by Covert » Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:50 pm
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