BYO dinner out at a nearby restaurant, with Remo opening a handful of 2007 CdPs for Christian, Dani, Guly, Oliver, Patrick and me. All except the last wine (spontaneously offered by Christian) were served blind (all we knew beforehand was we would be comparing some 2007 CdPs).
Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007
Thanks to Remo. A blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% other authorized varietals. Ruby-purple. Interestingly, this “smells” tannic (almost more so than it is on the palate). Peppery, a bit smoky, some dried and dusted sage and a touch of rosemary and lavender. A bit animal. Good sweetness, if not the intensity and grip of some (e.g. the Ferrand). A medium-plus weight with some alcohol showing. Not too tannic, but with the usual youthful bitterness. Nice acidity. Medium length. Harmonious with airing, a bit surprisingly so for young Vieux Donjon. Rating: 91+/92
Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007
Thanks to Remo. 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, remainder the other permitted grape varieties. Plummy ruby-red. Sweaty, a bit herbaceous, tiny bitterness – in my opinion mildly cork-tainted. A bit mute and clipped on the finish, too. But still easy to guess this well-concentrated and (even in this case) flavourful wine’s identity. Saddle leather. Mixed Provençal herbs, nicely roasted. A little grey pepper. Lightly lemony/citrusy acids. More complex and elegant with airing. Rating: N/R
Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007
Thanks to Remo. A blend of 85% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Vaccarèse from 45- to 50-year-old vines, aged in cement tank. This wine’s identity was easy to guess. The finest Charvin since the 1998, if very different in character, and thanks to its freshness and precision possibly the greatest of all in the long run. Stylistically similar to, and just step behind the Ferrand. A bit blacker ruby-purple. Pure and clean fruit, intense floral essence, soft lavender, mildly green-peppery. Stone dust minerality. Some viscosity. Quite full-bodied. Great acids, firmly tannic, finely grained, with a touch of youthful greenish bitterness. Long on the finish. Seems every bit as good as the beefy 1998, but livelier and gingery-fresh. The wine of the night? Stylistically similar to, and just a step behind the Ferrand, along with which it may be the (second-)best QPR buy of the vintage. Rating: 95+/96(+?)
Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 1999
Thanks to Remo, who I am afraid bought this at auction. Slightly evolved purplish ruby-black. Volatile olive oil, possibly also ever so faintly cork-tainted. Faint sewage, evolved and meaty fruit, faintly spiced olive. Tooth paste touch. Slightly dry tannin. Mild mixed pepper. Such a great wine, even this bottle was close to outstanding. Rating: N/R
Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007
Thanks to Remo. 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 7% Syrah, 3% Cinsault. 16.5% natural alcohol (the Vieilles Vignes boasts 17.2%). Ruby-red colour. Soft, round roasted herbs and mildly soapy fruit, mildly peppery, soft spice. Fairly, but not too complex. Good acidity. Medium-plus length. Rounder and fruitier with airing. So evolved (found it most perplexing, to be honest), everyone who tried to guess at its identity at all mistook it for the Vieux Télégraphe! Rating: ~90?
Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réservé 2003
Thanks to Guly. Still rather transparent ruby-red with a faint purple hue, black reflections. Slightly evolved bottle and colour, not quite as youthful and racy as the last. Lightly sweaty-bretty and animal. More evolved on the nose than the palate. Complex herbs and fruit. Mild, but fairly precise, has quite good cut. Medium black pepper. Quite firm, complex and long on the finish and aftertaste. Could be weightier (and quite simply, taste more like the classic Rayas vintages I loved so much – there is none of that adorable rowan berry perfume, for example) but it is a pretty wine. Rating: 93+/94?
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2007
Thanks to Remo. A blend of 65% Grenache, 15% each of Mourvèdre and Syrah etc. So much more youthful than earlier bottles, not one of use recognized the wine. Almost opaque, lightly purple ruby. Intense, lightly inky, quite dense floral essence, green pepper. Touch of olive oil to quite strong Kirsch schnaps. Licorice, including some of the chewy fresh and green stick. Finesse note of curry. Quite tight and firm, complex, flavourful and fairly deep tannin. At first slightly abrupt finish, with airing longer, quite finesseful and more attractively subtle on the aftertaste. Rating: 92+/93(+?)
Penfolds Shiraz Grange 2004
Thanks to Christian. Contains 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 16 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Opaque purple. Dense jammy and dried plum fruit. Roasted coffee. Vanilla oak with touches of clove and cinnamon. Slightly artificial-flavoured, but luckily not too noticeable acidity. Tannic chocolate, or is that chocolatey tannin? Round and relatively smooth wine, if slightly artificial. A bit heavier and less lively, if spicier, with airing. Relatively oily, even softly viscous. The 14.3% alcohol is well integrated. Medium length on the oak-spicy finish and aftertaste. Some started comparing this to the 1994 of which I opened a bottle a couple of years ago (presumably the only vintage of Grange most of them knew), referred to this as sweeter, thicker, denser, oakier, more modernistic in style – no one mentioned the comparatively artificial streak if not overall character of the wine. Virtually everyone else’s favourite wine of the night, only Oliver thought it “more bombastic than likeable.” Having said all this, I must admit I would be curious to see if (and how!) this ages – it is so unlike the great Grange vintages of the past (especially of course so far as the tannin quality and acidity is concerned). Rating: 92(+?)
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
