Ah, what a relief.  While I’ve still got some additional things to add, the pdf file is up (see front page), all the wines are tasted and the doc has been reviewed by some good friends… hopefully it’s helpful and any and all feed back is appreciated.  A very late night last night (and the night before) got all of the notes in the database but I still intend to update the search page to allow searches by producer, vintage and importer.  Lots to do and the search update should be the first to come.

Even though I just finished the first issue, the next one is already on the horizon and a trip to the central coast of Cali is in the works.  Rhone rangers should fill out issue #2 and then hopefully by the end of the year, I’ll have a follow up to this one with any ’07s I missed as well as a lot more love to areas outside of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

To celebrate…  Traci’s out of town but a killer bottle of ‘04 Janasse Vieille Vignes went perfectly with straight up pasta and olive oil.  Life is good and here’s to hoping everyone else is having a great Monday evening!

Salut and thanks for reading!

Jeb

Domaine de la Mordorée

2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Condrieu (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu)
Sporting aromas of peach, honeysuckle and flowers, the 2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Condrieu is medium to full bodied with lots of acidity, a fat, rich texture and a medium length finish. I recommend drinking this in its first couple of years. (87 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Côtes du Rhône Rosé La Dame Rousse (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
The 2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Côtes du Rhône Rosé La Dame Rousse shows interesting wild strawberry and cherry aromas that are mixed with minerals and subtle spice notes. Medium bodied, crisp and balanced, this is a delicious Rosé to drink over the next year. (87 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel Rosé La Dame Rousse (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel)
Showing the crisp acids and freshness of the vintage, the 2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel Rosé La Dame Rousse has deep, ripe raspberry and cherry fruit, medium body, a beautiful smooth texture and a clean, long finish. (90 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel Rosé Cuvée de la Reine des Bois (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel)
A noticeable step up from the La Dame Rousse, the stunning 2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel Rosé Cuvée de la Reine des Bois exhibits amazing freshness with crisp mineral, crushed stone and steely notes intermixed with serious raspberry and cherry nuances. The palate is medium bodied with a silky texture, crisp, pure fruit and great length. (93 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Côtes du Rhône La Dame Rousse (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
A bright purple color, the 2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Côtes du Rhône La Dame Rousse possesses subtle dark fruit and meaty aromas that play second fiddle to an earthy, mineral driven core. Medium bodied on the palate with fresh acidity and fine grained tannins; this should drink well over the next4 to 6 years. (87 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Vin de Pays du Gard Re:Naissance (France, Rhône, Vin de Pays du Gard)
An interesting and note worthy wine, the 2008 Domaine de la Mordorée Vin de Pays du Gard Re:Naissance sports boat loads of plum, black cherry, spice, earth and mineral aromas to go with its ripe, straight forward personality. Very structured and tannic on the palate, this has upfront, plump fruit and a long, textured finish. Not sure about all of the tannins in this but there’s quality fruit for sure. (88 pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac La Dame Rousse (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac)
A smoky, meaty wine, the 2007 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac La Dame Rousse exhibits ripe dark fruit and loamy earth aromas that carry into a medium to full bodied palate. There’s beautiful fruit as well as a serious tannic backbone. Drink this beauty over the next 6 to 8+ years. (89 pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac Cuvée de la Reine des Bois (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac)
The 2007 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac Cuvée de la Reine des Bois offers up stunning cassis and blackberry fruit, earth, licorice and stony aromas that lead into a balanced, pure palate. Very dense and concentrated, this has a smooth, rich texture, stunning fruit and a tannic long finish. Give this a couple years to integrate its structure and then drink over the following 15 to 20 years. (93+ pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
One of the most backward and tannic wines of the vintage, the 2007 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois is jam packed with blackberry, cassis and raspberry fruit, meat, roasted herbs and smoke aromas. Dense, crazy rich and endowed, the palate is full bodied with a stunning texture, perfect balance, massive extract, serious concentration and fantastic length. If the fruit wasn’t so dense, I’d worry about all of the structure here but this pulls it off. Hide these in the cellar for 5 to 7 years and then drink over the following 25+. (98+ pts.)

Domaine Charvin

2008 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rosé (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
Crisp strawberry and cherry aromas lead on the 2008 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rosé and give way to a medium bodied, mineral laced wine. Fresh, balanced and with nice length to the finish, this is an excellent Rosé to drink over the next 12 months. (89 pts.)

2007 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
An outstanding wine, the 2007 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge offers up a decidedly earth bouquet of black pepper, minerals, crushed stones and licorice. On the palate, the wine is medium to full bodied with beautiful depth, solid and upfront structure and a long, fruity finish. While beautiful now, this could actually use a year or two in the cellar and then should age well for 10+. (90 pts.)

2007 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Laurent’s 2007 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a beauty and shows dark and rich aromas of mineral, pepper, meat, garrigue and stone that are supported by a core of stunning fruit. Very dense and concentrated with plenty of full bodied power, this has thick fruit that’s perfectly balanced by a silky texture and ripe, fine grained tannins. A candidate for short term cellaring, this should be long lived. (95+ pts.)

2006 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2006 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a tradition Chateauneuf with boatloads of garrigue, herbs de Provence, lavender and perfumed, licorice infused fruit. Showing beautiful complexity and intensity on the nose, the palate is medium to full bodied with sweet fruit, a soft, supple texture and an overall elegant character. I’d drink these over the coming 10 to 12 years. (93 pts.)

2004 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
A spicy Côtes du Rhône that’s drinking at point, the 2004 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge shows nice aromatics of garrigue, spice, saddle leather and sweet fruit that lead into a medium bodied, balanced palate. There’s still solid structure lurking under the fruit and this should easily last 5+ more years. (88 pts.)

2004 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Showing complex, nuanced aromatics of black cherry fruit, herbs de Provence, licorice and serious mineral notes, the 2004 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape is medium bodied, smooth, elegant and streamlined. Drink over the next 10 years or so. (91 pts.)

La Mere Germaine
3,rue du Commandant Lemaitre
Chateauneuf du Pape 84230, France tel +(33)04 90 83 54 37

This bistro is located in the heart of Chateauneuf and offers a casual dinning experience paired with a fantastic, well priced wine list containing most of the current releases from CdP.  The food can fall short of spectacular (it was excellent on this night however) but the ambiance and the view out the back of the restaurant make up for it.

On this visit we enjoyed a blockbuster 2004 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina that was singing with heady notes of spice, blueberries, figs and exotic spice aromas.  Over the coarse of the evening, the wine fleshed out and is a full bodied, rich and long wine that went beautifully with the food.  Drinking well now, this shouldn’t have any issues lasting for another 10 to 15 years.  The food was excellent, the company was as good as it gets (my lovely wife) and I couldn’t think of a better way to start the trip!

Courses:

1) Rabbit Meatballs
2) Pork chops stewed w/ red wine
3) Assorted cheeses

Wine:

2004 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina - 94 pts

Domaine du Pégaü

2008 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Réservée (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
A crisp, steely wine, the 2008 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Réservée offers up liquid mineral, licorice, citrus and floor polish aromas that lead into a medium bodied, clean, balanced palate. Very fresh but with nice texture, this is a beautiful Rhône white. (90 pts.)

2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Tasted from cask, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée shows a dark, concentrated and masculine personality with black pepper, herbs, garrigue and meat aromas being supported by dark blackberry fruit. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this has crisp acids to go with plenty of sweet fruit and impressive length on the finish. (94-96 pts.)

2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Also from cask and much more deep and concentrated than the Cuvée Réservée, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo offers up stunning dark fruit, pepper, garrigue, meat and earth aromas and the density is certainly note worthy. In the mouth the wine is full bodied, amazingly concentrated and structured, balanced and very long. (97-99 pts.)

2006 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Showing better than previous bottles, the 2006 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée has put on weight and exhibits beautiful garrigue, bramble, meat and dark fruit, medium to full body and a rich, full texture. Balanced and clean, this should drink beautifully over the next 15 years. (93 pts.)

2005 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Smelling like the essence of a Provencal market, the 2005 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence is packed with garrigue, roasted meat, saddle leather, lavender and fantastic fruit. The palate is full bodied, beautifully balanced and pure with a smooth, silky texture, plenty of depth and masses of fine grained tannins on the long finish. The nose on the wine says this is drinking beautifully now but the palate says hang onto for 5 years and then drink over the next 20. (94 pts.)

2004 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2004 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence is a spicy, complex wine that is packed with garrigue, violets, leather, tobacco and meaty aromas that are supported by licorice infused cassis and blackberry fruit. Full bodied on the palate with rich fruit, a great texture and plenty of length to finish, this shows a more evolved character than the Cuvée Réservée and I’d suggest drinking these over the next 10 years. (92 pts.)

OK, finally getting caught up on some notes and these should start coming out more frequently…  I’ve been doing nothing but writing… and no posting!  Donjon, Pegau, Mordoree and others coming soon.

Cuvee du Vatican

2007 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve Sixtine (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Always one of the top whites in a vintage, the 2007 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve Sixtine is no exception and has a great nose of ripe tropical fruits, pineapple, classy oak, spice and honeycomb that lead into a medium to full bodied palate. Ripe and rich, this has a fat texture, beautiful balance and a long finish. (93 pts.)

2007 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Showing impressive purity to the aromas, the 2007 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape is filled with spicy black cherries, licorice and floral notes that carry over into the palate. Smooth and beautifully textured, this is supple and seductive. Drink over the next 10 years. (91 pts.)

2007 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2007 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine is much more feminine than previous vintages with bright, perfumed and nuanced aromatics of black cherries, spice, licorice and raw meat that lead into a stunningly smooth, silky palate. Full bodied and perfectly balanced, this has a mouth filling yet precise texture, fresh acidity and a long finish where the wine shows more structure and ripe tannin. This is a stunning wine that should drink beautifully over the next 15+ years. (95 pts.)

2006 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Deep and showing a slight touch of oak, the 2006 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine shows smoky dark fruit, earth, spice and meaty notes that lead into a full bodied, dense wine. Rich and tannic, this is a candidate for hiding in the cellar for 5+ years. (91 pts.)

Domaine de Beaurenard

2008 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2008 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc offers up pretty floral, citrus and mineral aromas, medium body and clean, pure fruit on the nice finish. Drink over the short term. (88 pts.)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Seeing close to 18 months in barrique, the 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Boisrenard shows stunning, tropical aromatics of pineapple, peach, vanilla and smoke. There’s nice ripeness but also notable lift and freshness as well. The palate is medium to full bodied with impressive balance, nice cut and precision and a long, enjoyable finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Côtes du Rhône (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
The 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Côtes du Rhône offers up complex and pretty aromatics of black cherry, lavender and garrigue that lead into a medium bodied, slightly lean palate. This is a good wine that I think should be consumed while the fruit holds. (85 pts.)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape exhibits nice black cherry, meat, leather and earthy aromatics but lacks a little charm on the palate. Medium bodied, structured and tannic; this does finish well but the overall lean profile is worrisome. My best guess is to drink over the short term. (87 pts.)

2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape is filled with black cherry and subtle raspberry fruit, earth and mineral aromas that lead into a medium bodied, bright, pure wine. Picks up ripe, fine grained tannins on the long finish. (90 pts.)

2004 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
This bottle of 2004 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard was much more dense and unforgiving than previous bottles and showed dark, earthy fruit, raw meat, smoke and charcoal aromas, medium body and crisp acidity. Structured and dense, this has lots of tannins to flesh out. (90+?)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Showing lots of vanilla and oak at the moment (this sees 18 months in barrique), the 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard offers up smoky dark fruit and meaty notes to go with a structured, medium bodied palate. As with this producers traditional Chateauneuf in ’06, I question if this wine has enough fruit to handle its formidable, tannic backbone. Still, it’s an outstanding wine with plenty of depth and quality fruit. (91+? pts.)

2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard exhibits copious amounts of spicy oak, tobacco and roasted meat notes that are intermixed with beautiful cassis and blackberry fruit. In the mouth, it’s medium to full bodied with nice concentration, beautiful purity and admirable balance. Give this a couple of years to integrate its barrique elevage and then drink over the next 15. (94 pts.)