WEDNESDAY NIGHT RHÔNES - (12/4/2024)
A small group of friends gathered for an evening of excellent Rhônes and delicious cassoulet with plenty of great homemade bread to sop up the sauce from @Dennis_Atick. The wines were really strong, thanks to everyone for their generosity. It isn't often you get such an interesting range of top Northern Rhônes of a similar age together, we got a good sense of the producers. Thanks to our host and to @bradkaplan, @dcornutt, @RKatz, and @rob_klafter for another great evening.
- 2017 Goodfellow Family Cellars Chardonnay Ribbon Ridge Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Tons of flint/matchstick reduction, preserved lemon, and minerals on the nose, much more weight and roundness on the palate than I expected, very nice. (91 points) - 2012 Paul Dethune Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Rich and well-supported by the dosage, more than held his own with a 2013 Taittinger Comtes. (94 points) - 2013 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
Classic Comtes lemon and brioche, this bottle seemed a little less ebullient than another bottle a few weeks ago, but still very expressive. (95 points) - 2013 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
White pepper, bacon, raspberry and blackberry, great depth, outstanding. (95 points) - 2013 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Red raspberry fruit and white pepper, good but lacking in complexity compared to the Juge and Jamet tasted with it. (91 points) - 2013 Marcel Juge Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Rustic, some pyrazines with bacon, black pepper, olive, sauvage exemplified. (95 points) - 2014 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
A bit of oak, but not off putting,, red fruit, drinking well. The oak faded with air and it became more rustic and appealing. (93 points) - 2012 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Pure raspberry with a touch of white pepper, a little tannic but great elegance. (94 points) - 2013 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Great depth and complexity, red fruit with a touch of pyrazine, elegant and outstanding. (95 points) - 2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #11 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
It came at the end of an impressive dinner so my notes are sparse, but it was delicious, sweet and clean with plenty of acid to keep balanced and refreshing. (94 points)
Don’t know anything about Dethune so certainly appreciate the glowing review. Happy holidays to everyone down there.