36): The name of the 1996 Nine
Popes indicates the rough target, a Chateauneuf-inspired
blend. Clearly not speaking with a French accent there, mate. Aussie
Rhonoids start out, for me,
with one strike aginst them in the preconception department. Despite
the happy exceptions, they're too often
in a race to be Big and Hairy, plank-clad plumpies screaming loudly.
Rarely is what they're screaming of any interest.
Oh, and this Melton is one loud puppy, a raucous red. But it just seduces
me on its own terms, the clever rascal.
It whispers in my ear, it caresses my ego, it flicks its tongue at my...
oh, yeah, right, um, "a spicy accent of artfully-applied
oak and a garam-masala spiciness complement a deep, extracted, not at
all chunky red fruit core. Well-structured,
complex and layered, with a nice persistance of flavor and texture on
the palate. Moderate alcohol
for the genre, perhaps 14%. It might be ageable, but I see no particular
benefit if you enjoy up-front fruit."
There, that sounds more official. Served with Pizza #2, a tomato-less
porcini-laced affair. And also sucked
down a few nights ago at Brix (Yountville) with a mushroom ragout topping
pasta. First-rank Aussie grenache,
Moe
Double-Curly. SY
'94
Penfolds "Magill Estate" Shiraz - Australia ($31):
Heavy toast on the nose with big candied fruit on the palate. The finish
falls off fast. A rare misstep from Penfolds. JD (7/99
'92
Penfolds "St. Henri" Shiraz ($24): Not your typical Aussie shiraz.
Missing is the ripe jammy fruit and the spicy coconut aromas of America
oak. What is in its place is a restrained nose of blueberries, raspberries
and a touch of mint. The fruit is there on the palate but is held in
check by a tight structure. Although it's already six years
old, methinks that another five years of cellaring will be greatly rewarded.
JD (4/99)
The Rhône
2000
'00
Côte-Rôtie Ogier:
Ho-hum, one of the best wines of the vintage. Really bright and vivid
fruit with none of the washed-out qualityI saw in so many other 2000s.
Good acidity, medium body, and quite precocious. Ought to be an absolute
delight in 10 years or so. SY (6/02)
'00
Côte-Rôtie Jasmin:
These guys are on a roll. Not even the tragic death of Robert Jasmin
slowed them down; the wines continue to be elegant, suave, perfumy,
and perfectly balanced. "Pretty" wine, rather than muscular.
One of my favorite Y2Ks. SY (1/02)
'00
Cornas Stephane Robert "Cuvee Prestige": Solid,
granitic, cleanly-made and fruit-packed Cornas. A bit lighter than the
'99, but maybe a bit more focused as well. I mourned the retirement
of Marcel Juge, but Robert has done well with these vineyards, and done
it in his own style. This is very fine Cornas. SY (1/02)
1999
'99
Côte-Rôtie Gaillard "Côte Rozier": I
make no bones about it: the Côte Rozier vineyard is one of the
very best spots in the appellation- very distict and powerful wines.
Gaillard's version is very internationally styled, lots of new oak and
extraction, but within that idiom it's one of the very best. It's easy
to spot as a Rozier with a powerful licorice note and a deep texture
and strong finish. SY (8/01)
'99
Côte-Rôtie Clusel-Roch "Grandes Places":
Very impressive wine, made in the reduction-sauce style. This great
vineyard got creamed by hail during the spring, so not much was made,
maybe 50 cases. If you can ever get a chance to taste it, you should-
it's freakishly huge, and in a novel way. Destined to be a classic of
its type. SY (1/02)
'99
Côte-Rôtie Michel & Stephane Ogier "La Belle Helene":
Another monster wine
like the previous Grandes Places. This one is from the old-vines plot
at the nearby Côte-Rozier. Stephane set out to make a monster,
starting with the vineyard practices and succeeded very well. This is
the sort of wine you drink on its own. If you want 'em big and brawny,
the '99 Belle Helene is as good as it gets. SY (3/02)
'99
Côte-Rôtie Jasmin: Patrick Jasmin continues to pump
out some great wines. His '99 has an incredible intensity of fruit and
black-pepper spice, great extract and balance with a nice juicy character.
If I can force myself to keep my hands off, I'll be grateful 10 or 15
years from now for my formidable self-control. SY (6/01)
'99
Côte-Rôtie Jamet:
The "regular" cuvee of Jamet is regularly one of my favorite
wines. Which makes me wonder why the '99 isn't exciting. I was ready
to be excited, and found myself facing a wine will less typicity, less
complexity, and more woodiness than I've seen in the past. Good wine,
but I expect better from this house. SY (3/02)
'99
Côte-Rôtie J-M Stephan (young vines cuvee): The fruit
just gushes out of this one- if you prefer austerity and understatement,
you won't like it. There's some cold soak, there's some carbonic maceration,
there's some wooding, but Stephan delivers an exuberant wine that's
still unquestionably Côte-Rôtie. SY (3/01)
'99
Cornas Stephane Robert "Cuvee Prestige": Robert is a bright
young guy with some great vineyards. He doesn't waste them- this has
monstrous levels of Cornas granite and plum character, with a hint of
the fleshiness of texture that Juge used to get from the same plots.
But this would never make you think of Juge- it's quite clean. Superb
wine. SY (9/01)
'99
Hermitage J-L Chave:
Great acidity and sappiness, especially for this vintage; perfect balance
even at this young age. Time in the bottle will give this wine the beauty
and complexity of age, but this is a top-quality Chave right from the
get-go. Tasted blind and tasted sighted, each time I exclaimed, "Great,
great, great!" SY (5/02)
'99
Hermitage Bernard Chave:
More a typical '99 than the J-L, its very lush, fruit-forward, and noticeably
oaky. Much cleaner and more international than it used to be. Considering
some of the odd wines that have come out of this cellar, that's not
entirely a bad thing. SY (1/02)
'99
Hermitage Bernard Faurie:
They do three cuvees here normally. This year, they threw in a fully-oaked
cuvee, too. Yuck. They do best when they stick to what they've been
doing for a while, making old-fashioned terroir-driven wines, totally
make-up free. The best of the "normal" cuvees is the blend
between wine from the Meal and Greffiere vineyards. It's got the signature
blackberries and leather aromas in a somewhat larger, fatter format
than usual. Terrific wine and fun to drink; no doubt in years to come,
millionaires will enjoy debating the merits of the Faurie versus the
Chave. I think in '99, the Chave will win, but the Faurie will be a
pretty honorable second. SY (1/02)
1998
'98
Côte-Rôtie Clusel-Roch "Grandes Places": It's
big, it's oaky, it's meaty, it's weighty, it's great Côte-Rôtie. Moe
Double-Curly, with a clear Triple Curly in its future (maybe with an
extra woo-woo-woo...?) SY (9/01)
'98
Côte-Rôtie Gallet: How many good things can I say about
this wine? Well, first, let me air it out, well-splashed in a wide-mouth
decanter...... OK, waited long enough. What are those good things about
the Gallet? 1. Great size without being at all clumsy. 2. Sock-you-in-the-face
Côte Blonde character. Lots of violet. 3. A fine, not overdone structure.
4. Little hints of the smoky meat Lancement (more than 3/4 of the final
blend is from this well-situated vineyard) smells. This should age into
a bacony nuclear warhead of a wine. 5. Terrific length and persistance
in the mouth. I should note that this bottle was from the first bottling.
He does two or three. If I can say 5 good things about it, it's got
to be classic Côte-Rôtie. Moe Double-Curly. SY (4/01)
'98
Côte-Rôtie Ogier: Extravagant perfume, solid texture,
and a wallop of tannin. It's starting to close up big-time, but this
looks to be a superb vin de garde, with all the elements present in
good measure. Double Moe Curly, with the real prize at least a decade
away. SY (7/01)
'98
Côte-Rôtie Jean-Michel Stephan "Vieilles Vignes":
After a little airing out, this is a beam of focused Côte
Blonde fury. Big violet perfume, yet ultimately something quite seductive.
Top quality wine with a great future. SY (2/01)
'98
Cornas Clape: The last Clapes I actually bought were '95s. Since
then, price rises and spotty availability have sent me into the auction
market for older vintages. I was way overdue to start catching back
up with what was always a reliable domaine for me. This '98 was somewhat
startling to me, much looser and more forward and obvious than young
Clapes of my past. It's more polished and less rustic. Is this a good
thing? SY (8/01)
'98
Hermitage Faurie: This cuvee is a blend of Faurie holdings in Greffieux
and Meal, and his earliest bottling. Herbal and minerally, distinctive
tarragon nose, great extract and structure. Sure, it's young and tannic,
but the balance is so perfect that it's a safe bet to age superbly.
This is seriously great wine. SY (1/01)
1997
'97
Côte-Rôtie Jasmin: The change in winemaking is quite
evident with the '97, from another hot year.
But the '97s as a group seem more complete, more textured, and the Jasmin
is no exception. I have little to
add to my note from my Rhône trip, other than to contrast the
relatively lower herbiness, the heavier, darker texture,
and the (thankfully) consistent non-misuse of oak with the newer vintage.
Even though it's still so very primary,
it's easy to see that this is the best Jasmin in many years, and a fitting
way to honor the memory of a great
grower who refused to disfigure his grapes once they arrived at his
cellar. When this arrives at our shores, sock
away a few bottles, as you can be sure I will be doing. SY (3/99)
'97
Côte-Rôtie J-M Garon: This was so promising on release,
but a recent tasting showed something green and ugly. I'll take it on
faith that it's "going through a stage" or maybe just having
a brief tantrum. In any case, no more to be opened for several more
years. SY (3/01)
'97
Côte-Rôtie
Ogier "La Belle Helene":
The ’97 is definitely more overt in its oakiness than the '95 BH or
the '97 "regular", but just a bit. Compared to the ’95 BH,
it’s bigger and rounder, more Californian in structure. But no California
syrah ever tasted like this! The ’97 BH has those elusive elements,
class and depth, a wash of flavor. If there’s any criticism, it’s that
the structure might lean a bit toward fatness; not the soupy character
one finds in, say, the ’85 Mouline, but a wee bit of cellulite jiggle
at the ass end. Give it lots of air to let the fruit push past the wood.
SY (1/01)
'97
Hermitage Faurie "Greffieux": This was a big WOW for me last year.
In the meantime, it's closed up shop, probably to re-emerge in another
5-10 years. The nose is quite muted, but the intensity of flavor and
the mouth-feel tell all. SY
(4/00)
'97
Cairanne l'Oratoire St-Martin "Cuvee Prestige": Kinda woody, but
lovely leather and spice aromas are echoed in the flavors. Good stuff.
SY (4/00)
'97
Vacqueyras Domaine des Amouriers: Peppery, but light and diffuse.
Very disappointing. SY (4/00)
'97
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieux Telegraph: With all the hype about the
'98s (and, it must be admitted, the '98 Vieux Telegraphe
is pretty awesome), this has never failed to please. Open and inviting,
plush licorice and preserved fruits, almost candy. Fine balance and
length. SY (5/01)
'97
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine Pegau Cuvee Reservee: Rather light and
supple for a Pegau, it's not a bad wine, but it's missing something.
OK, it was cheap, so I can forgive a lot. SY (8/01)
1996
'96 Cornas Juge
Cuvee C: A little lean for the
breed, but all the Juge lilac and red berry aromas are there- yes, the
barnyard, too. It's still pretty tight. though; time may be kind here.
SY (1/01)
'96
Hermitage J-L Chave: With a lot of air, this showed us some nice-nice.
The usual Chave leather and blackberry with a lot of stuff buried but
ill-concealed. A real keeper. one of the very best '96 Northern Rhônes.
SY (3/01)
1995
'95
Côte-Rôtie Remiller "Montlys": The Montlys vineyard
is in the northern part of the appellation, between the
towns of St-Cyr and Verenay. Exiting the Autoroute from Lyon, these
are the first impressively steep hillsides
you see. The '95 Remiller Montlys is an exemplar of the vintage- impressively
structured, deep in fruit, and
having relatively high acidity (on the order of some of the better '93
Burgs). Our bottle was pretty sulfury when
first opened, but after 30 minutes or so, the blueberry and violets
took over. Plenty of smoky complexity still
lies partially buried under the deep fruit. The vines at this estate
are still relatively young (I think about 10 years
old), but obviously there's been some real care in the vineyard and
real respect for the flavor of the grape. Brettophobes
will not find much to complain about here- it's pretty clean. I'll bet
this will go 10 years, at least. SY
(7/99)
'95
Côte-Rôtie
Ogier "La Belle Helene": I don’t suppose that I need to
go over the history of this Michel Ogier bottling. The ’95 is oh-so-very
primary at this point, but is typical of the breed in the way it holds
its oak; though raised in 100% new high toast barrels, the fruit intensity
and density is so high that the wood is subsumed. Thoroughly Ogier-like
perfume and elegance, with the deep structure that marks so many ‘95s.
Compared to the "normal" ’95 Ogier, the Belle Helene is darker-flavored,
more blackfruity, and has a distinct licorice element, along with a
thicker, weightier texture- dry extract, not alcohol. The track record
(for example, the ’83 Ogier was predominantly Cote-Rozier and raised
entirely in new wood) suggests that the licorice will get stronger with
time. Superb. SY (3/01)
'95
Côte-Rôtie Vidal-Fleury Brune et Blonde: Rather sulfury
and unpleasantly unclean. And given that I like unclean wines,
that's a pretty bad slam. The Chatillonne cuvee is miles better.
SY (4/00)
'95
Côte-Rôtie Gangloff: This is why blind tasting is sometimes
a good thing; normally I'd be inclined to like this wine. But tonight,
it showed a streak of Bernie Chave-like insecticide aromas and not a
lot of Cote-Rotie character. Bleh. SY (4/00)
'95
Cornas Durand: The touch of corkiness did not offset the rather
medicinal character. I'd like to try a more intact bottle. SY (4/00)
'95
Crozes-Hermitage Delas Freres "Les Launes" ($25/mag.): Bright syrah
nose with a gamy edge and a bit of
black pepper. Unfortunately, the palate sucks. Tart and sour. Fortunately,
the finish is short. The '96 is better.
JD (4/99)
'95
Hermitage Chave: This is so austere and unyielding right now that
I'd be an idiot to judge it. And an idiot to open another one for at
least 10-15 years. Fortunately, someone else popped this one. SY (1/01)
1994
'94
Côte-Rôtie Delas Freres ($26.50): Nothing to it. Funky,
light fruit and plenty of tannins. JD (5/99)
'94
Côte-Rôtie Jamet:
Happy, happy. Very primary, lots of cracked pepper, bright raspberry,
and red Twizzlers, lightish texture, great balance. Needs another
5 years. SY (10/00)
'94
Hermitage Jaboulet "La Chapelle": Very closed and waxy. What showed
was not pleasant. Interestingly, there was a series of price tags on
this bottle in descending order in $10 increments. Nice to see that,
every once in a while, the buying public recognizes a dog for what it
is. SY (4/00)
'94
Hermitage Delas Freres ($31): Light bacon fat on the nose. Medium
bodied palate with some blueberry and
bacon fat flavors. Big tannins and a short, dry finish. Ho hum. JD
(5/99)
'94
St-Joseph J-L Chave (estate): Smoky-sweet high-toned fruit, soft
and fragrant. Supple texture. Fully mature, maybe even a bit on the
aging slide? SY (3/01)
Update: Second sample tried showed
beautifully, perfect balance and still vibrant. SY (8/01)
1993
'93
Cornas Columbo "Les Ruchets": Unripe, unready. But very
good for the vintage, which is like saying that Dan Quayle is pretty
smart for an idiot. SY (4/00)
1991
'91
Cornas Clape: Starting to drink spectacularly. Gamey and rich, packed
with flavor, with a firm fruit core. Could use more time, but you won't
be unhappy with one tonight. SY (2/01)
'91
Cornas Juge "Cuvee C": Juge's Cornas always stands apart. The '91
C has lost its primary sulfur and raspberry,
and now shows more of the Juge poopy-lilac perfume. Supple and fleshy,
the '91 has an impressive fan of
flavor, medium body, and outstanding length. There's an attractive herbal
nuance to complete the picture. Drinking
well now, it is in no danger of senility in the next ten years. SY (8/99)
Update: I underestimated how good
this was going to get. It's even richer and spicier now, stunning Cornas.
Ready to drink, still with no danger of early death. SY (4/01)
'91
Cornas Juge "Cuvee SC": It's tighter than the C, not quite as evolved.
At the same time, the fruit is riper and
has a little more depth. Give it another couple years. SY (8/99)
Follow up: My last couple of bottles
were smoothing out nicely, but the SC is still pretty monolithic. OK,
a few more years. Drink the C while you're waiting. SY (3/01)
'91
Côte-Rôtie Joseph Jamet "Côte Brune": Joseph
Jamet is a striking fellow, both for his appearance (sort of an older
Patrick Stewart, but with intense, penetrating blue eyes) and his demeanor-
a sharp, questioning attitude, full of common sense. I was fortunate
to sit between him and Michel Ogier at the annual winemaker's lunch
in Ampuis; despite my crummy French, I managed to pick up more dirt
about local growers and their practices, more info about vineyards and
clones, and more understanding about the local economics of fruit and
wine-growing than I could have ever hoped for. There ARE some advantages
to not being a writer or a critic- one gets a bit more honesty. Enough
of persons, let's drink! I can't really call the '91 Joe a "better"
wine than the regular bottling of '91 Jamets fils, but its single-vineyard
nature (Joseph has kept 0.42 hectare since turning over the reins to
the boys) endows it with a focus and personality that is quite compelling.
Big and tannic, bien sur, no evident new oak, full of frying bacon and
blackberries, with the traditional Côte-Rôtie violets. Dark
and brooding, with an intense finish. Joseph's wines have been quite
bretty over the years, and this is no exception. It will become more
so. I don't care- this is a friendly monster of a wine. Smoother and
more velvet-textured than the '89, the '91 nonetheless has a full measure
of Côte Brune authenticity. Great wine. SY
(2/99)
'91
Côte-Rôtie Chapoutier "La Morderee": There were
eight of us around the table. There were nineteen bottles. Even if you
include the three corked ones, this was the unanimous choice as the
most undrinkable of the lot. Lots of coarse wood, no particular fruit
character, short and rough finish. I could find no virtue whatever.
Neither could anyone else. Bought on a strong Parker recommendation
(100 points), this wine set me back $120 on release; after tasting it,
I felt like one of those Warner Brothers cartoon characters who, after
being badly tricked by Bugs Bunny, morphed into a giant lolly-pop marked
"Sucker!" No-one even finished a glass, pre-empting my DNPIM rating.
SY (2/99)
'91
Côte-Rôtie Gallet: Gallet's '91 is an old friend. The
vast majority of this bottling (80+%) comes from the Lancement
vineyard on the Côte Blonde. Lancement seems to give wines of
Burgundian texture and level of fragrance,
and in 1991, Gallet really strutted his stuff. He's broken in his barrels,
so there's none of the woodiness
of his '89; the '91 is more elegant than his excellent '90, while losing
nothing in depth of flavor. I consider
it a superior wine, and one of the very finest Côte-Rôties
of the stellar '91 vintage. And it's starting to mature
a bit- this bottle had a smoky sweetness starting to emerge from the
raspberry fruit. Three or four more
years, and it will be full into the frying-bacon phase. Superb wine.
SY (8/99)
Update: Still on track... (3/01)
'91
Côte-Rôtie Guigal "La Turque": Go kill for
an '85 if you like- the '91 is the best La Turque ever. Even at this
middle-awkward stage, the spicy syrah manages to say "howdy!" even through
the oak noise. Great balance, like a fat man whose nickname is "Twinkle-Toes".
SY (4/01)
'91
Côte-Rôtie Guigal "La Mouline": Still a pretty
youthful wine, it's just starting to show a bit of the Côte Blonde
gaminess. Superb depth, balance, and length. Great wine, will only get
better with another five years or so. One of the two or three best Moulines
I've ever tasted. SY (8/01)
'91
Côte-Rôtie
Dervieux-Thaize "La Viaillere":
This wine was actually made by Rene Rostaing. The Viaillere vineyard
is up on the Northern end of the appellation, for what that's worth,
with darkish, tight soils. The
wine is a bit of a disappointment. It's
either way too young or way too old. Or never was any good. It's monolithic,
tannic as can be, with drying fruit and a somewhat oxidative character.
Not attractive, but it wasn't actually physically painful. I rate it
a Shemp. Rostaing's Côte Blonde and La Landonne bottlings from
'91 were much better. SY (8/01)
'91
St-Joseph Gachon: Dammit, another fine Rhone sabotaged by a Portugese
farmer; it too has some corkiness. What showed through was some fine
syrah character, a smooth texture, and a nice smoky edge. What got stomped
by the TCA was regional character, richness of fruit, and the finish.
An intact bottle ought to be terrific. SY (4/00)
1990
'90
Côte-Rôtie Gasse-Lafoy: A "biologique" cuvee (analogous
to "organic"), this is certainly one of the better '90s.
Showing no overt wood, an attractive stemmy/herby quality I always associate
with Côte-Rôtie, medium body
and relatively low acidity, the GL is quite elegant and subtle. The
licorice and black-fruit flavors spread out in
the back of the mouth in a most satisfying way. Probably not brett-free,
if that matters to you. Double Curly. SY
(8/99)
'90
Côte-Rôtie Jasmin: The '90 Jasmin is absolutely "a point".
Medium-ruby color, starting to fade a bit on the rim.
In true Cote Blonde style, the bacon and allspice perfume is screamin'
LOUD, with a delicate violet counterpoint.
There's a certain green herby streak to it that I find very attractive,
a traditional sort of rustic aroma
and flavor, well-aligned with a poopy-diaper nuance ("It's not bad,
like smelling your own farts"). The overall
texture and flavor balance is terrific, all finesse, and lowish acidity.
There's a definite whiff of smoke on the
finish. Definitely not in the Power Rhône category, the Jasmin
is sweet seduction. If you got 'em, now's the time
to drink 'em. SY (3/99)
'90
Hermitage '90 J.L.
Chave: This was a magnificent wine from the get-go and has only
gotten better. It transcends descriptors, other than to say that THIS
is why one should drink Hermitage. Triple Curly, edging toward a Woo-woo-woo.
You can drink it now with great pleasure. SY (4/00)
1989
'89
Côte-Rôtie Jamet: This is the sons' bottling, not the
Joseph. OK, if brett repels you, skip to the next. The Jamet is not
super-bretty, but you can notice it manifesting itself in a leather
and hide sort of way, rather than the
fresh cowpies of a Beaucastel. We actually liked this, since it set
off the deep meaty aromas and the big crushed-raspberry
fruitiness. There's a lot of smokiness and only the merest hint of stems.
The flavors run wide and
deep, not afraid to billow about after swallowing. If you got 'em, they're
drinking great right now. SY
(5/99)
'89
Côte-Rôtie Rostaing "La Landonne": Kinda clumsy
and going nowhere fast. There's some bacon, there's some wood, but the
center is faded out. SY (4/01)
'89
Côte-Rôtie Guigal "La Landonne": It's a great
example of what Guigal can do in a year that gives him the right material.
Besides the toasty oaky-doaky, the Landonne has delicious black fruit
and bacon, well-integrated into the wood. Sometimes that happens, sometimes
not. In '89, it happened. The hallmark rich texture pumps the flavors
all the way down to the very back of the tongue. First-rate Landonne
power-wine. Nummers. SY (1/00)
'89
Hermitage
Bernard Chave: Bernie Chave makes very polarizing wines. If
you like stems, pesticide and grapefruit notes in your young syrahs,
then he's the guy for you. I happen to like them quite a bit. Needless
to say, I was surprised when none of those things were present in this
bottle. Mature syrah fruit with that marvelous floral quality and plenty
of poop flowed from the glass. Medium bodied in the mouth, if the wine
has a weakness, it is in the short finish. If you own it, drink it.
JD (3/99)
1988
'88
Côte-Rôtie Pierre Barge: Pierre Barge, now retired,
ran a nice little domaine just off the main drag in Ampuis.
His son, Gilles, is currently President of the grower's association.
Papa Pierre made a very traditionally styled
CR, and the '88 is very typical of his work in a good vintage. The family
holdings are scattered around the appellation,
with about a 50:50 Brune-Blonde mix. Minimal new oak, bien sur. The
'88 is perfectly mature now, no need
to hold further. Always a bit volatile, it remains medium-bodied and
elegant with more than a dash of the signature
CR bacon fat. It finishes nicely. A fine blast of the past, a disappearing
world in the Northern Rhône as new
oak, cold soaks, and full destemming metastasize through the younger
generation of producers. SY (4/99)
'88
Côte-Rôtie Michel Ogier: I can't be objective about
Michel Ogier, but I can say that the reactions around the
table of 8 tasters to the '88 CR ranged from "spectacular" to "the best
syrah I've ever had". It's probably a
few years away from hitting its stride, as indicated by the tannic bite
on the back-palate, but certainly following
its evolution from barrel through age 10 has been a fun task (as with
the '85 Jamet below, the importation
of this bottle was, ah, irregular). Like all of Michel's wines, the
'88 is brett-free, shows no obvious new
oak (the proportion of new oak was about 15%) and is remarkably true
to its terroir. Lots of perfume, medium
to full-bodied, sweet raspberry flavors, heavy on the bacon and smoked
ham. In fact, several on the other
end of the table (we were pretty buzzed by this point) broke into a
chorus of the Oscar Meyer jingle. Reference
level Côte-Rôtie. I grin about the memory of a prominent
wine critic's review at release which said that this wine was
very tasty but wouldn't age. This
ought to hold for at least another 20 years, so I guess it depends on
what one means by "age".
SY (4/99)
'88
Côte-Rôtie Guigal "La Mouline": This was a
great wine from release, one of the two or three best Moulines ever.
It's still massive, still poised, still luxuriant. But now, it's showing
more complex and integrated. It ought to hang on for some years yet,
but it's drinking perfectly right now. Superb wine, a definite Triple
Curly. SY (2/00)
'88
Côte-Rôtie Dervieux-Thaize "La Garde": I will
mince no words- the '88 Dervieux-Thaize "La Garde", from a vineyard
hard by the Côte Blonde patch that Guigal uses as his primary La Mouline
source, is a loser. Albert Dervieux's wines were always hit and miss;
this wine is a low swing at a high pitch. The nose is promising, very
gamy and high-toned, but the flavor... sour milk mixed with battery
acid. If you think this description is too harsh, let me assure you
that I'm being kind. This is about the seventh or eighth bottle in a
row that has shown this character. My rating: Curly nose, Joe Besser
flavor. SY (8/01)
'88
Côte-Rôtie Dervieux-Thaize "Viaillere": It's
big, it's deep, it's tannic, it's still pretty primary. Black fruit
and lots of funk. Fine, muscular wine with great typicity. SY (8/01)
'88
Cornas Voge Vieilles Vignes: This is the second bottle that
I've had in the past 6 months. Neither resembled the other. This most
recent example was shut down tight, a true cinderblock. Beyond that,
we could tell that the fruit was still very youthful and primary, the
tannins were in full force, clamping down everything else, and the oak
was very well-hidden. Not a trace of brett. Voge treads the line between
tradition and modernity with ease and grace. I've got hope for the '88,
despite that it isn't yet showing as well as the '90 or '91. SY
(2/99)
'88
Bandol Tempier "La Louffe": Yeah, this is the Tempier that you see
every day at Safeway. It's a cute baby that we killed. Brett, iodine
and linament, with blackberries lurking around the edges. The structure
is tank-like; give it another decade, at minimum. SY (4/00)
1986
'86 Juge Cornas:
Just a regular cuvee, to go by the label. Flowers and game, medium-bodied,
a ferret wearing a velvet vest, a full microbiological package. Perfectly
mature and not yet declining. I haven't had the '86 Cuvee SC in a few
years, but given how good the "regular" is, the SC must be
awesome about now. Double Curly. SY (9/01)
1985
'85
Côte-Rôtie Jamet: For the most muscle in the appellation,
one heads up to Le Vallin where the Jamets live. For
me, it's a tough call as to who did better in '85, the Jamets or Gentaz.
Many wines from '85 have such low acid
levels combined with high extract that they come off as corpulent rather
than opulent. No problem here;
the Jamet is massive and well-structured, backing up the mouthcoatingly
high extract with a lively
texture. Want perfume? You got perfume! Raspberries, leather, and violets
are the dominant smells,
with a nice smoky spice to remind you where the grapes came from. For
a Jamet, it has surprisingly
low brett levels. This bottle, gray-market and bought on release, is
just starting to hit its prime drinking
years. World-class, the stuff from which Triple Curlys are made. SY
(4/99)
'85
Côte-Rôtie Pierre Barge: Really fine, traditionally
made Côte-Rôtie, perfectly mature. It's funky, it's floral,
it's pig and truffles. It's a Double Curly, edging toward Triple. SY
(4/01)
'85
Côte-Rôtie Dervieux-Thaize "Fontgent": A fine
indication of what old Albert could do in a good year. It's a sleek
middle-aged lady, a burning musk incense stick in her hands. Less intensely
fruity than most '85s, the deal here is transparent Côte Brune terroir
and a nice balance of flavor from the front all the way through the
fine finish. Easily a Curly, but lacks the oomph to get that second
Stooge. SY (8/01)
'85
Côte-Rôtie Dervieux-Thaize "La Garde": Like
the '88, the nose is high-toned and gamy. Unlike the '88, it actually
tastes good, smooth and soft. Fully mature, maybe a couple of years
over the peak, but eminently drinkable and complex. Larry Curly. SY
(8/01)
'85
Côte-Rôtie Dervieux-Thaize "La Viaillere":
Surprisingly sleek and feminine. Extravagent black fruits and spices
on the nose, long and focused flavors. Probably my favorite of the three
vineyards. Double Curly. SY (8/01)
'85
Hermitage Jaboulet "La Chapelle": The nose sports a distinct
herbal quality, which reminded me strongly of the smell from Faurie's
Meal bottlings. Not at all unpleasant, but certainly more of that greenish
scent than is the norm here. Maybe it's the vineyard, maybe it's the
stems. There's some weight developing, but 1985 was definitely a during
a style stage for Jaboulet which had less emphasis on sheer avoirdupois.
Hitting the beginning of its maturity. Moe Curly, with Double Curly
potential. SY (8/01)
'85
Hermitage Faurie: There's the Meal herbiness again, setting off
the blueberry compote flavors. Very distinctive and pleasant! Silky
and elegant, with a surprisingly good acidity for the vintage. Maybe
the best '85 Hermitage I've had so far. SY (9/01)
'85
Chateauneuf du Pape Pegau "Laurence": Not a bit of subtlety here,
just screamin' fruitcake and garam masala. Big, full-bore, not even
close to ready. SY (4/00)
1983
'83 Côte-Rôtie Guigal
"La Landonne": Not a super-complex wine, but a deep, massive,
richly textured, and finely balanced wine. A pronounced meatiness is
starting to emerge. Hitting maturity, but will probably hang on for
years. SY (1/00)
'83
Côte-Rôtie Guigal "Brune et Blonde": I don't
know how many bottlings of this there are, but I've had wildly varying
experience. The best bottle was one we just had a "Chapon Wine
Merchants" importer label. And it was truly fine, with an intense
fruit core and lots of C-R funk. At its peak. The worst have been from
a batch with a "Grape Expectations" tag; shrill acidity, horrible
sour-milk aftertaste, over-the-hill faded fruit. SY (4/01)
'83
Côte-Rôtie Gentaz-Dervieux "Côte Brune":
Still pretty hard and tannic, the Gentaz is a heavyweight with great
impact. Animally, dark fruits, and hickory smoke make an appealing package.
Great structure and length, a classy wine. SY (9/00)
'83
Côte-Rôtie Jamet:
A lot of bottle-to-bottle variation. The best ones are fruit-drench
bacon, classic Jamet. The worst are unbelievably poopy. We still like
'em, but they'll be controversial. (8/00)
'83
Côte-Rôtie Ogier: One
of the most rich and powerful wines Michel Ogier ever made; the fruit
was sourced from his Côte Rozier vineyard holding, with his other
fruit sold off to Guigal. At this point, it's begun to show maturity,
but the Ogier is structured for a long lifetime. Strongly marked by
Rozier licorice. Complex and detailed, perfect balance. Among the two
or three greatest wines to ever cross my lips. (1/99)
1982
'82
Côte-Rôtie Gentaz-Dervieux "Côte Brune":
Stunningly youthful core of fruit, with typical Côte-Rôtie
smoky bacon leading the pack. Full-bodied and oh-so-expressive. SY (8/00)
'82
Côte-Rôtie Rostaing "La Landonne": It's dead,
Jim. SY (11/00)
1979
'79
Côte-Rôtie Gentaz-Dervieux "Côte Brune":
Oh, how I miss this man! And oh! how I regret that his holdings ended
up with Rostaing- it's like the entire Clos de la Roche vineyard being
handed over to Dominique Laurent. Marius Gentaz represented all that
was great about the "old-style" Rhône reds. The wines were just
packed with interesting and complex flavors, aged superbly, and had
a consistency and harmony that most others could only envy. Gentaz's
Côte-Rôties have a hallmark licorice bite, a waft of violets,
and a deep core of smoke and leather. There's certainly a hint of the
bretty rusticity that puts off those accustomed to modern, streamlined,
tucked-in winemaking, a coarse gravelly tone to the rich black fruit.
But there's so much else going on that it would be churlish to count
that a defect. The '79 has his a perfect maturity level, though in no
danger of dropping off. It's a bit lighter (but only a bit) than the
'78, but has an intensity of flavor and aroma to match anything. Awesome
wine; Gentaz made the wine of the vintage 4 years out of 5, and this
is no exception. SY (2/99)
'79
Côte-Rôtie Guigal "La Mouline":
Another star of this underrated vintage. It's on the cusp as far as
maturity; well-stored examples (mine came out of a cellar in Scotland)
are still rich and fruit-packed. I've had a few bottles of more normal
provenance that have shown more dried up and medicinal. When "on,"
it's a beautiful thing. SY (5/00)
'79
Chateauneuf du Pape Pegau: From a greatly under-rated vintage, the
'79 Pegau is a mature CNdP which could still NEVER be considered "refined".
So screw "refined" and suck this down. The fruitcake has some dark rum
notes, the sweetness is outstanding now that the rasping tannins have
receded. Superb juice. SY (4/00)
1978
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Beaucastel: A full enema's worth of shit. Really,
really poopy. But damned good, and even better after a couple of hours
when the fruitcake took over the bathroom. Rich and rewarding, ready
and willing. SY (4/00)
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pignan: Winner of the thick and syrupy award.
Just enormous. But good enormous, like that blonde on "Third Rock."
Also winner of the Thunderbird Award. Stunningly good wine. SY (4/00)
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Clef d'Or: This had the misfortune to be served
alongside the Pignan and Beaucastel. But for those of us who know, it's
as elegant as Chateauneuf-du-Pape can get; great balance with an herbal/olive
complexity. SY (4/00)
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Chanson St-Vincent: Decayed AND corked. A veritable
swamp of a wine. SY (4/00)
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape deVallouit: Really, these guys should stick
to Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage. Maderized, shot to hell. SY
(4/00)
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Beaurenard: Nothing great, nothing bad. The
fact that it's still alive is a miracle. SY (4/00)
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Berard "Cuvee Prestige": I'd hate to think what
the non-prestige tastes like. Intense, overpowering aroma of kasha.
Truly weird. I need to find out what micro-organism gives that smell.
SY (4/00)
'78
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Grand Tinel: Lifesucking tannins, raisiny overripeness.
I was not thrilled. SY (4/00)
1975
'75
Bandol Tempier "Cuvee Special": Very sweet, still as tannic as a
young one, the fruit has matured to an interesting linament/bandage
quality. Very broad and intense flavor. Mature but not showing incipient
menopause. SY (4/00)
1971
'71
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Mont-Redon: Very interesting. Lavender-infused
fruitcake with just a touch of tar. Very nice, not profound. SY (4/00)
1970
'70
Hermitage Jaboulet "La Chapelle": How does one describe
perfection? Possibly (no, probably) the finest mature Hermitage I've
ever tasted. Still fruit-packed, the tannins have gone bye-bye, and
all the secondary leather and smoke you'd want demonstrate why one doesn't
want to kill babies (my normal practice). SY (4/00)
1967
'67
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Jaboulet "Les Cedres": Awesome. Dark, youthful,
rich and vibrant. THIS is what aged Chateauneuf is all about. Triple
Curly. SY (4/00)
1966
'66
Chateauneuf-du-Pape la Gardine: On its way down that senility slope,
but doing it sweetly and gently. The '70 we had last year seemed more
than 4 years younger. But what a nice reminder of Frank Robinson's MVP
and Triple Crown season! SY (4/00)
1964
'64
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Mas St-Louis: Very dark and spicy with an interesting
cooked-fruit character and thick texture. Nice length. After 20 minutes,
it started to fall apart, but it was a nice ride getting there. SY
(4/00)
1962
'62
Côte-Rôtie Jaboulet "Les Jumelles": Back in
the day before the explosion of independent grower/bottlers, negociants
like Jaboulet had access to some awesome fruit. The '62 Jumelles is
absolutely perfectly balanced, spherical. Its intense fruity core shows
no signs of drying up. A nuanced finish completes the package- great,
great wine. SY (6/00)
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