After a brief trip through the region last October, I was thrilled to come back and taste through as many 2005’s as possible. The original plan was to fly over in the fall of this year but a really sweet deal on air fair had me changing the plan and coming over early with my sister (who at first stated she wouldn’t spit but after the first tasting at 8:30, quickly changed her mind). I should have thought this through more though because a number of Domains had either not bottled or just bottle the 05’s and were reluctant to let people taste them. We spent a total of 4 nights and 3 days in the region and stayed at Maria Gadinger’s B&B in downtown chateauneuf and I can’t say enough good things about the location, house and or Maria and Andreas. We’ve stayed at a lot of B&B’s and this was easily one of our best experiences. The B&B information is available via the Pegau website and if the goal is tasting through as many domaines as possible, I don’t know why you would stay anywhere else. We spent the days either driving east through provence or visiting properties and the nights at a new restaurant. We dined at Mere Germaine, Le Grand Pre, La Beaugravie, and Les Abeilles and just had an outstanding time with each place being almost drastically different but great in their own way.

Domaine du Pegau

We had an early visit with Laurence and tasted through a number of 2005 and 2006 barrels. Always a nice visit and Laurence is amazingly down to earth, practical and a joy to speak with. I was surprised how different the 2005 from the large, newer cask tasked and it wasn’t near as lush as I remember in October. The 2005 from the smaller barrels was stunning, pure and powerful and had that awesome Pegau spice note. The 2006 grenache was surprisingly fruity and straight forward where as the 2006 syrah was dark and rich with more spice. As a side comment and after tasting from multiple barrels, it’s interesting in that I think that what a lot of people call the Pegau terroir could actually be barrel specific as opposed to site specific. Certain barrels tasted like Pegau while others didn’t… in a matter of speaking anyways.

• 2006 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Very nice with ripe, juicy fruit on the nose. The palate is medium bodied with noticeable tangy acidity, nice texture and a clean, refreshing finish. (89 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/29/2007)
  Tasted at the cave next to the B&B in chateauneuf. Every time I try this wine I like it more and more. Just shows beautiful, spice laden fruit. Raspberry, spice, earth and licorice with subtle leather and cedar notes. Full bodied, deep, rich and long. (95 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Tasted at the domaine with Laurance. Stunning again. (95 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Grenache from small barrel - This was surprisingly soft, fruity and forward showing medium cherry fruit and spice notes on the nose with a medium bodied palate and noticeable acidity. Very young tasting. (90 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Syrah from small barrel. Very nice with dark, rich fruit and the gorgeous pegau spice notes. Full bodied, powerful and long. (94 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  From large, 4 year old foudre - More open and not quite as lush as I remember from the last tasting in October. Very rich fruit, subtle spice and noticeable oak. The palate is medium to full bodied and nicely textured. This sample shows more oak on the nice finish. (94 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  From the 40+ (or was it 80?) year old foudre. Now we’re talking and I just loved this sample. Very dark and un-evolved with rich, decadent fruit. Full bodied and powerful with the Pegau spice notes that I love. The final blend will be a combination of the wine from the older barrels and the newer large cask. (96 pts.)

Domaine de la Vieille Julienne

Wow, what an estate and while I don’t have much experience with these wines, I absolutely love what I’ve had and the 2005s are stunning. We had the 2001 Vieille Julienne at dinner the previous night and while delicious, it might be in a slightly closed state. The 2005s tasted at the domaine are mind blowing with the 2005 Vieille Julienne Reserve being my wine of the trip and year so far. It’s simply a massive wine that is built from the back forward with the perfect amount of everything. Too bad I can’t afford this because it’s stuck in my head.

• 2005 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/30/2007)
  Wow, this isn’t your average Cote-du-Rhone and boasts a spectacular purple and completely opaque color. Awesome rich and concentrated black cherry fruit is backed up by subtle earth and spice notes. The palate is medium to full bodied, structured and tannic with superb texture and length. (91 pts.)
• 1996 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Very subtle and aromatic with sweet cherry fruit, spice, leather and earth notes. The palate is medium bodied, slightly weak in the middle but with a silky, smooth texture and an enjoyable finish. (88 pts.)
• 2001 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/29/2007)
  Boasts a deep red/amber color and a slightly reticent nose of black cherry, fig and spice notes. With air, licorice, dusty earth, roasted herb and white chocolate notes show up and this continued to improve over the evening. The palate is medium to full bodied with superb texture and a smooth, medium to long finish. (91 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  I’m certainly a fan of this bottle. The nose is tight but amazingly clean and precise with rich, dark fruit, licorice, blood and earth notes. While the nose is tight and backwards, the palate is simply stunning. Full bodied, concentrated and powerful with a killer texture, amazing length and some serious structure. I love it. (95 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Easily the wine of the trip and is one of the most impressive, massive and concentrated chateauneufs I’ve ever had and is so damn good it’s hard to stop thinking about it. Stunning, massive and concentrated with a backwards but knockout nose of black cherry, graphite and earth. Full bodied, amazingly powerful but also pure and precise. This wine is loaded from the front all the way to the back with amazing fruit, balance and structure. Transferring this note from my notebook into the computer has my mouth watering. (98 pts.)

Domaine Gerard Charvin

The charvin wines almost mirror the personality of the wine maker as Laurent is very soft spoken and charming. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to taste the 2005s and he was all sold out of the 2004s. Otherwise, I would have come home with more than a couple bottles. Beautiful, elegant wines.

• 2005 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rosé - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/30/2007)
  Silky smooth with juicy strawberry fruit, great balance and a nice finish. (87 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône (Le Poutet) - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/30/2007)
  Beautiful, silky stuff with nice cherry fruit, a medium bodied, nicely texture palate and a medium length finish. (87 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  A sublime, clean and pure nose with cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate really shines and is elegant, perfectly balanced and has a drop dead gorgeous texture. Silky, smooth and almost seamless. Despite the seemingly easy going feel, this wine shows considerable structure and tannin on the long finish. 91/92. (91 pts.)

Roger Sabon

We stopped here on the first day of the trip before the Pegau visit and were greeted by Jean-Jacque Sabon. I’ve not seen these wines in the US but think they’re outstanding with ripe fruit and plenty of southern rhone typicity.

• 2005 Roger Sabon Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/30/2007)
  Nice in a simple, straight forward fruity style. (86 pts.)
• 2005 Roger Sabon Lirac - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac (4/30/2007)
  Really nice with dark cherry, earth and almost a slight chocolate note. Smooth, rich and enjoyable. (87 pts.)
• 2004 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Olivets - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  An easy drinking, straightforward wine with medium concentration and body. (86 pts.)
• 2004 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Certainly a noticeable step up from the olivet with nice structure, texture and depth. (91 pts.)
• 2004 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Excellent and my favorite 04 from Sabon. Beautifully textured, rich and long. (93 pts.)
• 2003 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Ripe with a mouth filling, smooth texture and nicely balanced. This shows the slightly roasted character on the vintage but it’s subtle and not distracting. The finish is long and tannic. (92 pts.)

Domaine de Cristia

We spent close to two hours going through these wines with Dominique and just had an outstanding time. These wines all have this soft, lush and almost opulent texture going for them but they also lack that precise edge that you get with say the Vieille Julienne or Janasse VV. Still, they’re massive, hedonistic wines and I love them. The Renaissance definitely comes across as slightly more structured and dense where as the Vieille Vignes is an open, lush, slutty wine. Both are massively concentrated with stunning aromatics. The 2004 Renaissance is a super star as well and without a doubt the lushest 04 I’ve tasted.

• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/30/2007)
  Very soft and easy going but firms up slightly on the finish and shows some structure. (86 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Côtes du Rhône Villages - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages (4/30/2007)
  This is really nice and shows the most depth and structure of the Cristia Cotes du Rhones. (87 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  This shows rich black cherry with mineral, meat and a little funk. Medium to full bodied with great concentration, a soft, silky texture and fine grained, velvety tannins on the finish. Excellent. (91 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Slightly more structured and tight than the 04 with black cherry and raspberry fruit notes but also this interesting hot stone/mineral trait. The palate is medium to full bodied, concentrationed and almost opulent with a soft, mouth filling texture and fine grained tannins on the long finish. (92 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Wow, this is a massive, concentrated wine with an inky black/purple color and a stunning nose of black fruit, graphite, licorice and floral aromas. Full bodied and powerful with rich, lush fruit, awesome texture and a tannic, long finish. While the nose has some similarities to the 2005 Vieilli Julienne Reserve with the massive concentration and graphite notes, the palates couldn’t be different. Where the Julienne is very structure and precise, this wine is lush and open and pure sex. (96 pts.)
• 2000 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  This baby boast a big, almost funky nose of ripe fruit, leather, earth, mushroom and animal notes. The palate is medium to full bodied with a lush, smooth texture, great depth and a long finish. (92 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Slightly more closed than the VV but also more structured. This boasts a jet black/purple color as well as some extremely rich, dark fruit notes on the nose. Black currant, blackberry, graphite, earth and licorice jump from the glass with some smoky notes coming through with air. The palate is full bodied, powerful, extremely concentrated and rich with a stunning, soft texture and a long finish. (96 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Gorgeous stuff. The nose started out slight different from the 2005 with some dark, charred earth and chocolate notes but with air, this was very similar to the 2005. The nose is big and perfumed with cassis, blackberry, charcoal, graphite and licorice all showing up. The palate is gorgeous and definitely more integrated than the 05 at this point. Lush, rich and seamless with massive body (the fullest bodied 2004 I’ve tasted) and a long finish. (95 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau (4/30/2007)
  Dark and earthy with a solid mineral streak backed up by black cherry, spice and pepper notes. The palate is medium bodied and balanced with clean fruit and some nice length. (86 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Lirac - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac (4/30/2007)
  Balanced with nice fruit. (86 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  This is delicious and avoids being heavy and or clunky with a simple, easy drinking style. (85 pts.)

Domaine de la Janasse

Wow, what a powerhouse of a lineup and I never realized the depth of the Cote-du-Rhône’s from this producer. I was particularly fond of the Terre d’Argile but the Garrigues is also killer. The 2005s from this producer rock. Their traditional cuvee was one of the best I tasted during the entire trip. The Chaupin was surprisingly backwards (completely different from both the 2003 and 2004) but still pure, powerful and textured. The VV is just a notch below the Vieille Julienne Reserve and yet a mere 1/5 the price.

• 2006 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/30/2007)
  This shows nice black cherry, strawberry and mineral notes in a medium bodied, crisp, straight forward style. (86 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Janasse Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange Terre de Bussière - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange (4/30/2007)
  Fairly soft and easy drinking but delicious. (87 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Terre d’Argile - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages (4/30/2007)
  Wow, impressive, complex and interesting stuff. Dark fruit, licorice, meat and graphite notes jump from the glass and with air, some wax and smoke notes come through. The palate is medium bodied and balanced with a medium length finish. (90 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Les Garrigues - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/30/2007)
  Another impressive CdR. This shows very nice cherry, raspberry and strawberry fruit in a balanced, silky style. This firms up on the finish and shows nice length and structure. (89 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Just stunning stuff that is clean, pure and precise. The nose is big and perfumed with dark fruit, raspberry, spice, earth and licorice notes. The palate really shines on the this wine and is medium to full bodied with a gorgeous texture, rich fruit and a very long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Almost always one of my favorite wines in any vintage and the 05 is no exception. Surprisingly, this wine is slightly closed and compact but even so, everything is perfectly balanced and the wine is simply silky, full and smooth. With some coaxing, beautiful raspberry, kirsch, earth and an almost meaty character show up on the nose. The palate is medium to full bodied, compact but with perfect balance and a very long finish. I love it. (95 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Wow, simply amazing, massive and concentrated juice. Just a stunningly rich and dark nose of black currant, black cherry, earth, licorice and graphite. With air this picks up some tar and hot asphalt notes. The palate is full bodied, precise and powerful with perfect balance, massive structure, a gorgeous texture and a very long finish. (97 pts.)

Domaine de Beaurenard

I’ve had these wines a handful of times here in the states and have always like them. The traditional cuvee’s are always middle of the road where as the Cuvee Boisrenard are almost atypical and don’t seem like a chateauneuf until they’ve got some age.. Come to think of it, I haven’t had one that has mellowed out completely but who cares since they’re friggin awesome the way they are. The Boisrenard Blanc is stunning stuff and along with the Beaucastel VV, Cuvee du Vatican Reserve Sixtine, Boisrenard and Mordoree Lirac Blanc, one of my favorite whites from the region.

• 2004 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Nice and fairly straight forward with crisp, clean fruit and a medium bodied palate. (89 pts.)
• 2003 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Very fruity, ripe and full with a soft texture and a medium to full bodied palate. (90 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Very nice and a substantial step up from the traditional cuvee. This shows very rich dark fruit notes with earth, wood and subtle vanilla notes. Full bodied, powerful and well structure with a long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2003 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau Les Argiles Bleu - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau (4/30/2007)
  Wow, great stuff. The nose is unique with rich dark fruit, licorice, tobacco and graphite notes. The palate is medium bodied, rich with nice balance and a nice finish where it shows some medium tannins. (90 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Boisrenard - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Outstanding stuff and I thought a lot of this wine. It’s rich, complex and balanced and while it does show a fair amount of wood, it’s integrated just enough. Complex, rich and medium to full bodied, this almost has a white burg feel to it. (92 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/30/2007)
  Very floral and honeyed with clean tropical fruit notes on the nose. The palate is medium bodied, slightly weak in the middle but balanced with some nice freshness. (87 pts.)

Domaine de la Mordoree

The only drawback about visiting this estate is that you have to somehow get through the maze of a town Roqumaure… And going back isn’t any easier since it’s a completely different route. Still worth it though and all of the wines poured here are stellar. All of the 2005 reds from here are surprisingly structured and tannic with the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reine des Bois taking the cake. After tasting this at the Domaine, I cracked another bottle as soon as I got home just to double check what I thought of it. I’m not sure it has the backend structure of the 2005 Vieille Julienne Reserve or the 2005 Janasse VV but the wines are so different it’s hard to compare. I’ve tasted all of the RdBs from 2000 on and they all come across as pure and powerful, but the 2005 is so dang backwards, it’s tough to figure out. As a side note, other than the smoky notes, I didn’t get any obvious oak notes on this wine. The Lirac is exceptional as well and similarly structure to the CdP but more accessible.

• 2006 Domaine de la Mordorée Vin de Pays du Gard Re:Naissance - France, Rhône, Vin de Pays du Gard (5/1/2007)
  A big, full bodied rose with fresh strawberry and cherry fruit. The fruit is ripe and almost sweet but this finishes dry. (87 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel Rosé La Dame Rousse - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel (5/1/2007)
  Very clean, pure and balanced. This doesn’t have the sweetness of the renaissance but is completely dry, has great texture and a long finish. (90 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine de la Mordorée Vin de Pays du Gard Re:Naissance - France, Rhône, Vin de Pays du Gard (5/1/2007)
  Inky black color with a ripe, heady nose of dark jammy blackberry and plum fruit. Full bodied with a soft texture, concentrated fruit and noticable tannins on the finish. (87 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac Blanc Cuvée de la Reine des Bois - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac (5/1/2007)
  Excellent with lots of peach and honeysuckle fruit. Medium to full bodied, balanced, clean and simply delicious. This has a great mouthfeel and a long finish. (91 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac Cuvée de la Reine des Bois - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac (5/1/2007)
  Wow, absolutely stunning stuff. Gobs of rich dark fruit, charred earth and tobacco notes on the not so shy nose. With air, this picks up lovely mineral notes. The palate is medium to full bodied, balanced with noticeable acidity and some fairly hefty tannin levels on the long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/1/2007)
  Very very tight and backwards. The nose is clamped down tight but with air, dark rich fruit, cassis, earth, smoke and subtle dark chocolate notes show up. The palate is pure, powerful, balanced and full bodied but so compact it’s hard to figure out. The finish is really long and jam packed with massive levels of fine grained tannins. (95 pts.)

Clos Saint Jean

Wow, who the hell imports these wines and where can I get some? We had an outstanding visit with Vincent and while we weren’t able to taste the Deus-Ex-Machina, I was sufficiently blown away by the La Combe des Fous. Both of the traditional Chateaneuf-du-Papes showed similar profiles with lots of spice. The Combe des Fous 2003 and 2005 were also relatively similar with rich, amazing fruit and killer palates. Just loved both of these wines. For some unknown reason, we were told that the importer recommended that Vincent not sell any wines at the Domaine and that we had to get the wines in the states?? I don’t know if he just didn’t want to sell to use or what but what a disappointment. As a side note, this Domaine is implementing a laser etching onto the bottles to help control fraudulent bottles.

• 2005 Clos Saint Jean Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Les Calades - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse (5/2/2007)
  75% Grenache, 15% Syrah - Fruity and simple.
• 2004 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Excellent with black cherry, herb and spice notes. Medium bodied, smooth with great balance and a medium length finish. (90 pts.)
• 2003 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Beautiful stuff with a big nose of licorice infused black cherries. Medium to full bodied and balanced with a nice finish. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Combe des Fous - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Just killer stuff and slightly more ripe and soft than the 2005. The nose shows ripe dark fruit and the palate is full bodied, powerful and balanced but there is also some serious structure and gobs on tannins on the long finish. (94 pts.)
• 2005 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Combe des Fous - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Tasted from tank. Final blend. Wow! Deep, rich and absolutely stunning with massive rich fruit, awesome balance, a beautiful full texture and a very long finish where is shows integrated, silky tannins. (96 pts.)
• 2005 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  This comes across as slightly simple and lacking in concentration but it still has lots of ripe fruit, is balanced and avoids being heady and clunky. (85 pts.)

Clos des Papes

The 2005 Clos des Papes is the real deal and easily the silkiest textured and balanced wine I tasted. Simply beautiful, clean stuff and I completely understand the reference to burgundy with these wines. The comparison between the 2005 and 2000 was interesting with the 2005 seemingly more concentrated with a fuller mouthfeel. My sister LOVED the Petit Vin D’Avril and while it’s not complex, it shares the same palate texture as the chateauneuf so what ever these folks are doing in the cellar, it’s working.

• 2005 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Just an amazing wine and easily the most balanced and beautifully textured wine of the trip. Elegant and perfectly balanced with cherry, raspberry and spice notes on the nose. Full bodied with an unbelievable texture that is mouth filling, silky and seamless. Really amazing stuff and this builds in the mouth and has a killer, long finish with high, but sweet and finely textured tannins. (97 pts.)
• 2000 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Not as concentrated as the 2005 and shows a stunning nose of black cherry, raspberry, minerals and spice. Medium to full bodied with the standard clos des papes silky, elegant texture and long finish. (94 pts.)
• N.V. Paul Avril Le Petit Vin d’Avril - France, Rhône (5/2/2007)
  Delicious, quaffable stuff that has the tell tale clos des papes silky, seamless texture. This was good enough to warrant carting 4 bottles across the Atlantic. (86 pts.)

Domaine Pierre Usseglio

I had placed an order with Sandrine via the internet and didn’t realize that to get their upper cuvees, you had to also purchase the full allotment of the traditional. This normally wouldn’t be a problem except I had already ordered a case of the traditional via PremierCru and I was out of luggage room for any additional bottles. As opposed to arguing, I opted to plead and beg and it worked (marginally) as I was still able to get a couple bottles of both of their upper cuvees. Either way, the traditional cuvee from these folks is awesome and now I just need an excuse to try the other cuvees.

• 2006 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  This shows ripe fruit, lively acidity and a plump, medium bodied, nicely textured palate. (86 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Vin de Table Français - France, Vin de Table Français (5/2/2007)
  Shows fresh cherry fruit with subtle earth and mineral notes. The palate is medium bodied with decent texture and fruit. (83 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  A nice wine with cherry, spice, leather and subtle garrigue notes on the nose. Medium bodied and nicely textured. (87 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Excellent with ripe grenache fruit, licorice, spice and herb notes on the nose. The palate is medium bodied, balanced and fresh with subtle tannins on the long finish. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Definitely more lush and heady than the 2005 with beautiful fruit and spice notes on the nose. The palate is medium to full bodied with a great soft texture and a long finish. (92 pts.)

Domaine des Peres de L’Eglise

I heard about this producer from a Wine Spectator article and was glad I visited. The grapes are partially destemmed and aged completely in large foudres. Extremely friendly people and a very tradition, beautiful wine.

• 2004 Domaine des Pères de L’Église Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Calice de Saint-Pierre - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Excellent stuff and this grew on me over the course of the tasting. The nose displays lots of typical grenache notes with dark cherry laced fruit, licorice, spice and garrique notes but with air, it picks up lovely tobacco and a meaty note. Medium bodied and while not a blockbuster, it displays great balance, a silky texture and a long finish. If this puts on a little more weight, it could easily be outstanding. (89 pts.)

Cuvee du Vatican

We did this tasting with Karin and what a time. She’s completely open, honest and a joy to talk with about wine, not to mention hilarious and entertaining. They are truly focused on improving the quality of their wines and it shows. Everything we tasted was clean with great fruit and balance. All of these wines are completely destemmed and they use large foudres, wooden vats or barrique for aging depending on the wine. The Cuvee du Vatican Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Reserve sees malo in oak and is stunning stuff. They had just bottled their 2005 Cuvee du Vatican Reserve Sixtine so unfortunately, we weren’t able to taste it.

• 2005 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Lively and aromatic with fresh peach and pineapple notes as well as medium body, decent balance and a nice finish. (87 pts.)
• 2005 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Reserve - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Tasting more like a high end white burg than a rhone blanc, this is rich and complex with stunning ripe fruit, mineral and wood notes. Medium bodied and balanced, this shows a beautiful, seamless texture and a long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  This wine shows beautiful raspberry and cherry fruit that’s backed up by subtle oak, wax and raw meat notes. It’s full bodied, balanced and rich with a killer silky texture and a tannic, long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2005 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Black cherry, mineral, herb and licorice jump from the glass of this beauty and it is clean, pure and precise. Medium bodied with a silky texture as well as medium tannin and a long finish. (91 pts.)

Chateau La Nerthe

This chateau is strikingly beautiful and has a stunning cellar with the oldest concrete vat in all of France. They also use a high percentage of new oak with all barrels being replaced after 3 years. You’d think you were in Bordeaux or Napa while walking through these cellars.

• 2005 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Lively acidity with ripe fruit and spice notes. Medium bodied, clean and balanced. (87 pts.)
• 2004 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Lower acidity than the 2005 and not quite as fresh. Still shows nice balance, texture and length. (86 pts.)
• 2002 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Wow, impressive stuff. This boast a big, perfumed nose of tropical fruits and spice notes with a full bodied, rich and round palate. The grapes for this wine were harvested before the rains. (92 pts.)
• 2004 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  56% Grenache, 24% syrah, 12% Mourvedre - 43% in oak barrels, 57% in tank - Black cherry and earth notes compose the bulk of the nose where as the palate is medium bodied, smooth and balanced.
• 2003 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Very ripe and soft. (89 pts.)
• 2003 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Cadettes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Beautiful stuff that is rich, smooth and balanced. This does show subtle new oak notes but there’s more than enough fruit for it to integrate. Full bodied, balanced and very long. (93 pts.)

Domaine de la Charbonniere

I had never heard of this Domaine but it was recommended by Dominique at Cristia so on the last day while flying around (just gotta love those curvy roads) looking for places to taste we did a quick stop. One of the daughters (I can’t for the life of me remember her name) poured the wines and spoke perfect English. They were leaving the following morning to attend the Hospice du Rhone in Paso Robles and we were lucky enough to taste their 2005s which were spectacular. Ha, I was completely surprised how good these wines were and have no clue why I hadn’t heard of them before. All 3 cuvees had amazing, ripe, lush fruit but it was also backed up by massive structure, depth and length.

• 2005 Domaine de la Charbonnière Vacqueyras - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras (5/2/2007)
  Beautiful with rich, ripe dark fruit, earth and herb notes. The fruit is very ripe and borders on being sweet but stops short of being over the top. The palate is full bodied, gorgeously textured and long. A real surprise and a wow wine. (91 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  This killer juice boasts a big, perfumed nose of cherry, minerals, floral and pepper notes. Simply stunning. Medim to full bodied with rich fruit, a mouthfilling lush texture, plenty of structure and a long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale Les Hautes Brusquières - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Another stunning wine that shows ripe, rich fruit, a full bodied, stunningly textured palate and a long finish. This has a fairly high percentage of syrah (40%) and shows slightly more dark fruit and spice notes the the V.V. (93 pts.)

Le Clos du Caillou

Another estate that has a killer Cotes du Rhone lineup. Sylvie poured the wines and I tried to get as much info as possible with my pathetic French skills. A great place to visit and based off their 2005 Cotes du Rhones, I can’t wait to try some of their Chateauneufs.

• 2005 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  Very fruity and forward with bright cherry, raspberry and strawberry notes. Medium bodied, yount and balanced with sweet fruit and a nice finish. Delicious. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Bouquet des Garrigues - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  A wow wine with bright floral and raspberry notes on the nose. Medium bodied with superb structure, great balance, a smooth texture and a long finish with fine grained tannins. (90 pts.)
• 2004 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Les Quartz - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  Lots of grenache typicity with ripe red fruits, minerals, spice and herb notes. Nicely textured but lacking slightly in concentration, it well balanced, medium bodied and shows medium tannins on the finish. (87 pts.)
• 2004 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Reserve - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  Lots of spice, leather, cherry and earthy notes on the nose. The palate is medium to full bodied with sweet fruit, subtle tannins and a nice finish. (88 pts.)
• 2003 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Excellent with bright raspberry and clean fruit notes and this is surprisingly fresh without any roasted notes. The palate if full bodied, soft and nicely textured and shows substantial tannins on the finish. (90 pts.)
• 2004 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Beautiful stuff with a smoky, black cherry, raspberry, earth and mineral laden nose. Very young seeming with a medium bodied palate, clean fruit, great texture and medium tannins on the nice finish. (92 pts.)

Chateau Cabrieres

Surprisingly, I was asked if I was just there to taste the wines and when I said yes, was told I could only taste 1 or 2 wines and almost felt like they were going to kick me out. And while I had heard about all of these estates that made horrible wine in 2003, I had really never tasted any. Sure, some certainly show a roasted profile but this 2003 standard cuvee was the first wine that perfectly matched all of the descriptions of bad wines from the vintage. Maybe it was a bad bottle, I don’t know. The 2001 traditional was nice and the 2000 Cuvee Prestige was excellent.

• 2003 Château Cabrières Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Shows a light red, transparent color along with completely roasted fruit notes on the nose. The palate is harsh with bitter, astringent tannins. (60 pts.)
• 2001 Château Cabrières Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Much better than the 2003 (which was either a bad bottle or shouldn’t have been bottled), this shows rich cherry, resin, earth and spice notes. It’s medium bodied and balanced with subtle tannins and a medium finish. (85 pts.)
• 2000 Château Cabrières Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige Tête de Cru - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  Beautiful cherry fruit is backed up by lots of earth and spice notes. Medium bodied, smooth and balanced. (89 pts.)

Chateau Mont-Redon

This is the Mondavi of the Southern Rhone valley and has a beautiful, very commercial tasting setup. They’re extremely friendly with a huge lineup of wines to taste.

• 2006 Château Mont-Redon Côtes du Rhône Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  Pretty with floral and citrus notes, lively acidity, medium body and a short finish. (84 pts.)
• 2004 Château Mont-Redon Côtes du Rhône Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  Medium intensity nose with rich nutty fruit and a medium to light bodied palate.
• 2006 Château Mont-Redon Lirac Rosé - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac (5/2/2007)
  Nice with fresh strawberry and cherry fruit, medium body, tangy acidity and a dry finish. (85 pts.)
• 2005 Château Mont-Redon Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (5/2/2007)
  This shows bright cherry and strawberry fruit with a soft texture and a short finish.
• 2001 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  This has an interesting, evolved nose of red fruits, leather, cedar and spice notes. With air tar and earth notes show up. Medium bodied and balanced with a medium length finish. Fairly evolved for the vintage and drinking really well. (88 pts.)
• 2003 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (5/2/2007)
  A nice, perfumed nose of dark fruit and spice leads into a soft, lush, medium bodied palate with subtle tannins. Fresh and almost fruity with a nice finish. (87 pts.)

All in all, one outstanding trip. I didn’t get to taste quite as many 2005s as I had hoped but still enough to at least have an opinion.

As far as vintages go, my thoughts are:

2005: I think these wines are consistently excellent with pure, clean fruit, great balance and a tannic backbone. These wines are not as ripe as the 2003s and almost have a backwards personality but they still have beautiful clean, fresh fruit. All of the wine makers I spoke with think very highly of this vintage with a lot comparing it to 2001 and some even to 1990. I brought back a number of these wines and my goal is try and keep my hands off the bottles… of course, we’ll have to try a few first!
2004: The more of these I drink, the more I like them. I started out thinking these wines were fairly acidic and slightly light on fruit but they seem to be gaining weight and are just delicious, balanced and a joy to drink. They also have a beautiful freshness to them and lots of clean fruit.

Two visits to the Rhone in around 6 months and I already want to go back. Just an amazing place to visit.