TN: K&L '07 Southern Rhone tasting

WINE TALK
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K&L '07 SOUTHERN RHONE TASTING - K&L Wines, Redwood City, California (7/25/2009)

This was a good opportunity to sample some of the latest arrivals from the heralded '07 Chateauneuf du Pape and Southern Rhone vintage.
White Southern Rhone
This was remarkably good. At $39 a bottle, it’s also pricey for a Côtes du Rhône Blanc, but I thought it was nearly as good as a young Beaucastel CdP Blanc from a good year.

  • 2007 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
    Light butter yellow color; tart pineapple, cream and lime nose with focus and definition; poised, tart citrus, yellow apple, pear and mineral palate with light oily texture; medium finish (30% each Viognier, Marsanne and Bourboulenc, 10% Clairette) (92 pts.)

'07 Southern Rhone Reds
A few of these seem like relative values, and I continue to be impressed with the well priced negociant CdP cuvees from Alain Corcia. At this stage, at least, the Usseglio and la Vielle Julienne don’t seem quite worth the tariff to me.

  • 2007 Château Pesquié Côtes du Ventoux Terrasses - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Ventoux
    Dark cherry red color; herbal, oregano, thyme and tart plum nose; spicy, tart plum, pepper and graphite palate; short-medium finish (70% old vine Grenache, 30% Syrah) (89 pts.)
  • 2007 Cave de Rasteau Côtes du Rhône “Dame Victoria” - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
    Medium dark red violet color; herbal, sage, thyme and tart black fruit nose; tart black fruit, herbal, sage, thyme, garrigue and mineral palate; medium finish 88+ pts. (70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre) (88 pts.)
  • 2007 Montirius Vacqueyras Garrigues - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
    Medium red violet color with pale meniscus; light, savory, bacon and corn beef nose; tart red plum, sweet meat jus, thyme and garrigue palate; medium finish 90+ pts. (90 pts.)
  • 2007 Domaine de Fondreche Côtes du Ventoux Persia - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Ventoux
    Dark red violet color; roasted coffee, oak, espresso, tar nose; black fruit, plum, tar, asphalt, oak and espresso palate; medium finish (90% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre) (90 pts.)
  • 2007 Alain Corcia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Patricia - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Opaque dark red violet color; big, spicy berry, plum, lavender nose; tasty, spicy plum, berry, black fruit palate with lots of garrigue, thyme; medium finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.)
  • 2007 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Medium dark cherry red color with clear meniscus; nice, spicy berry, black fruit and garrigue nose with poise; ripe black fruit, berry, spice, nutmeg and lavender palate with complexity; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)
  • 2007 Delas Frères Châteauneuf-du-Pape Haute Pierre - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Dark red violet color; oak, herbaceous version of garrigue and clove nose; black fruit, clove, blackberry, berry and tar palate; medium-plus finish 90+ pts. (70% Grenache, 30% Syrah) (90 pts.)
  • 2007 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Dark cherry red color with clear meniscus; tart berry, lavender, cherry nose; tight, tart plum, charcoal, black fruit, berry and mineral palate; medium finish (92 pts.)

Sweet finish
This is a tasty and inexpensive sweetie that would be a good pairing for desserts involving black fruits.

  • 2004 Cave de Rasteau Rasteau Signature Vin Doux Naturel - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau
    From 500 ml - medium dark red violet color with clear meniscus; light port, berry, black fruit, VA and licorice nose; tasty, sweet black fruit, ripe berry, mulberry, licorice palate with a touch of garrigue; long finish (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Awesome notes Richard. We’ll be doing 07 CDR/baby CDPs in Sept/Oct (probably 25-30) ands everal of them will be from that list. I just posted a note on the 07 Pesque Terasses noting a drying ashy firewood texture which nobody else seems to have noticed. I saw on your note that you wrote “graphite.” Does that sound similar or am I just completely off [swoon.gif]?

Regards,
Faryan

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Faryan,
Thank you for the kind words. I like your more specific descriptor on the Terrasses. I can definitely see that. Your upcoming '07 bash sounds great.
–Richard

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I went to the K&L Rhone tasting in Hollywood this past Saturday and had a disappointing experience. I expected the same wines as you tasted (as that was what was listed on the website), but the Hollywood tasting was very different. Instead of the Beaucastel Blanc they started with a sweet sparkler (which I found undrinkable). They also only poured one CNDP (at least it was the Domaine de la Vielle Julienne - which was nice). Instead of the other CNDPs they poured more CdRs and other low end rhones, most of which I found very pedestrian. On top of it all, I had the privelage to pay $5 more for the weaker line-up than you guys paid in the Bay Area. I’m jealous.

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ouch!! sorry to hear all that, that’s pretty effin’ weak, especially since most of the people who show for these things would probably be there to taste CdP … sheesh, i guess i’m lucky i was out of town this past weekend, because I would have dished for the Hollywood event had I been around. Did they offer any explanation for the deviation from the posted list?

Richard,
thanks for posting your TN’s … glad you had a chance to taste some better wines than those in Hollywood.