Wine impressions 5-8-23 (three days of tasting)
2019 Louis Michel, Forets - precise, balanced and crystalline; superb
2017 Marcel Servin, Blanchot - richer than the Forets but not as fresh; excellent
2015 Gilles Barge, St. Joseph La Ribaudy (Blanc) - pleasant but not memorable; good
2020 Pieropan, Soave Calvarino - slightly closed but fresh and lively with good energy and sustain; excellent
2018 Edouard Delaunay, Nuits-Saint-Georges - muddy, heavy handed and alcoholic; poor
1995 Chateau Montus, Madiran - not overly tannic, fresh fruit and nice balance; very good
2009 La Bastide Blanche, Bandol - a bit of bottle stink initially and quite resolved; good
2015 Clos de Gamot, Cahors Centenaires - pleasant but lacking energy; good
2003 Dom. de Fondreche, Ventoux Persia - big and alcoholic but lots of complexity and good fruit; very good
1998 Pichon Lalande - everything it should be except it’s speaking softly; very good
Day 2
2019 Soalheiro, Alvarinho Granit - bright, complex, agile with great cut and minerality; excellent
2017 SQN, Tectumque - viscous and tasty but ponderous; good
2019 Louis Michel, Les Clos - much too young, the lactic notes of a Chablis that is way too young to drink now; hold
2004 Chave Blanc - suave, precise, complex and fine; excellent
1999 Chapoutier, L’Emerte - pleasant, maybe even interesting but not in league with the Chave; good
2017 Andre Francois, Condrieu Maladiere - energetic, fresh, no Viognier cloy and fresh fruit; excellent
2007 Jamet, Cote Rotie - quite typical nose, medium body and good balance but lacking the core structure of most Jamet; very good
1998 Jamet, Cote Rotie - dried out, and disjointed, not gone but without charm; poor
2016 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - took 30 minutes to open but was identifiable as Bennett Valley and had good fruit and complexity; well received by other tasters and in line with previous bottles I’ve had
2014 SQN, Syrah Water Dance - milk shake texture with simple fruit; poor
2019 White Rock, Blanc de Blanc - refreshing and charming, palate cleansing; good
2015 Jean Paul Jamet, Cote Rotie Fructus Voluptus - little typicity, soft fruit and short on structure; good
2013 Cayuse, Syrah Cailloux - vegetal and thin, some nice bacon notes on the nose but drinking it was hard; poor
2017 Jean Paul Jamet, Condrieu Vernillon - not without appeal but nothing striking; good
1999 Chave, Hermitage - at the pinnacle of what can be done with Syrah, ethereal yet earthy, powerful yet gentle and mind bendingly delicious; fantastic!
2018 Dom. Jasmine, Cote Rotie - pretty, typical of the AOC and easy to drink but not the character I associate with this house; very good
2009 Dom du Fauterie, Cornas Cuvée H - stunning fruit, old school structure and all the character of an aged Verset, an unexpected and wonderful surprise; superb
2007 Trinity Hill, Syrah Homage - good fruit and balance but I can’t find any real character here; good
1998 Chapoutier, Vin de Paille (375) - unctuous, very sweet and forgettable; good
2002 Ojai, Viognier Roll Ranch (375) - not near as sweet as the foregoing sticky and with more cut and complexity; very good
Day 3
1999 Guigal, Cote Rotie - a baby, representative of the AOC and lots of fruit but little showing today; hold
2017 Beaucastel, Rousanne VV - beautiful textures and flavors, precise balance, some complexity (but in time there will be more) and a joy to drink; superb
2017 Dom. Marcoux, CdP Blanc - similar to the foregoing wine but with less amplitude and not as integrated; excellent
2019 The Glories, No. 3 - somewhat disjointed, with an odd flavor I dislike and a bit cloying for me; poor
2013 SQN, Jusqu a l’os Grenache - simple, sweet, cloying and alcoholic; poor
1998 Beaucastel - textbook CdP, balanced, fragrant, silken and nice; excellent
2012 Chave, St. Joseph - needed time to open and was worth the wait, power with finesse, complexity with integration, great finish; excellent
2015 Pegau, CdP - young but classic Pegau, needs time but is still good now; very good
2016 Usseglio , CdP Centenaires - much the same as the Pegau but less integrated; good
2018 D&R, Mourvèdre Evangelho - complex, focused, beautiful weight and fruit, perfect balance; superb
2018 Clos du Caillou, CdP Reserve - fabulous fruit but insidious alcohol, that misshapes the wine, one glass will do; good
2018 Chat. de St. Cosme, Cotes de Rhone Blanc Le Poste - glorious, energized marsanne that keeps me coming back for more; superb
2017 S.C.Parnell, Grenache - very odd tasting Oz Grenache, not something I’m used to and I don’t think I want to get used to it; poor
1998 Pegau CdP da Capo - old, tired, maybe damaged; bad
2021 Tetramythos, Roditis - charming Greek white with verve and cut; good
2008 Chave, Hermitage - about 90% of what Chave rouge can be and that is yummy; excellent
2019 Les Allies, CdP - solid CdP but not more; good
2020 Guigal, Condrieu La Doriane - not as oaky as most years but still too much wood for me; good
2019 Rousset, Crozes-Hermitage - rough tannins but good flavors, maybe have a “water back” when ordering; good
2011 La Ferme Du Mont, CdP Cotes Capelan - nothing remarkable but nothing off; good
2002 Chave, Hermitage - for a vintage that is not highly touted, Chave creates something that over achieves; excellent
1997 Araujo, Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vnyd. - I am not a Napa cab. guy but this is more about Eisele than cab. Identifiable as Eisele; excellent.
2015 Dom. Saint Gayan, CdP - not bad, not memorable; good
2020 Martin Mullen, Riesling Krover Kirchlay Trocken - bright, cheerful, palate cleansing and yummy; very good
2015 Arpepe, Valtellina Grumello - lightweight but full of flavor and complexity, joyful; excellent.
Best, Jim