Some recent culls (scores provided for entertainment)

[David M. Bueker]

2000 Domaine Gourt de Mautens (Jérôme Bressy) Rasteau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau (9/2/2013)
Found this still lurking in the cellar. Candied cherry, vodka-esque alcohol and copious volatile acidity. CT says I still have one more. That's really depressing, as this is truly awful stuff. (68 pts.)

2006 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (9/3/2013)
Tough, tannic and monolithic. Leave it in the cellar and hope for the best. I really do not see how the fruit will survive the relentless onslaught of the structure. Hope for aged aromas/flavors. (83 pts.)

2003 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/2/2013)
Hot, stewed fruit. Some herbs as well, but it is dominated by fatally overripe fruit and alcohol. There's no VA, so that's something. (75 pts.)

I have a 2005 Bressy DGM Rasteau that a friend gave to us as gift for the Champagne we regularly share with them. Much as I love a good dose of "vodka-esque alcohol" on the palate I hope that it is absent from the '05 model.

2000 Domaine Gourt de Mautens (Jérôme Bressy) Rasteau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau (9/2/2013)
Found this still lurking in the cellar. Candied cherry, vodka-esque alcohol and copious volatile acidity. CT says I still have one more. That's really depressing, as this is truly awful stuff. (68 pts.)

2006 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (9/3/2013)
Tough, tannic and monolithic. Leave it in the cellar and hope for the best. I really do not see how the fruit will survive the relentless onslaught of the structure. Hope for aged aromas/flavors. (83 pts.)

2003 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/2/2013)
Hot, stewed fruit. Some herbs as well, but it is dominated by fatally overripe fruit and alcohol. There's no VA, so that's something. (75 pts.)

"It was a sad day at Donald Duck's house. His nephew, Louie....." Quoted from one of my most favorite childhood books....which...I should point
out...was not all that long ago!! For some reason....I always identified w/ Gyro Gearloose in that iconic book. But Goofy was, and still is, my hero.
Sounds like the Graillot was the best of a pretty sorry threesome. Keep the faith on it. When "the Gourt"'s first started to come to this country, I was
blown away by their extract & intensity of Grenache fruit. But, like many over-the-top wines...they often don't stand the test of time. Experience much like yours.
Tom

Ook!! I've got a bottle of that '06 Graillot, too. I'm gonna give it BJ's rule of 15, but it doesn't sound too promising right now.

Mark Lipton

David, the bottles of 03 Donjon I've tasted haven't been at all stewy. They are ripe, of course - and remind one a bit of a California wine, but definitely not stewed. Wonder if your bottle suffered a hard life?

[David M. Bueker]

Perfect provenance on that '03 Donjon. The hard life was before it got into bottle!

I know that there are exceptions but my batting average for 03 Rhones would have me sent down to Cucamonga in the Vegetable League.

David, I wonder if Donjon's problem is bottle variation. Cellar Tracker TNs are all over the chart from 75 to 93.