Impressions, Marche aux Vins, Ampuis, 2004

[LOS]

I recently returned from the Marche aux Vins 2004 in Ampuis. Judging wine there can be difficult, as you only get a small pour in an INAO glass and have no chance to decant the wines. So I taste the wines multiple times, and try to get at least one pour from a nearly-empty bottle. Even then, the wine may simply be in an awkward phase. So take these notes for what they are worth.

2002 Condrieu -- severely lacking in acid; few impressive wines here. For the first time, I returned home with no Condrieu at all (excepting the Gaillard dessert wine).

2002 Hermitage -- there were only a couple of these at the Marche, but they pointed to a very weak year for Hermitage as well.

2002 Cote-Rotie -- A poor year, but not the total disaster that it seems to be in Condrieu and Hermitage. Even the best wines will be short-term drinkers and are likely be poor value in the US market. My favorites were Jasmin and Ogier.

2002 St Joseph -- in both red and white, these wines seemed to fare better than any of the other appellations. Still, not a great year.

2001 Cote-Rotie -- there were still quite a few of these at the Marche. They were surprisingly easy drinking, absent the mouth-puckering tannins that are often evident at this stage in evolution. Very nice depth to these wines.

2001 St Joseph -- the best vintage for red St Jo since I've been going. The Montez Cuvee du Papy is the best St Jo I've ever had. The Deboisseyt-Chol Rivoire was superb too.

2003 Cote Rotie -- many of these were nasty wines. They showed a huge amount of tannin, some more tannin, very little acid, and some decent fruit buried underneath all that tannin. Did I say they were tannic? But remember that these are very young wines, and they will continue to evolve in barrel. The best wines were from Gaillard, P et C Bonnefond, Jasmin, Ogier, Lafoy. I did not taste the wines from Jamet and some other notables.

Producer Notes

Duclaux -- a nice 2001, past wines have been hit or miss

Gilles Remillier -- absent this year. Too bad, as they have usually made nice wines

Champet -- also absent this year

Bonserine -- they seem to have tamed the oak a bit. The basic 2001 cuvee was nice enough, the 2001 La Garde had solid depth but was very tannic, the

other 2001 prestige cuvee was an oaky mess

Coursodon -- Nice white St Jo here

Jasmin -- bottles of 2001 Cote-Rotie were available in 500 mL here, a great wine in a nice weekday-dinner size.

Voge -- the 2001 Vielles Fontaines was not showing well, but I picked some up anyway on the advice of a local who had tasted it just before bottling. Bottled 2 weeks before the Marche.

Daubree -- a newcomer. Had a convincing 1999, and some nice 2001s.

[Chris Kissack]

LOS

It's good to read your impressions of 2002 in the north, thanks for posting them. With the floods in the southern Rhone I was pretty certain that the vintage there would be wrecked. But I also had a feeling that the north would be a similar story. reading between the lines of what en primeur offers I've had (not many!) I began to think I was right. Your post confirms it. With plenty on offer over the past few vintages; 2001 & 1998 in the south (2000 and 1999 also good) and 1999 in the north I think this is a vintage where I will make no purchases at all.

My expereinceof 2001 in the north is that this is a lesser, fruity vintage. One where you have to try before you buy I think.

BWs

Chris