TN: 2001 Domaine Charvin - Côtes du Rhône (France, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)

[Gerhard_P]

The CdR from Charvin holds really very well … however - after 10-12 years (depending on the vintage) there is not much to gain … usually fully mature and for drinking up over the next (2-3) years …

I had my last 2001 in spring - and while it was very good it has lost some intensity and clearly was for drinking up …

[Jonathan_Loesberg]

@Gerhard P.

The CdR from Charvin holds really very well … however - after 10-12 years (depending on the vintage) there is not much to gain … usually fully mature and for drinking up over the next (2-3) years …

I had my last 2001 in spring - and while it was very good it has lost some intensity and clearly was for drinking up …

Yes, I think the CdRs hit peak at around 10 (depending on the vintage) and stay there, maybe slightly longer than Gerhard says, but in that range. I am currently drinking up my 03s and 05s, attacking my 06s 07s and 08s and starting in on 09s and 10s. They help me keep my hands of the CdPs, which can be drunk young but which do improve for much longer.

[Craig_G]

@dcornutt

This is one of the best 01s along with Rayas and Pegau.

I think you meant Rayas and Pignan

[ToddFrench]

I brought an ‘01 Charvin mag to Joe Wu’s house last Memorial Day and it was freakin’ spot-on. I don’t have any more of my '01’s in 750ml but that’s a good thing, as I would agree that it probably peaked a few years ago from that size

[Gerhard_P]

@Craig G

@dcornutt

This is one of the best 01s along with Rayas and Pegau.

I think you meant Rayas and Pignan

Even if he meant Rayas and Pignan - or Pegau … (all are great) …
I disagree that the Côtes du Rhône (!) by Charvin is one of the best wines (from the Southern Rhone) of the vintage …

… talking about the Charvin/Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001 … ok, we could discuss … but even then there are many more to name …

[Jonathan_Loesberg]

He was explicitly referring to a reference above to the CdP, so he never meant to claim that the CdR was one of the best wines of the vintage, an evaluation that would certainly be an outlier.

[Gerhard_P]

@Jonathan Loesberg

He was explicitly referring to a reference above to the CdP, so he never meant to claim that the CdR was one of the best wines of the vintage, an evaluation that would certainly be an outlier.

right - sorry, I overread the origin …

[Arv_R]

@Arv R

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.

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.

I pulled my final bottle of the 07 Charvin CdR, at age 12 and its pretty good but prior bottles were better. The strong grenache fruit of its youth has blurred out, like a jawline turning jowly. It’s a been a nice wine to have in the afternoons, without food. These have been so joyful - its been a long time since I bought so much CdR from a single producer - but the Charvins were worth the space/effort.