WTN - Depauw Fest (i.e., Rhones at Redwinger's)

This past Saturday (10/17/09) some of us Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio folks had an offline at Bill Pauman's (aka Redwinger) house in Depauw, IN. In attendance were Bill and his wife Norma, Bob Hower and his wife Meg, Robin and his wife Mary, Bob's friends Paul and Olivia (I'm hoping Paul will join us soon), Mark Lipton, Julia B, and myself. Theme was Rhones. A fabulous evening of wine, food, and company. Thanks to Bill for hosting and Bob for organizing, and to everyone for their generosity.

I arrived early and Bill kindly let me choose which starter whites to open:

Georg Breuer, Riesling, Berg Schlossberg, Rheingau 2001
Sparkly golden yellow. Rich, fruity, fresh nose. On the palate, pear, a touch of tropical fruits, apricot, the barest touch of citrus rind, spice, and perhaps just beginning to develop some petrol notes. Completely dry. Rich, full bodied, steely but almost creamy in texture. Perhaps the best German Riesling I've had. Drink now or in the next 5 years. Exceptional (90 - 93).

Three 1999 Rhones, two South, one North, but to me, all showing a characteristic similarity in acid to fruit balance:

Le Vieux Donjon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1999
1st bottle corked. 2nd bottle: Light garnet, slightly browned. The nose makes one start to worry if this one is corked as well. Palate of black raspberry, earthy, and very spicy. The earthiness is overly prominent, and out of balance. One wonders at first if this is a bit corked, but the consensus is that this bottle was either prematurely past its peak, or slightly cooked. However, still quite a good wine. Excellent (87 - 90)

Domaine Jamet, Cote-Rotie 1999
My first Cote-Rotie. Medium ruby. Stinky, slightly exotic nose. Earthy, darkish red fruit, apricot, and prominent bacon on the nose and palate. Medium-full bodied, good aromatics, starting to show some age but still has some grip. Driven as much by its bacon notes as anything else, and I confess I could have done with a bit better balance between that and the fruit. But, an excellent wine, just in a very particular style. Could go a few years more. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)

Domaine Viret, Renaissance, Saint Maurice, Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages 1999
Medium-light ruby garnet. Nice nose of earth and raspberry. On the palate, generous black raspberry, currant, lots of earthy spice, and mineral. Still has tannic grip. Full bodied. Quite a surprise from a 10 year old C-d-R-V, in fact, at its zenith now, with 2 - 3 years to go. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)

While I enjoyed the Jamet, this is the wine that made a Cote-Rotie lover out of me:

Domaine de Bonserine, La Garde, Cote-Rotie 2003
Dark ruby. Great nose. Dark cherry with a bit of cassis upfront, followed by raspberry, a touch of apricot, mineral, spice, and a touch of bacon. Full-bodied, with exotic aromatics. Great stuff - love it! So wonderful to drink now I didn't really bother to think about its future, but surely has at least a few years ahead of it. Exceptional (90 - 93)

I particularly liked this one:

Domaine Giraud, Tradition, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2004
Dark ruby. Nice nose. Black cherry, raspberry, plum, currants, olive, earth, and spice. Great finish. Full bodied. Juicy. 5 - 10 years or more ahead of it. Exceptional (90 - 93)

The big guns:

Chansonnerie des Papes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape NV
Bottled for Chansonnerie des Papes, producer unknown, but known to be of the 1998 vintage. From magnum. Medium ruby/garnet. Great nose. Black raspberry, dark, tarry fruit, black olive, spice, and a bot of barnyardish earth. A bit juicy on the finish. Great grip. Wonderful. Obviously from a top notch producer. In this format, it could have 15 - 30 years ahead of it. Exceptional / Extraordinary (92 - 94)

Domaine du Pegau, Cuvee Reservee, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1995
Medium ruby/garnet. Gorgeous nose. Black cherry, black raspberry, red currant, cocoa, great minerality, earthiness, and a touch of spice. Great body and firmness. Awesome. Perhaps the best Chateauneuf I've had, the only other candidate being the 2001. 10 - 15 years or more ahead of it. Extraordinary (93 - 95).

Domaine du Pegau, Cuvee Reservee, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1998
Dark ruby/garnet, with a bit of browning. Here at last is the infamous brett I've heard tale of: nose like horse manure. Gripping black cherry, black raspberry, a bit of green olive, chocolate, mineral, and oaky spice. Full bodied. Needs a bit of time yet. Drink over the next 10 - 20 years. Exceptional / Extraordinary (92 - 94)

One of my contributions, a bit of a surprise that turned out very well indeed:

Chateau Pesquie, Les Terrasses, Cotes-du-Ventoux 2003
Medium-dark ruby. Gripping, dark fruit, with tar, mineral, and spice. Green olives come out with lots of breathing. Very attractive, and still youthful. A big surprise from a relatively humble appellation. Tremendous value. Drink over the next 3 - 5 years. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)

Two wonderful dessert wines:

Chateau de Cosse, Sauternes 1998
3rd wine of Chateau Rieussec. Burnished gold. Wonderful nose - the kind of floral nectar Sauternes nose that puts a big smile on my face! Pear apricot, honey, floral nectar, some botrytis, a bit of cellary, very creamy vanilla, raspberry, and barley sugar. Full bodied, and very floral. Remarkably similar to the 1998 Rieussec grand vin I tasted just a month earlier, though much more floral. Lovely. 10 years or more ahead of it. Excellent (87 - 90)

Albert Mann, Tokay Pinot Gris, Selection des Graines Nobles, Hengst Grand Cru, Alsace 1989
My first Alsatian Pinot Gris, my first Alsace Grand Cru, and my first Selection des Graines Nobles. Amber/gold. Great dept to the nose. Pear, tropical fruits, apricot, gooseberry, and lots of botrytis. In the same quality league as the best Sauternes I've had. Impressive. From half bottle, with perhaps another 5 years to go. Extraordinary (93 - 95).

Two last reds, starting with one I brought for contrast (though it got opened so late in the evening that few people appeared to have tried), and ending with seriously young C-d-P:

d'Arenburg, The Custodian, Grenache, McLaren Vale 2002
Dark ruby. Black cherry and a bit of green been on the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, and grilled meat; earthy, with mineral, and spicy tannins. Big ripeness and acid. Somewhat like a very ripe Chateauneuf, and certainly the most Rhone-like wine I've had from outside of Southern France. Should drink well for another 5 years. Excellent (97 - 90).

Alain Jaume, Vieux Terron, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005
Dark ruby red. Black cherry, black raspberry, and cocoa. Young and tannic, with cranberry-like tartness. My god, don't even think about touching this for another 5 - 10 years. Massive potential, with 20 years or more ahead of it. Exceptional (90 - 93)

I somehow missed one, and so it was offered that I take it home. Drank with lunch the next day:

Domaine Font de Michelle, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1998
Tasted ~18 hours after opening. Medium garnet. Low key nose. Has some bottle funk with an almost maderized quality at first, but that blows off with a bit of time in the glass. Juicy raspberry upfront, followed by darker, tarry fruits, red plum, currant, black olives, some mineral, a touch of cocoa, some earth, and a touch of spice. Medium-full, with good body, and grip in the mid-palate. Fully mature but solid, with perhaps another 3 - 5 years left. Exceptional (90 - 93)

My WOTN, a tie between the '95 Pegau and the Albert Mann SGN. I was encouraged to take a few things home, and I did, which I duly shared with some wine-loving neighbors the next day, who loved them. I also went to the wine store and nearly cleaned them out of the Chateau Pesquie, which was on clearance for $5 a bottle (regular retail ~$12, and it would still be a tremendous bargain at that price).

Domaine Jamet, Cote-Rotie 1999
My first Cote-Rotie. Medium ruby. Stinky, slightly exotic nose. Earthy, darkish red fruit, apricot, and prominent bacon on the nose and palate. Medium-full bodied, good aromatics, starting to show some age but still has some grip. Driven as much by its bacon notes as anything else, and I confess I could have done with a bit better balance between that and the fruit. But, an excellent wine, just in a very particular style..

Interesting. What did other folks think of the Jamet? I had that 99 a few years ago and thought it was very full with tons of ripe fruit. But we may have different standards on this issue.

Domaine Jamet, Cote-Rotie 1999
My first Cote-Rotie. Medium ruby. Stinky, slightly exotic nose. Earthy, darkish red fruit, apricot, and prominent bacon on the nose and palate. Medium-full bodied, good aromatics, starting to show some age but still has some grip. Driven as much by its bacon notes as anything else, and I confess I could have done with a bit better balance between that and the fruit. But, an excellent wine, just in a very particular style..

Interesting. What did other folks think of the Jamet? I had that 99 a few years ago and thought it was very full with tons of ripe fruit. But we may have different standards on this issue.

Redwinger said it was in the classic Jamet style and loved it. Bob's friend Paul and I were of like mind. Don't know about the others. Mind you, it was my very first Cote-Rotie, so I had no baseline for the baconiness of it. But don't misunderstand, I very much enjoyed it.

Understandable. I haven't tasted the wine in a while and I know sometimes the bacon element of Cote-Rotie can be very strong. But it was just interesting because some people even felt this wine had too much fruit when it was younger, big year and all. But, sounds like it has evolved nicely. And sounds like a nice event.

Regarding the Jamet, there was the unmistakable baconess, black olive and relatively assertive acidity that are Jamet hallmarks for me. I last had the 1999 (IIRC) about 3 years ago and the fruit in this bottle was more restrained...but in no way out of balance to my tastes.
I never have tasted with most of the attendees, but my casual observation was, that as a group, with certain exceptions, they tended to favor younger, brighter, more fruit forward wines despite the fact the 1995 Pegau deservedly found widespread appeal.

Nice notes, Ryan. I'll chime in with my own version later this weekend. Regarding the Jamet, it was in the classic Jamet style, surprisingly evolved for a '99 IMO and much in need of food to show its best.

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

Nice to see the note on the Breuer!

Great job, Ryan! We'll let you take notes at all the offlines from now on!

JuliaB

Sounds like a great time and a very nice lineup of wines. Glad to hear the Pegaus showed well, I love the Cuvee Reservee.

I never have tasted with most of the attendees, but my casual observation was, that as a group, with certain exceptions, they tended to favor younger, brighter, more fruit forward wines

Actually, I'm the sort that's endlessly captivated by mature, over-mature, and even decrepit wines, which certainly aren't driven by fruit, but rather by their sometimes funky secondary notes - I don't necessarily want fruit-driven wines, and I did enjoy the bacon note, but I would have preferred it a bit more integrated, perhaps. Please do not get the wrong impression - I really did like it, but it was my first Cote-Rotie, and I think I just wasn't prepared for it.

Nice to see the note on the Breuer!

I really enjoyed it - it was a revelation that a dry Riesling could have all the richness of a Spatlese.

Great job, Ryan! We'll let you take notes at all the offlines from now on!

JuliaB

You are very welcome. You keep bringing wines like the '95 Pegau, and I'll take all the notes you like!

BTW, I've got the itch to buy a few bottles of the Jaume for the cellar.

I never have tasted with most of the attendees, but my casual observation was, that as a group, with certain exceptions, they tended to favor younger, brighter, more fruit forward wines

Actually, I'm the sort that's endlessly captivated by mature, over-mature, and even decrepit wines, which certainly aren't driven by fruit, but rather by their sometimes funky secondary notes - I don't necessarily want fruit-driven wines, and I did enjoy the bacon note, but I would have preferred it a bit more integrated, perhaps. Please do not get the wrong impression - I really did like it, but it was my first Cote-Rotie, and I think I just wasn't prepared for it.

Ryan-
Different folks, different tastes, That's what makes this all fun.
Fading away once again,
BP

Still interested to see Mark's notes!

Still interested to see Mark's notes!

Tonight, I think...

Mark Lipton

On a beautiful Saturday evening in Southern Indiana, Midwestern winegeeks from far and wide converged on the house of Bill Paumen (aka Redwinger), who in a fit of misplaced bonhomie had opened up his home and subjected his long-suffering spouse Norma to the ravages of a host of unbridled winegeekery and related goings-on. I arrived an hour into the event, only to be greeted with a chorus of "Where's Julia??" I quickly learned that the peripatetic JuliaB, freshly arrived from utmost Ohio, had been expecting me to pick her up at the hotel where we were both staying en route to Bill's house. Needless to say, this had not been my understanding of the arrangement, so a few hasty phone calls were placed and Julia, presumably fed up with waiting, drove herself to Casa Paumen and the festivities began in earnest. The dining room table was arrayed with a vast assortment of food items, many of which (unsurprisingly) were rather meat-intensive, suitable for pairing with red wines from the Rhone Valley.

There, upon the kitchen counter, were the wines, awaiting our sensory evaluation. Before I could actually pour a wine into my glass, Bill was steering me toward an opened bottle of '99 Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape. "Mark, do you think that this wine is corked?" Bill asked, perhaps recalling my self-avowed status as a TCA sensitive. OK, I oblige Bill by pouring some into a glass and sniffing it warily: no musty cardboard or other telltale TCA hints. Instead, the wine smells vaguely of stewed prunes, never a good sign. Having satisfied myself that tasting the wine was unlikely to infect my mouth with a lethal dose of TCA, I next tasted the offending CdP. Sure enough, it had the characteristic profile of a Maderized red: flat, lifeless and stewed. Bill informs me that this was the second bottle of the Vieux Donjon that he'd opened, the first having been hideously corked. I thank Providence that I got the second bottle to taste and quickly move on to wines that I actually want to drink.

Several bottles of Syrah from the N Rhone are in evidence, so I decide to start my tasting with those wines before moving on to the Grenache-based contingent. First up was the 1999 Jamet Côte-Rôtie, displaying a classic nose of blueberries and smoked meat, with plenty of acid on the palate, limited fruit left and mostly tertiary aromas. Proclaiming this a wine that needs food, I promptly sidle over to the food table and prove the point to myself by trying it with some of JuliaB's delicious lamb terrine and Ryan's excellent bulgoki skewers. Paired with meat, the wine softens and tastes rounder and deeper, an altogether excellent bottle of mature Syrah if not quite up to the level of the otherworldly '98 C-R from the Jamet brothers. After that, it was on to the 2003 Bonserine Côte-Rôtie 'La Garde', a horse of a different color if ever there was. The nose was distinctly jammy, with some stony minerality lurking underneath, but distinctly primary. In the mouth, there were dusty tannins, straightforward red-black berry fruit and low acid (especially coming, as it did, after the Jamet). The youth and the vintage conspired in this case to obscure most of the character I associate with Côte-Rôtie. As I don't know this producer, it may also reflect a different approach to winemaking than that employed by the traditionalist Jamet brothers.

Now on to the S Rhone, starting with an intriguing Dressner import, the 1999 Dom. Viret St. Maurice 'Renaissance' Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, which surprised all and sundry with its vibrant fruity nose, redolent of blueberries with some alcoholic heat poking out. On the palate, it was smooth, medium bodied, very young seeming and showing a lot of Syrah character. Altogether surprising, in the most pleasant of ways, and a joy to drink! From there, it was on to the first of the (undamaged) Chateauneufs, the 2004 Dom. Giraud Cuvée Tradition Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The nose had an offputting lactic note to it, with some alcoholic heat to boot, but also some varietal cherryish fruit. In the mouth, it showed its youth, with some chalky tannins in evidence, medium body and reasonable structure. In 5-10 years, this wine should develop into something nice, but right now it's just too young. Next up was the major curiosity, a magnum of "2002" Enchansionierre du Pape Chateauneuf-du-Pape contributed to the event by Robin Garr. Robin gives us the back story: upon his induction in the Pope's Palace at Avignon in '02, this wine was served, having been specially bottled for the event by an unspecified winery from an unspecified vintage. The identity of the wine is supposed to remain a carefully guarded secret, but Robin divulges that he knows that it's from the '98 vintage, and later it emerges that he suspects that it was vinified by Ch. Beaucastel. Regardless of identity, the wine smelled moderately Bretty, with odors of gamey meat overlaying cherry liqueur. On the palate, it had a firm core of cherryish fruit, with some chalky tannins still evident. Very nice, but short of profound, it seemed to me to show a different, more Grenache-influenced profile than I expect out of Beaucastel. Still, I haven't tried the '98 Beaucastel since release (nor will I for a few more years) so a direct comparison is impossible.

At this point, Julia and I unveiled our bottles of Dom. du Pégaü. I started with her bottle of 1995 Dom. du Pégaü Cuvée Réservée, which alas was just corked enough to spoil it for me. I got the sense of a very attractive wine underneath the cork taint, which was reinforced by the raves I heard from around me, but for me the wine was irretrievably spoiled. Such is the onus of a TCA sensitive I console myself with my bottle, the 1998 Dom. du Pégaü Cuvée Réservée, which was Bretty enough to give even my love of Brett a sore trial. Fortunately, the wine for me veered more to the side of Band-Aid™s than outhouse, so I was able to appreciate the notes of soy sauce, kirschwasser and herbs in the nose. On the palate, the wine was smooth, with fully resolved tannins and, surprisingly for me, medium body and modest acidity. I tasted this wine upon release and it was among the most concentrated wines I'd ever had, with an absolute wall of thick (but ripe) tannins. What a difference a decade makes. On the basis of this showing, I will probably drink this wine up earlier than the 15-20 years I usually give top years in CdP. I then move on to my other contribution, the 1998 Font de Michelle Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a more scaled-down wine than the Pegaus, but still quite appealing with cherryish fruit in the nose, along with roasted herbs and some remaining tannins on the palate.

Next up was the 2003 Ch. Pesquie 'Les Terrasses' Côtes de Ventoux, which after all the big hitters from CdP still held its own. A tad simple and a bit hot, it nonetheless showed some nice brambly blackberry fruit and roasted herbs in the nose, with low acidity and medium body perhaps suggesting that this wine shouldn't be held too much longer. Quite nice, however, and most likely a QPR winner.

And now my narrative must come to an end, prematurely as it eventuates. The last page of my notebook has gone missing, and with it went the notes on the '01 Jaume as well as the dessert wines. Somehow, I missed the Breuer, dammit! One impression that needs no notes, however, is that of the excellence of Bob Hower's baking prowess. His Shaker Lemon pie was a revelation and a perfect foil for the Mann SGN Pinot Gris (a phenomenal wine BTW).

My most sincere thanks to Bill and Norma for hosting the event, and for Ryan, Julia, Robin and Mary, Bob and Meg Hower, as well as his friends Paul and Olivia, for showing up and making the event as enjoyable as it was. The wine and food were superb, but the company as always was the real attraction. It was great to finally get to meet so many of you in person while also renewing my acquaintance with old friends.

Oh, and by the way, Ryan: the integral of xe^x is (x-1)e^x from application of integration by parts

Your humble reporter,
Mark Lipton

Nice to see some lively debate on the board!

Domaine Jamet, Cote-Rotie 1999...Driven as much by its bacon notes as anything else, and I confess I could have done with a bit better balance between that and the fruit.

1990 Jamet Côte-Rôtie, displaying a classic nose of blueberries and smoked meat, with plenty of acid on the palate, limited fruit left and mostly tertiary aromas. Proclaiming this a wine that needs food, I promptly sidle over to the food table and prove the point to myself by trying it with some of JuliaB's delicious lamb terrine and Ryan's excellent bulgoki skewers. Paired with meat, the wine softens and tastes rounder and deeper, an altogether excellent bottle of mature Syrah if not quite up to the level of the otherworldly '98 C-R from the Jamet brothers.

So was this the 1990 or the 1999? If it's the 1990 then I understand more of the complaint about lack of fruit. Because the 99 should be far from tertiary.

Domaine de Bonserine, La Garde, Cote-Rotie 2003
Dark ruby. Great nose. Dark cherry with a bit of cassis upfront, followed by raspberry, a touch of apricot, mineral, spice, and a touch of bacon. Full-bodied, with exotic aromatics. Great stuff - love it!

2003 Bonserine Côte-Rôtie 'La Garde', a horse of a different color if ever there was...The youth and the vintage conspired in this case to obscure most of the character I associate with Côte-Rôtie. As I don't know this producer, it may also reflect a different approach to winemaking than that employed by the traditionalist Jamet brothers.

Palates do differ.

But...

Domaine du Pegau, Cuvee Reservee, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1995
Medium ruby/garnet. Gorgeous nose. Black cherry, black raspberry, red currant, cocoa, great minerality, earthiness, and a touch of spice. Great body and firmness. Awesome. Perhaps the best Chateauneuf I've had, the only other candidate being the 2001. 10 - 15 years or more ahead of it. Extraordinary (93 - 95).

1995 Dom. du Pégaü Cuvée Réservée, which alas was just corked enough to spoil it for me. I got the sense of a very attractive wine underneath the cork taint, which was reinforced by the raves I heard from around me, but for me the wine was irretrievably spoiled. Such is the onus of a TCA sensitive

So Mark was the only one too sensitive to enjoy this!!??

Too bad indeed!

Well done Mark! We clearly focus on different aspects in our note taking, and have different palates, but it is fascinating to see a different perspective on this batch of wines.

Rahsaan, if the Jamet was the '90, that would indeed make more sense, and I would have evaluated it in a completely different way, but I'm quite certain it was the '99, as confirmed by Bill's earlier post.

Regarding the Echansonnerie mag, I do in fact note "a bit of barnyardish earth," but I had concluded it wasn't prominent enough for it to be Beaucastel, at least based on what I've heard (I've not had Beaucastel) . . . . although the first wine to really demonstrate brett to me was the '98 Pegau. I gather Mark, that you've got some '98 Beaucastel . . . . ?

So Mark, you thought the '95 Pegau was corked . . . . ? Perhaps I'm not very sensitive, given the very low percentage of clearly corked wines I've encountered (it may be less than 1%), but I almost can't conceive the such an awesome wine was corked . . . . damn, I'm really sorry for you!

I'm really happy everyone enjoyed the Pesquie I brought. Funny thing is, had things worked out differently, I would have come with a '98 Vieux Telegraphe blanc in tow.

So, who other than me actually tried the d'Arenburg?

I'm glad to see my enthusiastic evaluation of the SGN was realistic - my notes were actually incomplete, and I had to reconstruct parts of my impressions from memory.

And a stupidly easy integration by parts it is too, Mark, especially when one of the parts is its own integral and own derivative, and the derivative of the other part is 1! I realized after that that some of my other calculus skills are embarrassingly rusty - I was largely off in integral table land the lasts time I had to do a lot of integrals. The lesson here, folks, is if you challenge someone to give you an integral to do to prove that you're sober enough to drive home, then you had better first be sure you still remember how to do more than just pedestrian examples . . . .

And a stupidly easy integration by parts it is too, Mark, especially when one of the parts is its own integral and own derivative, and the derivative of the other part is 1!

And I thought I was a nerd!

I definitely wish I could have joined everyone in Depauw; both for the excellent wine, and the higher mathematics. Thanks to both of you for sharing your notes.

And I thought I was a nerd!

You are a nerd if you understand any of that arithmetic stuff.

Winger

And I thought I was a nerd!

You are a nerd if you understand any of that arithmetic stuff.

Winger

So, 'Winger, was the Jamet the '90 or the '99? Do you know? I'm assuming that it was your bottle, I realize.

Mark Lipton

You are a nerd if you understand any of that arithmetic stuff.

I'd take on all challengers in a cipherin' contest. I'm almost instantaneous up to the 9's. The 10's get kinda tricky.

PS: Ryan - I am surprised that anyone at IU has actually heard of integration. Usually the math heavy lifting is left for those of us from the big school up West Lafayette way.

PS: Ryan - I am surprised that anyone at IU has actually heard of integration. Usually the math heavy lifting is left for those of us from the big school up West Lafayette way.

I finally met someone worth a damn from Purdue - -the assistant winemaker at Stone Wolf Winery.

The Jamet was a 1999. It was double decanted for about 3 hours and seemed to show more fruit on the nose when it was initially opened...fwiw, which isn't worth much.