Are these northern Rhone wines representative of their Appellation(s)?

The Friends Lake Inn, the only commercial establishment on the Adirondack lake where my wife and I have our little cabin, tossed a five course dinner on Friday evening showcasing a selection of their Rhone wines from Paul Jaboulet Aine. Lynn and I attended hoping to broaden our wine appreciation and knowledge, as we drink very few Rhone wines and know little about them.

The wines offered were not expensive (approximately $40 in the North Woods). The first course started with a Crozes Hermitage blanc, which was floral, complex, fine and understandable. Next a Chateauneuf, which I also pretty much got – I drink a bit of that kind of wine, and Gigondas, at outdoor pig roasts and such. We were then served a 2004 Crozes Hermitage “Domaine de Thalabert,” followed by a 2004 Crozes Hermitage “Domaine Raymond Roure.” I almost never buy northern Rhone reds, in stores or restaurants.

I thought the noses of these last two wines were quite complex and interesting. The bodies, however, did not evolve or expand in the glass over time, as many Bordeaux would have. The finishes were lack luster. All the wines poured were for sale in the Inn wine store, but we did not enjoy any of them enough to pay more than we would have to for a nice Cru Bourgeois, or a Cal Chard, so we did not purchase any.

Are the two northern Rhone wines we drank somewhat representative of the Appellation(s) and genre? I think the latter was more northern. Do you get a lot more if you pay, say, $100 for a bottle? I guess that’s a no-brainer.

Thanks for any inputs.

Covert

[David M. Bueker]

The reds were not representative of what can be done with those wines. Jaboulet has fallen on some hard times of late, and while things are looking up from 2006 onward (new ownership & investment), much of the decades of the 90s & 2000s has brought severe disappointment. The last truly great vintage from Jaboulet was probably 1990.

I thought the noses of these last two wines were quite complex and interesting. The bodies, however, did not evolve or expand in the glass over time, as many Bordeaux would have. The finishes were lack luster.

In addition to what David said, don't expect Crozes-Hermitage from most people (except Graillot) to evolve/expand/have a fine finish in the same way as a top Bordeaux. It's a big appellation with lots of so-so wines. That said, it often offers the younger-drinking dose of Northern Rhone syrah pleasure, while waiting for your Cote Rotie, Hermitage, and Cornas wines to mature. But you probably knew that.

Actually, besides Graillot, the one Crozes that might meet that criteria would be the Thalabert. Or at least the old Thalabert. Great in 70s and 80s, and to mid 90s probably held its own as the La Chappelle Hermtage sank. But yeah, now nothing to pay attention to.