WTN: Mega-Rhônes and more

[geo t.]

The party was at Anne and Putnam Weekly’s place in old Day-twah, and it was one not to miss, not only for the fine spread of food, but especially for some serious Rhônes that don’t get opened all that often around here. I’ll refrain from waxing poetic about a fine time had with good friends and new acquaintances and get right to the meat of the subject, namely the wines.

1998 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues, 15% alc.: Putnam describes this dark garnet monster as “a train wreck,” and one taste will tell you just what he’s talking about. It’s all deep, dark black fruit on the nose, with licorice, dark bitter chocolate, earth and tar on the palate. Still plenty of tannins to resolve here, along with good acidity, a long finish and a bit of an alcoholic bite, this is some years from optimum drinking, so forget about it until its tenth birthday or beyond.

1998 Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée da Capo, 16% alc.: A legendary cuvée made only in the very best vintages, this deep dark garnet isn’t showing much on the nose besides leather right now, but the flavors pick it up bigtime with black currant, blackberry, leather, earth and alcoholic heat. A very intense wine that needs a lot of time, and one probably wouldn’t be wrong to sit on it until 2013 or beyond. A Robert Parker 100 pointer, it is a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% of the other twelve permitted varietals.

2001 Dugat – Py Charmes – Chambertin Grand Cru, 13.5% alc.: True, this deep, dark garnet red Burgundy strayed from the theme of the evening, but in fact, this is a big wine that has an almost Rhône – like quality in the mouth. It’s all deep dark plum and black cherry, with just a hint of the barnyard on the nose and a note of smoke as it opens. Very dry, and rather thick; Putnam describes it as “sappy.” The wine needs years, but has the stuffing to go the distance; try it in 2012.

2001 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvée de Lopy, 14% alc.: I’ve heard great things about this inky garnet cuvée, and it more than lives up to the advance billing, with plenty of cola – root beer and sea air on the nose, all of which carries over into the flavors with big leathery black plum and black currant on a full bodied frame. It’s tannic, but no so much so that you can’t drink it now with some air, and indeed, it opens dramatically in the glass. Classic Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras, and a perfect example of why I love the wines from this producer.

2000 Domaine Mordoree Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois, 14.5% alc.: Here’s another one that we don’t get to taste too often, and it’s some seriously good stuff. Deep, dark garnet in color, with a whiff of the barnyard and black fruit nose, this also opens dramatically in the glass, showing big smoke, leather, pepper, dark chocolate and black fruit. Double damned good, and by the last sip, absolutely delicious.

1992 M. Chapoutier Ermitage “La Pavillon,” 13.5% alc.: I’m not the biggest fan of Chapoutier’s wines, but this ruby garnet syrah will make me think again about that. It’s showing little, if any bricking to its color, and throws a mature nose of saddle leather, spice, prune and a little smoke, all of which echoes so nicely in the flavors. Tannins are pretty much resolved, with fairly low acidity. Very mellow and flavorful; yum yum yum yum yum!

1991 Ridge Monte Bello, 13.1% alc.: OK, so this isn’t a Rhône, but there weren’t any objections voiced when Tom Natoci opened it, and indeed, it was one of the wines of the night. It’s pretty much everything I remember it being from the last time we tasted it at Ridgestock, with all that Draper perfume over lovely cassis, black currant, chocolate, perfectly proportioned sweet oak, just a touch of cedar and sea air and a little herbal note lurking in the background. Soft, smooth, rich and delicious, this is just starting to develop those secondary nuances that give fine mature cabernet sauvignon so much character.

1990 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne, 13.4% alc.: Amazing! Two Chapoutiers that I really like, and both tasted on the same occasion! There’s no rust to the dark garnet color here as of yet; flavors and aromas show slightly musty (a good thing, in this case) leather, plum and prune, being rich, smooth and delicious. Tannins are resolved, acids are low, and there’s a soft herbal element in the background that makes it even more attractive. A ’91 version of this was also opened, but showed a little less of everything that this one had to offer, not to mention a slightly sour, vegetal quality.

1990 Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Laurence, 14% alc.: At that point of the evening when Gary Kahle opened this, the note taking was getting a little fuzzy, but not because there was anything wrong with the wines, this one in particular. The deep, dark garnet color isn’t even hinting at any bricking or rust, and the sleek, smooth flavors and aromas are all prune, plum, leather, underbrush and smoke. An absolutely lovely Châteauneuf du Pape, and one that I would like to have gotten to know better.

1999 Voge Cornas, 13% alc.: This one looks like ink, and has a character something like bacon fat and coffee spilled all over patent leather shoes. If that sounds weird, it’s actually quite tasty, and remarkably approachable for so young a Cornas. Very fine indeed.

1999 Eric Texier Cote Rotie: I dictated this final note to Kim, who dutifully recorded my brief impressions: slightly astringent, with a lot of garrigue, black currant, bacon and a little hint of violet; sleek, streamlined, and drinking quite well for its relative youth.

Wow, what a lineup! If we’d had red Rhône mojo like this in early May, the Detroit Red Wings might still be playing hockey, instead of golf. I’d be hard pressed to pick between the ’92 Ermitage “La Pavillon” and the ’91 Ridge Monte Bello as my WOTN, but then not only did nothing suck, there was an amazingly high level of quality across the board. Many, many thanks to Anne and Putnam for allowing us the opportunity to sample such rare and wonderful wines, and thanks also to those in attendance for their generous contributions.

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

Edited May 26, 2004 by geo t. (log)