2004 Hermitage, Cuilleron Gaillard Villard

[newbie]

My husband was recently in France and brought me back a couple of bottles of wine. One of the bottles that he bought for me was a fairly expensive bottle and I want to do this bottle justice when I finally open it up to enjoy. I am a beginner when it comes to wine and have stuck with mostly wines from the okanagan area of British Columbia and therefore am unfamiliar with wines from this area.

I have done a bit of research on wines in France and understand that this wine is from the Northern Rhone region and that it is produced from the syrah grape. I have also read that they are undrinkable for years because of very high levels of tannic acid, which acts as a preservative. Thus, my first question is when will this bottle be drinkable? Also, what is this best served with? Any other information that you can offer in regards to this wine would be appreciated. I've tried searching on the internet for information about this wine and have been unsuccessful to date...

[Brad Ballinger]

Can you be more specific about the wine? Cuilleron, Gaillard, and Villard are all producers from the region. And your post reads as if you have a wine labeled with the names of all three producers.

Also, Hermitage comes in both red and white. Do you know what you have?

[LOS]

Can you be more specific about the wine?  Cuilleron, Gaillard, and Villard are all producers from the region.  And your post reads as if you have a wine labeled with the names of all three producers.

Also, Hermitage comes in both red and white.  Do you know what you have?

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The 3 of them have a collaborative venture; I'd guess this is a bottling from that venture. I don't recall for certain the source of the grapes -- if they are bought in or from the principals' own vines. I suspect they are bought in, as none of the partners had land in Hermitage before the partnership. But I do think that they did buy some land in Vienne, and it's possible that they bought some land in Hermitage as well -- though that certainly would be an expensive proposition.

All the wines I've seen from the partnership have been red, so I suspect this is too. The couple of wines that I tried were a bit international in style, too much so for my tastes.

Newbie, assuming the wine is red, then if you have good storage (slowly changing temp 65 F or cooler, air humidity 40%-80%), this bottle will be at its best in 10-15 years. Perhaps even 20. If you don't have good storage, this bottle will never be better than it is now. Open it with lunch and pour into a decanter (or carafe). Have half a glass with lunch, to see what's it like freshly opened. Drink the rest of the bottle with dinner. Serving temperature should be 60 to 65 F, a bit on the cool side.

Edited March 26, 2007 by LOS (log)

[newbie]

Can you be more specific about the wine?  Cuilleron, Gaillard, and Villard are all producers from the region.  And your post reads as if you have a wine labeled with the names of all three producers.

Also, Hermitage comes in both red and white.  Do you know what you have?

←

The 3 of them have a collaborative venture; I'd guess this is a bottling from that venture. I don't recall for certain the source of the grapes -- if they are bought in or from the principals' own vines. I suspect they are bought in, as none of the partners had land in Hermitage before the partnership. But I do think that they did buy some land in Vienne, and it's possible that they bought some land in Hermitage as well -- though that certainly would be an expensive proposition.

All the wines I've seen from the partnership have been red, so I suspect this is too. The couple of wines that I tried were a bit international in style, too much so for my tastes.

Newbie, assuming the wine is red, then if you have good storage (slowly changing temp 65 F or cooler, air humidity 40%-80%), this bottle will be at its best in 10-15 years. Perhaps even 20. If you don't have good storage, this bottle will never be better than it is now. Open it with lunch and pour into a decanter (or carafe). Have half a glass with lunch, to see what's it like freshly opened. Drink the rest of the bottle with dinner. Serving temperature should be 60 to 65 F, a bit on the cool side.

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That is right, all three producers are on the label and it is a red wine. The label reads Hermitage 2004, Cuilleron Gaillard Villard, Les Chirats de St Christophe, Les Vins de Vienne. I will post a photo of the label later. Thanks LOS for your advice, unfortunately I do not have good storage and I don't know if I could wait that long to try it so I will definitely heed your advice and open it earlier in the day and try it a few different times to see how it opens up and changes. What food would you recommend serving this with?

[Brad Ballinger]

The 3 of them have a collaborative venture; I'd guess this is a bottling from that venture.  I don't recall for certain the source of the grapes -- if they are bought in or from the principals' own vines.  I suspect they are bought in, as none of the partners had land in Hermitage before the partnership.  But I do think that they did buy some land in Vienne, and it's possible that they bought some land in Hermitage as well -- though that certainly would be an expensive proposition. 

All the wines I've seen from the partnership have been red, so I suspect this is too.  The couple of wines that I tried were a bit international in style, too much so for my tastes.

←

Lee, thanks for the clarification. This is a new one on me.