WTN: 2001 Bouissiere "Le Font de Tonin", Gigondas

[Jenise]

When Bob and I share a bottle of wine over dinner, we typically get about three pours each. This allows us time to decide not to finish the bottle, although I'll admit that rarely happens. When Bob first poured this for me, the wine was that clear warm red of a nicely aged Southern Rhone. It smelled great, and I enjoyed my first pour. The second glass burned a bit so I reached for the bottle to check the alcohol--14.5, but it seemed hotter. And I wouldn't have recognized the first pour from what I found in my 3rd pour: the warm red color was gone, it turned dark reddish purple and dense, and all that Rhone-y goodness gave way to flavors modern-sweet and oaky. Suddenly we both disliked it so much we poured the wine back and switched to a white we had open.

What in the world? Not a wine I have any history with, so I have no idea about reputation except to say that I bought it after reading a short discussion about it here on WLDG years ago when I was first getting into Rhones.

I brought this to a fanatic offline 2-3 years ago, I think, and it was too young to really judge it at that time. A Gigondas tasting, I think. I guess you weren't at that tasting? We went through it pretty fast, of course, but noone mentioned that it got worse as the wine progressed.

Surprised to hear that is quickly devolved, as it's a top Gigondas from a great vintage and usually lasts (and needs) a long time. But it should be getting ready now. Maybe it needed even more time to settle?

I have one more bottle, and was going to open it in 2-3 years.

Here's three people's notes/impressions from the tasting:

http://www.winefanatic.ca/vb/showthread.php?t=3344&highlight=gigondas

Bill did mention it had some heat on the nose...

Sorry to hear you it didn't work well on the night!

[Jenise]

I brought this to a fanatic offline 2-3 years ago, I think, and it was too young to really judge it at that time. A Gigondas tasting, I think. I guess you weren't at that tasting?

Actually, I was at that offline! I sat against the back wall and you were to my right. I don't remember noticing that your wine was one I actually had in my cellar--I know I owned it before that occasion, but even so never having had the wine it wasn't a very familiar name to me. Anyway, tonight we tasted what we put back in the bottle last night: dirt and prunes. It's heading south, on the same trajectory it began last night. Not good news, is it? Btw, the cork was perfect. Do you have more? I have another bottle.

Wow, you have a good memory - I could never remember where I was sitting that long ago! And nobody has ever mentioned that sitting beside me is ever particularly memorable

I can't help but think that your bottle was flawed in some way, but maybe that just wishful thinking, as I have 1 bottle left as well. We'll both just have to wish for a better performance from the last bottle...

[Jenise]

Wow, you have a good memory

My husband often remarks how lucky we both are that he's a flawlessly honest man.

I can't help but think that your bottle was flawed in some way, but maybe that just wishful thinking, as I have 1 bottle left as well. We'll both just have to wish for a better performance from the last bottle...

Agreed. I'll pull mine soon and repost. Btw, Bill mentioned in the tasting notes you referred to that he also had this wine. Wonder if he's had one lately?

Le Font de Tonin is an oak aged cuvee. When I have tasted it young, the oak is quite present (so I've mostly stopped tasting it). It sounds to me as if your first glass had a strange form of muting that stressed the fruit momentarily. With air, the real wine showed through. Certainly a wine getting darker and more purple is not devolving.