Our largest salon to date, with forty attendees, we had a beautiful spring day to dine on some very fine cuisine and celebrate a grand cast of mostly Rhone wines. Cassie Williamson and Wolfgang Murber were our gracious hosts, giving us their one day off to open their restaurant to our passion and play. Wolfgang prepared a table featuring his charcuterie: a chicken liver pâté, a rabbit terrine wrapped in prosciutto, duck rillette with red onion marmalade and riesling gelee, wild boar sausage with dijon mustard and cornichons, pork pâté en croute, and a magnificent sülze (head cheese, a jellied loaf from the head of a pig....). Michael Vilim of Mirabelle Restaurant added eighteen braised lamb foreshanks with root vegetables and a large pot of Lyonnaise potatoes. And reliable James did us his fine salad. Spring had sprung.
(copied from Brian's Cellartracker post - http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=10465)
Other Southern Rhone
"Not chateauneuf du pape," a look at some profound rhone (and a languedoc) regional appellations that compete for our attention.
- 1998 Domaine de Fontavin Gigondas Cuvée Combe Sauvage - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas
Tied as the favorite in a flight of very excellent "other southern Rhone," this is a rare Gigondas. The tasters were all over the place on this one: some thought it young, some past its prime, and some thought it just right....a bit like the three bears. We'll start with the fans of this wine, of which there were several. The restauranteur and former wine sommelier thought it was the most complete wine of the day, with gorgeous perfume and beautiful fruit, nice mid-palate and finish, and a bigger palate than the nose indicated. Red fruits with bacon grease/fat and quite spicy. I remember having a bottle of this wine two years ago at the Salt Lick barbecue joint and it was great with the brisket and short ribs. Others thought the wine round and easy, with strawberry and a mineral component, anise and licorice, cocoa, bitters, licorice, chocolate and light cherry notes. The wine was friendly, though a couple of people thought it finished short and even medicinal. This would be a fine wine for a "Guess when this wine should be drunk" session. Which is quite typical of many gigondas's (and good grenaches). (5 views) (92 pts.) - 2001 Patrick Lesec Vacqueyras V.V. Cuvée Jean de Lagneroux - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
The least favorite of a very good line-up of other southern Rhone, this was quite drinkable and showed no flaws, but was rather dull. A leather and gamey red fruit nose, with some graphite, flavors found included green olive, leather, dried cherry, root vegetable, tomato leaf, and cranberry. Most thought this wine was towards its drinkability end, as the acid was low, it was light, and fell short at the end. A good value from a producer with an interesting portfolio of southern Rhone wines, including some very good chateauneufs. (90 pts.) - 2003 Alain Jaume & Fils Lirac Clos de Sixte - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac
The favorite of two tasting groups, and the least favorite of one group, among a flight of southern Rhone wines, this looks like an outstanding value as it was the least expensive wine of the night. Most tasters thought this wine needed more time. It had a soft, subtle candied cherry nose with big, sweet, ripe tannins. It had blackberry and dark cherry and chocolate flavors, high acid, good balance and alcohol. Some tasters thought it syrupy, with plum, honey, and licorice flavors. Floral and chalk notes were also detected. The wine was a pleasant surprise for most. (91 pts.) - 2001 Domaine de l'Oratoire St Martin Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Réserve des Seigneurs - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne
Almost the favorite in a flight of other southern Rhone, this wine is "very interesting" and a great value, a chateauneuf wannabe. It had "a beautiful nose," a bit hot, and was quite exotic. Tasters noted that it had lots of acid, tasted of orange juice, citrus, pine cones, evergreen, peach, and herbs. Some thought it funky and sharp, from the high acidity--even described as "a love/hate wine." This sounds like it might be best with some sausage and charcuterie from the region. (91 pts.) - 2000 Prieuré Saint-Jean de Bébian Coteaux du Languedoc - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc
With such a pedigree, with grapes from Hermitage, Trevallon, and Rayas, I thought this would capture the flight of other southern Rhone, but alas and a lack, it was near last. "Himalayan mountain goat blood," with good balance was one re:Mark. The three groups who tasted the wine were quite divided about it. The pros found it had an asphalt, tarry character, nice body and smoothness, with baked red fruit, earth, hint of chocolate, and some herbs--several noted it had very good balance. The cons, all two of them, thought it disjointed and funky. I think I'll hold the other bottle for several years, as the older gigondas and chateauneufs performed very well in this tasting. (89 pts.)
Other Northern Rhone
One of the best flights of this salon, we added a new Washington syrah to taste alongside a couple of noteworthy young syrahs from the northern Rhone. If this hadn't been a "definitive" Rhone salon, we'd have opted for an all Cornas flight here........
- 1985 Noël Verset Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Not as interesting as an outstanding 1990 Clape cornas next to it (which might have lowered this score), the 1985 drank well now but may have been better a couple of years ago. It had a lean elegance, with a floral component complemented by a visit to the meat market. Spice flavors were noted: white pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, marjoram, rose petal. For one veteran the 1985 was reminiscent of cherry lifesavers (with black raspberry undertones). Purple plums, kirsch, red currants, stewed cherries, and blueberry were also noted. In fact, this wine had a subtle smorgasbord of flavors: bacon fat, tree bark, animal fur, fat, smoked meat, horse hair, old leather, along with all the fruit and spice. With its fruit on the decline, you might drink up and taste the nuance. Or dry age your meat. Yes, old cornas delivers a very interesting and unique syrah. (90 pts.)
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