Tag Archives: France

July 24, 2012 · 5:01 pm

Chateau Montrose – 24/07/2012

Chateau Montrose 2008
Nice classic colour. Classic Medoc nose, cassis tar, cigar leather, dusty ripe stalks. Precise and fresh, straight lines of tannin and acid, soft mellow and rich, good structure and approachable now, with lots of potential for ageing. Nice slight astringency and volatility and a very slight bret character that adds to the complexity. Tight and lean, slight green notes from the petit verdot. Fruit needs more time to open up and express itself.

Chateau Montrose 2008

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July 24, 2012 · 4:31 pm

Chateau d’Yquem – 23/07/2012

Chateau d’Yquem 2006
Bright golden colour, not a hint of orange. Very concentrated oily nose, apricot peach pear, dry honey and vanilla beans, finesse and elegance but very aromatic. Intense creamy texture, vanilla lanolin, fresh fruits, some delicate sweet spice, quite bracing in the acidity and astringency, needs some more time to soften and develop, A very textured wine, hiding a lot of its complexity under creaminess and alcohol.

Chateau d’Yquem from the year of my birth, not a real bottle and not tasted regretfully

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July 24, 2012 · 4:29 pm

Chateau L’Eglise Clinet – 23/07/2012

2011 Le Petite Eglise
Nice delicate colour, light and fresh with ruby undertones. Very charcuterie-like on the nose, with bright but closed red fruits. Tight fresh and lively, deep concentration without being heavy or fat, slightly candied o the back of the palate, density of fruit looking nice and approachable, with some developing oak notes of caramel and char.

2011 Chateau L’Eglise Clinet
More intense dark purple colour. Darker fruits, more intense floral aromas, a little dusty molasses. Much more intense structure and texture, more robust fruit tannins, but soft and approachable, just youthful and intense. Some tightness from the cab franc perhaps, a refined merlot structure.

Chateau l’Eglise-Clinet 2002, unfortunately not tasted

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July 24, 2012 · 3:35 pm

Comtes Von Neipperg – 23/07/2012

Chateau D’Aiguihe 2007
Nice tarry black fruits cassis blackcurrant with a slight dusty balsamic note. Soft bright, good intensity and freshness, dark fruits but soft and structured. Approachable tannins and very well balanced. Reasonably simple but quite good.

Clos de L’Oratoire Grand Cru 2007
Slightly deeper and earthier, more brooding and yet still bright and fresh with expressive dark fruits. More character in the palate, earthier more savoury elements, definitely oak influence in the flavours and texture. Slightly chewier but balanced through the palate.

Chateau Canon la Gaffeliere Grand Cru 2007
More refined and closed, more mature and assured, earthy and slightly meaty with concentrated red fruits. Very bright lifted and intense, very fresh and pure, late influence on oak, structure but wonderful lines through the palate, very young. A coiled spring will open up with time.

La Mondotte 2007
More floral and dark fruits, nice concentration and lifted aromatics, full on the nose and inviting. Soft mellow and smooth, but balanced and structured through the palate. Very approachable now, not sure it will improve much, it’s great now. Quite different.

Chateau Canon la Gafelliere

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June 1, 2012 · 2:58 pm

Neither here nor there (Rhone Valley, France – Day Seven)

After seven days in the Rhone Valley I feel much more comfortable with the wines, people and terroir. Of course there were a number of very cult producers that I would have liked to visit, but they are notoriously difficult to get appointments with. I think it is more important that I visited a number of key producers that work across many appelations, so that I can see how interpretations may differ or be similar. I’ve certainly had my fill of syrah and grenache based wines, but would like to get more experience with the white, rose and sweet wines of the region. It is so interesting to see how different philosophies and approaches can both produce outstanding but different wine. Take the last two appointments I had in the region; the first was with a producer that not only has vineyards in both the Northern and Southern Rhone Valley (quite rare), they also have vineyards in other regions in France, Portugal and even Australia, producing millions of bottles each year; the second producer is a much smaller cult producer only working with fruit from three appelations in the Northern Rhone Valley.

Hermitage vineyards above Tain l’Hermitage

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May 31, 2012 · 11:40 pm

Alain Voge – 28/05/2012

Harmonie Saint Peray 2010 (100% marsanne)

Floral white peach pear and apple aromas. Bright fresh and very tight acid structure, generous volume with bright freshness and crispness, textured salinity and minerality.

Terres Boisees Saint Peray 2010 (100% marsanne)

Honey cheese and citrus aromas with clear barrel fermented character reminiscent of white burgundy. Textural yet lifted finesse on the palate, a tad reductive and closed for now with some green fruit notes that will develop over time.

Fleur de Crussol Saint Peray 2010

Very tight mineral limestone notes, with flinty complexity and citrus green apricot fruits. Textural depth, concentration and density, very young and deserving of cellaring.

Saint Joseph 2009

Intense violet aromas with earth and spiced meat over black fruits. Very tight and focused on the palate, showing intensity but also finesse, youthful and exuberant.

Cornas Les Vielles Vignes 2008

A challenging wine from a challenging vintage. Spicy pepper, red cherries, pomegranates and dark floral notes on the nose. Gentle sweet tannins yet pure precise and linear, delicate integrity with finesse and length. Stunning.

Cornas Les Chailles 2009

Ruby juby and sweet dark fruit, red liquorice with sweet Indian spice on the nose. Bold broad but high on the palate, dense tannins with a slightly astringent finish from youth, quite forward and full, needs to settle in the bottle more.

Cornas Les Vielles Vignes 2009

More savoury red spice roasted notes aromatically, with elegant violets, dark fruits and chocolate. Gentle mellow and bright on the palate, juicy voluptuous tannins and elegant softens, approachable yet fine and bold.

Cornas Les Vielles Fontaines 2009

Very subtle black fruits, florals and some sweet oak aromas. Full accentuated expression, very warm and powerful in structure and tannins, dark and masculine, big and intense.

Cornas Les Vielles Vignes 2010 (barrel sample)

Youthful and exuberant, wonderful concentration and balance, powerful fruit expression that carries through the whole palate. Amazing potential for ageing, will live for at least 40 years.

Saint Peray Cremant

Bright peach and apple fruit aromas, very fresh and fine acids. Pleasant profile and bead.
Cornas tasting at Alain Voge

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May 31, 2012 · 11:34 pm

M. Chapoutier – 28/05/2012

Les Meysonierres Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 2011 (100% marsanne)
Quite honeyed stone fruit citrus notes, subtle richness of oil and floral aromas. Generous and full on the palate, clean yet concentrated, with some nutty texture late on the palate, fresh but complete and complex.

Les Granilites Saint Joseph Blanc 2010 (100% marsanne)

More concentration and density of fruit, bolder riper honey and subtle spice aromas. Intense texture, very linear but will develop further over time.

Chante-Alouettes Hermitage Blanc 2010 (100% marsanne)

Quite closed and subtle, ripe and rich yet fresh and tight, with some shy green fruit notes. Wonderful persistence and balance, good length and intensity, with plenty of ageing potential considering the vintage.

Les Meysonnieres Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2009

Delicate spice aromas nice to see for the vintage in this appellation, dark fruits floral and pepper. Very tight and intense on the palate, good integrity and approachability, not jammy or broad at all with freshness and depth.

Les Granilites Saint Josph Rouge 2010

Young subtle and delicate on the nose, expressing green pepper and thick skinned blackberries. Elegant restraint on the palate, spicy depth and approachably bold fruit, fine and tight tannins and generosity.

Sizeranne Hermitage 2009

Bright intense purple colour, juicy juby dark fruit forward nose. Very mellow and full on the palate, gentle and broad, a little too heavy in the extraction of tannin from the skins and oak, on the aggressive side.

Le Pavillon Ermitage 2008

A truly exceptional wine; beautifully aromatic yet subtle floral, red currants, wild cherry earth and mineral notes. Expressive density yet elegant and light, balanced intensity and savoury finesse, more like a burgundy in style but unmistakeably syrah.

Historic Chapoutier cellars

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May 31, 2012 · 11:26 pm

A pleasant surprise (Rhone Valley, France – Day Six)

There are few who would argue that the most important grape variety by far in Australia is syrah, or as we call it shiraz. The range of styles produce from this grape, or a blend including this grape, is pretty big. The wines can range from jammy fruit bombs, to tannic oak monsters, to intense fine and peppery, and in many cases somewhere in between. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of mediocre shiraz made in Australia, which is not surprising as it is the most planted variety and you would struggle to find a region that doesn’t have at least some shiraz. There is a reason why Australian shiraz is so strong both domestically and overseas, and it is partly because of the quality and partly because of the value. Considering this, I find it very surprising that wines from the Rhone Valley, particularly those from the Northern Rhone aren’t the most popular imported wines. It may have something to with the fact that for many years the majority of wines produced here are too expensive for most Australians, but did not have the acclaim of Champagne, Bordeaux or Burgundy. With the increased value of the Australian dollar against the Euro, now is an ideal time to be investing in the Rhone Valley as you can still find some absolute bargains in every appellation and price category. Just don’t expect it to be like most Australian shiraz. The two producers I visited in the very Northern Rhone Valley on Day Six are both at the pinnacle of syrah production, but have slightly different approaches.
Cote-Rotie vineyards

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May 31, 2012 · 11:05 pm

Pierre Gaillard – 26/05/2012

Saint Joseph Blanc 2011

Quite tight mineralic lees notes on the nose, pear, peach apple and star fruit. Soft gentle and rich on the palate, pure and focused fruit with good approachable texture and depth.

Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc 2011 (technically Saint Joseph but includes viognier)

Very blossomy floral aromas, vibrant apricot freshness and some candied fruit notes aromatically. Great depth, vibrancy and volume, focus drive and fruit richness with a bit of creaminess on the back.

Condrieu 2011

Very delicate floral notes and sweet spice on the nose. Intensity richness and viscosity on the palate, focus drive and elegance but good restraint and balance, textural yet fine and structured.

L’Octroi Condrieu 2011

The best white wine by far, incredibly subtle yet intense, red mineral notes with some flinty granitic characters and bright golden delicious aromas. Expressive yet linear and confident, bold texture but not at all hot or fat, not at all creamy or blunt.

Asiaticus Vin des Pays 2007 (vineyard in Viennes)

Tight focused and very delicate in colour, intense small blueberry characters, very dry tannins, ripe broad and soft with violet floral aromas, but somewhat unsure of itself.

Saint Joseph Rouge 2010

Young delicate and fresh, very vibrant round and full-flavoured with good intensity and integrity. Fruit notes of raspberry and cherry spice.

Clos de Cuminaille Saint Joseph Rouge 2010

Earthier red fruits, less vibrant spice notes, more minerality on the nose. More mature expression on the palate, developed intensity and power, density of fruit and tannins with great depth and approachability.

Les Pierres Saint Joseph Rouge 2010

Wilder mushroom and dark earth aromas, quite perfumed blackcurrants and violets. Crunchy tannins and vibrant acids on the palate, bold and forward but somewhat overworked in terms of density and lacking subtlety somewhat.

Cote Rotie 2010

Purity of fruit, somewhat full on the palate, not heavy but very expressive, good balance of fruit and tannins but lacking in depth and extension on the palate.

Rose Pourpre Cote Rotie 2010

Insanely complex, complete mature aromatics, perfectly balanced intense and elegant, nothing stands out at all, a very rare complete wine. The best of the range.

Cornas 2010

Very closed, intense oak aromas, sweet very black fruits, full broad and generous on the palate with lively intensity ad softness.
Pierre Gaillard Condrieu

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May 31, 2012 · 10:55 pm

Domaine Barge – 26/05/2012

Saint Joseph 2011 (barrel sample)

Dark spice pepper, dense chalky minerality. Elegant and approachable yet masculine and mature, great character for a wine of this appellation, good savoury notes and spicy game and earth.

Combard Cote Rotie 2011 (Old Francois Freres barrel sample)

Amazingly mature spice pepper, smoky toasty popcorn with blackberry fruit. Delicate and fine, fresh and bright, pure and generous with contemplative confidence and peppery tannins.

Combard Cote Rotie 2011 (new oak barrel sample)

Slightly more closed and toasty from the new oak, juicier fruit character and weight, creamier texture and extraction from the new oak tannins, slight vanilla element.

Combard Cote Rotie 2011 (one-year old Francois Freres barrel sample)

Same toast popcorn brittle character as the first sample, a more youthful expression of the fruit with more oak texture, fuller and more powerful but hiding the terroir a little.

Duplessy Cote Rotie 2011 (barrel sample)

Bold dark fruits, slight floral and reduced pepper spice, retaining maturity on the nose. Vibrant fruit and fresh acids on the palate, powerful mid-palate but with elegance, generous tannin structure.

Cote Brune 2011 (barrel sample)

Wild masculine nose of spices and balsamic, herbs and roasted elements. Powerful intense concentration, expressively complex and long, still approachable and not at all aggressive, subtle and supple tannins.

Duplessy 2010 (barrel sample)

Violets, black olives and balsamic notes surrounding blackcurrants and crushed dry pepper on the nose. Concentrated finesse and length on the palate, purity and liveliness with a core of liquorice, youthful expression and brightness.

Combard Cote Rotie 2007

Garnet, violets, very delicate black pepper spice, some red fruits and generous ripeness, but showing some development. Very closed at the moment, took a while to open up after some breathing, soft in tannins and structure but not yet velvety, compact and lean but the complete package.
Domaine Barge

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