I've been crazy busy with work the last few weeks, without much time to post any notes. Last night I had the chance to relax and enjoy a great meal with friends and taste some wines from the Northern Rhone.
We started with a salad with anchovy vinaigrette dressing and then had a wonderful dish of braised leeks surrounding a poached egg in a ramekin. Melissa provided a big purple crystal of salt to grate over the dish. The first wine was the 2005 Gonon St Joseph Oliviers blanc which was a killer match with the leek and egg dish. I loved the honeyed apricot nose, which had a layer of saline minerals underneath the honey that added complexity. The wine was full textured but quite dry, and enough acidity to provide balance. A little heat from the alcohol showed as it warmed, but it was a small price to pay for all the texture in the wine. I would definitely buy this again.
With a very tasty garlicky cassoulet that included duck confit, ham hocks, and some locally made sausage, we tried several red wines. The oldest, a 1991 Belle Cuvee Louis Belle Crozes Hermitage was a real treat for me, as I rarely get to try these when they are fully mature. Red orange color, with a vibrant nose of old bottle funk mixed with black olive, pepper and leather. Resolved tannins and a joy to drink. It was a little overwhelmed by the spicy cassoulet.
Two Cornas wines were next, which were outstanding with the food. The 2000 Verset seemed to be from the traditional old school Cornas style. A great nose of ash and smoke, black licorice, some pepper and really strong punchy acids. There was a hint of blueberry fruit if you looked closely, but this was mostly about the dirt. It wasn't over the top funky, just the right amount for me. Most of the structure here was from the acids, and I think this will improve with more age, but no harm in opening now.
It was interesting to taste the 1998 Voge Cornas next to the Verset. The Voge seemed like the younger wine, a little more closed in and with bigger tannins. With air it had some of the same earth as the Verset, with some black olive and pepper also. It didn't have the same assertive acidity or boldness of the Verset, and if owned this I would wait a bit on opening them.
The 2001 Texier Cote Rotie VV was a great contrast. It seemed elegant and polished compared to the wild Cornas wines. The nose was full of flowery violets and hints of bacon. Youthful fruit but surprisingly soft tannins in the mouth. The wine had an extended decant which I'm sure helped, but this was a real easy to drink wine without any hard edges.
A fun night and a lesson in N Rhone Terroir for me.
Cheers,
Marc