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August/September
2008
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Wine Review Archive - France, Rhône Valley
Reds
($40). Well done
Cornas in a vintage year that suffers
by comparison to 1996. True classic French
style winemaking at work here. Sophisticated
aromas are earthy and ancient, giving
way to ripe red fruit and florals. Tannins
are still building, so give this one a
few years -- at least 5, if not 10. (Skinny
Guide to French Wine, 02/00)
($23). A personal
favorite producer of Crozes-Hermitage,
and this particular vintage is very good.
Loads of body, with a mineral note threaded
through the Syrah berry and spice. Stands
up quite well to hearty foods. Excellent
now. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 02/00)
($99). Just a huge wine, with loads
of tannic structure supporting ripe
red berry and cherry fruit, and anise,
smoke, pepper, cocoa powder and mineral
notes emerging along the way to a
generous, complex finish. Astoundingly
good. Needs decanting now; should
continue to improve in the bottle
for at least 15 years. (Weekend Wine
07/07)
($47). Another winner from this legendary
winery – sleek black cherry and
plum fruit, with leather, mineral,
almond, and toasty oak notes. Another
few years in the bottle should open
up the fruit a bit more. Drink from
2005 and over the next six or seven
years. (Wine Skinny Cooks, 12/02)
($45). Bursting with black plum and
berry fruit, with touches of earthy
herbs and oak, this is completely drinkable
now and should cellar well for another
three or four years. In other words,
not exactly a blockbuster C-d-P, but
yummy nonetheless. (Splurge Wine, 08/00)
.
I’ve always been a bit of a romantic
fool for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which has
worked out nicely, given the quality of
these wines – especially over the
last few years. And if I had to choose
one winery that I particularly favor,
it would have to be Chateau de la Gardine.
I have had the great pleasure to visit
the region and meet some of the Brunel
family, and I’m hooked. The fantastic
1998 vintage of the Southern Rhone was
followed by a more spotty 1999 vintage,
but Chateau de la Gardine came through
with a solid and delicious wine that shows
appealing complexity of fruit and spices,
with mineral and anise notes. Well-balanced
and structured; drinking well now and
over the next four or five years. Priced
just under $40. (Robyn's Picks, 02/02)
($N/A).
Deep, dark red color with a prune and
smoky bouquet. Dried fruit character on
the palate, with lots of concentrated
flavor, picking up leather and smoky notes.
Finishes a bit short. Ready to drink now
and over the next year or two. (Wine Tastings,
02/04)
($85). Lush and velvety ripe fruit is
the star here, with just a bit of anise
spice to round things out. Full tannins
beg for a bit of cellaring -- give it
at least five to ten years and then enjoy
this excellent wine at its best. (Splurge
Wine, 08/00)
($10).
This is a fine example of a Cotes du
Rhone built in a full-bodied, tannic
style. This will age nicely for several
years. Concentrated fruit and an appealing
rustic quality. Ready to drink now and
over the next three or four years. (Robyn's
Picks, 11/01)
($25). Smooth and medium-bodied, featuring
concentrated red currant fruit with
pepper and herb notes. Generous finish.
Ready to drink now and over the next
two or three years. (Robyn's Picks,
11/01)
($20). Concentrated ripe fruit on a
medium-bodied frame, with just a touch
of earthiness. Even better with food.
Ready to drink now and over the next
two or three years. (Robyn's Picks,
11/01)
($30). Beautifully
ripe and full-bodied, featuring lush
fruit and sweet vanilla balanced with
mineral character. Generous finish.
A pleasure! Ready to drink now and over
the next five or six years. (Robyn's
Picks, 11/01)
($24). Sophisticated fruit is nicely
layered with herbal and mineral notes
on a tannic frame that will age nicely
for years. Ripe and smooth. Ready to
drink now and over the next five or
six years. (Robyn's Picks, 11/01)
($25). Concentrated, with
racy red plum and berry fruit layered
with bacon fat and earthy, smoky notes.
A beautiful drink. Ready to drink now.
(Weekend WIne 03/05)
($11). Ripe, bold blackberry
and spicy oak, with bursts of black pepper
and dark chocolate. Ready to drink now.
(Weekend WIne 03/05
($14). Concentrated and intense (not exactly
light!) but fantastic with summer grilling.
Focused plum and blackberry fruit flavors
are laced with dark chocolate, orange
zest and toasty oak. Very good. Ready
to drink now and over the next three or
four years. (Robyn's Picks 06/05)
($22). Deeply colored and offering concentrated
blackberry and plum fruit laced with bacon,
tobacco and spicy oak aromas and flavors.
Ready to drink now. (Weekend WIne 03/05)
($32). A marvelous
blend of spicy ripe plum and berry, toasted
oak, and smooth tannins. It paired quite
well with a braised Rabbit, Polenta, and
Nicoise olives starter, a Pan Roasted
Steak with shallots and chive mashed potatoes,
and the Roasted Chicken. (Weekend Wine,
09/00)
($8)
-- A great combination of integrated berry,
good body, and a kick of spice. Hard to
beat this price. Drink over the next year
or so. (Weekend Wine, 10/00)
($12). This weekend, I dove into a bottle
of this French red, which definitely needed
some breathing time -- a solid couple
of hours. Then it was just lovely. Great
round tannins rolling around ripe black
cherry and plum, with an herbal core that
might not be to everyone's taste, but
I liked it. Paired it with sautéed salmon
croquettes with plenty of scallions. Great!
(Weekend Wine, 04/00)
($13). Concentrated
black plum and cherry aromas and flavors
are accented with meat, sweet tobacco,
chocolate and toasty oak. A lot of bang
for the buck here. Ready to drink now.
(Weekend Wine 10/06)
($11). Dark garnet
color, with a deep bouquet of spicy
ripe fruit and game notes. Medium to
full bodied. Plum and black cherry fruit
are accented with earth, tobacco, milk
chocolate, and toasty oak. Lush finish.
Very nice. Ready to drink now and over
the next three years. (Wine Skinny Cooks,
12/02)
($55). Unbelievably
good, with velvety fruit mingling with
subtle black pepper, smoke, rosemary,
meat, and vanilla extract. Smooth, integrated
tannins make it approachable now, and
it will age beautifully for ten years
or more. (Wine Skinny Cooks, 12/02)
($25) at
one of my favorite Houston hotspots,
Ibiza, last weekend. The only thing
better than how good this wine is now,
is how good it will be in a couple of
years. Full-bodied, with lush layers
of black currant, cherry, white pepper,
espresso, and smoke, this is a spectacular
wine. Tannins are approachable now,
but will smooth out over the next few
years. We paired it with, among other
things, Ibiza's wonderful new starter
-- two large homemade ravioli, stuffed
with rabbit, topped with a Dijon cream
sauce, and served over wilted greens.
Outstanding! (Weekend Wine, 05/02)
($35).
Peppery syrah flavors of black currant,
cherry, and a dash of cinnamon are upfront
and intense here. An herbal core emerges
on the finish, along with a bit of vanilla
oak. This one needs some time, at least
a couple of years, preferably more like
six years. Then it should be fantastic!
( Weekend Wine, 05/00)
($13).
Smoky red cherry and berry aromas introduce
meaty red cherry flavors laced with pretty
spices, and a moderate, bright fruit finish.
Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 10/06)
($33). Tightly
wound, with elegant red berry and currant
fruit mingling with clove, anise and
earthy notes. Elegant, complex finish.
Ready to drink now and over the next
ten years. (Weekend Wine 07/07)
($10). Gamy nose introduces loads of ripe
red fruit flavors. Picks up a brief candied
cherry note on the finish that quickly
gives way to more earthy rusticity. Nice
overall package.
($10). Our "Best of Tasting"
choice, offering a wonderful funky earthiness
alongside sweet red berry and cherry fruit.
Delicate herbal and floral notes on the
finish. Very good with food - we particularly
enjoyed it with a delicious goat cheese
wrapped in Cognac-soaked fig leaves called
Picandine Chabis Feuille. (Wine Tastings,
02/04)
($N/A). Perfectly quaffable, with easy
to like concentrated red fruit, earthiness,
a bit of mineral, and light tannins. Good
with food! Ready to drink now. (Wine Tastings,
02/04)
($23). Delicious!
With earthy black currant and berry
flavors laced with black pepper, mineral
and game accents that linger on the
full finish. Great value here. Ready
to drink now and over the next four
or five years. (Weekend Wine 10/06)
($90). This Hermitage
has a very appealing smoky wildness that
balances the bright red fruit flavors.
Smooth but firm tannins and a lingering
finish make it an all-around winner. This
wine should cellar for at least another
5 years, probably more. (Skinny Guide
to French Wine, 02/00)
($10). Surprisingly pleasing
for the price, with anise-scented blackberry
and currant fruit flavors that pick up
fresh herb notes on the finish. Ready
to drink now. (Robyn's Picks 06/05)
($9). Not technically
a Cotes du Ventoux, but from the same
area, La Vieille Ferme is one of the
most recognized wines of the region
- and a perennial great buy. Slurpably
fruity, laced with appealing earthy
and herbal notes. Ready to gulp now.
Perfect with barbecue and medium-strong
cheeses. (Wine Tastings, 02/04)
($9). A blend of 50% Grenache,
20% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 15% Cinsault,
this is a poster child of a red Rhone
blend. Even this $8 bottle of wine gets
the signature Perrin/Beaucastel treatment
– heating the vintage before a
long fermentation. The result is a wine
that is smooth and round, with juicy
cherry, deep plum, and touches of pepper
and spices. Just enough concentration
and good acidity make it extremely food
friendly – try it with any of your
summer grilling. (ETFOFW, 04/02
($12). Appealing for
its full flavors, including red cherry
and currant fruit, tobacco, dried herbs
and black pepper that linger on the moderate
finish. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine
10/06)
($11). Exactly what a Cotes du Rhone
should be -- and priced accordingly.
Offering dense plum and blackberry fruit
accented with bacon, cinnamon and toasty
oak. Very nice and ready to drink now.
(Weekend WIne 03/05)
($10).
Ripe black cherry and red berry bouquet,
with concentrated fruit flavors layered
with tobacco, cedar and deep spices.
Ready to drink now and over the next
couple of years. (Weekend Wine, 09/03)
($9). Snazzy red
cherry and concentrated plum fruit are
accented with creamy milk chocolate
and appealing spices. Heck of a value.
Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine, 09/03)
($19). Concentrated,
sweet black fruit aromas and flavors
are laced with cedar, anise and light
herbal notes. Finishes with nice complexity
and sweet tannins. Ready to drink now
and over the next three years. (Weekend
Wine, 09/03
($12).
A delightful little wine, with fresh
red berry aromas and flavors leading
the way, and anise, clove and mineral
notes adding interest. Great value.
Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 07/07)
($15).
Pretty and bright, with juicy red raspberry
and strawberry fruit that lingers through
the fresh finish, picking up spicy fig
preserves and mocha along the way. Ready
to drink now. (Weekend Wine 10/06)
($31). Perhaps the best C-d-P ever from
this omnipresent Rhône producer, and
at an incredible value price. Bright
red fruit, herbal notes, touches of
game and spice, we just cannot say enough
about this wine, and we're not alone.
Should be hitting the shelves soon,
so watch for it and snatch some up before
it's all gone. Best to cellar for a
few years -- at least four and up to
ten. (Splurge Wine, 08/00)
($78).
Incredible collector quality wine, this
is an intense, seriously structured
wine. Focused blackberry fruit is interwoven
with nuances of earth, mineral, toasted
oak, tobacco, and spice. Firm tannins
and a fantastic finish. Really good
now, but should really age for about
five years -- then it will drink well
for the next ten or fifteen years, at
least. (Splurge Wine, 10/00)
($94).
Jammy blackberry fruit flavors with
smoky, peppery notes and full, lush
tannins. Velvety smooth all the way
through the good finish. Ready to drink
now, but will definitely age well for
the next three or four years. (Splurge
Wine, 10/00)
($10). Always a reliable budget
red choice, with moderate red berry,
plum and cherry fruit, warm spices,
good acitiy and a touch of dusty
chocolate. Ready to drink now. (Weekend
Wine 10/06)
($11). Racy red plum and
berry flavors are accented with
touches of white pepper and espresso,
with great acidity through the focused
finish. Ready to drink now. (Weekend
WIne 03/05)
($9). Consistently good buy here
- this vintage is medium-bodied,
with moderate red fruit flavors
and aromas, lovely color, and a
light spiciness. All around pretty
wine. Ready to drink now and over
the next year or so. (Wine Tastings,
02/04)
($10). Ripe black cherry, smoke and
earthy notes. Nicely balanced. Medium
bodied. Good finish. Ready to drink
now and over the next couple of years.
(Wine Skinny Cooks, 12/02)
($90).
The 1997 version of this classic wine
suffers a bit from comparison with
the incredible elixir that was the
1996. (Read: if you can find the 1996
still, buy it instead!) But this is
still a very good wine. Ripe and juicy
red raspberry and intense black currant
flavors dominate, with an undercurrent
of Syrah spiciness that brings balance
and finish. Pretty darn good now,
and should cellar for another 5-10
years. (Skinny Guide to French Wine,
02/00)
($19). Really
good, with an appealing plummy character
and delicate, toasty oak and smoke notes
that linger on the finish. Ready to drink
now. (Weekend Wine 10/06)
($21).
Pure Syrah flavors of blackberry and raspberry
are jazzed up with sultry smoke and spice,
and the result is pure pleasure. Moderate
tannins and a slightly lingering finish
round out the picture. Great now. (Skinny
Guide to French Wine, 02/00)
($40). This is a great example of a Côte
Blonde that is supple and elegant, but
still full-bodied. Very good layers of
fruit, including blackberry and plum,
with a toasty thing happening underneath.
Dense and rich in the mouth, but never
heavy, with a good finish. (Skinny Guide
to French Wine, 02/00)
($45).
This is heaven in a glass. The smooth
spicy bouquet is intoxicating. The black
raspberry and raisin flavors tango with
smoke and game and toast. The finish is
exquisite. Love this wine. (Skinny Guide
to French Wine, 02/00)
($8). Remarkably priced, this spicy red
with notes of coffee and berry was positively
delicious and most certainly elevated
my bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos to epicurious
heights. (Weekend Wine, 03/01)
($12). Rich and ripe, with chocolatey
red berry and plum fruit picking up touches
of black pepper, earth and meat. Ready
to drink now. (Weekend WIne 03/05)
($55).
The old vines seem to make an obvious
contribution here. This wine just tastes
like it knows more than the other wines.
Concentrated fruit, subtle oak, perfumed
florals, wizened tannins -- all combine
to make a high-brown wine. Traditional
in the best sense of the word. (Skinny
Guide to French Wine, 02/00)
($68). Lovely Syrah.
Delicate and powerful at the same time,
this wine will entrance you. Smoky,
earthy, and meaty on the one hand. Bright,
sweet berry, and floral on the other
hand. Extraordinary. (Skinny Guide to
French Wine, 02/00)
($35). This is one of those "few
exceptions." There is more oak
on the nose than you might have expected,
but this "old vines" wine
opens on the palette with plum, blackberry,
and black currant fruits. The deep dark
color is breathtaking. This wine should
cellar beautifully for ten years, or
more, but it is thoroughly enjoyable
now (let it breathe!). (Skinny Guide
to French Wine, 02/00)
($70). Here's an example
of an outstanding wine from an iffy
vintage. Take a whiff of the heady chocolate,
black currant, and spice aromas and
you'll want to take a bath in this stuff.
This is a richly textured, intensely
flavored Syrah. Cellar this baby for
ten or fifteen years and you will not
believe the results! (Skinny Guide to
French Wine, 02/00)
($29). Wonderful happy wine that may
prompt you to declare your dining companions
your "new best friends." This
is solve-the-problems-of-the-world-over-a-bottle-of-wine
wine. Great blackberry fruit and with
enough oak and spice to balance it.
Firm but smooth tannins and a solid
finish. Great stuff -- now and for years
to come! (Skinny Guide to French Wine,
02/00)
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