Terrific on pop and pour. Opened on a whim to join FMIII’s Saturday night Rhone party, which includes this beauty. I did not expect it to be so open-knit after reading Levenberg’s note from a couple years ago, but in truth, many 2012 Northern Rhones have been showing well to me in their youth. Think, 2012 Texier Cote Rotie, 2012 Gonon, Levet Les Journaries (not La Chav.).
This wine is already expressing characteristics well beyond primary. Exudes a really warm, savory, briny, dark-fruited nose, with a stemmy, feral note reminiscent of a Levet but not quite as pungent. Palate is medium weight, creamy dark fruits cut with some crisp red fruits. Spicey red fruits. Bitter black olives, dried game meat, iodine, with a rusty metal finish. While the notes may sound rustic, the balance on this wine is incredibly elegant, such a range of complexity but bounces lightly on its feet for a Northern Rhone syrah.
This vintage eclipses the 2011 and, in my humble opinion, is starting to close the gap on the 2010, which is exceptional. I do not think it ultimately will hit the heights of 2010, but now we are quibbling. I have not tried the 2013 yet.
The 2011 I had recently was screaming. Granted not as classic a wine as it’s neighbors +/- one year. I buried my 12s deep - maybe I need to dig one out. Thanks for the detailed note.
Glad to hear this is already showing so well. I went relatively deep on this one and coincidently a mag I ordered a while ago was delivered Friday. I haven’t seen the '13 offered yet. Was the crop size way down in '13?
I spent most of last weekend with Pierre.
I cannot express how special our relationship is, soul brothers of another mother.
I owe Salil Benegal countless thanks for encouraging me years ago to visit, as both Pierre, his wife, daughter, and I have a familial bond of a very special nature that would not exist without Salil’s tip.
The '13 is tremendous, in the treble toned style of the vintage.
The '14 Cordeloux was sold off in bulk, Pierre refusing to put his name on it as the Suzuki phenomenon had the volatile acidity through the roof. Imagine that, an entire year’s work down the pooper…
I tasted the '15 Cordeloux, which was bottled two days prior to my visit, over two days. It is oustanding (surprise surprise) with bottomless ripe raspberry toned fruit, with its buried structure and spice continuing to emerge on day 2.
The '16s promise to be perhaps even more classically proportioned stunners, and the '17s in a 2015 like vein, if a bit more restrained. Early yet, but…
The '13 Dolium (and perhaps the '14 and '15) will be bottled this winter, with the ‘13 to be released in the coming cycle, the others to be held for release later.
There is soooo much deep shit going on that wine lovers will never know about, of soulful anguish and peril.
When we enjoy the fruits of our favorite vignerons’ labor, of nature’s shaping and man/woman’s guidance, please never forget the fragile humanity that animates.
We have the luxury to enjoy the end product as some kind of sport of pleasure. Indeed, this is wine’s principal purpose, to give shared pleasure, refreshment, and to inspire a reverence for all of the forces involved in shaping such beauty.
But at times I am saddened by a disconnect between the trials and struggle of winegrowers and the end user’s lack of appreciation of such difficulties, particularly in light of the increasingly violently variable weather that has become increasingly common.
Indeed, that is part of my role, to contextualize the work of my winegrower partners, so that the fruit of their labors may be appreciated all the more.
Bon.
I will end my diatribe.
Pierre is a Jedi.
SANTÉ
As I was drinking solo - wife out of town with the girls, me watching college football - I did not (shockingly) kill the whole bottle, have 1/4 left for tonight. Already thinking about it . . . .
A subtle note of pedantic clarification:
As I understand it, primary, secondary, and tertiary are to be used in this way:
-primary: basic naked grape varietal characteristics of flavor/aroma
-secondary: flavors and aromas as a result of how the grape juice is vinified/aged (oak, extraction, yeast, stems)
-tertiary: flavors and aromas that are a result of a wine’s time in bottle
I think that is correct, but it is often debated otherwise.
I am more than open to further clarification if others know better than I.
santé
To clarify the use of the term “primary”. Seems like maybe I misread before, or it has been edited?
I have never tried a single bottle of Juge, so who am I to “juge”, but I have been told by a handful of people that although the delicacy and finesse of the style is singular and can be full remarkable charm, the wines can also be full of remarkable brett.
I’m still not following. I used the term “primary” in my note, still there in second paragraph, but I’m unclear if you are suggesting my use is inaccurate. Seems to me the note is entirely consistent with your definition of the three terms, which I concur, not everyone agrees with. My edit this morning was to a simple typo in the third paragraph.
I have had a lot of Juge, but admittedly none with more than 10 years on it. I have not experienced brett issues with Juge, but I don’t mind a little brett anyway. Heck, I love Chinon.
Ordered some from Panzer because of this note. Opened it last night. Emailed panzer this morning for a case.
It’s that damn good. I think mr. Alfert’s note makes it sound more rustic than it is (as he admits in the note). It has this cool meaty olive note that makes the palate super lively and savory.
