If an event is measured by how bad you feel the next day, then I’m going to have a hard time toping this and while trying to help pick up and dry stemware the following morning, while sporadically breaking out into cold, nauseous sweats, I could only shudder at the thought of actually driving back to Boulder on the none too straight roads… Even though this drive ended up giving me a sore, raw throat for a good 3 days, I’d do it again in a second!

Not sure how I was lucky enough to get an invite to this shin dig but in attendance was the amazingly hospitable Brad England, Chris Palm, Burg manic himself Mitch Hirsch, Uncle Rico, Paul David, Tom W., Scott Manlin and the sole lady of the group, Ashley R. Simply an outstanding time with some top quality folks, outstanding food and some dandy wines!

While there were certain flights where I really tried to pay attention and take decent notes, most of the time it was more fun to kick back and just drink the stuff (which might explain the multi stop drive home) so take all notes, thoughts and scores with a grain of salt.

Lunch

Paul David and I drove up together early in the day and we sucked these wines down with Brad, Chris and Scott over some grade A steak sandwiches (from left over flannery ribeye I believe.) Going through three bottles of heat damaged 1962 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único would have left me in a comma but Brad didn’t bat an eye and quickly opened a spectacular Reserva. Merci beaucoup cher monsieur!

• 1962 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Earthy with forest floor, dried fruit and sour cherry notes that lead into a medium bodied palate. While certainly enjoyable, the palate seems washed out and loses fruit on the finish. Heat damaged but best of three bottles. (84 pts.)
• N.V. Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico Reserva Especial Lot 004/98 - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  After three lackluster 62 unico’s.. *sniff*.. *sniff*, this was spectacular with sour black cherry, earth, hot asphalt and dried spice aromas on the big, rich nose. The palate is fantastic with killer fruit, medium body, serious structure and a balanced, long finish. (94 pts.)

Second Lunch

After lunch, we started running low on wine so the 1961 Château Lafon-Rochet was cracked. This had a mid to low shoulder fill and at first sip, I was inclined to say it was going to fall apart sooner rather than later… Amazingly though, this just continued to gain weight, complexity and length and was some seriously good juice.

• 1961 Château Lafon-Rochet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
  This improved in the glass and was still kicking after some substantial air time. The nose showed mature Cabernet notes of sweet fruit, spice, tobacco and forest floor and the palate was medium bodied with impressive texture, fruit and length. (89 pts.)

Beaucastel

Man, what a treat and getting to compare these two wines side by side was a lesson in the differences between the 1989 and 1990 vintage. The 1989 was just a perfect bottle and was clean, precise, pure, concentrated and simply firing on all cylinders. The 1990 was noticeably riper and I actually prefer the palate on this to the 89. Ripe, lush, soft and much more evolved than the 1989, both of these wines are stunning, unique Chateauneufs! The 1999 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine wasn’t in the same league but did improve with air and the oak notes that this cuvee shows in its youth were barely detectable.

• 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Just an awesome bottle with the usual Beaucastel meat, earth and game notes backed up by ripe, clean dark fruit aromas. The palate is stunning and shows considerable structure and a precise, almost angular character. Much more structured and precise in the mouth than the 90, this has a long, beautiful finish. (97 pts.)
• 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Very ripe with earth sweet, fruit, lots of spice and slightly more funk and horse notes than the 89. The palate is borderline full bodied with ripe, lush and mouth filling fruit that carries into the long finish. This lacks the precision of the 89 and is more open knit but makes up for it with a spectacular, lush and rich texture. (96 pts.)
• 1999 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Very similar to previous bottles, this shows plum and cassis fruit mixed with plenty of ripe spiced meat, licorice, sandal wood and earth notes. It’s medium to full body, structured, well balanced and shows plenty of length on the finish. This improved in the glass and needs air time. (90 pts.)

Champagne

At this point, the whole gang had arrived and it was time to get serious. The champagnes were a good start and these two were very different in style. Whereas the 1989 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame was full bore and slightly soft, the 1990 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs was riveting with stunning acidity, grip and precision.

• 1989 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame - France, Champagne
  A big, full bore, blockbuster champagne with rich, sweet fruit, toasted nut and crème brulee notes on the nose. Full bodied in the mouth, this lacks some verve but is balanced and possesses a long, creamy finish. (93 pts.)
• 1990 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut - France, Champagne
  A stunning bottle, this shows lots of yeast and mineral notes on top of ripe orchard fruit aromas. The palate is awesome with impeccable balance, riveting acidity and a long, clean finish. (95 pts.)

White Burgundy

Mitch was kind enough to supply these and they went perfectly with the fantastic fresh prawns Scott provided. The 1996 Pierre Morey Bâtard-Montrachet showed lots of buttered popcorn and oak notes on the nose but had a huge, concentrated palate. If it wasn’t for the subtle mineral notes, there’s no way I’d guess the 2002 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos as a Chablis and it was just packed with ripe, seriously concentrated fruit.

• 1996 Pierre Morey Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
  While this started out almost monolithic on the nose, it gained complexity with air and showed rich buttered popcorn, oak and some seriously rich, awesome ripe fruit. The palate is spectacular and is full bodied, amazingly concentrated, precise, pure and long. (95 pts.)
• 2002 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
  Showing a surprising level of richness and ripe fruit, this is incredible stuff. Ripe fruit, serious minerals and a stunning palate. Precise, perfectly built and long. (95 pts.)

Northern Rhones

Talk about starting the evening off with a bang, this was one of the best flight of wines I’ve ever had the privilege to drink through. The 1988 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque just doesn’t get any better and the nose on the thing is seriously captivating. Big, expressive, rich, unique… Absolutely loved it. While others like the 1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, I’m convinced the bottle was flawed. The 1990 Domaine de Vallouit Hermitage Les Greffières was stunning but eclipsed by the amazingly pure, ripe and borderline perfect 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Very young and almost jammy, this was amazingly clean, concentrated and had a monster finish.

• 1988 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  The nose couldn’t get any better and is dark, dense and just packed with earthy dark fruit, meat, smoke and bacon notes. There’s subtle graphite and integrated wood notes lurking in the background and I could smell this wine all night. The palate is full bodied with perfect balance, silky texture, considerable structure and a fantastic, long finish. Thank you Brad for opening this! (99 pts.)
• 1989 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  While this was OK on the palate, I’m convinced this wasn’t a sound bottle and displayed funky, medicinal and chlorine aromas. NR (flawed)
• 1990 Domaine de Vallouit Hermitage Les Greffières - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Absolutely stunning and held up to some stiff company. The nose is very spice driven with boatloads of sage and thyme aromas being supported by ripe cassis, meat and subtle bacon aromas. The palate is full bodied with a soft, lush texture and a long finish. Outstanding stuff. (95 pts.)
• 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Phenomenal stuff that is incredibly youthful with clean, rock star syrah fruit. Cassis and dark fruit notes come jumping out of the glass of this thing and they’re mixed with vanilla, oak and meaty notes that are to die for. Full bodied on the palate, this almost possesses a modern character given the ripeness, purity and lushness but you’re not getting a complaint from me. Still a baby! (98 pts.)
• 2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  Very young and almost jammy, this shows lots of classy oak and vanilla that haven’t integrated with the earthy, cassis slanted fruit. Medium to full bodied, this is balanced, rich and long. (94 pts.)
• 2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  Young, jammy and upfront, this shows big fruit, smoke and cassis notes with a medium to full bodied palate, lush, easy drinking texture and a clean, long finish. (93 pts.)

Burgundy

The burgundy flight consisted of a number of outstanding wines. Unfortunately, my notebook got borrowed by Ashley and I only took notes on the La Tache. Other wines included a 2004 Vogue Musigny, 1990 Rossignol Trapet Chambertin VV, 1990 Prieur Volnay 1er Cru Champans and a 1997 Rene Lecler Griotte Chambertin GC. I didn’t think there was a dog anywhere in the group. The 2004 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée wasn’t opened until later but had some screaming aromatics.

• 2004 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru
  A beautiful young burg that shows rich, cherry laced fruit mixed with gobs of exotic spice notes. For such a young wine, the palate is surprisingly open and is perfectly balanced and almost seamless. The finish is long and shows plenty of grip and structure. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
  Excellent with a big, exuberant nose of exotic spice, cherries and underbrush aromas, medium body and a long finish. Amazingly open and drinking great.

Chateaunuefs

I think I was completely drunk at this point (even though I had started spitting) but I sucked it up and drank every drop of a killer 1989 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée and a personal favorite, the 2001 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois. Both absolutely outstanding and about as good as it gets. The 1990 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence seemed much more evolved than the 89 Réservée and should be drunk up.

• 1989 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Yeah baby, I loved this wine. Not showing a hint of its age, this boast a massive nose of garrigue, meat, spice and dark pegau fruit aromas. Stunning on the palate as well as the nose, it’s full bodied with impeccable balance, awesome structure, killer texture and a long finish. I’m a fan. (97 pts.)
• 1990 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Showing quite a bit more evolved and lacking the precision of the 89 Reservee, this is still beautiful stuff and shows plum and cassis aromas mixed with spice, meat and leathery notes. Full bodied, lush and with incredibly rich fruit, this has a long, enjoyable finish. I would drink these sooner rather than later. (94 pts.)
• 1989 Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  This certainly got lost in the background but was excellent with clean dark fruit and spice notes sitting on top of a medium bodied, rich palate. (90 pts.)
• 2001 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Another outstanding showing of this wine, I decanted it for 3 hours early on the day of the tasting before pouring it back into the bottle. The nose has the typical Mordoree modern slant but this also possesses stunning southern rhone typicity with fantastic aromas of garrigue, licorice, minerals and even dried flowers. Full bodied with a thick, juicy texture, this is amazingly structured and tannic but boy does it have enough fruit to handle it and the finish is a rock star as well. (99+ pts.)

Dessert

And we concluded with so many dessert wines it was hard to even contemplate tasting through them all. I picked one and went with it. The following were also on tap: 1941 Moreira Colheita Port, 1968 D’Oliveira Bual Madeira and a rocking 1985 Grahams Port!

• 1922 AO - SM (Anibal D’Oliveira Sao Martinho) Madeira Bual - Portugal, Madeira
  Fantastic.

Not much else to say and there’s certainly no way I can repay the hospitality shown (but if given the chance, I’ll sure try!) Thanks to all and especially to Brad for allowing me to hang out at his amazing place and drink so many killer wines!
Salut,
Jeb

Yet another outstanding evening a Chez Halterman’s… while the wines were outstanding, Mr. Bob Davis’s steak frits and almond cake took the evening.

• 2002 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  Showing a big, waxy, hazelnut, oak and caramel scented nose, this has subtle baked apple pie aromas that are unfortunately, primarily hiding in the background and never really come out to play. It’s medium to full bodied on the palate and while it possesses rich fruit and a lush, rich texture, it lacks precision and verve. Still, there’s lots to like here and it finishes well and continued to improve with air. (91 pts.)
• 2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  This is an enjoyable, ripe wine that shows a big, straightforward nose of candied cherry cola and spice. Well balanced and medium to full bodied, this has impressive fruit and a lush, smooth texture. While it lacks complexity, it’s easy drinking and delicious. (91 pts.)
• 1997 Pian Delle Vigne (Antinori) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  This is one of those wines that grows on you and it’s not until the second or third sip that you realize how impressive it is. The nose is textbook Sangiovese with cherry, earth, dusty spice and leather aromas all showing up and it has nice complexity that’s framed by beautiful fruit. Medium bodied and just beautifully built, this isn’t a block buster but shows perfect balance, solid structure and lots of silky tannins on the monster finish that goes on and on. Stunning stuff. (95 pts.)
• 2003 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Possessing a big, ripe nose of Grenache fruit, raspberry liqueur, graphite, licorice and spice notes, this is a stunning, massively fruited wine that holds everything together with killer balance, structure and an almost elegant, seamless demeanor. It’s full bodied and while there’s considerable structure and tannins, they’re covered by so much fruit that they’re almost hard to find. Despite the size of this wine, it’s just beautifully balanced, seamless and possesses a blockbuster finish. (96+ pts.)
• 2005 Azienda Agricola Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT - Italy, Campania, Colli di Salerno IGT
  Big, dark and earthy with lots of cab character, this shows nice cassis and blackberry fruit notes that are supported by cedar, lead pencil, tobacco and subtle herbaceous aromas on the nose. The palate is absolutely fantastic and is full bodied and stunningly textured with real depth, weight and killer length! It’s structure, precise and powerful and one of those wines where you don’t want to swallow. I would have scored this higher if not for the herbaceous aromas on the nose but this is a rock star wine on the palate. 92+? (92 pts.)
• 2001 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Tb - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
  Possessing a fantastic nose that is amazingly rich and spice laden, this hides its alcohol well and shows port like aromas of dried fruit, plum, blueberry and spice. The palate is medium to full bodied with impressive sweetness, glycerol and balance and while the midpalate lacked a little fat upon first opening, this continued to flesh out with air, gaining weight and sweetness. This finishes dry and is awesome stuff. (94+ pts.)
• 2003 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  This showed a healthy dose of barnyard, horse and funk at first but with air, killer black berry, raspberry, meat and leather aromas round things out to a more acceptable level. The palate is medium bodied with a precise, slightly lean texture, nice balance, rich fruit and a long finish. (91 pts.)
• 1999 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  The displays nice pinot character to go along with some dark fruit, spice and forest floor aromas… almost burgundian on the nose but not terribly complex. Better in the mouth than the palate, it’s medium to full bodied and with a surprisingly level of fruit; this has a soft texture, expands in the mouth and finishes with nice length. (89 pts.)

A small Tuesday night affair turned into an after midnight bash with more than enough wine, threats about spilling wine on new carpet and me having my ass handed to me by Paul Faraci at ping pong… never play table games with folks that are actually enthused enough to have em set up in the house… Hat’s off the Paul David for playing with one hand holding the paddle and the other a glass of Auslese… and not spilling a drop!

Whites

• 2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Lychee, honey and sweet fruit notes jump from the glass of this baby and lead into a medium bodied, textured palate. There’s a decent amount of sweetness but this is almost seamless and nary a hard edge to be found anywhere. Lacks a little verve and edge but delicious none the less. (88 pts.)
• N.V. Jean Milan Champagne Cuvée Tendresse Sec - France, Champagne, Côte des Blancs, Champagne
  Not sure what the dosage is on this but it certainly doesn’t come across as very sweet and shows lots of sour green apple, yeast and mineral aromas on the fairly expressive nose. The palate is medium bodied and while well balanced, seems soft and lacking in concentration. This improved with air. (86 pts.)
• N.V. Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Mesnil Quartz Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne
  Outstanding with mineral, yeast and earth notes supported by ripe, rich fruit notes. Medium bodied with nice structure, this fleshed out with air and is well balanced and has a long finish. (90 pts.)
• 2002 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
  A fantastic white burg that shows copious amounts of rich apple and pear fruit mixed with smoke, toasted nut, earth and oak aromas on the blockbuster nose. The palate picks up where the aromas leave off and doesn’t disappoint. Medium bodied and concentrated, this has rich fruit, stunning precision, great balance and a long, clean finish. I’m a fan! (93 pts.)

Reds

• 2005 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Theurons - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
  Just a gorgeous bottle of wine that has a classy nose of cherry and strawberry fruit, spice, minerals and vanilla laced oak. Smooth, rich and expressive. The palate is medium bodied with a tight, sappy texture, nice balance and a long, moderately tannic finish where serious mineral notes give the wine lift and a pleasant sourness. (91 pts.)
• 2005 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Estate Ribbon Ridge - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
  Dark and slightly rustic, this has an interesting nose of black cherry, cranberry, earth and herby stem notes. Medium bodied on the palate, this shows rich fruit, nice texture and a medium length finish. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Tobias Glen - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  This has a ripe, heady nose of fuzzy red fruit, vanilla, spice and earth. This shows some slight VA as well but is still enjoyable. Better on the nose than the palate, it’s medium to full bodied and while it does have a lush, ripe texture, it’s devoid of any structure, edge or tannin and comes across as flabby and blousey. (82 pts.)
• 1988 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
  I’ve had better bottles of this and while it did improve with air, it never lost the herbacous notes nor gained the depth and richness of previous bottle. The nose shows mature dark fruit notes mixed with forest floor, green pepper, tobacco, spice and cedar. Medium bodied with a smooth texture, this is a really enjoyable, mature cali cab. (88 pts.)
• 2002 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
  Corked NR (flawed)
• 2000 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
  A disappointing showing by this bottle and it lacked depth and concentration, at times coming across as borderline green with herbacous, leafy aromas. The nose is dark and earthy with cassis, lead pencil, tobacco and herb notes leading into a medium bodied palate. It’s well balanced and there is nice fruit that shows a streamlined texture and picks up noticeable tannins on the medium length finish. (88 pts.)
• 1999 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Full bodied and lush for the vintage, this has gobs of raw meat, earth, leather and dark fruit notes supported by the tell tale Janasse lead pencil and smoke notes. The palate is full bodied with lush, mouthfilling fruit, admirable balance and nice length on the finish where is picks up roasted herb and cocoa power notes. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Robert Foley Claret - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
  While still young and borderline jammy, this possesses both beautiful power and an elegant, seamlessness that I love. The nose offers up full bore cassis and blackberry aromas that are supported by graphite and mineral notes. The palate is full bodied with a killer lush texture that’s backed up by stunning precision, nice acidity and plenty of underlying balancing structure. Just a stunning bottle of wine that is still a baby in terms of development.. but when it’s this good, I’m not sure I see any upside to waiting. (97 pts.)

And Dessert

• 2004 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Impressive with honey, floral and lycee aromas offset by beautiful acidity, plenty of sweetness, nice balance and a clean, long finish. (92 pts.)

Quite the turnout with the local Fort Collins crowd and great time, food, wine and company. All wines served double blind.

Vouvrays

A great flight and stylistically, these are all over the map. The 2005 Domaine Le Capitaines Vouvray Cuvée Adrien has some serious sweetness and could be a new world Gewürztraminer where as the 2006 Champalou Vouvray was a ripe, floral viognier look alike. The 2005 Marc Bredif Vouvray was controversial and I think a large percentage of the table actively disliked it or even thought it was flawed. The longer this sat in the glass though the more interesting it became and the oringinal funk blew off leaving beautiful, earthy fruit, minerals and ripe herb notes that I thoroughly enjoyed.

• 2005 Domaine Le Capitaines Vouvray Cuvée Adrien - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  While this comes across as very sweet on the finish, it’s delicious with ripe fruit, medium body, nice texture and a long, clean finish. Just when I thought there was too much sweetness on the finish, this cleaned up with nice acidity and grip. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Marc Brédif Vouvray - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  This started off with a strange, funky and sharp nose but continued to open up with air and by the end of the evening, was complex, nuanced and interesting. The nose shows earthy fruit notes that are supported by minerals and ripe herbacous notes. The palate is medium bodied and has sweet fruit, nice balance, a clean, weighty texture and nice length. Certainly a controversial wine given the slightly funky and herbal aromas on the nose but I like it. (89 pts.)
• 2006 Champalou Vouvray - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
  This is very viognier like and possesses a big, floral scented bouquet of quince, lemon, white flowers and mineral aromas. Certainly not a shy wine, this is heady and ripe but holds everything together and is medium bodied with rich fruit, a beautiful, oily texture and a clean, long finish. This certainly has some omph and shows ripe fruit but it finishes dry and is well balanced. Very enjoyable. (89 pts.)

Domaine La Garrigue

The Vacqueyras bottling sees 18 months in foudre where as the Cuvee Romaine see 12 months primarily in tank and my goal with this flight was to show the differences between these elevages. Unfortunately, I had a hard time seeing a consistent difference between these wines that I could attribute to it… Surprisingly, in both cases the Vacqueyras seemed more concentrated and structured and given the blends (80% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre for the Vacqueyras & 65% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah for the Cuvee Romaine), I would have expected the opposite. I was really impressed with the 2004 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras and thought it showed the best mix of concentrated fruit and drinkability. The group liked the 2004 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine more than me and while I do enjoy the massive blast of spice it delivers, I always find that this has just a touch more brett than I’m happy with. Both the 2005 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras and the 2005 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine were delicious, albeit, young, tight and tannic. The 2005 Cuvee Romaine was the softer of the two and easier to drink on this night.

• 2004 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
  A really impressive bottle of wine that shows rich black cherry, licorice, plum and peppery earth aromas. Medium to full bodied in the mouth and this possesses some of that old vine, sappy texture that really adds depth and grip. Well balanced and this finishes with ripe tannins on the long finish. With air, this shows more black pepper and mineral notes. (91 pts.)
• 2004 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
  Just packed with massive amounts of spice, leather and earth notes, this lacks a little fruit at first but with air, sweetens up and is really enjoyable to drink. Medium bodied, textured and well balanced, this does show slightly drying tannins on the finish and is not something I would hold for long. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
  Dark, earthy and peppery, this boasts rich aromas of black cherry, plum sauce, earth and pepper on the nose. The palate is medium bodied, structured and shows impressive depth on the finish. This bottle was quite a bit different than the previous bottle and was very tight and slightly unforgiving with some serious tannins kicking in on the finish. (89 pts.)
• 2005 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
  An outstanding wine that shows sweet black cherry notes mixed with subtle leather, spice and ripe herb aromas. The palate is medium to full bodied and is concentrated, textured and long. Drinking extremely well but this has enough structure to hold for quite some time. (90 pts.)

Chateauneuf du Pape

I’ve had both of these wines multiple times and still didn’t have a clue what these were. The 2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape created some discussion and while I’m convinced the wine was corked, others weren’t so sure. Sill, the wine is fabulous and I wish I had a case of this in the cellar. The 2005 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape was surprisingly high toned and slightly volatile at first but it drastically improved with air. Rich, lush and just a beautiful wine.

• 2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  While this wine was corked, it still showed more than enough fruit and substance to be enjoyable. The nose has beautiful black cherry and raspberry aromas mixed with spice, earth, iron and plum notes. Medium to full bodied with concentrated fruit, low acidity and subtle tannins on the long finish. NR (flawed)
• 2005 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Very bright and almost high toned at first, this really improved with air and I think would have shown even better with a decent decant. The nose is ripe, clean and packed with cherry, plum, spice and vanilla notes and there’s an almost jammy character to the fruit. Medium bodied, this filled in with air and shows nice acidity, rich, sweet fruit, a soft texture and subtle tannins on the long finish. (90 pts.)