Houston Northern Rhone Blowout

Tasted Saturday, October 21, 2023 by jviz with 245 views

Introduction

Incredible event organized and hosted by rc@ughey

Flight 1 - Whites and Champagnes (6 Notes)

  • 2007 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut Rosé 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    From Magnum. I thought this was very good but other tasters were a little more critical. Having had the 07 regular bottling a couple times, this is pretty similar, it’s broad on the palate, but has nice balancing acidity. Some watermelon, but not a ton of complexity to capture one’s attention. This was outshined by the vivaciousness of a Brochet rosé next to it.

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  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 164eme 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    From mag, showing awesome tonight. I agree with the previous note that it was bright and youthful, with nice cut, not a ton of development, but plenty of intensity and concentration. Fine mousse, with hints of sourdough and sliced almond.

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  • 1990 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    Second time to try the wine this year and my impression is consistent with the first. Fully mature with butter, scotch and orchard fruit. Good bottles are on a plateau but I don’t think it has a ton to gain from here.

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  • 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 97 Points

    France, Champagne

    This bottle is showing fabulously. Very fresh, with aromas, suggestive of birthday cake and cream cheese icing, however, not at all fatigued on the palate. This was an especially rich vintage it seems. Thanks to JHNGO!

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  • 2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    The bottle was fine, but the Chave whites lack sufficient acidity for my palate. This was flabby without a lot of fruit to redeem it

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  • 2006 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet 96 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet

    Also the best viogner that I’ve ever tasted. This was unctuous; dripping with pit fruit - white peach and nectarine, and flat out delicious. Nothing floral or soapy about it but fabulously concentrated and with ample acid, too. I was very impressed.

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Flight 2 - Reds (20 Notes)

  • 1981 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Consumed in a wild lineup of northern Rhones , the 81 La Mouline was still in good shape. Fully resolved tertiary with a good bit of rusticity. I think the bottle had been shaken enough from pouring that there was quite a bit of silty sediment near the end. The wine was very good, but perhaps slightly past peak

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  • 1994 Raymond Trollat St. Joseph Flawed

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

    Corked, a bummer as this clearly has great material underneath and plenty of life left

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  • 1985 Noël Verset Cornas 99 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    WOTN for me at a way over the top Northern Rhone tasting. This bottle was in perfect shape. Complex aromatics of spice box and dried mint but a lot of tertiary features. Complete silk on the palate with beautiful balancing acids. It is hard to imagine Syrah aging better than this has. I just loved it, so Burgundian.

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  • 1995 Noël Verset Cornas 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    Tasted next to the 1985, this wine showed more warm, vintage character. Some red pepper in the finish amid a background of red fruits with some baked character. The common line between the two is an incredible silky, fine boned tannic structure.

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  • 1998 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Served next to the 2005, this was a somewhat lighter vintage for Chave. Displays a beautiful purity, higher toned black fruits with purple florals and a heavy dose of tar. Long, sappy finish, but not as weighty.

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  • 2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Tasted next to the 1998, this was quite a bit more burly and structured darker fruit to with most of the oak influence having faded. It’s drinking great, but still a long ways to go for further development. Quite reminiscent of the 2010 in that way.

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  • 2010 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    Didn’t spend nearly as much time with this wine, as I would’ve liked, but was overwhelmed by an absolutely massive lineup of Northern Rhône’s. This remains dense, clean, large scaled for Allemand, with a lengthy finish

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  • 2003 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    My first Rayas. First taste of a big night and revisited a couple hours later. This showed a bit of heat to my palate. I’ve had a few of the other Reynaud wines and this was similar with the volume turned up. A small bit of Brett showed but in a pleasing way. It was silky, some baked red fruit but a little more muddy than I expected. My initial thought was this is probably not the best vintage.

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  • 2012 Marcel Juge Cornas 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    Quite a bit of stem inclusion. This had some of the wild fruit there but head to head the 12 Jamet Cote Brune was the better wine. I even favor Gonon over this wine. Too green.

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  • 1994 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard 96 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    A wow wine for sure. Incredible persistence of fruit beyond my expectations. Meaty but with bright blackberry paste. Brooding and relatively dense. This could easily be held a good deal longer (10 years?)

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  • 1996 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    This wine was emblematic of the vintage and showed similarity with many burgs of the same year, which is to say, angular and a bit tough. It had some stemmy notes, cranberry fruit and other warm tones. Structurally it’s in a great place, but I think later renditions have been drinking better.

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  • 2012 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune 96 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Dark and brooding but highly aromatic, one of the most layered wines of the night. This was decanted and I think that was a good choice. Wild fruits with some eucalyptus note. Plush with some slight florals but low in the pepper/spice category to my palate. Would love to linger with this one all night.

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  • 2004 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    This wine showed the coolness of the vintage and in my opinion was several big steps above the 2007. Not the most powerful Clape at this point, but it has a long life ahead of it. Meaty and masculine, and similar to the 05 Chave but with less weight.

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  • 2007 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 88 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    I wasn't a great fan of this wine. It showed some vintage heat with roasted fruit and red pepper. I think the bottle was sound, but this was a reminder that I need to avoid particularly warm vintages.

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  • 2013 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

    I thought this wine overperformed. Polished and layered with candied fruit and eucalyptus. It was charming, inviting and frankly pretty gulpable. Long finish glides over the palate, would replace in a heartbeat and drink young

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  • 2010 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

    dense and weighty like the Allemand Reynard nearby, the 2010 Gonon is all power. Dark and brooding, with quite a bit of iron ore/mineral drive underneath the surface, it is especially serious and should be long lived.

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  • 2009 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

    very brief impression, not quite on the level of the 2010 but extremely delicious and should also age quite a long time. Did not suffer any roasted aromas or notes.

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  • 2014 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

    The 14 overperforms again. It was the weakest in a flight of 09<13<10, but on its own, remains a fantastic bottle of syrah. Lighter in body than the others and more red fruited, it is somewhat classic and I wonder if it will make great old bones like many 98s and 01s have done?

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  • 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Last tasted a year ago, at this event, there were two bottles with a different fonts for the vintage on the label. THB, I think they were both real as the wine inside was pretty darn similar and reminiscent of my previous experience. Hard to say though. This came off as well aged but a little monochromatic.

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  • 2017 Xavier Gerard Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    This wine was awesome. Clearly the "youngest" on the table tonight, with still some impressions of lactate and barrel toast, but wow, what impressive blue to purple fruit, with pressed violet florals and excellent depth with supportive acidity. I loved it and wished more could be found.

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Flight 3 - Afterparty at AOC (4 Notes)

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