WTN: 2004 Dom Grand Veneur CdP.

2004 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Southern Rhone France. Andrea Robinson Wine Club, $39.99. Importer: http://www.kysela.com/ , KYSELA PERE ET FILS, LTD., Winchester, VA importer.

Deep purple red color, very deep hue, intense aroma of ripe fruit, spices and a pretty earthen note, lovely fruit, pepper and licorice notes, just a hint of oak, mild tannins, good acidity, great balance, medium mouth feel, long, complex finish -- a lovely young CdP. 5*. Janet: "Magnificent!"

Regards, Bob

Notes: Andrea Robinson:

The 2004 vintage in the southern Rhone has sparked great excitement in the wine trade. Overall, the wines have expansive, concentrated fruit as well as great structure, so they taste chewy and spicy and juicy now, and can be expected to age beautifully, too.

This Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a superlative example of that dynamic. It is a notable notch better – specifically more intense and concentrated - than the 2003, which was a big A-List™ hit last fall. Part of the reason it is so tasty and so food-worthy now is the high proportion of Grenache in the blend – 70%, complemented with 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. The Grenache contributes black cherry fruit and a meat stock-leather note. The Syrah lends structure and black pepper character, and the Mourvedre a licorice quality. I believe it will peak in 5 years and drink nicely for another 5-7 thereafter if properly stored.

I recommend you try this wine now and, if you like it, consider getting a few more bottles for your Thanksgiving gathering or your cellar (or both). I think it will be fantastic with the whole roast turkey and gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing thing. Here is a delicious and extremely simple pasta recipe with which to sample the wine. I love how the bitterness of the broccoli rabe offsets the wine’s earthiness, emphasizing the fruit.

LINGUINE WITH BROCCOLI RABE
Serves 4
3/4 pound linguine fini or other thin, flat noodle
1 lb broccoli rabe, washed, tough stems removed and the remaining leaves and stems cut into two
inch pieces
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Manchego cheese, or more to taste
Coarse sea salt such as fleur de sel

Add a tablespoon of salt to a large pot filled with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta
and cook according to package directions until al dente. When pasta is 5 minutes from finished,
add broccoli rabe to pot and continue to cook until pasta is done. Drain in a colander. Meanwhile,
cook olive oil and garlic in a large heavy skillet until garlic is soft and pale golden, stirring
frequently, 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and use tongs to add the pasta to the skillet, tossing to
combine. Season to taste with fleur de sel, lots of black pepper, additional olive oil and grated
cheese.

[James Roscoe]

Nice wine Bob. I will be at the French embassy tomorrow night where , KYSELA, among others will be pouring a bunch of French wines and I will be eating some wonderful French cheese and pate. I will check to see if they are pouring this wine. Perhaps I'll be able to snag a bottle while it's on sale.

Very good wine, James. I see you are almost at 1000 -- congrats.

Sounds like a great wine. We're seeing a few more Kysela wines in this market, so I'll be sure to look for this one.
Thanks.
Curly

I had the 2004 DGV Cote du Rhone blend last month and found it just lovely. Wonderful balance that the 2003's didn't have.

And I was able to get it for $2-3 below retail at the Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. Unfortunately I didn't go back and buy more and now they're out so I'll have to look elesewhere.

[James Roscoe]

I have to keep up with Bob P.

I also see that Kysela won't be at the embassy this year. I will get some good CdPs nonetheless. They should also have some great Loire wines I really want to try . The Loire heads here and on some other places I lurk have me wanting to try the reds from the Loire Valley.

Good to see the note, Bob -- I put a case in the cellar last week. I also got a case of their CdR, which is an excellent value well worth seeking out.

I liked their CdR too, Randy, although I think it needs more time; see my note here.

The CdP is drinking beautifully now and can only improve.

Nice to see your post. Regards, Bob

Not too many posts today James. Computer/virus/Firefox/dating agency popups!!!! Also went birding and had a great morning out at the lake. For you birders out there.........

Surf Scooter.
2 White winged Scooters.
Common Loon.
Bald Eagle.
2 Sabine`s Gulls, very rare around here.

[James Roscoe]

What are gulls doing in Alberta? What are gulls doing in Alberta in October? I'm glad you had a great day Bob.

Great list, Bob.

Juncos are arriving all around us -- some ten miles south of here -- but our flock of 40 or so haven't showed up yet. We are eager to see how many youngsters have joined their parents.

Agh, migrating down from the Artic. Mind you, guess how many gull species breed in Alberta??

4.
6.
9.
15.

James, what about setting up my idea of Thansgiving Open Mike wines?

You know, James, one of the oddest things to me is that they are called "sea gulls". We used to have gulls nine or ten months of the year in Wisconsin.

I'm not sure if that was because of the Great Lakes or not, but many of the shore gulls here in the East were old friends from back home.

[James Roscoe]

James, what about setting up my idea of Thansgiving Open Mike wines?

There is a broad concept. I like it. I can drink just about anything and call it a Thanksgiving wine. Let's do it!

[James Roscoe]

You know, James, one of the oddest things to me is that they are called "sea gulls". We used to have gulls nine or ten months of the year in Wisconsin.

I'm not sure if that was because of the Great Lakes or not, but many of the shore gulls here in the East were old friends from back home.

Bob,
I always assume the Great Lakes are some fresh water ocean so I'm not surprised by the gulls. Gulls on the prairie, that surprises me. Are there large lakes in Alberta? Where are they migrating? The Gulf of Mexico? I am perplexed, but that is the fun part about it.
Cheers!
James

But, James, almost any farm boy in Illinois, Iowa or Kansas, and I'm sure other midwestern states, have seen something like this:

Seagulls and cattle egrets are sometimes observed following farm equipment as fields are tilled in the heartland of the United States. These birds are gleaning soil-dwelling insects, such as grubs and wireworms, from the upturned soil. Both of these insects can be pests, so farmers are happy to have the birds stopping to feed.

Seagulls are not normally seen treading on soil destined to be cornfields of Iowa or wheat fields of Kansas. These birds are shore and ocean birds, but great flocks have been observed feeding in fields far from a lake or ocean. The vagabond seagull travelers have learned that human activity can make an insect meal accessible and are as happy to follow a plow as an ocean trawler in their search for a meal.

I think it's food, more than water, that informs their journeys. The site, by the way, is from the Purdue Extension.

After all, you can see them thousands of miles from any shore when you travel over the ocean. I don't think they care much what they are flying over.

Regards, Bob

[James Roscoe]

This has to be the only place on the web where I can learn about seagullsand wine and be called an asshole all within the space of ten minutes! Thanks for the information on the seagulls. It makes sense. (Good job staying away from the "other" thread.)

And I was so proud of you for staying out of it.

Well, I don't always agree with you James ... but that's certainly an unfounded charge! :-)

I was trying to remember how far south the sea gulls followed us from Argentina to Antarctica, but it was certainly 800 miles or more, with no food except stuff from the ship.

Regards, Bob

I think it is the Artic Tern which migrates back and forth each year from the Antartic to the Artic!!

[James Roscoe]

I think it is the Artic Tern which migrates back and forth each year from the Antartic to the Artic!!

I propose to call it the Anarctic Tern in solidarity with our Antarctic brothers and sisters who have been abused by the capitalist Arctic pigs!

Thanks for the note, Bob. I've always liked Grand Veneur's CdPs and CdRs, not only because of their high quality but also because of their relatively low price. The $40 the Andrea Robinson Wine Club charges for it seems way too high to me -- I've gotten earlier vintages of the CdP for around $20 and even accounting for inflation and the lower dollar, I'd be surprised if this isn't currently available for $30 or less.

Thanks, Bruce. I'll check on pricing with the club. I see that it ranges from $25 to $50 on Wine Searcher Pro. Back to you in a bit.

James,

Gulls are very common in Edmonton and we don't have any large expanses of water.

They're a regular sight at landfills and restaurant parking lots - even in the winter.