It is our usual practice to consume Cotes du Rhones in their first 5
years of life. However, with the tumult of the past year, certain
wines have slipped through the cracks. As a consequence, we found
ourselves opening up a bottle of the '98 Dom. des Girasoles Cotes du
Rhone last night with dinner.

nose: intense dark cherry and herbs
palate: superb intensity, kirsch, good backbone and full body

This was a wine still in its prime (and a good accompaniment to
slow-smoked pork rib BBQ) and could have passed for a minor CdP.
Produced by Paul Joyet in Rasteau, it had far more guts and character
than a run-of-the-mill CdR. Of course, it also reflects the quality of
the '98 vintage in the S. Rhone. It makes me wish that I had kept more
'98 CdRs in the cellar...

I also opened a bottle of the '99 Dom du Gros Noré Bandol today. A
semi-local retailer's been selling it as "buy one bottle, pay 1¢ for the
next" -- a deal I can't refuse. :-)

color: dark purple-red with no visible browning at the edges
nose: a big whack of dark plums and stones
palate: big, rich, plums, briery, good structure and soft tannins

Still a lot of life left in this one, but it has hit its stride. It is
drinking beautifully now and will easily last for another 5 years at least.

Mark Lipton

"Mark Lipton" > skrev i meddelandet
news:n0K9d.438822$8_6.353920@attbi_s04...
<...>
> I also opened a bottle of the '99 Dom du Gros Noré Bandol today. A
> semi-local retailer's been selling it as "buy one bottle, pay 1¢ for the
> next" -- a deal I can't refuse. :-)
>
> color: dark purple-red with no visible browning at the edges
> nose: a big whack of dark plums and stones
> palate: big, rich, plums, briery, good structure and soft tannins
>
> Still a lot of life left in this one, but it has hit its stride. It is
> drinking beautifully now and will easily last for another 5 years at
least.


Hello Mark;

Nice to hear something about the `99 from good ole Gros Noré - I have a box
of that vintage sleeping in my cellar since that outing back in 2001. SO,
you think it´s time to drink `em up? Sure they´re not going down a tunnel?

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

--
Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se

Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:

> Nice to hear something about the `99 from good ole Gros Noré - I have a box
> of that vintage sleeping in my cellar since that outing back in 2001. SO,
> you think it´s time to drink `em up? Sure they´re not going down a tunnel?

No, Nils, I can profess no great certainty regarding the aging of
Bandol. That I leave to our esteemed friend M. Tommasi. From what I
know of Mourvedre, I suspect that they age slowly indeed. This was
probably the 3rd bottle of the '99 we've had since that visit, and I can
say categorically that it's been progressing nicely the whole way. If
there was a "dumb" phase I presume that I missed it.

Mark Lipton

"Mark Lipton" > skrev i meddelandet
news:jfhad.339805$mD.195648@attbi_s02...
> Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:
>
> > Nice to hear something about the `99 from good ole Gros Noré - I have a
box
> > of that vintage sleeping in my cellar since that outing back in 2001.
SO,
> > you think it´s time to drink `em up? Sure they´re not going down a
tunnel?
>
> No, Nils, I can profess no great certainty regarding the aging of
> Bandol. That I leave to our esteemed friend M. Tommasi. From what I
> know of Mourvedre, I suspect that they age slowly indeed. This was
> probably the 3rd bottle of the '99 we've had since that visit, and I can
> say categorically that it's been progressing nicely the whole way. If
> there was a "dumb" phase I presume that I missed it.


According to the brother of Mr Pascal (Mr Pascal), the aging potential of a
red Bandol should be 15-20 years (expressed in sign lagnuage, grunts, and a
slow torrent of heavily accetned near-French).
It´s funny, I have never experienced a red Bandol that I could truly say was
in a tunnel. I haven´t started drinking the `99s we bought in 2001 - those
from Tour du Bon are marked as 'open 2005-6'.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf


--
Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se

"Mark Lipton" > skrev i meddelandet
news:jfhad.339805$mD.195648@attbi_s02...
> Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:
>
> > Nice to hear something about the `99 from good ole Gros Noré - I have a
box
> > of that vintage sleeping in my cellar since that outing back in 2001.
SO,
> > you think it´s time to drink `em up? Sure they´re not going down a
tunnel?
>
> No, Nils, I can profess no great certainty regarding the aging of
> Bandol. That I leave to our esteemed friend M. Tommasi. From what I
> know of Mourvedre, I suspect that they age slowly indeed. This was
> probably the 3rd bottle of the '99 we've had since that visit, and I can
> say categorically that it's been progressing nicely the whole way. If
> there was a "dumb" phase I presume that I missed it.


According to the brother of Mr Pascal (Mr Pascal), the aging potential of a
red Bandol should be 15-20 years (expressed in sign lagnuage, grunts, and a
slow torrent of heavily accetned near-French).
It´s funny, I have never experienced a red Bandol that I could truly say was
in a tunnel. I haven´t started drinking the `99s we bought in 2001 - those
from Tour du Bon are marked as 'open 2005-6'.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf


--
Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se