NOSE: light raspberry, strawberry and red currant mélange; strong mineral note; lightly herby; a touch smoky or a slight matchstick note; moderate- to moderate expressiveness.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; garnet core with bricking throughout; color is of medium-light to medium depth.
TASTE: good acidity; drying tannin; moderately strong garrigue note; clean, with light concentration of typical, Grenache red fruit flavors; hint of sandalwood; fruit is very light; lots of acidity; 14% alc. is not noticeable; no point in holding off on these any longer: drink now.
I don’t know. I’ve never had one with this kind of age on it.
Was it worth the wait?
Well, I very recently purchased it at a well-reputed UK retailer, so I didn’t have to wait on it! Had I bought this on release, however, I think my answer would be, “No. I should have drank it 2 or 3 years ago.” This was simply a solid, enjoyable Cotes du Rhone with some age on it that has aged nicely. Nothing about it was earth-shaking or moving. Do I think the ageing improved it significantly? Well, since I’ve never had the '01 when it was younger, I have to say, “I don’t know.” Maybe others will chime-in?
The '01 Charvin CdP is a pants-wetter. Based on a bottle I tasted a year ago, I think it still needs a couple years before it hits its prime drink window.
I have tasted 13 year old examples of the Cote de Rhone at the domaine and some from ostensibly weak vintages that have been young and vibrant (though their color showed age). They age very well, if one likes the taste aged. The flavors move from fruit to earth. But they have the structure and stuffing easily to go to 12-15 years and I regularly keep mine so I can taste them at 10-12. I tasted the 01 last summer at the domaine and mistook it for the CdP. I think these wines are best after they are 5 or so, thought they are always a lot of fun just after release. Beware though: they regularly close down sometime between 3 and 5 years old. If you have the 08 CdPs, they are singing right now.
Great response. Peter, who I work for and has been importing the wine for 20 years, ages his Cotes du Rhone for an average of seven years (or more). He is currently drinking 2001s with similar success as noted here! A terrific $20 bottle of wine in that it really can age as Jonathan describes.
It’s actually frustrating as hell. I started buying the CdRs regularly in 2000, thinking I’d drink them as a way to keep my hands off the CdP. Working through my case of 2000s, I stumbled into their closed period through ignorance and accident. When they came out a couple of years later, I tried to keep my hands off for awhile to see what they would become, by moving on to more recent vintages. Then, when I talked to Laurent about this, he let me taste a 96 when it was around 10 and I knew that I had to find other things to drink to keep my hands of the CdRs. My current practice is to drink the newest ones and older ones while I wait for the ones that aren’t 5 or more.
Again a stupid typo. I meant CdRs. The last Chateauneuf I had was still closed, though it responds well to a lengthy decanting. This wine reminds me more and more of the 04 Chateauneuf, which needed a lot of airing until it reached six or seven but is singing right now.
We had a bottle of the 2007 Charvin CdR the prior two nights, and it really drank better on the second day. It’s an interesting wine, not at all spoofy/jacked up/modern, but I get a tiny hint of funky flowers in it. I remember that from another bottle a few months ago too. Despite the age, I think decanting helps this.
Without wishing to start the 07 wars, while I think Charvin did well in 07 at making the Charvin-ness of the wine stand out against the vintage marking, it is still not my favorite vintage there. The 07 CdR is a nice, as you say, slightly funky wine. It may resolve more, but I think it is what it will be. I have no doubt a little airing helps. I had a bottle pop and pour this summer that was quite nice, though it was outshone by the 06. I had the 07 CdP at the domaine, courtesy of Laurent, in July and it was really coming around. It may make me more of a believer, as the 03 CdP did this year.
Revisiting the 2007 CdR ~ a year later. In this case the wine drank better on the first night, with the funky notes emerging more on the second. Still doing very well and no rush to consume it despite its modest AOC. A wine for those who love grenache.
Based on a bottle I tasted a year ago, I think it still needs a couple years before it hits its prime drink window.![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}