We tried last week (9/5/12) Some Rhones from the Archives:
1. BonnyDoon LeCigareVolant Calif RTW (54% Mourv/39% Grenache/7% Syrah) 1988: Med.light color w/ slight bricking;
rathercedary/cigar box/old red light strawberry nose; light cedary/cigar box some tangy/metallic bit sharp/tannic/
dried out very light strawberry flavor; med.long tannic/dried out light strawberry cedary/cigar box/old red finish;
pretty decrepit old red w/ not much left of interest. $20.00
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2. BonnyDoon OldTelegram Calif Mataro (RTW) 1988: Light color w/ slight bricking; very strongly corked/TCA nose;
rather tangy/grapefruity tired/dried out/tannic flavor; totally gutted by the TCA. $18.00
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3. Ch.deFonsalette Reserve AC: CdR (14%) Proprietaire: J.Reynaud 1986: Light color w/ some bricking; somewhat
earthy very light strawberry cedary/cigar box/old wine slight funky/mushroomy nose; soft/smooth cedary/old red
slight tangy/tannic/dried out very light strawberry flavor; med.short soft/smooth cedary/old red bit washed-out/
gentle finish; not dried out & tannic but just sort of fading away into the sunset w/o a fuss. $23.00
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4. Dom.SainteAnne Syrah AC: CdR (MeBaD; 13%) 1988: Med.dark color w/ some browning; strong funky/pungent/ozone/
fireworks very acrid some charred/toasty/burn/oak bit mousey/funky/strange nose; very strong pungent/acrid/tangy
some blackberry/Syrah charred/burnt/oak light tannic flavor; med.long fairly smooth strong/acrid/pungent slight
funky/mousey bit blackberry/Syrah finish; not at all dried out & tired but pretty acrid/pungent in character.
$15.00 (SC)
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5. Cru de Coudoulet AC: CdR (MeBdC) PierrePerrin 1987: Very light some browning color; rather funky/old/unclean
bit alcoholic slightly corked/TCA nose; rather tannic/tangy/grapefruity some unclean/funky very light flavor
w/ no fruit; think the TCA pretty much robbed this wine of everything. $8.00 (A)
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6. Ch.deBeaucastel AC: CdP (MeBdC) PierrePerrin 1988: Light color w/ some browning; rather cedary/old red slight
unclean/funky/earthy very slight strawberry fruit nose; light/washed out earthy/funky rather tangy/grapefruity
fairly smooth/delicate slight unclean bit cedary/old red flavor w/ little tannins; med.short cedary/old red
bit tangy/grapefruity/unclean smooth/light/delicate finish; not tannic/dried out but sort of washed out and
not much left in the wine. $23.30
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7. VieuxTelegraphe AC: CdP (MeBaD; TW) 1988: Med.light color w/ some bricking; attractive earthy/garrigue bit
smokey/pungent slight strawberry/Grenache rather quiet/low-key bit complex/old red/cedary nose; soft/gentle/
quiet light smokey/pungent slight strawberry/Grenache bit earthy/dusty/garrigue/pungent pleasant if light
flavor; med. light earthy/dusty/garrigue slight strawberry/Grenache bit smokey/pungent finish w/ little tannins;
a pleasant/genial old CdP who's quietly fading into the sunset. $24.25
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8. Dom. de la Rousse AC: C-R (MeBaD; 13%) GeorgesDuBoeuf 1988: Med.dark color w/ some browning; rather strong
smokey/pungent/CR/old red bit funky/earthy/unclean nose; bit tangy/grapefruity/metallic rather smokey/pungent/
tobaccoy bit tannic/dried out slight blackberry/Syrah somewhat earthy/dusty/coarse flavor w/ slight dried/tannic
bite; med.long coarse/chewy light smokey/pungent/roasted bit cedary/old red finish w/ slight tannic bite;
starting to dry out & show its age; on the coarse/chewy side. $21.50
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9. Clusel AC: C-R (MeBalP; 12.8%) Viticulteur: GilbertClusel/LaVialliere/Verenay/Ampuis/Condrieu 1986: Med.light
color w/ little bricking; light pungent/roasted/smokey/coffee light cedary/old red low-key/C-R/smokey some
complex nose; soft/gentle/light pungent/smokey/roasted/coffee light pencilly/cedary/old red flavor w/ little
tannins; med.long soft/gentle/light coffee/roasted/smokey/pungent light blackberry bit complex finish w/
little tannins; definitely speaks of C-R but in a very quiet voice; clinging to life but not drying out; y
easy favorite of the C-R's. $24.70
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10. BernardBurgaud "LeChampin" AC: C-R (12.5%) 1986: Med.light color w/ little bricking; very light slight
funky/unclean/mousey/damp cellar bit cedary/old red nose w/ little C-R character; tart bit tangy/grapefruity/
metallic light funky/earthy/mushroomy light strawberry/roasted/pungent/smokey/cedary flavor w/ little tannins;
med.short tangy/metallic bit funky/mushroomy/unclean/earthy/damp cellar light smokey/pengent /roasted/cedary
finish w/ light tannins; speaks quietly of old C-R but mostly of old red wine; not much left here. $33.00
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11. Jamet AC: C-R (MeBalP; 12.5%) Viticulteurs: Jean-Paul et Jean-Luc Jamet "LeVallin"/Ampuis
1986: Med.color w/ some bricking; rather corked/musty/TCA slight smokey/roasted/C-R bit pungent nose; tart
very light very slight roasted/smokey/pungent rather washed-out/light/vapid some musty/corked flavor w/
some drying tannins; not much left and pretty destroyed by the TCA. $21.50
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12. AlbanVnyds Syrah Lorraine AlbanEstate/EdnaVlly (15.9%) 2002: Near black color w/ little bricking; slight
volatile/pickle juice strong green olive/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah strong charred/burnt/oak rather over-
the-top/Garretson-like nose; soft bit tannic/hard intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah bit tangy/grapefruity
strong charred/burnt/oak rather alcoholic/hot bit over-the-top flavor; long hot/alcoholic strong charred/
burnt/oak intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah tangy finish w/ ample tannins; seems a bit too much of the
over-the-top character and not coming together gracefully. $60.00
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13. Pax CuveeMoriah SonomaCnty (16.4%; 69% Grenache/18% Syrah/9% Mourvedre/3% Counoise/1% Roussanne;
U/U; www.PaxWines.com) 2003: Very dark color w/ some browning; strong boysenberry/blackberry/milk of
magnesia/licorice intense AlbanGrenache-like strong toasty/oak bit metallic/brass slight herbal somewhat
hot/alcoholic nose; soft/lush/smooth somewhat hot/alcoholic/fumey intense boysenberry/blackberry/Grenache/
strawberry strong toasty/charred/oak rather tannic/dried out flavor; very long bright/strawberry/Grenache/
boysenberry/blackberry rather hot/fumey/alcoholic strong charred/toasty/oak rather tannic/hard/bit dried out
finish; the alcohol is starting to dominate this wine and it's not coming together very well; drink up.
$62.00 (LA)
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14. EaglePointRanch PetiteSirah MendoCnty (14.7%; www.EaglePointRanch.com) 2005: Black color; strong peppery/
licorice/framboise/blackberry/PS strong vanilla/Am.oak slight earthy rather fragrant quite attractive nose;
soft bit tannic/hard intense blackberry/licorice/peppery/PS bit earthy/clunky some vanilla/Am.oak flavor;
long peppery/blackberry/framboise/PS some vanilla/Am.oak bit hard/tannic slight earthy finish; quite fragrant
for a PS and needs a few more yrs of age. $12.00
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15. SutcliffeVnyd Ael y Bryn Colorado RW (14.8%; 64% Syrah/22% Counoise/14% Cinsault) Cortez/CO 2009: Med.
dark color; strong plummy/licorice/strawberry/blackberry bit earthy slight buttery/diacetyl/oak bit earthy/
mushroomy/herbal interesting nose; soft/lush strong plummy/licorice/strawberry/blackberry bit earthy/herbal
light vanilla/buttery/oak flavor w/ modest tannins; med. plummy/licorice/strawberry/blackberry/pungent light
vanilla/oak bit mushroomy/earthy finish w/ modest tannins; some like a Languedoc Syrah w/o the hard/tannic
character; rather interesting Rhone blend. $29.00
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16. EdmundsStJohn Syrah BassettiVnyd/SLOCnty (13.3%) 2003: Very dark color; intense blackberry/Syrah some toasty/
smokey/oak bit cinammon/rosemary/spicy/peppery rather strange/earthy nose; rather tart/tannic/hard some Syrah/
blackberry/peppery bit smokey/pungent/herbal/rosemary rather tough/angular flavor; long strong blackberry/Syrah
bit peppery/herbal/rosemary/pungent rather hard/tannic/rough finish; some strange things therein and does not
seem to be evolving gracefully; jury is out on this one.
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Dom.Ste.Anne: Was stored on its side, but little ullage or signs of leakage. Removed the capsule and
stood it upright the night before. When I went to open the btl....surprise. No cork...it had fallen into
the wine. But no signs of oxidation in the wine to speak of.
I remember this wine well in its youth. Loads of Syrah/blackberry fruit and loads of toasty/new/Fr.oak.
I thought it would live forever. Obviously not. When you're born an orangutan..you die an orangutan. This
wine had a very acrid character...much like when you're working in a welding shop or you've just burnt out
the brake shoes on you car driving down off the mountain. Most folks actively disliked this wine. I just
thoughht it was the smell of burnt oak and didn't find it so bad.
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2. Sutcliffe: This is a CO wnry that I've only tried a few times. Owned by JohnSutcliffe, of NewYork origins.
WebSite: www.sutcliffewines.com I've had their Viognier and Cinsault before and thought them pretty nice.
This Rhone blend was probably the best Sutcliffe I've yet had. Don't know if it speaks of CO terrior (as if
I'd know what that tastes like), but I thought it a well-made red that spoke of Rhone varieties and pretty
interesting in character. The Sutcliffe wines are pretty available here in NM and I should make an effort
to try more of them.
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3. I occasionally do tasting from the archives that include wines from my overflow storage. This was a case of
mostly old Fr.Rhones I came across, supplemented by some other Calif Rhones. When I've done tastings of this
kind of Calif wines, there are usually a few surprises, wines that are far better than I would expect. This
batch of Rhones were not bad, per se...but they just didn't have much to say and were none that were a lot
better than I expected. Too bad.
Tom