Any recent TN's for '03 Clos des Papes lot L054 JUNG?

WINE TALK
#1

I read Eric’s TN for the '03 Clos des Papes and found my spirits lifted just a little bit.

I have bottles from the L054 JUNG lot, and I haven’t had any of this wine from any bottling in about 18 months. Back then it was mighty disappointing, although I hoped it might be shut way, way down. I figured there was nothing to lose by letting the few I have sleep for some time before trying another.

I may well end up sacrificing one to find out where it’s at, but I’m filled with dread that it might still taste like [emot-pwn.gif] .

Has anyone with a recent tasting of the wine been wonky enough to notice if it was from this lot? I’d be much obliged.

PS: Hope this isn’t trying to disinter a dead horse from its cold, cold grave in order to beat what’s left of its decomposed carcass yet again…

#2

I’m interested to hear what Paul Jaouen has to say. I’m not really up on which lot numbers are “in” and “out” but let’s just say after tasting a few bottles from Paul and others, I sent mine on to auction.

Barney–is your lot number the same as Bob’s lot?

#3

My remaining 5 bottles of the PC lots I received were sent to Winebid in 07.

#4

Hi W,

Where I was wonky enough to note the lot # for my bottles, I have no idea about what Bob’s lot number might have been. There’s that big archived post on The Other Board that has some info in it but I haven’t gone through it.

Maybe it would be interesting to sort recent TNs by lot number, for those Berserk enough to track that sort of thing…

#5

Just so everyone knows “JUNG” refers to Junguenet, the licensed US Importer. So Barnet’s wines are not gray market.

#6

Barnet, when eBob was raging on this topic of variability we did a blind tasting of lots of Clos des Papes. The JUNG was easily the best of the night:

http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=4163" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a controversial wine, ripe and intense. Or at least it was in its youth. The bottle I had last night was much more typical than any I recall. That has been my general experience with many (but not all) 2003 CDP’s. Last year I had a DREADFUL Vieux Donjon, and I still recall a freaking weird Beaucastel. I am afraid to open more of either…

#7

Eric, thanks so much for posting the TN.

…except…

Gawd! O-o-o-o-o-h No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o! The horse has risen to be beaten yet again!

Your TN of 20 December 2007 in the link above was indeed for the L054 JUNG bottling, and said, “…Wow, this is great stuff! Stupendous wine that has it all with an extra oomph, very dynamic, vibrant, white pepper, funk, power and vibrancy. … Hands down the favorite wine for each taster. 97 points.”

My TN was from three days earlier, 17 December 2007, on a bottle from the same lot:

  • 2003 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (12/17/2007)
    Given the controversy I decided to open the first of these tonight. Color is a lightish ruby. Nose was muted on opening and has remained so for four hours… actually, I’m getting less from it right now than before. I find garrigue, red cherry… I am biased by so many TNs that I might think I find a hint of reductive or scorched aromas. No raisons / prunes on the nose, nothing chemical. The palate is light-bodied, and, amazingly, seems to taste of very little. A bit of fruity sweetness makes a mild impression. No raisons, etc. Fairly hollow middle. An unremarkable touch of heat. Brief finish. If I had this blind I’d say a nice enough Cotes du Rhone. Given what it is I say it’s closed (man, I sure hope so!) All things considered it gets 88 points for its showing tonight. Lord knows what will happen in the future. (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

I read the posts on The Other Board back then, and there were grand arguments about bottle vatiation vs. palate variation. Lots of compelling arguments each way.

But there is no way – no way, do you hear me, no way! – that palate preference explains the difference in our TNs of three days apart on wine from the same lot. I simply do not believe it possible. There is too much overlap in our CellarTracker TNs on other wines we’ve both reported on to explain our discrepancies on this one. And for the record, I purchased the wine on futures from the Wine House in Los Angeles, and put it in the temp-controlled storage locker immediately on delivery which, as CT informs me, was 25 September 2005.

I’ll still go with the idea that it was closed, and yours was somehow open for business. Go figure.

OK, I’ll stop now. I’ll leave it to others to flog away at will.

Though I’d still love to see a recent TN on this bottling!

#8

I’ve had it twice but don’t recall the importer. Let me just say that one bottle was poured blind to a bunch of wine lovers and almost to a man they guessed Zinfandel from a hot year. My remaining bottles went to auction as well.

#9

It’s amazing how these notes make me DRINK! I had no intentions of having this tonight, but now I can’t wait to get home to check the label to see what lot I have…then of course, once in hand, I’ll have to open it to try it!

Boy…thanks a lot guys!

#10

The lot number is in fine print at the bottom of the capsule…

#11

I’ll make a deal with you…I’ll send you the bottle, you send me that slab of pastrami you’re working on!

#12

Zach, you’re on the East Coast and can get good deli. Up here in the Northwest the deli situation is quite desperate, so I have had to improvise. The brisket I could get from the Kosher butcher is too lean to make a great Pastrami. I need to harass him to get me a really fatty brisket. Or maybe just make the Pastrami from the deckle part?

#13

Zachys auction has some on offer tonight. What’s it going for these days?

#14

I don’t think I’ve looked at the lot numbers. I’ve had them from two different stores in NJ and one store near Boston. They all showed the same.

I’ve had one from a lot that Brad Coelho and Rich Stahmer had had a previous bottle and thought was fantastic. Next bottle which I had with them was crap and they agreed. Phillipe Cambie was at this dinner and he mentioned to someone after the dinner he didn’t think the bottle was pristine.

Two bottles from the NJ lots mentioned above were sent to Steve Tanzer and Josh Raynolds and they liked them. We (there are many of us) don’t and just think the fruit is too roasted, hollow, and hot on the backend.

If anyone can correlate this information into anything meaningful, please let me know. I sold what I had except for one bottle which I’ll spring blind on friends some day.