Originally this was a dual tasting of five different vintages of Château-Grillet and three bottles of 1994 Northern Rhône Syrah. However, as always, people brought some extra bottles with them and the original lineup got extended quite a bit during the process. I brought that Hudelot-Noëllat Bourgogne and served it blind - while a very lovely wine indeed, it didn’t really scream “Burgundy” or “Pinot Noir” from the get go and many people were quite confused for some time before it was finally correctly identified as red Burgundy.
And as Château-Grillet is one of the world’s most famous monopole wines (along with Romanée-Conti, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant and a handful of others), I suppose an introduction to this singular Viognier is not necessary.
However, I still want to emphasize how I was surprised by the aging capability of this wine. Most of the Viogniers I know are big, ripe and flabby with relatively little in the way of acidity and tend to lose their vibrancy within the first 5-10 years. Not this wine! The 2000 vintage was astoundingly youthful - even backward for its age - and even if the other vintages showed more age, most of them were still way younger I would’ve ever expected!
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2018 Cave de Turckheim Riesling Brand - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (9.2.2023)
13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale, youthful whitish-green color. The nose feels youthful and somewhat restrained with somewhat grapey overtones followed by lighter nuances of ripe citrus fruits, some beeswax, a little bit of crunchy white fruit and a touch of fresh red apple. The wine feels dry, brisk and somewhat neutral on the palate with flavors of lemony citrus fruits and saline minerality, some sweeter notes of Fuji apple, a little bit of beeswax, light stony mineral notes and a primary hint of grapey fruit. The moderately high acidity lends good sense of structure to the wine but not much intensity to the flavors. The finish is dry and somewhat neutral with flavors of tangy salinity, some lemony citrus fruit notes, a little bit of grapey fruit, light tart notes of Granny Smith apple and a hint of stony minerality.
A decent but surprisingly neutral and understated Riesling, not at all what one would expect from a Grand Cru Riesling. This is lacking all the concentration, intensity and depth of flavor typical of Grand Cru Riesling, instead coming across as a rather modest low-to-mid-tier white wine. Overpriced at 18€.
(81 points) -
2018 Thierry Hesnault La Fosse Vineuse - France, Loire Valley, Vin de France (9.2.2023)
100% Chenin Blanc sourced from a 90-yo parcel in Chahaignes. Made only with free-run juice fermented spontaneously in oak barrels. Aged sous voile for two years. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2. The bottle doesn't mention the vintage but this is supposedly 2018. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale straw yellow color. The nose feels sharp, leesy and somewhat aldehydic with aromas of green apple slices and lemony citrus fruits, some green almonds, light sappy herby tones and a sweeter hint of ripe white peach. The wine is tangy, mineral and rather leesy on the palate with a medium body and moderately aldhedydic flavors of green apple slices, some mineral notes of chalk dust, a little bit of herby spices, light aldehydic notes of sorrel and green almonds, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of crunchy white fruit. The bright, focused acidity gives the wine almost electric sense of intensity. The finish is dry, tangy and saline with flavors of lemony citrus fruit and salty sorrel, some creamy notes of oak, a little bit of hay, light green almond tones, a hint of leesy richness and a mineral touch of chalk.
A tasty and tangy white that feels like a weird missing link between a Coteaux Champenois and a Manzanilla Sherry. I must say this wine isn't particularly true to the variety or the region, so unless you're up for some Sherry drinking, this wine might disappoint. I admit I wasn't disappointed, because I tasted the wine blind, having no idea what I was drinking, but to me the wine seemed like a balanced and enjoyably structured but perhaps a bit simple sous voile white from Jura. Nothing bad here, but perhaps nothing of truly interesting - apart from the fact the wine is a sous voile Chenin from Loire! Fun stuff, but doesn't leave a lasting impression. I still might need to check what else Hesnault does, though.
(88 points) -
2020 César Márquez Pérez Godello Bierzo La Salvación - Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo (9.2.2023)
100% organically farmed Godello from two centenarian vineyards planted to Godello and local red varieties in 1918. César Márquez Pérez harvests and vinifies the white grapes separately from the red grapes. All fruit is destemmed by hand. Fermented spontaneously in 500-liter open-top fermentors, aged for 11 months in old 500-liter French oak casks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol.
Pale and rather neutral whitish-yellow color. The nose feels youthful and clean but also a bit restrained with bright yet understated aromas of sweet Fuji apple, some grapey primary fruit tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light crunchy notes of white currant and a reductive hint of gunpowder smoke. The wine feels dry, crunchy and enjoyably crisp on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of fresh white currants, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruits, light incisive notes of steely minerality and wet rocks, a hint of Granny Smith apple and a touch of creamy oak. The brisk, racy acidity lends great sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is dry, clean and refreshing with a long, focused aftertaste of steely minerality and crunchy white currants, some sharp Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruits, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of leesy creaminess.
A wonderfully fresh, clean and precise Godello with tons of focus and intensity. However, the overall feel is still a bit too youthful, direct and also slightly closed at the moment. I love the structured, intensely mineral and almost nervous style here, but this wine feels like it could use another 7-10 years of aging before the wine really starts to show its best. Impressive and very lovely stuff with lots of upside. Keep, don't drink - at least yet. Solid value at 22,95€.
(90 points) -
2000 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet (9.2.2023)
100% Viognier, aged for 18 to 24 months in predominantly old oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Intense medium-deep golden yellow color. The nose feels relatively modest but also surprisingly youthful for a Viognier over 20 years old; there are aromas of ripe yellow fruits, some fresh nectarine, a little bit of nutty almond, light developed notes of hay, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of dried white fruits. The wine feels broad, spicy and somewhat oily on the palate with a full body and dry, relatively youthful flavors of concentrated waxy character, some apricot, a little bit of marzipan, light savory notes of woody oak spice, a hint of creaminess and a touch of hay. The overall feel is quite young, but the fruit department feels a bit understated. The acidity feels moderately high and more than adequate to keep the wine effortlessly in balance. The finish is rich but somewhat neutral with a dry, medium-long aftertaste of slivered almonds and marzipan, some developed waxy richness, a little bit of chamomile and light herby notes reminiscent of pilsner hops, a hint of ripe nectarine and a touch of creaminess.
This was a remarkably youthful effort for a Viognier almost quarter a century old - however, tasting it next to several other (even older) Château-Grillets, this was definitely an underachiever (along with the similarly underwhelming 1983 vintage). Although the wine didn't show much age, the overall feel was quite reticent - almost mute, even - and not showing the depth, intensity and complexity one can expect from a wine of this pedigree. But seeing how the wine seemed much younger than anticipated, it is certainly possible it will improve and develop some additional aged complexity with further bottle age. Good stuff, but nothing exceptional.
(86 points) -
1991 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet (9.2.2023)
100% Viognier, aged for 18 to 24 months in predominantly old oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
The intense and quite deep yet remarkably green-hued yellow-green color feels strikingly youthful for the wine's age. The nose feels very intense and toasty with bold, complex aromas of toasted bread and browned butter, some evolved nutty overtones, a little bit of acacia honey, light apricot nuances, a hint of toasted spices and a touch of crushed cereal grains. The wine feels juicy and somewhat substantial yet also pretty dry and not particularly ripe on the palate with a moderately full body and rich, complex flavors of white peach and wizened apricot, some toasty notes of browned butter and toasted bread, a little bit of roasted nuts, light bruised apple tones, a hint of beeswax and a touch of toasted savory spices. Despite its rather full body and somewhat oily texture, the wine retains great sense of freshness and structure, thanks to its high acidity. The finish is long, complex and moderately toasty with a dry, fine-tuned aftertaste of browned butter, some ripe peach and wizened apricot notes, light developed nutty tones, a little bit of beeswax, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of honeyed richness.
A fantastic, beautifully evolved and still relatively youthful Château-Grillet that is remarkably vibrant for a +30 yo Viognier - especially the appearance here is that of a wine maybe 10 to 20 years younger! However, on the palate the wine does show its age with its complex, beautifully developed tertiary flavors and mature fruit notes. Considering how Viognier is normally considered to be a variety that doesn't age gracefully for particularly long, I'm really baffled by the exceptionally long aging potential of these Château-Grillet wines; even if this wine is quite aged, I feel there is still a little bit of potential for further improvement. Drink or keep - this is pretty fantastic.
(94 points) -
1988 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet (9.2.2023)
100% Viognier, aged for 18 to 24 months in predominantly old oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
Light and remarkably youthful greenish-yellow color. The nose feels slightly sweetish, somewhat candied and a bit reticent with light aromas of ripe yellow fruits, some woolly notes of lanolin, a little bit of tutti frutti candy, light apricot tones, a fragrant hint of lychee, a touch of poached pear and a whiff of evolved waxy richness. The wine feels dry, crisp and more evolved on the palate than the nose would suggest with a medium body and layered flavors of mealy red apple, some woolly notes of lanolin, a little bit of ripe apricot, light evolved waxy tones, mineral hints of wet rocks and salinity and a faint touch of lychee. The bright, almost racy acidity feels almost atypically high for a Viognier, lending great sense of freshness and intensity to the wine. The finish is long, evolved and crunchy with a long, complex aftertaste of developed waxy richness and sweet white peach, some damp woolly tones, a little bit of mealy yellow apple, light stony mineral notes, hints of apricot and honeydew melon and a touch of tangy salinity.
An impressively fresh, crisp and focused vintage of Château-Grillet that feels lighter and more acid-driven than the other vintages of Château-Grillet we tasted at the same go. While this wine didn't reach the level of depth, complexity and intensity of the best vintages (1991 and 1979), coming across as a bit restrained and aromatically lighter in comparison, this wine still showed great sense of finesse, nuance and complexity in its own right. Even the woolly nuances - of which I am not a fan of - didn't manage to bother me at any point. As the wine was surprisingly fresh and youthful for its age, I wouldn't be surprised if it continued to evolve and improve from here - even if the wine is in a pretty terrific spot already now. Highly recommended.
(93 points) -
1983 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet (9.2.2023)
100% Viognier, aged for 18 to 24 months in predominantly old oak barrels.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels quite restrained and rather underwhelming with light aromas of dusty oils, some odd cheesy tones reminiscent of Brie or other white-rind cheese, light creamy notes, a little bit of damp wool, a hint of mealy yellow apple and a touch of honeycomb. Overall the nose just doesn't give much. The wine feels rich, somewhat substantial and slightly oily on the palate, yet flavor-wise the wine is quite understated and lacking in fruit department. The wine is medium-bodied with reticent, dry flavors of Golden Delicious apple, some saline notes of brackish water, a little bit of pomelo, light creamy tones, a hint of something cheesy and a touch of woolly lanolin. The wine is high in acidity. The finish is dry, waxy and quite understated with a medium-long aftertaste of woolly lanolin, some honeycomb, a little bit of cantaloupe, light spicy nuances, a nutty hint of slivered almond and a touch of creamy cheese.
A somewhat underwhelming and thus slightly disappointing vintage of Château-Grillet with a slightly odd, cheesy note running through the aromatics from the first sniff to the final aftertaste. Although the wine has a very tactile presence with its sense of weight and concentration, the flavor department comes across as rather mute, lacking freshness and vibrancy. Curiously, though, the wine doesn't feel particularly old or oxidative in any way. I don't get a feeling that this wine is really past its peak - it just doesn't feel like a particularly good vintage of Château-Grillet. In our vertical of 2000-1979 Château-Grillet, this was the least impressive vintage.
(84 points) -
1979 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet (9.2.2023)
100% Viognier, aged for 18 to 24 months in predominantly old oak barrels. Bottled in a 0,70-liter bottle.
Somewhat evolved medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels fragrant and somewhat evolved yet remarkably vibrant and youthful for the wine's age with layered aromas of ripe nectarine, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of poached pear, light creamy nuances, a hint of honeycomb, a touch of wool sock and a whiff of bruised golden apple. The wine feels clean, quite firm and wonderfully intense with a medium body and vibrant flavors of lemony citrus fruits and fresh nectarine, evolved notes of dried stone fruits and bruised pear, some developed creamy tones, light nutty nuances of slivered almonds, a little bit of sweet apple sauce, a mineral hint of chalky bitterness and a touch of beeswax. The age has concentrated both the flavors and the mouthfeel of the wine, but it is still quite light for a Viognier with a bright, zippy acidity that feels almost atypically high for the variety. The finish is rich, juicy and focused with a complex, evolved aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and mealy red apple, some chalky overtones, a little bit of developed creamy character, light steely mineral nuances, a hint of beeswax and a touch of oxidative nuttiness.
A fantastic, focused and remarkably youthful Château-Grillet that feels almost backward, considering the wine's +40 years of age! The wine definitely shows age and tertiary nuances, but definitely not to the extent one would expect from a Viognier this old. Furthermore, the wine is remarkably focused, structured and sleek in body for the variety. To me, this was the best wine of our 2000-1979 Château-Grillet vertical; one really understands why the winery (and the appellation) is held in such high esteem after tasting a wine like this. This wine is either close to its plateau of maturity or sitting firmly on it, but by no means is going to go downhill anytime soon. Drink or keep - I'm sure any bottle that is in similar condition to ours is going to keep just fine for many years more. Exceptional stuff, very highly recommended.
(96 points) -
1994 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (9.2.2023)
12,5% alcohol.
The wine looks surprisingly youthful for its age with its translucent, luminous dark ruby color that turns quite clear and translucent towards the rim. The nose feels dusty and understated with somewhat musty aromas of licorice and leathery funk, a little bit of phenolic spice, light leafy tones, a hint of something metallic and a touch of mildew. The wine is dull, closed and somewhat dusty on the palate with a medium body and rather understated flavors of iodine and something metallic, some dusty earth, a little bit of phenolic spice, light cranberry tones, a hint of dried blackberry and a touch of cardboard. The wine is high in acidity with light-to-medium tannins. The finish is short, dull and earthy with a little bit of tannic grip and dry flavors of cranberries, some dusty notes of earth, a little bit of clammy autumnal leafy character and a hint of dark fruit.
At first the wine feels just funky with understated fruit nuances and hints of rustic bretty character. However, the longer the wine remains open, the more obvious those earthy notes of dust, mildew and cardboard become. Unfortunately this was a mildly corked bottle.
(NR/flawed) -
1994 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (9.2.2023)
Deep, dark and still surprisingly youthful black ruby color with a thin, moderately transparent rim. The nose feels attractive and quite fine-tuned with dark-toned, slightly sweetish aromas of licorice and wizened blackberries, some tobacco, a little bit of ripe plummy fruit, light sweeter notes of juicy strawberries, hints of violets and dried flowers and a faint touch of minty greenness. The wine feels dry, savory and moderately evolved on the palate with a medium body and nuanced flavors of licorice root and gamey meat, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of crunchy cranberry, light leathery tones, a hint of tobacco and a sweeter touch of dried dark fruits. The wine still retains quite a bit of structure with its high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, juicy and rather grippy with an evolved, savory aftertaste of wizened dark berries and tobacco, some salty liquorice tones, a little bit of gamey meat, light nuances of olive, a hint of earth and a touch of tart cranberry.
A delicious, fine-tuned Côte-Rôtie at its peak. The wine retains still great sense of freshness and structure despite its age, even if the fruit department is starting to get tertiary, as befits a wine almost 30 years old. Compared to 1994 Rostaing Côte Blonde, this was in a much better shape. Delightful stuff.
(92 points) -
1994 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (9.2.2023)
Deep and dark ruby color with a thin, moderately transparent rim. The nose feels somewhat restrained with evolved, savory aromas of red licorice, some ripe black raspberry, light earthy notes, a little bit of smoke, a hint of gamey meat, a touch of tobacco and an oxidative whiff of beef jerky. The wine is dry, savory and a bit tired on the palate with a medium body and somewhat oxidative flavors of tobacco and gamey meat, some soy sauce, a little bit of beef jerky, light sweeter notes of wizened dark berries, a hint of old leather and a touch of olive. The wine still retains great sense of structure with its high acidity and firm, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, evolved and quite grippy with a long, somewhat tired aftertaste of old leather and earth, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of tobacco, light oxidative nuances of soy sauce, a hint of dried dark berries and a touch of beef jerky.
A very savory, old Côte-Rôtie that still retains an impressive structure, but otherwise is starting to get a bit too old and tired. The flavor department is undeniably quite complex, but the wine is losing its vibrancy and intensity as the fruit is slowly being replaced with more oxidative nuances; the wine is currently transforming from complex and tertiary to old and anonymous. Time to drink up.
(86 points) -
2019 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (9.2.2023)
100% Pinot Noir sourced from 18 different parcels. Fully destemmed. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 16 months in used barrels ranging from 2 to 8 years old. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol.
Deep, moderately dark and very youthful blackish-red color with a faint purplish hue. The expressive nose feels youthful, almost primary, yet quite meaty at the same time with rather intense aromas of sweet black raspberries, some earthy tones, a little bit of licorice root, light juicy notes of black cherries and plums, a rustic hint of subtly sauvage character and a touch of autumnal forest. The wine feels very youthful, quite ripe and even somewhat extracted on the palate with a medium body and intense, crunchy flavors of tart lingonberries and brambly black raspberries, some rustic notes of something animale along with nuances of burnt hair, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light licorice root tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a savory touch of meaty umami. The overall feel is firm and - despite the obvious sense of ripeness - not sweetly-fruited and plummy as the nose led to expect. The wine retains great sense of freshness, thanks to its bright, high acidity, while the quite gentle and silky medium-minus tannins lend a little bit of firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is dry, long and crunchy with a little bit of tannic grip and a savory, rather acid-driven aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of gamey meat, light smoky tones, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of brambly black raspberry.
A fine, firm and characterful Bourgogne Rouge that does show quite a bit of ripeness - as is expected of a 2019 Burgundy - but still coming across as remarkably fresh, bright and crunchy at the same time, showing very reasonable levels of alc% and good sense of acidic zip. I poured this blind and the guesses ranged from Italian Refoscos to funky Galician reds, but it took people some time to identify Pinot Noir - and even after that getting to Burgundy took some time more! People admitted that this kind of very dark-toned style without much Pinosity didn't make one think of Burgundy at first, but the wine was still within the range of being acceptable for a Burgundy Pinot Noir, once the bottle was revealed. And what's most important: people thought the wine was great - this much everyone agreed before the wine was correctly identified! And I agreed - although I thought the wine was still in a bit awkward phase, coming across as still rather primary and sort of linear and unintegrated at the moment. Nevertheless, this is a terrific drop that is punching way above its weight (for a mere Bourgogne Rouge), but I feel this wine will be even more interesting after another 5-7 years. Simply a superb purchase at 31€.
(91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker