Chris Sprague wrote:
> Though they're hopelessly amateur, and in some cases, embarrassingly
> minimalistic, here they are, with some commentary (basically my
> journal entry, picking up part-way through day 6):
Chris,
First of all, thank you for posting these notes. You may consider
them amateurish, but they are well-written and convey a definite sense
of what you were experiencing. I almost feel as if I had visited those
domaines myself.
> 5) 2005 Z de l'Arjolle, Vin de Table. 100% Zinfandel. Yes, Zinfandel
> from France. In fact, from the only 1 Hectare in the entire country.
> This wine was largely the reason we went to this estate in the first
> place, since it sounded so intriguing. On the nose, there was
> absolutely no doubt whatsoever. Zin nose all the way. Jam and spice,
> dense mouthfeel, with dark fruit notes. Nose has very small hint of
> tar at first, which dissipates quickly, and does not follow through on
> the palatte. Some tannins, and I feel this could use a bit of time.
> Very well executed, and I'm very interested in seeing how this one
> develops. I've found that dense zins tend to open up and get jammier
> after 4-5 years in the bottle anyway. I brought home two of these.
Thanks for this note. Some years ago in this group, it was mentioned
that Zin was being grown in France, but this is the first note I've seen
on one. It's kind of like coals to Newcastle bringing these home, but
maybe not given your location.
>
> 6) 2004 AOC Vacqueyras Rouge, Cuvee des Templiers. Blend of Syrah and
> Grenache. I found this one to be very Syrah forward, and the wine
> overall was somewhat mroe approachable right now than the above. Syrah
> without the over-ripe, manipulated international style that I'm really
> starting to dislike greatly. A refreshing, honest syrah for once! Good
> structure and entirely pleasant, and I feel this would probably last a
> few years, too. Good!
The Rhone valley is where to go to refresh your interest in Syrah. In
Cote-Rotie and Cornas you can find several producers who make
spectacular, honest Syrah. For whatever reason, I usually find the
wines of Vacqueyras to show more Syrah character than either Gigondas,
Rasteau, CdP or CdR, despite the fact that AOC rules don't specify any
more Syrah in Vacqueyras than elsewhere.
8) 2002 Grenat Noble. Made from 40% Grenache infected with noble rot,
> and 60% normal Grenache, then fermented dry to 14.5 ABV. A VERY unique
> wine, perhaps unique in the entire world. From reading about it, you
> might expect something that hints of Amarone, given the concentated
> sugar then fermented dry method of vinification. Anyway... Definite
> grenache character on the nose, which is dense, spicy, and fruity.
> Different than Amarone, with spice replacing the dense raisiny notes
> you get with Amarone. This still though has plenty of density and
> power, the balance is just different. Unique and very good, and
> honestly, better than expected. Black pepper notes very prevalent.
> This is grenache on steroids. Great stuff, and I brought two of these
> back with me.
Fascinating note. Did the wine show any botyritis character? In white
wines, it usually imparts flavors of apricot and honey (to my taste). I
recently read some speculation about botrytized red wines; it's
wonderful to read about one that actually exists!
> 3) 2006 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Veilles Vignes Blanc.
> 100% Roussanne. Dense, rich, and complex, with aromas of melons,
> canteloupe, and similar tropical fruits. Lowish acidity, but the fruit
> was absolutely *beautiful*. This wine was noteworth in it's elegance,
> balance, and freshness. Absolutely fantastic, as it should be for the
> $120 or so they ask for it. This vintage is not on the market yet,
> only in primeurs, and we were probably among the first people anywhere
> to sample this from a bottle.
I can't ****ing believe that they served you the Roussanne VV! I am so
****ed that we missed our appointment at Beaucastel the last time we
were in CdP (long story -- don't ask) now.
> 6) 1989 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge. This note will
> be difficult to interpret if you're unused to aged red wines, but I'm
> going to transcribe it verbatim. Smells evolved. Hint of oxidation.
> Fruit has softened and evolved, bringing the secondary characteristics
> more to the forefront...barnyard, leather, utterly complex and
> interesting. Very little bricking for the age, must have been well
> extracted when vinified, though it is now overall just a tad orange.
> Amazingly complex both on nose and palatte, with a long, lingering
> finish of earthy red fruit, barnyard, leather...just wow. Among the
> top 5 most intersting wines I've ever tasted.
Now I am REALLY ****ed off. They served the '89? at a normal tasting??
This is the third positive note I've read on the '89 in the past week.
I've still got a bottle in the cellar, but I'm going to hold off as
long as I can before opening it. This note doesn't help, Chris.
Thanks for the great notes,
Mark Lipton
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