Rhone (Rhône)

• Châteauneuf-du-Pape
• Cornas
• Crozes-Hermitage
• Gigondas
• Hermitage
• Lirac
• Saint Joseph

Having just recently tasted the 2017, it was interesting to try the 2018.  For my tastes, this was just a bit better than the 2017, but that is probably because it is more open and accessible.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly clear and bright.  Very nice nose with black raspberries, black pepper, spice, slight fresh cut lumber and slight violets.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is drinking well if young.  Lots of black raspberry fruit.  Depth but tight.  Underlying char and spice.  A fair amount of oak on the finish.  This will get better and holding ano

This is 95% Grenache.  Ruby/purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cherries, char and floral notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, this has lovely black cherry fruit, some cherries and spice.  Nice finish.  This seems to be about at peak at this point.  It should drink well for another five to eight years, but won't get better.  Nice on its own, this will be better with food.  A nice wine with beef stew.  

From the late Phillipe Cambie, this is 100% destemmed Grenache.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black cherries, graphite, spices and roasted meat.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black cherries with great minerality.  Not as big a wine as one might expect from Cambie.  Deep.  Delicious.  Nice finish.  Drink over the next ten years.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  This would work well with fried chicken.  

Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with plums, black pepper, and black cherries.  Full bodied.  Lovely texture.  On the palate, plums and cherries with slight char.  Clean.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This is young and showing ripe fruit.  It is drinking well but may improve with a few more years of cellaring.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  it will work well with braised meats.  

This is a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the rest is the other permitted varietals.  At age 22, it is showing some age and a bit past prime.  This bottle had been bought on release and well cellared.  Ruby/brown in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, dried cherries, soy/umami, and spice.  Medium bodied.  There are some drying tannins left.  Better on the palate.  Complex with layers of dried and fresh cherries.  Good balance.  Nice finish.

This was from a 375ml bottle bought on release.  Purple in color, slightly flat, opaque.  The nose is dusty with black cherries, black raspberries, and some roasted meat.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is past maturity but still with plenty to offer.  Nice complexity.  Black raspberry fruit with underlying char.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  These should be consumed soon.  Better with good.  Chili would work well.  

This is 100% Syrah.  Purple in color with slight ruby swirls.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black cherries, black olives and smoked meats.  Full bodied.  On the palate, black raspberries, salinity, and char.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for the next eight to twelve years.  It works well on its own and would work well with hearty meat or lamb based dishes.  

This is a blend of 96% Serine (a Syrah clone) and 4% Viognier.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, smoke and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is on the more elegant side of Cote Rotie.  Nice black raspberry fruit with some char.  Good finish.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for another seven to ten years.  It will work better with food.  This would go well with pork chops.  

This is a blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier from the Cote Blonde in the southern end of Cote Rotie.  The nose is lovely.  Quite floral (violets?) but also black raspberries and spice.  Full bodied.  Viscous/glycerin texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries, black cherries and char.  Good balance.  Good finish.  This is drinking well today and should continue for another five to eight years.  This is lighter in style than most Cote Rotie's making it very food friendly.  It would work well with roasted fowl.  

This is made from 100% Serine (Syrah) vines that are about 45 years old.  Purple in color with ruby swirls although a bit flat.  The nose is very perfumed with black raspberries, violets but also smoked meats.  Full bodied.  Nice drinkable texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, lots of black raspberry fruit with some smoke and minerality.  Good finish.  This is drinking well now but will still improve a bit.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  It is nice on its own but will work better with food.  Braised meat and potato dishes would work well.