WTN: 2006 Cuilleron Syrah

2006 Yves Cuilleron Syrah Vin de pays des collines rhodaniennes - Juicy yet expressive, leaning toward savory olive and black pepper notes and offering little in terms of forward fruit. This is not a complaint, as I enjoyed the style very much. The finish was a bit of a shortcoming, as everything leading up to it is quite promising. It would seem that I got over this. The bottle was quickly emptied, despite the initial intent to save half and revisit it the next day. Judging from how it showed over an hour and a half, I think it lacks the structure and stuffing to be ageworthy, though that is probably beside the point. For $20, I would definitely buy again.

Has anyone had experience with Cuilleron Condrieu? They're pricey little buggers, but it seems that they are what Cuilleron is best known for.

$20 for VdP collines rhodaniennes.

Haven't had this wine.

How would you compare it to Ogier's La Rosine?

I tasted the 1998 Ogier "La Rosine" at Joe Perry's wedding in August among a plethora of great wines. A difficult comparison to make considering the very different settings, but I would say the Ogier makes for the stronger value if one is looking to buy a case and watch it evolve. The Cuilleron is drinking well as a youngin, but I don't foresee it (this vintage at least) having the same lifespan. How approachable is "La Rosine" in its youth?

How approachable is "La Rosine" in its youth?

The vintages I have had have been very approachable in youth, and it is not the first wine I would think of to lay down in the cellar. Although, that doesn't mean it won't improve with age.

But, I'm not a La Rosine expert.

I've always thought of it as a wine that punched above its appellation, so I was wondering if this was a similar such wine.

However, with recent price increases, I do find La Rosine less compelling and these days would prefer something from Graillot at a similar price point.

I suppose to put things into perspective, the current release of "La Rosine" seems to be hovering around $30 (according to winesearcher). Would I buy the Cuilleron Syrah again for $30? Probably not. At $20, it's a decent value, at $30, one can probably do better. With the recent press that Cuilleron is getting, I hope that the price doesn't drift towards the latter.

How approachable is "La Rosine" in its youth?

The vintages I have had have been very approachable in youth, and it is not the first wine I would think of to lay down in the cellar. Although, that doesn't mean it won't improve with age.

But, I'm not a La Rosine expert.

I've always thought of it as a wine that punched above its appellation, so I was wondering if this was a similar such wine.

However, with recent price increases, I do find La Rosine less compelling and these days would prefer something from Graillot at a similar price point.

Yes, La Rosine is no longer the value it once was, sadly. However, it does age well for 5+ years in most decent vintages. The '90 was still drinking well in the late '90s. I like my Syrah a bit long in the tooth, though.

Mark Lipton

i thought i remembered the cuilleron being about $15 in south jersey. maybe less.

i thought i remembered the cuilleron being about $15 in south jersey. maybe less.

Wine is one of the few things that is actually cheaper in New Jersey/New York than in Maine.