TN: Northern Rhones

[James_Billy]

Chapoutier is the Dr Loosen of the Rhone.

[IlkkaL]

Mike:

I think they are a little bit modern and I’ve been underwhelmed by the few bottles I’ve tried. Please see the link below to see what Davy Strange thinks:

A glance at the Northern Rhone's best producers - Elitistreview

That was a fun read as his writings often tend to be but I cannot say I agree with all of it despite likely having somewhat similar preferences. I certainly would not steer clear of Rostaing’s wines (if the price is right) and Sorrel’s 2011 Hermitage Le Gréal was exquisite a few years back. Additionally a lot has happened in the Northern Rhône since 2011 and there are now lots of exciting young growers making superb wines up and down the valley (although less so in Hermitage) so anyone willing to spend a little time in the region with an open mind will be surprised in the most positive way.

[Robert_Sand]

I wish they were just boring. I think they are worse. But that’s just me.

Chapoutier really that bad? I’ve just started getting into Northern Rhones so excuse my ignorance, but damn…I wish I had checked this board before I placed my bids on this week’s auction!

I´m slightly astonished about the hate that Chapoutier receives here

For what it´s worth I had the Hermitage La Sizeranne 1995 last weekend, together with three more aged Hermitage, and it was very typical and better or at least as good as La Chapelle 1995, but in a different less traditional style. The Colombier 1998, much praised in the article cited above, did not really convince, it was quite redfruited and bright, with a lactic note not really to our liking, and hard to recognize as Hermitage. The star was Chave 1996 which is no great surprise, but it´s a great Hermitage, only at the beginning of maturity, better in 5 to 10 years.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Classic Davy!

I think it is worth warning you about a few producers worth avoiding like dysentery. For some reason Chapoutier do not get the press they deserve. They deserve to be panned for making piss-boring wines of utter tedium and yet no one seems brave enough to stand up and say this. At the 2005 Hermitage tasting I mentioned I tried their range of hair-curlingly pricey prestige cuvees and was staggered by their barefaced cheek at charging such bonkers amounts of money for markedly tedious, depressingly dimensionless wines. I was so appalled I’m afraid I suggested to one of the Chapoutier brothers that it was a shame his wine-making skills were so utterly eclipsed by his marketing ability.

[Nick_Ellis]

Classic Davy!

I think it is worth warning you about a few producers worth avoiding like dysentery. For some reason Chapoutier do not get the press they deserve. They deserve to be panned for making piss-boring wines of utter tedium and yet no one seems brave enough to stand up and say this. At the 2005 Hermitage tasting I mentioned I tried their range of hair-curlingly pricey prestige cuvees and was staggered by their barefaced cheek at charging such bonkers amounts of money for markedly tedious, depressingly dimensionless wines. I was so appalled I’m afraid I suggested to one of the Chapoutier brothers that it was a shame his wine-making skills were so utterly eclipsed by his marketing ability.

He wields the English language like Federer wields a tennis racquet.

[James_Billy]

Hilarious!

[CFu]

You know what’s worse than CHapoutier’s reds? Their whites. shivers down my spine

[Nick_Ellis]

You know what’s worse than CHapoutier’s reds? Their whites. shivers down my spine

So true. My local supermarket had the 2014 Chapoutier La Bernadine priced as generic CdR. I think the CdR might have been better.

[A_So]

You know what’s worse than CHapoutier’s reds? Their whites. shivers down my spine

Trigger alert that shit. Gag