Cool weather this week brought out some rather unseasonable Southern reds but they were mostly very good.
Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages Haut Coustias 1998 - Domaine de l’Oratoire Saint-Martin (F&F.Alary) - Alc. 13% - (EUR 17 for 2008 vintage) - a blend of 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 20% Syrah 65 year old vines. Just over 2 years ago I found a bottle of this absolutely delicious but this one was, if anything, better.
Colour was a quite deep ruby red with some bricking at the rim. The nose showed a beautifully round and complex medley of red and dark fruit with dashes of tar and provençal herbs all singing more confidently than the previous bottle. On the palate it was medium/full bodied and deep, round and velvety woven with many but integrated aromatic strands out of which I thought that I detected cherry,kirsch, raspberry coulis, rose petals, sweet plum, cooked tomato, tar, basil and other local herbs. Structure is more present than in a Grenache dominated wine, the finish long and aromatic and the overall effect harmoniously elegant yet full; 17/20++ QPR!
I complained about a year ago that my previous bottle of Vacqueyras Les Genestes 2001 – Domaine des Amouriers (Jocelyn Chudzikiewicz) – Alc.14% - (c.€13 for current vintages), Grenache dominated, was somewhat subdued aromatically. This one was singing in that full throated way which one looks for from Vacqueyras with full body, attractive cherry and dark fruit with a savoury touch, lively acidity and some leather encased in firm ripe tannins; 16/20++ QPR.
Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne 1994 – M. Chapoutier– Alc.13.5%. In spite of their initially mediocre reputation, I have derived a lot of pleasure from 94s from the Rhône valley, particularly the North. Colour was rather rusty but, given the way this bottle started, I thought that this would be another success; initially round dark fruit with some dark cherry and touches of tar and old book. However I have rarely opened a bottle of this age where with airing the fruit and bloom disappeared so quickly, leaving the old book elements high and dry with a certain touch of varnish; 16/20 at first declining to 14/20.
Côtes du Roussillon Mas Las Cabes 2008 – Domaine Jean Gardiés – Alc. 13.5% - (€8), made from Syrah 60%, Grenache 30% and Carignan 10%, was a satisfying full bodied, sweet fruited, herb and tar laced Mediterranean wine with good structure; 15.5/20 QPR.
Saumur Champigny Les Rogelins 1995 – René-Noël Legrand- Alc.12.5% - (€13 for 2006). This is Legrand’s top cuvée which sees a lot of new oak. As usual with him, it was still vigorous, fresh and youthful after its 15 years. I tend to prefer his simpler cuvées where the full throated raspberry, clay and leather tinged fruit is not accompanied by the veneer of sophistication brought by the wood. Let me not exaggerate, though; this is a very good Champigny and the wood notes are well integrated and have none of those obtrusive vanilla or caramel often observed. The leather notes are perhaps more acrid that often and the brett paranoid may object; 15.5/20+++ QPR.
Château Le Vieux Sérestin Cru artisan Médoc 2005 – Francis Castet – Alc.13.5 - was a satisfyingly robust Médoc already open for business with good acidity, red fruit and firm tannic structure; 15/20+.