1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1999
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$200.00USD

Purchased on release and well cellared.  Pop and pour, the cork was stained about half way up but not compromised.  The first sip really grabs one's attention.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, lots of earthiness, black cherries and a bit of roasted meats.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and layered.  Lots of vibrant fruit; black raspberries and black cherries.  Great balance.  Seems to be just about at mature peak.  Nice finish.  The bottle improved over a few hours before just starting to tail off.  Drink over the nex

2015 J.L. Chave Sélection Hermitage Blanche

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

Nice to try this on its own (not compared to its big brother).  Very crisp and refreshing.  What it might lack in depth it makes up for in energy.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has slight wax, peach, and slight white flower notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Lovely acidity.  On the palate, ginger, tangerine and peach with some minerality.  Nice finish.  This will drink well over the next ten to twelve years.  It worked very well with vegetarian spring rolls and chips and guacamole.  

2009 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

Nice showing for this wine as it seems to be just getting close to maturity.  It is a blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise with the rest made up of the other 9 permitted varietals in Châteauneuf.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose is great with black cherries, raspberries, plums, roasted meats, slight earthiness and a hint of violets.  Full bodied.  Complex.  On the palate, light tannins.  Plums, black cherries, cherries with underlying earthiness. Clean.  This should drink well for another twelve to fifteen years.  A nice match for beef stew.  

2004 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$125.00USD

This was drinking great, at or close to mature peak.  Ruby/purple, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is classic Pegau, that is, barnyard.  Approaching the limits of Brett tolerance.  Also some black cherries and slight spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, the Brett is present but not as noticeable.  Fresh cherries and black cherries with some spice.  Complex and layered.  Delicious and contemplative.  Long finish.  drink these over the next four to seven years if well stored.  This drinks great on its own but would work great with lamb stew.  

2018 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

A friend of mine stopped by with a bottle.  My first reaction was that it was too young, so I was going to open an older bottle and then accidently opened this.  Glad I did.  While this will probably shut down, it was great.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is  clean with black cherry fruit along with roasted meats, smoke/char and a slight floral note.  Full bodied.  On the pallet, this is drinking great.  Delicious.  Black raspberry fruit over char.  Clean (how long has it been since this was an issue at Beaucastel?).  Nice finish.  Obviously young with silky tanni

2015 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$95.00USD

Coming around but still young.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, clear and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, black pepper and slight floral notes.  Full bodied.  A nice backbone of acidity.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with underlying char and pepper.  Clean.  Juicy.  Moderate finish.  This probably will drink better on day 2.  Patience will be rewarded.  Hold off for another few years then drink over the next ten to fifteen.  A nice match with roasted meats or veggies.  

2015 J.L. Chave Sélection Hermitage Blanche, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

This is an excellent wine, but consumed side by side with the regular bottling of the JL L'Hermitage Blanc, it does not have the power or concentration.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has slight wax, peach, vanilla and slight white flower notes.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, ginger, citrus with some minerality.  Nice finish.  This is not yet at peak and should have ten to twelve years left.  A nice match with hearty fish or non-meat pasta dishes.  

 

2013 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$260.00USD

White Rhone's can be tricky to time as they age, but this was firing on all cylinders.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with wax, ginger, orange peel and floral notes.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  the ginger and orange peel carries thru but its the minerality that really stands out.  Enough acidity but not a lot.  Long finish.  Delicious wine that keeps improving with air.  It demands attention.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with spicy foods.  Still youthful, this should last another twenty five years with no problem

2016 Château de la Grande Gardiole Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Vieilles Vignes, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$58.00USD

Another great vintage in the southern Rhone valley in France.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, slight anise and floral notes (Violets?).  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the cherries and dark cherries come thru with underlying spices and roasted herbs.  Nice texture.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue to do so for the next seven to ten years.  It drinks well on its own but will work better with foods.  Ribs off the grill would be a nice choice.  

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