TN: 2000 Cuchet-Beliando Cornas

This was just stupendous. Beautiful, complex and layered nose of flowers, berries and game. Like a red-meated DRC, that good. Both adequately ripe and cherry-fruited and savory, herbal and bloody. Rich but decidedly middleweight on the palate. Long and subtle finish, with smooth and resolved tannins, no heat. No roughness, no rusticity. Gorgeous. Hard to imagine a better Syrah, even in the abstract. This is my second bottle (of 2, unfortunately) and even better than the first, though they have been consistently great

Nice note. I was smitten by the 2010- similar notes with it’s elegance the lasting impression that still puts a smile on my face. I have a few of the 2000’s so it is time to prioritize a bottle.

Awesome note, Noah. I regret not grabbing these when offered.

why you a noob robert.

Ha.

Fu, I drank with Marcel Juge. I knew Marcel Juge. Marcel Juge was a friend of mine. Fu, you’re no Marcel Juge.

[applause]

PS. I wish the greatest wine retailer in the history of wine retailing, one who fronts wine before money, would indulge me a small offer of Coochie.

Haha. I actually read that. Your offer is forthcoming. On week three of my son not being able to go to daycare because of illness. Threw a wrench in things.

Still drinking beautifully on day two. Lyle drew distinction between the older Michel wines which were 100% Chaillots and the post-2008 wines which have been Vinified by Guillaume Gilles (also an outstanding winemaker IMHO) with some older wood. Any thoughts on stylistic differences?

Never even heard of this producer before. So this is the new cool kid in school?

The wines were made by Robert Michel until he retired after 2007, and then by Guillaume Gilles. Gilles worked under Michel before breaking out on his own, when he assumed the lease on Cuchet-Beliando’s portion of Chaillots. I believe the agreement is that Gilles gets 2/3 the crop for his own wine and produces the other third for C-B.

I have only had the 2000, which was insanely great. I bought a few later vintages as well as a 1996 but haven’t tried them yet.